This petition was submitted during the 2019-2024 parliament
Rejected petition Start screening all newly diagnosed diabetes patients for pancreatic cancer.
Many campaigners want the government to fast-track the screening of newly diagnosed diabetes patients for pancreatic cancer. There are two stand-out tests available, one in trial phase in the UK, and one licensed this year in the USA. We want the government to make these available to GPs.
More details
Mortality figures for pancreatic cancer haven’t improved in 50 years. 75% diagnosed with the disease die inside a year and just 6% make it to 5 years. It is the deadliest of the 21 most common cancers. Early detection of Pancreatic Cancer means life-waving surgery is possible. But there are no bio-markers or tests for GPs. Scientists know that 1% of people newly-diagnosed with diabetes has pancreatic cancer. That’s about 4,000 UK people each year whose lives could be saved. We need a Taskforce.
This petition was rejected
Why was this petition rejected?
It’s about something that the UK Government or Parliament is not directly responsible for.
Petitions must call for a specific action that the UK Government or Parliament are directly responsible for.
Decisions about screening for patients are a matter for the NHS and individual clinicians, not the Government or Parliament. As a result it is not possible for the Government or Parliament to take the action you have requested.
We could accept a petition calling on the Government to provide additional funding for pancreatic cancer screening, but new screening procedures would still need to go through the usual processes before being deployed.
We only reject petitions that don’t meet the petition standards.