Researchers have made a breakthrough that could lead to new ways to treat pancreatic cancer.

The team from Glasgow University's Institute of Cancer Sciences has identified four key subtypes of the disease, which will allow for targeted treatments for each individual type.

Current methods of treatment are non-selective and have been described as "hitting the disease with a mallet with your eye closed".

Professor Andrew Biankin, who led the study, said: "There is an urgent need to better understand the molecular pathology of pancreatic cancer in order to improve patient selection for current treatment options, and to develop novel therapeutic strategies.

"The four subtypes that we have identified represent a reclassification of the disease and as such should provide a basis to offer new insights into personalised therapeutic options for individual patients and a launch pad to investigate new treatments."

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth most prevalent cause of death from cancer in western societies and is projected to become the second within ten years.

Those with the disease have a poor prognosis, with a median survival measured in months and a five-year survival rate of less than 5%.

Dr Peter Bailey, the first author of the study, said: "The standard of care for pancreatic cancer really hasn't changed in the last 20 years.

"There are a number of different chemotherapeutic options but in general it's not very selective – it's like hitting the disease with a mallet with your eyes closed.

"The work that we are doing is about trying to change the clinical landscape for not only pancreatic cancer, but all cancers by providing a very thorough analysis of the molecular pathology of specific cancers, leading to a more personalised or precise approach to treatment based on the underlying genetic defects that drive a cancer that may be vulnerable to specific drugs."