New fund to benefit pancreatic cancer research

US foundation commits £25 million to fighting pancreatic cancer.

The Lustgarter Foundation, the largest funder of pancreatic cancer research in the US, has announced today (January 23rd) that researchers are going to benefit from a number of grants that total around $25 million. Largely made up of funds towards clinical trials, the money is expected to go some way to helping those suffering from the illness.

In particular, important advancements at 18 world-renowned institutes, such as the John Hopkins University School of Medicine and the David Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research will receive slices of the grant.

The fund will help a variety of new developments, including a test with 1,600 individuals aimed at creating diagnostics that allow doctors to establish whether a patient has pancreatic cancer with a simple blood test.

Only six per cent of individuals diagnosed with the illness survive for more than five years, earning it a reputation as the most lethal of all cancers.