Pancreatic cancer is considered to be one of the deadliest types of cancer. Now, Australian scientists have made a breakthrough that could increase the survival rate of people with the virus.

The latest approach to treating this type of cancer focuses mainly on dealing first with stroma rather than the tumor itself. Stroma is where pancreatic tumors lie within an elaborate 'nest' of surrounding cells, blood vessels, and other structures.

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"There has been a heated and longstanding controversy in cancer research about whether targeting the stroma can make pancreatic tumors more susceptible to therapy. We've been able to show for the first time that it's crucial to treat the stroma first and the tumor second," Daily Mail quoted lead study author Dr. Paul Timpson saying.

The findings are based on an experiment conducted by the Australian scientists on mice with pancreatic tumors. As an overview of the process, experts targetted the tumors that surrounded the tissue, making it softer while making the cancerous blood vessels "leakier."

The process was made possible with the help of drugs used to treat stroke. Along with other medications for cancer treatment, the mice became more responsive to therapy. Thus, increasing their rate of surviving the dreaded disease.

Apart from the new steps being developed to fight cancer, there are other factors to be considered in increasing survival rate. Chances of recovering from treatment will likely depend on whether or not the tumor can be removed by surgery, the stage of cancer, the size of the tumor, and the patient's general health.

Taking it all into consideration, one might likely have a better chance of overcoming the disease. Moreover, with the recent breakthrough aiming for a human trial, issues with recovery after cancer treatment will likely be improved in years to come. 

Watch the common causes of pancreatic cancer: