NEW RESOURCES AND SURVEILLANCE GUIDES TO SUPPORT EARLY DETECTION OF PANCREATIC CANCER Pancare Foundation disseminates material commissioned by Cancer Australia and developed by UQ and Uni of Melbourne
With
Dr Michael KC Lee,
Medical Oncologist,
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Dr Mark Buzza,
Head of Research, Innovation and Advocacy,
Pancare Foundation
SEGMENT
Filmed in Melbourne | February 2026
Pancreatic cancer remains one of Australia’s deadliest cancers, with five-year survival rates hovering at just 14%, with little improvement over several decades. Often called the ‘silent killer’, the disease frequently presents with minimal or vague symptoms, resulting in late diagnoses and poor outcomes. Pancare Foundation is leading the rollout of new clinical resources and surveillance guides to support healthcare professionals in identifying at-risk patients and promoting early detection.
More than 4,500 Australians are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer each year, and the disease is projected to become the second leading cause of cancer-related death by 2030. Despite advances in treatment, the lack of a population-level national screening program, as there is for bowel cancer for example, means that healthcare professionals play a critical role in early detection and patient education.
“Early identification is key,” said Dr Mark Buzza, Head of Research, Innovation and Advocacy, Pancare Foundation. “These new resources provide practical guidance for clinicians on risk assessment, surveillance protocols, and patient communication. By equipping healthcare professionals with the latest evidence-based tools, we can improve detection rates and ultimately patient outcomes.”
The resources highlight key risk factors to be aware of including a family history of pancreatic cancer, smoking, long-term diabetes, chronic pancreatitis, heavy alcohol use, and obesity.
Importantly, pancreatic cancer can also occur in patients without obvious risk factors. Developed by the University of Queensland (alongside their contributors), the new surveillance guides offer clear recommendations for monitoring high-risk individuals, identifying early symptoms, and coordinating referral pathways for diagnostic investigations.
In addition, the University of Melbourne provides pain and palliative care education resources for healthcare professionals, ensuring clinicians are equipped to support patients throughout the continuum of care.
Source: Adapted from Pancare Foundation media release
-
Brain cancer Professor mentors Tasmanian researchers
Rosemary Harrup trained in Victoria and Tasmania in Medical Oncology and Clinical Haematology, completing a dual Fellowship in 2001. She is the current Director of Cancer and Blood Services at the Royal Hobart Hospital (RHH), a role she has held since 2009.
Australian Health Journal spoke to Rosemary about her journey in medicine and specifically her work in Clinical Trials in Brain Cancer and the value she placed on her senior clinicians as mentors and how she now mentors others.
-
Reflecting on a pivotal year for pharmacy
Dr. Kate Wang, a Senior Lecturer in Pharmacy at RMIT University and Adjunct Senior Lecturer, University of Western Australia, has over a decade of experience in both hospital and community pharmacy settings.
Dr Wang spoke to Australian Health Journal on some of the key topics in 2024 that have been pivotal as a pharmacist, academic and researcher for the pharmacy profession.
-
Challenge advances health technologies and medical devices in the MedTech sector
Australia’s clinical trials community came together to celebrate outstanding research and recognise the people and teams making a meaningful difference to healthcare at the 2026 ACTA Trial of the Year Awards.
Now in its 10th year, the awards continue to shine a light on investigator-led clinical trials and initiatives that are improving clinical practice, influencing healthcare policy and delivering better outcomes for patients across Australia and beyond.
