Pancreatic cancer death on the rise, report says

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Rising threat of pancreatic cancer

Julie Fleshman and Lisa Niemi Swayze on how the incidence rate and death rate have increased in recent years

The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network has released a report that shows that pancreatic cancer will move from the fourth to the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. by 2020, and possibly as early as 2015.

Among other things, the report notes that it's the only major cancer killer where the incidence and death rates are expected to rise over the next twenty years.

The report states that there is currently a bill being debated in Congress, also known as the Pancreatic Cancer Research and Education Act, which would help reverse the current trend. The bill would create a long-term comprehensive strategy for developing early diagnostics and treatment options that will increase the survival rate for pancreatic cancer patients.