Antibiotics can cut the risk of pancreatic cancer

In 10 minutes? Swedish researchers have found that microbes can infect pancreatic cells and cause lesions, precursors for pancreatic cancer. The good news is: routine antibiotics can kill these microbes, reducing the risk of cancer.

Remind me about pancreatic cancer? It is an aggressive and almost always lethal type of cancer, developing in the pancreas, crucial to digestion and controlling our blood glucose levels. The main reasons are that the symptoms are vague and non-specific. By the time the cancer is detected, it has inevitably spread to other parts of the body. Current treatment options are not effective and most patients die within 5 years of diagnosis. Thus, there is an urgent need for quicker diagnoses and treatment options. Global data from 2018 has shown that pancreatic cancer accounts for about 459 000 new cases and 432 000 deaths per year. Only about 10% of patients survive up to 5 years after diagnosis.