Pancreatic cancer identified as high-risk due to late diagnosis

Pancreatic cancer is increasingly recognized for its high mortality rate and difficulty in early detection. According to the GLOBOCAN 2024 report released by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) under the World Health Organization (WHO), pancreatic cancer was the sixth leading cause of cancer death globally, accounting for over 490,000 deaths in 2024.

Dr. Liu Boren, President of the Taiwan Association of Nutritional Genetics and Functional Medicine, explains that the disease is often referred to as the ‘king of cancers’ due to its poor prognosis. The pancreas is located deep within the abdomen, and its clinical symptoms are often vague, frequently leading patients to mistake the condition for less severe digestive issues like stomach ailments.

By the time symptoms such as persistent abdominal pain, loss of appetite, weight loss, or jaundice become apparent, the cancer is often in an advanced or metastatic stage. This delay in diagnosis, combined with the high rate of metastasis and limited treatment effectiveness, often results in a very short survival period following detection.