Patrick Swayze's battle against pancreatic cancer will be a difficult one, as survival rates for the disease are low, according to estimated figures from a cancer charity.

Cancer Research estimates that, of the 7,400 people diagnosed with a pancreatic tumour each year, only about 3% of people are still alive five years later.

The pancreas, which lies across the body at the bottom of the breastbone, behind the stomach, produces digestive juices, insulin and other hormones that aid digestion.

Pancreatic cancer is the UK's 10th most common form of cancer, excluding non-malignant skin cancer.

It mainly affects older people, with 63% of cases diagnosed in those over 70, and tends to strike in men and women equally.

Smoking is known to significantly raise the risk of developing pancreatic cancer, with up to a third of diagnoses related to it. Scientists believe nitrosamines, carcinogenic chemicals found in cigarette smoke, may be the cause.

Diet, alcohol consumption, being overweight and inactive are all thought to increase the risk of pancreatic cancer.

Doctors think their may be some genetic link in up to one in 10 cases of the disease, but the vast majority of pancreatic cancer cases do not run in families.

Common symptoms of pancreatic cancer include jaundice, back or abdominal pain, weight loss and loss of appetite. These can vary depending on the form of cancer and where in the pancreas the cancer is located.

Rarer types of cancer - endocrine pancreatic tumours - can lead to hormones being produced.

If the cancer is contained within the pancreas, treatment for the disease may include surgery.

But in many cases, if the cancer has spread, surgery can be used only to relieve symptoms, and remove blockages in the digestive system. Radiotherapy may be used to shrink the tumour, and chemotherapy is often used after surgery or as the first treatment in advanced cases.

Overall, pancreatic cancer has a poor prognosis. Often the disease can be quite advanced by the time a patient notices symptoms, goes to a doctor and cancer is diagnosed.

Only about 15-20% of pancreatic cancers diagnosed are suitable for surgery, and only 10 to 15 of every 100 people diagnosed are still alive a year later.

Screening for pancreatic cancer is currently only given to people over 40 with hereditary pancreatitis, and some people with a high incidence of pancreatic cancer in the family.

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