New Blood Test Identifies Hard-To-Detect Pancreatic Cancer With 85% Accuracy

Pancreatic cancer, one of the most lethal cancers, is typically diagnosed at a late stage when treatment options are limited. While current tests, such as carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9), are useful for assessing prognosis, they lack the sensitivity needed for early detection. A new blood test may now help doctors detect pancreatic cancer earlier, potentially improving survival rates.

Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU, Portland, OR, USA) have developed a test called PAC-MANN, which stands for “protease activity-based assay using a magnetic nanosensor.” This test uses a small blood sample to detect changes in protease activity, which is a key indicator of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the most common and aggressive form of pancreatic cancer. The researchers created this non-invasive test by analyzing blood samples from 350 patients, including those with pancreatic cancer, those at high risk for the disease, and healthy controls. They focused on identifying specific proteins, particularly proteases, that become more active in individuals with PDAC. By pinpointing these proteins, they developed a test that could specifically detect pancreatic cancer. Unlike traditional methods, PAC-MANN requires only a small blood sample and provides a straightforward fluorescent readout, making it a quick and accessible screening option.

Image: The test uses a small blood sample to detect changes in protease activity (Photo courtesy of OHSU/Christine Torres Hicks)

In their study, published in Science Translational Medicine, the PAC-MANN test was able to accurately distinguish between patients with pancreatic cancer and healthy individuals or those with non-cancerous pancreatic conditions 98% of the time. Additionally, when combined with the CA 19-9 test, it successfully detected early-stage cancer with 85% accuracy. The research also demonstrated that PAC-MANN could track the effectiveness of treatments. Following surgery, a decrease in protease activity was observed, suggesting that the test could be used to monitor treatment progress. The high-throughput nature of the test makes it cost-effective and potentially usable in a variety of settings, not just specialized labs or large medical institutions. The researchers are now planning further trials in patients at high risk for developing pancreatic cancer. If validated in additional clinical studies, PAC-MANN could become an essential tool for early detection, providing patients with more treatment options and improving their chances of survival.

“Our test could be used for people at high risk of pancreatic cancer, which is not targeted by current tests,” said the study’s lead author, Jose L. Montoya Mira, Ph.D., a research engineer at OHSU’s CEDAR. “It allows for a more robust and less invasive screening, unlike an endoscopic ultrasound and other liquid biopsy tests that require large volumes of blood, thus allowing our test to be performed more frequently for earlier detection.”

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