ALIPANC was managed and born during the pandemic and has been growing over the last months with 58 groups and 139 members from 29 hospitals and 25 research centers in Spain, including clinical researchers (oncologists, gastroenterologists, surgeons, immunologists, radiologists, pathologists), basic researchers, epidemiologists, statisticians and bioinformaticians. Collaboration between the groups is a fact with studies already underway. Collaborations have also been established with external groups and entities, both nationally and internationally. Building common resources (databases, biobanks) in a federated way using the same protocols is among the challenges of ALIPANC.

Attracting and training young researchers is a major commitment for ALIPANC.

The little interest it has generated so far in society due to its lack of knowledge, in medical and research circles due to the limited availability of options for the management of these patients and the difficulties in researching this cancer, and in funding agencies due to its low incidence and prevalence, has meant that there have been no significant advances in controlling this disease compared to other cancers that are currently preventable and curable, such as breast cancer. All this explains why pancreatic cancer is out of control.

The Alliance for Research on Pancreatic Cancer in Spain (ALIPANC) is a platform of researchers who join forces and resources to carry out high quality multicenter and multidisciplinary studies on this cancer with the ultimate goal of reducing its incidence and mortality and improving the survival of patients suffering from it.