Patients living with pancreatic cancer or those who have been affected by it have been urged to take part in a new program aimed at develop a new national response to tackling the illness.
A national pancreatic cancer road map is being developed by the federal government with submissions being sought through a consultation hub until November 30.
Nearly 300 submissions have been received so far, which are being used to develop how treatment, support and testing could be better accessed. Thursday is World Pancreatic Cancer Day.
Chief executive of Cancer Australia Professor Dorothy Keefe said while it's the eighth-most common cancer in the country, it's the third highest in terms of deaths.
"At the moment, 4000 Australians are diagnosed with it each year and 3300 are expected to die," she said. "One of the reasons why is that by the time the cancer is detected, it's too late to be curable."
