FREE – 1 to 1 Funding – Pancreatic Cancer Diagnostic Tests

Typical (Common) Tests for Diagnosing Pancreatic Cancer (as at third quarter [Oct – Dec] 2023)

The pancreas has two main purposes:

• The exocrine section of the pancreas produces enzymes to assist in ‘breaking down’ food i.e. it is part of the body’s digestive system
• The endocrine section of the pancreas produces hormones, including insulin (latter controls ‘sugar’ [glucose] levels in the blood)

Pancreatic cancer (PC) adversely impacts how well the pancreas works (amongst other, adverse impacts which most cancers can commonly cause)

As already mentioned, it (PC) is a particularly ‘sneaky and vicious’ cancer – in that ‘signs and systems’ are notoriously vague and ‘time before death’ (e.g. after diagnosis) is typically one of the quickest of all cancers, especially so for the elderly

As this website (you are reading part of it right now) is all about early (potentially life saving / improving) PC diagnosis, let’s take a look at the more common tests used (as at mid-2023) in the UK to try and so diagnose:

• Blood tests
• Ultrasound scan of the tummy area
• CT (computerised tomography) scan
• MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan
• EUS (endoscopic ultrasound scan)
• Biopsy
• PET-CT scan (positron emission tomography)
• ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography)
• MRCP (magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography)
• Laparoscopy

If you intend / are going to undertake any of such tests, your hospital etc. will provide you with detailed information re same. Ask your doctor etc. for said details if you haven’t been provided with them in good time, by said hospital etc.

Some ‘Light at the end of the Tunnel???’ (as at third quarter of 2023)

A simple blood / DNA test (generically known as a ‘liquid biopsy’) has been trialling for some years now (in the USA and the UK [ongoing for UK thro’ 2024 and 2025?] and possibly elsewhere??) – the initial results of which look really promising re a relatively high rate (around 75%) of detecting human cancers in general

The test also looks similarly promising in indicating where in the body any particular cancer(s) might be located – thus providing a reasonable degree of confidence re the associated cancer type(s) involved (around 50 types in total to date) – including both pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (exocrine type [produces enzymes] – 95% of pancreatic cancers are of this type) and the rarer pancreatic neurendocrine (produces hormones) cancer 

A relatively low degree of false positive and negative results were / have / are also been / being encountered

This test (known as the GALLERI test and produced by USA Company ‘Grail‘) is:

1. Currently (4th quarter 2023) only available to the ‘public’ in the USA

2. Requires referral by an appropriate USA medical professional / equivalent (e.g. an accredited ‘telemedicine’ organisation for latter)

3. Costs (late 2023) around USD $ 1,000 (for the test itself) + additional payments for the aforementioned referral(s) etc.

4. Primarily targetted at persons aged around 50 +

However, there currently seems to be no reason why UK citizens (with appropriate VISAs; entry permits etc.) could not travel to a chosen USA location (e.g. New York probably being cheapest and most convenient) in order to take this test in situ via some form of USA medical professional; telemedicine organisation etc. Obviously there would be associated financial costs to consider e.g. all aspects of travel (to / from) and accommodation / living costs (in) the USA.; the test itself + associated medical, professional  costs etc.

IMPORTANT NOTE 1: The reader is reminded that this / our website currently relates to what is, in effect, an unoffocial ‘trial‘ re providing free (subject to funds being available) financial assistance (in diagnosing pancreatic cancer) for (potentially presenting associated signs /symptoms) persons living in the county of Cambridgeshire, UK  only. If the trial is successful, we would hope to extend it further within the UK

However, for now we would also consider similarly funding (wholly or partially and subject to funds being available etc.) such persons to travel to the USA to take the Galleri test there – until such time as the latter test (hopefully) completes successful trials in the UK (as appropriate – perhaps by 2025 / 6?) and (again, hopefully) becomes available via the UK NHS (National Health Service), UK private hospitals etc??

Please contact Grail Customer Services (HQ based in Menlo, California) if more definitive information is required re any of the above. The email address is ‘customerservice@grail.com‘ and the associated telephone number is ‘+1 833 694 2553’. (Note that latter telephone number can only be called free of charge from the USA and a small number of other countries – not including UK and Europe etc.)

IMPORTANT NOTE 2: Further to the above re the ‘Galleri Test’, it is suggested that the ‘interested’ reader also takes a look at the article (see our ‘Useful Links’ webpage) entitled “Biological Dynamics’ Case Report Demonstrates Advancement in the Detection of Early-Stage Pancreatic Lesions – 11 May 2023“. The relevant parts of said article indicate (indirectly) that the Galleri test is not infallible (as is readily acknowleged by Grail – in conjunction with the significant trials that Galleri has already been subject to and is currently continuing e.g. [again] by the UK’s NHS)