Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how his department will work with the NIHR National Speciality Lead for research into rare cancers to develop a national strategy focused on unlocking greater investment in pancreatic cancer research.

As set out in the National Cancer Plan, the Government will implement the Rare Cancers Act 2026 by ensuring that a National Specialty Lead for Rare Cancers is appointed by summer 2026.

The National Specialty Lead will be based in the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Research Delivery Network (RDN) and will support the delivery of research for rare cancers, including pancreatic cancer, rather than developing national strategies. The NIHR National Specialty Lead will provide strategic oversight of rare cancer research studies on the NIHR RDN portfolio and address specific challenges with the delivery of research in this specialty.

The National Cancer Plan for England sets out the Government’s ambition to deliver world class cancer care through world class research, including delivering breakthroughs for rare and less survivable cancers, including pancreatic cancer. Rare and less common cancers are a priority for the Government, and the National Cancer Plan is the first ever cancer plan to include a dedicated chapter on rare cancers.

The United Kingdom continues to see pioneering pancreatic cancer studies, including research led by the University of Birmingham into personalised mRNA cancer vaccines, with further information available at the following link:

https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/2026/can-mrna-vaccines-fight-pancreatic-cancer

A specific example is the CRISTAL-APC trial to improve treatment for people living with stage four pancreatic cancer, supported by the NIHR's Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre and Clinical Research Facility.

As set out in the plan, the Government recognises the crucial need for research into pancreatic cancer and is committed to supporting high-quality research through the NIHR. The NIHR welcomes high-quality funding applications for research into pancreatic cancer and rare cancers. Funding is awarded through open competition and expert peer review to support the highest-quality research proposals.