Researchers have developed a blood test that detects pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma with over 90% accuracy by combining four biomarkers, including two newly identified proteins. The test performs well even in early stages, potentially improving survival rates for this deadly cancer. The findings appear in Clinical Cancer Research.
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma remains one of the deadliest cancers, with only about 10% of patients surviving longer than five years after diagnosis. Current challenges include late detection, as no reliable early screening tools exist, limiting treatment options. Scientists from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine in Philadelphia and Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, addressed this by analyzing blood samples from cancer patients and healthy individuals. They built on established biomarkers—carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9), used for monitoring but flawed due to elevations in non-cancer conditions like pancreatitis, and thrombospondin 2 (THBS2)—and identified two new proteins elevated in early-stage cases: aminopeptidase N (ANPEP) and polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (PIGR). The four-marker panel achieved 91.9% accuracy in distinguishing cancer from non-cancer cases across all stages, with a 5% false positive rate. For stage I/II cancers, detection reached 87.5%. It also better differentiates pancreatic cancer from conditions like pancreatitis, reducing misdiagnosis risks. Lead investigator Kenneth Zaret, Ph.D., from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, stated, 'By adding ANPEP and PIGR to the existing markers, we've significantly improved our ability to detect this cancer when it's most treatable.' Zaret added that the retrospective study calls for further validation in larger, prediagnostic populations, especially high-risk groups with family history, genetic factors, or conditions like pancreatic cysts or pancreatitis. The work received support from multiple NIH grants.
