A recent study revealed that a blood test may identify early-stage pancreatic cancers with up to 97% accuracy.
The study was presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research held in San Diego from April 5 to 10.
Led by Ajay Goel, PhD, from the City of Hope Cancer Center, the research team highlighted the challenges of detecting pancreatic cancer early due to its deep abdominal location and symptoms that can mimic other conditions.
“Pancreatic cancer is one of the most fatal malignancies, in large part because the majority of patients are diagnosed only after the cancer has already metastasized, it is of utmost importance to diagnose patients as early as possible so they have the opportunity to receive potentially curative surgery and treatment,” said Goel.
The researchers introduced a new liquid biopsy method that examines exosomes, specialized vesicles released by both healthy and cancerous cells into the bloodstream.
This innovative test looks for specific RNA and DNA markers shed by pancreatic cancers, creating a unique genetic profile for the disease.
By combining this liquid biopsy with the established pancreatic cancer marker CA 19-9, the accuracy for detecting stage 1 and 2 cancers among U.S. participants reached 97%. Stage 1 cancers are confined to the organ, while stage 2 cancers have spread to nearby lymph nodes.
“Our approach offers a liquid biopsy test superior to CA19-9 measurement alone for early-stage disease,” Goel said.
While further validation is necessary before widespread implementation, the researchers suggest that this test could be beneficial for high-risk groups, such as individuals with chronic pancreatitis, new-onset diabetes, or a family history of pancreatic cancer.
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