Pancreatic cancer is an uncommon but highly lethal disease in Iceland, according to a new article by Júlíus Valsson, published in Fréttin. The latest estimates show that about fifty people are diagnosed each year, yet the number of deaths from the disease nearly equals the number of new cases.
While pancreatic cancer makes up less than 3% of all cancers diagnosed in the country, its mortality rate is strikingly high. For Icelanders, the diagnosis often means a grim outlook, as reflected in the near parity of annual diagnoses and deaths.
Explaining the numbers in Icelandic context
Iceland, a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, sees roughly fifty new cases of pancreatic cancer among all cancer diagnoses each year. With Reykjavík as its capital and nearly 395,000 residents nationwide, the country tracks relatively low overall cancer incidence by global standards, but the particular dangers of pancreatic cancer stand out.
Sources
- Fréttin (first reported) in Icelandic
