Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest types of cancer. It is very hard to find in its early stages, and by the time doctors diagnose it, it has often spread too far to be treated effectively. Because of this, very few people survive for long after being diagnosed. Right now, only about 12 out of 100 people with this cancer live for more than five years.

However, a recent study gives hope. Scientists have discovered new details about how pancreatic cancer begins and spreads. This discovery could help doctors detect the disease earlier and develop better treatments in the future.

Scientists from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in the U.S. and IRB Barcelona in Spain worked together on this research. Their findings were published in a well-known science journal called Science.

How Does Pancreatic Cancer Start?

Cancer happens when changes in DNA, called mutations, make cells grow out of control. In pancreatic cancer, one mutation is especially important—it happens in a gene called KRAS.

Normally, this gene helps control cell growth, but when it mutates, it causes cells to grow too fast, like a car that won’t stop accelerating. This KRAS mutation is not just seen in pancreatic cancer; it also plays a role in lung and colon cancers.

But a mutation alone is not enough to cause pancreatic cancer. The study found that inflammation—swelling caused by injury or disease—makes the situation worse.

When the pancreas becomes inflamed, it creates a perfect environment for cancer to grow. Even within one or two days of damage to the pancreas, the inflammation starts changing cells, making them more likely to become cancerous.

Watching Cancer Develop in Real Time

The researchers focused on a specific type of pancreatic cancer called pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). This is the most common and most dangerous form of the disease.

To better understand how it develops, the scientists used genetically modified mice that mimic human pancreatic cancer. This allowed them to track how healthy cells slowly turn into cancerous ones over time.

One of their biggest discoveries was that some cells in the pancreas are very flexible. These cells can change their identity, almost like shapeshifters. This ability to change helps the cancer grow and spread. The study found that inflammation makes these cells even more adaptable, allowing them to send and receive signals that speed up the cancer process.

A Closer Look at the Cells

To study these changes in detail, the scientists used a special technique called single-cell analysis. This allowed them to look at individual cells instead of large groups of them.

They discovered that some cells acted as “communication hubs” in the tumor. These cells were full of genes that helped them send messages to other cells, including the immune system. This communication made the cancer grow faster.

What This Means for the Future

By understanding how pancreatic cancer starts, doctors may one day be able to detect it earlier—before it spreads. If they can find a way to block the early changes in cells, they might be able to slow or even stop the disease before it becomes deadly.

Right now, there is still a long way to go before this research leads to a cure. But this study is an important step forward. It gives scientists a clearer picture of how pancreatic cancer begins and spreads. In the future, these findings could lead to better ways to diagnose and treat this deadly disease.

This discovery brings hope to people affected by pancreatic cancer. By learning more about its earliest stages, scientists are opening new possibilities for fighting this terrible illness.

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