World Pancreatic Cancer Day Date in the current year: November 21, 2024

Pancreatic cancer is a malignant tumor resulting from the abnormal and uncontrolled growth of cells in the pancreas. Cancerous cells can metastasize and spread to other parts of the body, typically first to nearby lymph nodes and later to the liver, peritoneal cavity, large intestine, or lungs. The most common type of pancreatic cancer, accounting for approximately 90% of all cases, is pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers because it does not manifest itself at early stages, and when the first signs and symptoms do occur, they are non-specific (abdominal or back pain, loss of appetite, yellow skin, weight loss, dark urine, light-colored stools). At a point when symptoms become specific enough to suspect pancreatic cancer, the disease has already reached an advanced stage (III or IV), and treatment options are limited.

This, combined with the fact that pancreatic cancer usually affects people later in life (more than 50% of cases occur in those aged 70 or older), makes pancreatic cancer one of the deadliest types of cancer. It has one of the lowest five-year survival rates among all major cancers in nearly every country.

World Pancreatic Cancer Day (WPCD) takes place on the third Thursday of November. It was launched to raise global awareness and understanding about this devastating disease. WPCD is supported and promoted by numerous international and national pancreatic cancer organizations, healthcare organizations and medical professionals, patient support groups, and other stakeholders.

The main goal of World Pancreatic Cancer Day is to raise awareness of the devastating impact of pancreatic cancer in order to encourage people to pay attention to their health and seek medical help even when their symptoms seem minor. There is no standard screening for pancreatic cancer, so taking care of one’s overall health is crucial for early detection.

World Pancreatic Cancer Day also aims to educate people about risk factors for pancreatic cancer, some of which are preventable. About 25% of cases of the disease are linked to tobacco smoking. Other preventable risk factors include obesity and consumption of large amounts of alcohol and red or processed meat. Certain diseases also increase the risk of pancreatic cancer; they include diabetes and chronic pancreatitis.

How can you observe World Pancreatic Cancer Day? The easiest way would be by wearing a purple ribbon and spreading awareness on social media using the hashtags #WorldPancreaticCancerDay and #WCPD. You also can participate in a World Pancreatic Cancer Day event near you or even organize an event in your community, donate to an organization that supports pancreatic cancer patients and funds research, volunteer at a hospital or hospice, or raise awareness of pancreatic cancer and support pancreatic cancer any other way.