Pancreatitis Top 10

1. Are there better ways to treat and manage acute and long-term pancreatitis pain, for example using non-opioid (painkillers) drugs?
2. What can be done to prevent pancreatitis becoming worse, and to stop or reverse the damage to the pancreas?
3. Are there better ways to reduce inflammation in people with pancreatitis, both in the pancreas and the rest of the body?
4. How can pancreatitis be diagnosed more quickly and accurately, especially on admission to hospital?
5. How can people with pancreatitis be helped to manage their condition post-diagnosis (after being diagnosed) e.g. by giving information about diet, medication and lifestyle changes?
6. Are there better ways to treat and manage flare-ups (when symptoms get worse) in people with chronic pancreatitis?
7. Can gene therapy (altering genes inside the body’s cells) be used to treat people with pancreatitis?
8. How can multiple organ failure be prevented in those people with pancreatitis who become seriously ill? How can the care of those people with multiple organ failure be improved?
9. How can pancreatic cancer be diagnosed earlier in people with pancreatitis?
10. What are the psychological (mental and emotional) impacts of pancreatitis? What are the best ways to treat and support people (both young people and adults) with pancreatitis who experience mental health problems?

The following questions were also discussed and put in order of priority at the workshop:

11. Can treatments be developed to repair the damaged pancreas in people with pancreatitis?
12. What diet(s) benefit people with different types of pancreatitis and at different stages of the illness?
13. What causes tiredness (fatigue) in people with pancreatitis and how is this best treated and managed?
14. What is the best regime for tube feeding to ensure good nutrition and hydration for people with pancreatitis?
15. What is the best form of follow-up for people with pancreatitis including routine monitoring and treatment review?
16. Are there better ways to treat and manage the gut problems linked to pancreatitis including not being able to absorb food (malabsorption)?
17. Why do some health professionals have negative attitudes and behaviours towards people with pancreatitis? How can this be improved?
18. When should damaged parts of the pancreas be removed in people with pancreatitis? Which procedures benefit people the most?
19. What are the long term effects of pancreatitis and its treatment? How likely are people to recover or become worse over time?
20. What would help health care professionals to better understand and recognise pain in people with pancreatitis?
21. Can pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) be improved by tailoring the treatment to the needs of the individual? Does this treatment need to be life-long?
22. What is the link between pancreatitis and other health conditions (for example irritable bowel syndrome, autoimmune conditions)? Do they have a common cause or does one cause the other?
23. What is the impact of pancreatitis on life expectancy?

Key Documents:

For full details of all of the questions identified by this PSP, please see the document below.