What is pancreatic cancer?

Pancreatic cancer is cancer that starts in any part of the pancreas. About 70% of pancreatic cancers are found in the head of the pancreas. Pancreatic cancer can spread to nearby lymph nodes and to the lining of the abdomen (peritoneum) or may travel through the bloodstream to other parts of the bodyas secondary or metastatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer arising from cells which produce enzymes to break down food is the more common type of pancreatic cancer and is known as an exocrine tumour. Tumours developing from the cells which secrete hormones are known as neuroendocrine tumours.

You can access further information about pancreatic cancer, including risk factors, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment from Cancer Council Victoria. You can also call our trusted cancer nurses on 13 11 20 for support and to learn about our range of services for people affected by cancer.

The Victorian Cancer Registry also operates an interactive web portal, Data Explorer, which provides more trends and statistics than published here.

How common is pancreatic cancer?

In 2023, 1119 Victorians were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Of these, there were 577 males and 542 females, representing 51.6% and 48.4% of the total Victorian pancreatic cancer diagnoses, respectively. Currently, pancreatic cancer is diagnosed at a rate of 14.5 per 100,000 males and 11.7 per 100,000 females. The median age at diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is 71 years in males and 75 in females (Figure 1 & 2). Accounting for 2.8% of all cancers diagnosed and 8% of all cancer-related deaths in 2023, pancreatic cancer was the 8th most commonly diagnosed cancer and the 3rd most common cause of cancer-related deaths in Victoria.

Trends in pancreatic cancer over time

Figure 3a shows for males between 1995 to 2023 the age standardised incidence rate of pancreatic cancer increased by an average of 1% per year.

For females between 1993 to 2023 the age standardised incidence rate of pancreatic cancer increased by an average of 1.2% per year.

Pancreatic cancer morphology

Figure 4 provides a summary of the different types of cells (morphology) which have caused pancreatic cancer among all cases. Most pancreatic cancer tumours, 63.3%, present as adenocarcinoma tumours.

Pancreatic cancer subtypes

Figure 5 provides a breakdown of pancreatic cancer by subsite location in 2023. Most (38.2%) are found in the Head of the pancreas.

Geographical variance in pancreatic cancer by local government area

Figure 6 demonstrates variation in age-standardised incidence rates of pancreatic cancer, by local government areas. Darker shading indicates areas with higher rates of pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer in people born overseas

Figure 7 shows the age standardised incidence rates of pancreatic cancer in Australian-born Victorians compared to other major migrant groups, over the five-year period 2018 to 2022. The highest age standardised incidence rate for pancreatic cancer was 21.5 for males born in the Southern Europe region and the lowest rate of 10.5 was observed in males born in the South-East Asia region. The highest age standardised incidence rate of pancreatic cancer was 16.8 for females born in the South and Central America region and the lowest rate of 6.9 was observed in females born in the Southern and Central Asia region.

Pancreatic cancer five-year relative survival

Figure 8 shows the change in 5-year survival for pancreatic cancer, and the 5-year survival trend for all cancers over the same time period. It demonstrates that five-year relative survival has increased for pancreatic cancer between 1983-1987 and 2018-2022 from 5% to 15%.