Key Takeaways
- The overall age-adjusted mortality rate for pancreatic cancer in the US is about 10.9 per 100,000 (SEER age-adjusted rate, latest available)
- There were 495,000 new pancreatic cancer cases worldwide in 2020 (GLOBOCAN 2020 estimate)
- In a national US analysis, 74% of pancreatic cancer patients are treated at hospitals with radiation oncology services available (treatment access metric)
- R0 resection is associated with improved survival; median OS is commonly reported around 20–40 months for R0 vs 10–25 months for R1/R2 in surgical series (reviewed ranges)
- The proportion of pancreatic cancer patients who receive systemic chemotherapy is reported at roughly 50–70% depending on stage in US practice (SEER-Medicare/NCDB analyses)
- In randomized trials, the median OS benefit of combination chemo over gemcitabine alone is frequently in the 1–3 month range (meta-analysis of regimens reporting OS differentials)
- In a large pooled analysis, the 5-year survival for patients with resected pancreatic cancer with negative margins was 30% vs 13% with positive margins (panel meta-analysis)
- The median OS for patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer receiving best supportive care is about 3–6 months in contemporary reviews
- In the PRODIGE 4/ACCORD 11 trial, median OS was 54.4 months for patients with resected pancreatic cancer treated with gemcitabine-based chemotherapy vs 35.5 months in the control arm (hazard ratio provided in trial report)
- Approximately 55% of pancreatic cancer is pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) histology among exocrine pancreatic cancers (pathology distribution reported in major reviews)
- BRCA1/2 and other homologous recombination repair gene alterations occur in about 15% of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (meta-analysis estimate)
- Germline mutations are found in about 10% of patients with pancreatic cancer (systematic review estimate)
Pancreatic cancer outcomes remain challenging, but resection with negative margins and effective chemo can markedly improve survival.
Related reading
Incidence & Mortality
Incidence & Mortality Interpretation
Treatment Outcomes
Treatment Outcomes Interpretation
Survival By Stage
Survival By Stage Interpretation
Prognostic Biomarkers
Prognostic Biomarkers Interpretation
How We Rate Confidence
Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.
Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.
AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree
Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.
AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree
All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.
AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
Alexander Schmidt. (2026, February 13). Pancreatic Cancer Prognosis Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/pancreatic-cancer-prognosis-statistics
Alexander Schmidt. "Pancreatic Cancer Prognosis Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/pancreatic-cancer-prognosis-statistics.
Alexander Schmidt. 2026. "Pancreatic Cancer Prognosis Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/pancreatic-cancer-prognosis-statistics.
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