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
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A New Era in Primary Health Care Nursing
Coinciding with this year’s International Nurses Day, this week’s Federal Budget has had some significant outcomes for the primary health care, nursing workforce.
The Federal Budget delivered on 9th May 2023, APNA believes will strengthen Australia’s primary health care (PHC) system by addressing growing nursing shortages, seeing more nurses hired where they are needed, and better utilising the largest workforce in PHC of nearly 100,000 nurses to their full potential to reduce the pressure on the health system.
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Psychiatrists to discuss connectedness at RANZCP 2023 Congress
Next week, at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) meet for the RANZCP 2023 Congress on the theme of “New Horizons: Connected Futures”
Australian Health Journal spoke to current President-Elect Dr Elizabeth Moore and soon to be President, RANZCP about the Congress, as well as the recent Federal Budget announcements around mental health funding.
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FULL FEATURE Consumers and communities as agents of health care change and improvement
Policymakers, health administrators and clinicians must learn and embrace new ways to harness the transformative role consumers, community members and carers can play. Conversely, consumers and communities need support, capability and capacity to engage as equals in policy, research, program and service design. This is necessary if are to be less technocratic and realise the vision where all members of society can live the best life possible.
