Pancreatic cancer urine test ‘hope’

A simple urine test that could detect pancreatic cancer much earlier than at present has been developed by scientists. They found a protein "signature" only present in people with the disease.

Pancreatic cancer is often very advanced by the time it is diagnosed - and only 3% of patients are alive five years after diagnosis. It has the lowest five-year survival rate of any common cancer and one that has barely improved in 40 years.

More than 80% of people with the disease are diagnosed when it has already spread, so they are not eligible for surgery to remove the tumour - currently the only potential cure.

Those at higher risk include people with a family history of the cancer, heavy smokers, obese people and people over 50 who are newly diagnosed with diabetes.