The European Registry of Hereditary Pancreatitis and Pancreatic Cancer (EUROPAC) was started by

John Neoptolemos John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

and colleagues in 1997 and has become the world’s most extensive study on hereditary pancreatic diseases. It enabled discovery of several genetic characteristics causative for hereditary pancreatitis and familial pancreatic cancer.

Description

EUROPAC is based at the

Royal Liverpool University Hospital The Royal Liverpool University Hospital (RLUH) is a major teaching and research hospital located in the city of Liverpool, England. It is the largest and busiest hospital in Merseyside and Cheshire, and has the largest emergency department of i ...

and it is supported by grants from

Cancer Research UK Cancer Research UK (CRUK) is the world's largest independent cancer research organization. It is registered as a charity in the United Kingdom and Isle of Man, and was formed on 4 February 2002 by the merger of The Cancer Research Campaign and t ...

, the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...

, the

National Institute for Health and Care Research The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is the British government’s major funder of clinical, public health, social care and translational research. With a budget of over £1.2 billion in 2020–21, its mission is to "impr ...

(NIHR) and Pancreatic Cancer UK. It maintains a registry of families in whom there is thought to be an increased risk of

pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer arises when cell (biology), cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a Neoplasm, mass. These cancerous cells have the malignant, ability to invade other parts of t ...

. Studies have shown that an increased risk of cancer is inferred if two or more first-degree relatives have the condition.In addition to the Familial Pancreatic Cancer (FPC) registry, EUROPAC offers screening for early pancreatic cancer on a research basis in those deemed at high risk for development of the condition. Screening for early pancreatic cancer involves a number of different blood tests and scans and is usually undertaken from the age of 40 in high-risk individuals. Patients who have a

family history Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their Lineage (anthropology), lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family a ...

of pancreatic cancer or

pancreatitis Pancreatitis is a condition characterized by inflammation of the pancreas. The pancreas is a large organ behind the stomach that produces digestive enzymes and a number of hormones. There are two main types: acute pancreatitis, and chronic pancr ...

may be eligible to join the study. Referrals are made via

genetic counsellor Genetic counseling is the process of investigating individuals and families affected by or at risk of genetic disorders to help them understand and adapt to the medical, psychological and familial implications of genetic contributions to disease; t ...

s, GPs, other

consultant A consultant (from la, consultare "to deliberate") is a professional (also known as ''expert'', ''specialist'', see variations of meaning below) who provides advice and other purposeful activities in an area of specialization. Consulting servic ...

s or directly via email. The research team based in Liverpool includes Annabelle Boughey (EUROPAC Coordinator), Phil Hopley (clinical research fellow), Professor Christoper Halloran (

principal investigator In many countries, the term principal investigator (PI) refers to the holder of an independent grant and the lead researcher for the grant project, usually in the sciences, such as a laboratory study or a clinical trial. The phrase is also often us ...

) and Professor William Greenhalf (lead scientist).

References

External links

Official website
{{Portal bar, Medicine, Science, Technology Cancer organisations based in the United Kingdom Research in the United Kingdom Organisations based in Liverpool