The disease that struck the TV presenter is among the most feared in oncology: late diagnosis, subtle symptoms and complex treatments.
The death of Enrica Bonaccortiwho passed away today at the age of 76 after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the summer of 2025, brought public attention back to one of the most feared oncological diseases. The TV presenter, a very popular face on Italian TV between the Eighties and Nineties, had recounted her treatment journey in recent months, explaining that the tumor was not yet operable and that he would have to continue with chemotherapy. Unfortunately he didn’t make it in time.
Pancreatic cancer: why it is among the most aggressive
The pancreatic cancer represents one of the most difficult neoplasms to treat today. The pancreas is a deep organ of the abdomen and this position makes both early diagnosis and surgical intervention complex. One of the main problems is that initial symptoms are often vague or absent. When they appear, they may include persistent tiredness, unexplained weight loss, nausea, abdominal pain, or jaundice, which is the yellowing of the skin and eyes. Signs which, especially in the early stages, can be confused with much more common disorders. Precisely this diagnostic difficulty explains why the disease is often discovered late. Estimates indicate that only a minority of patients receive a diagnosis in the operable stagethat is, when surgery can offer real possibilities of recovery.
Late diagnosis and survival: the crux of prevention
The pancreatic cancer represents approximately 3% of all cancers but is responsible for a much higher share of oncological mortality. The main reason is exactly that late diagnosiswhich limits therapeutic possibilities. Surgery remains the potentially curative treatment, but can only be performed when the tumor is localized. In other cases we resort to chemotherapy, targeted therapies or combined treatmentswith the aim of slowing the progression of the disease. In recent years, research has been focusing on new drugs and early diagnosis strategies, especially in subjects with family history or risk factors such as smoking, obesity and diabetes. The goal is to intercept the disease before it becomes clinically evident. Over the last few decades the pancreatic cancer it has also affected numerous well-known figures, helping to keep attention on this pathology. Among the most famous cases there are the tenor Luciano Pavarottiwho passed away in 2007, e Apple founder Steve Jobswho died in 2011 after years of treatment for a rare form of pancreatic cancer. Also the former footballer Gianluca Vialli he had publicly recounted his battle against this disease.
Cases of pancreatic cancer in Italy
In our country they are registered approximately 13-14 thousand new diagnoses every yeara fact that places this neoplasm among the main causes of oncological death in Western countries, as the oncologists at CIPOMO point out (Italian College of Primary Hospital Medical Oncologists). The pancreas is a gland located in the deep part of the abdomen, between the stomach and intestine, and plays an essential role in the organism: on the one hand it produces digestive enzymeson the other hand it releases hormones such as insulinessential for blood sugar control. Tumors affecting this organ can have different biological characteristics depending on the cells from which they originate. By far the most common form isDuctal pancreatic adenocarcinomaresponsible for approximately the 90-95% of caseswhich arises from the cells responsible for the production of digestive enzymes. Rarer are the pancreatic neuroendocrine tumorswhich derive from hormone-producing cells and which, in some cases, may present a slower clinical evolution. According to the most recent data released by the AIRC Foundation for Cancer Research, in In 2024, 13,585 new cases were estimated in Italywith an almost identical distribution between men and women. Despite research progress, mortality has remained essentially stable in recent years. This is why pancreatic cancer continues to be among those with more severe prognosis: survival five years after diagnosis is around11% in men and 12% in women. Today it is estimated that in our country there are approximately 23,600 people live after a diagnosis of this disease.
Research on pancreatic cancer: new perspectives
Although the prognosis remains complex, oncology research has made progress in recent years. International studies are exploring immunotherapy, molecular therapies and new biomarkerstools that could allow more timely diagnoses and more targeted treatments. Enrica Bonaccorti’s story, told publicly with great clarity in recent months, reminds us of how important it is to continue investing in research on this disease. The pancreatic cancer remains one of the great challenges of contemporary medicine.
