Pancreatic cancer, more diagnoses, fewer deaths. Italy accelerates on prevention

On 20 November 2025, the Istituto Nazionale Tumori Irccs Fondazione G. Pascale in Naples hosted a meeting dedicated to research, therapies and patients' experiences. The event was attended by doctors, caregivers, associations and researchers, including the Nadia Valsecchi Foundation, the Gabriella Fabbroncini Foundation, the Oltre la Ricerca Odv Association and the Italian Pancreatic cancer coalition (I-Pcc), under the patronage of Aiom and Airc.

During the event, the Fondazione Nadia Valsecchi - Sezione Pazienti di Napoli (Nadia Valsecchi Foundation - Patients' Section of Naples) was inaugurated, a new reference point for information, support and rights for people affected by pancreatic cancer.

'Early diagnosis, especially in those most at risk, and new targeted therapies are opening up scenarios that were unthinkable just a few years ago,' explains Alfredo Budillon, Scientific Director of Irccs Pascale. Among the innovations, he cites molecular investigations that can be performed with a simple blood sample, drugs targeting Ras mutations - present in 90% of cases - and therapeutic immunotherapy vaccines. 'At the conference we will present some studies that we are carrying out at Pascale,' he adds.

Antonio Avallone, director of abdominal medical oncology at Pascale, also confirms the 'great vitality of research', thanks above all to the introduction of new drugs such as Ras inhibitors. The confirmation comes from the results of clinical studies presented at the last Esmo congress in Berlin. 'Pancreatic cancer is set to become one of the most frequent cancers in the next thirty years. But the tools for dealing with it are changing'.

For Francesco Perrone, president of the Aiom Foundation, some progress can be seen: "In Italy, five-year net survival has risen to 11% in men and 12% in women. But this is not enough. Pancreatic cancer remains one of the great challenges for oncology, in which we still have a long way to go in terms of both research and prevention. Symptoms such as stomach and back pain, poor digestion and slimming are often confused with those of other diseases. And smoking remains the main risk factor, followed by obesity, sedentary lifestyle, alcohol, poor diet, diabetes and chronic pancreatitis'.

Finally, Enza Lonardo, co-founder of I-Pcc - which represents an Italian network for basic and translational research on pancreatic cancer - and Airc researcher, emphasises the importance of collaboration between laboratories: 'I-Pcc brings together 28 Italian research groups. Only by sharing knowledge can we turn scientific discoveries into concrete therapies and improve diagnosis and survival'.