If someone asked you which cancer affects the most people — leukemia or pancreas cancer — how would you answer?

Thanks to nationwide awareness campaigns, most would say leukemia. But in reality, the number of people affected by each disease is about the same. The shocking truth is that pancreas cancer has a higher fatality rate than all other cancers. Clearly there is a critical need for more effective drug treatments, early detection and prevention. And the only way that can happen is with increased community awareness and more research.

Although the fight against pancreas cancer is an uphill battle, we’re finally beginning to make progress. Over the last year, newer drug regimens have increased the median survival of patients with advanced pancreas cancer. We can also biopsy tumors for molecular analysis and determine specific, personalized drug regimens that may be more effective.

More exciting news was also recently published in the journal Nature. Scientists from the Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions and Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute determined that pancreas tumors are slow-growing cancers — not the aggressive and fast disease it was previously thought to be. DNA analysis revealed most patients with pancreas cancer had the tumor for upwards of 10 years prior to its spreading.

This new knowledge puts urgency on identifying ways to diagnose patients earlier. If we can do that, we may be able to cure more patients.

It’s critically important that people know the warning signs of pancreas cancer and seek treatment before the disease progresses. Symptoms include jaundice, chronic abdominal pain, sudden weight loss and extreme body weakness. If diagnosed early, the cancerous portion can be surgically removed and rerouted.

Smokers are three times more likely to develop pancreas cancer. In fact, 30 percent of pancreas cancers are directly related to a history of smoking. Men are 30 percent more likely to develop the disease. You’re also at increased risk if you are obese, diabetic or have a family history of pancreas cancer.

At UC Cancer Institute’s Pancreas Disease Center, we are investigating cutting-edge technologies and therapies that make survival more realistic. We’re making progress, but not fast enough.

I urge the citizens to do three things: Contact your senators and push for more research funding; improve awareness by spreading the word to your family and friends; and get involved in projects through UC Cancer Institute, http://uccancer.com/HowToHelp/Overview.aspx or the Pancreas Cancer Action Network, pancan.org.

Dr. Syed Ahmad is a surgical oncologist with UC Health and an associate professor of surgery at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. He sees patients at the UC Health Physicians Office

. Make appointments at (513) 584-8900.