€1 million fund for pancreatic cancer research announced
A charity based on Leeside is committing €1 million to a new, island-wide pancreatic cancer research programme aimed at improving early detection and outcomes for one of Ireland’s most difficult to treat cancers.
Breakthrough Cancer Research marked World Cancer Day by announcing its second All-Ireland Cancer Network (AllCaN). The Breakthrough Cancer Research AllCaN Pancreatic Cancer programme brings together leading researchers, clinicians, public and patient involvement and engagement (PPIE) representatives, charities, industry and policy stakeholders from across the island of Ireland. The programme will drive a coordinated research effort to address some of the most pressing unmet needs in pancreatic cancer, particularly in early detection and improved outcomes.
AllCaN is a flagship initiative under Breakthrough Cancer Research’s five-year research strategy Making More Survivors, designed to accelerate progress in cancers with the poorest outcomes through deep, structured collaboration across institutions and jurisdictions.
Pancreatic cancer remains one of the hardest-to-treat cancers in Ireland. Each year, approximately 600 people in the Republic of Ireland and 290 in Northern Ireland are diagnosed, with more than 560 deaths in the Republic of Ireland and more than 255 deaths in Northern Ireland annually. Five-year survival remains extremely low at around 15 percent in the Republic of Ireland and approximately 8 percent in Northern Ireland, according to the National Cancer Registry Ireland and the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry.
It is expected to be the second leading cause of cancer death by 2030 with increasing cases in under 50s. The Breakthrough Cancer Research AllCaN Pancreatic Cancer grant has been awarded to a new all-island research network led by Professor Gráinne O’Kane, Consultant Medical Oncologist and an internationally recognised clinician scientist in pancreatic cancer. The €1 million investment from Breakthrough Cancer Research will fund a multi-year programme focused on key challenges in pancreatic cancer, including understanding disease biology, identifying biomarkers for earlier detection, improving risk stratification, optimising treatment pathways and building a sustainable research infrastructure for the future.
This announcement builds on the success of Breakthrough Cancer Research’s first AllCaN programme in oesophageal cancer, launched in 2023.
Orla Dolan, CEO of Breakthrough Cancer Research, said: “Pancreatic cancer is one of the greatest challenges we face in cancer research today. Outcomes remain devastatingly poor, largely because the disease is so often diagnosed late and treatment options are limited. Through AllCaN, we are creating the conditions needed for real progress by bringing together the very best expertise across the island of Ireland around a shared ambition.”
She added: “Our experience with the first AllCaN programme has shown what is possible when collaboration is properly resourced and structured. We have seen how breaking down institutional and jurisdictional barriers can accelerate learning and build national capability. This €1 million investment is about creating lasting research infrastructure that can change outcomes for people with pancreatic cancer, not just today, but into the future. We are so grateful to the Tom Cunningham Trust and The Ireland Funds for supporting this initiative with us, and sharing our vision that by investing in innovative research, we can improve cancer care.”