Table 1.

Summary results of semi-structured interviews and experts’ recommendations

Discussion topic	Issues/salient comments	Suggestions
What are key issues in PC research?	Late diagnosis leads to poor outcomes Few effective treatments available Delays in drug development pipeline Absence of large, long-term studies Limited understanding of the genetic basis of PC Lack of screening techniques for familial PC	Develop better imaging technologies Improve screening technologies Focus on drug discovery Individualised PC therapy Pain management in advanced disease More research on causes of cancer cachexia
Where is the next major breakthrough in PC research likely to come from?	A blood test for earlier detection Ability to detect small volume/pre-malignant disease Treatments based on tumour biology The genome sequencing project Gene discovery in familial PC syndromes	Better understanding of tumour biology Developing small molecule inhibitors in PC Identifying genes that can be targeted in therapy New animal models for PC
Barriers to progress in PC research—how can they be addressed?	Limited research funding disadvantages small research groups and reduces long-term researcher commitments Relatively low numbers of PC cases Lack of good disease models Limited support from industry for PC clinical trials Limited opportunities for collaboration between disciplines, the public and private sectors, different countries	Encourage funding of large, long-term studies Broaden research collaborations Develop clinico-pathological databases Increase opportunities for participation in clinical trials Collect more and better epidemiological data Separate PC from other GI cancer trials
Where are Australian researchers most likely to make significant contributions to PC research	Australia has well-annotated tissue and blood samples and a strong epidemiology record	Australia can play a key role in developing databases and networks to increase research collaborations