Breakthrough Blood Test Enables Early Pancreatic Cancer Detection

Pancreatic cancer ranks as the fourth-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. At present, there are no molecular tools available for the early detection of this disease. The high mortality rate associated with pancreatic cancer is largely because a majority of patients (87%) receive a diagnosis at a late stage, with 49% already experiencing distant metastasis.

Late-stage detection of pancreatic cancer often eliminates the possibility of curative treatments such as surgery and drastically lowers survival prospects—the five-year survival rate drops from 38% for localized disease to just 3% for metastatic cases. This highlights the critical need for early detection to improve survival outcomes for individuals with pancreatic cancer. A new blood test that analyzes both epigenomic and genomic profiles of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) linked to pancreatic cancer now offers valuable guidance for clinical decisions when a cancer signal is detected.

Developed by ClearNote Health (San Diego, CA, US), this innovative blood test, named Avantect, is intended for the early detection of pancreatic cancer. It incorporates advanced epigenomic and genomic science along with machine learning. Epigenetics plays a pivotal role in cancer development and progression. In particular, measuring methylation levels in cfDNA has shown great promise as a method for early detection across various cancers, both in multi-cancer screening and in tests for specific cancers.

Early stages of pancreatic cancer are also marked by epigenomic changes, and one such indicator is 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), a DNA modification that can act as a targeted biomarker. This stable epigenetic marker is produced during the initial phase of active demethylation of cytosine, indicating regions of DNA involved in gene regulation and active transcription. 5hmC profiling has already been applied to detect cancer in cfDNA from plasma samples of patients with several types of cancer, including pancreatic, lung, hepatocellular, colon, and gastric cancers.

Avantect leverages these scientific advances to identify cancer cell activity at an early stage. The test uses a combination of 5hmC profiling and whole-genome sequencing in a single, integrated assay that allows for in-depth exploration of cancer biology. It has been validated for individuals at elevated risk of developing pancreatic cancer, including people aged 50 and above who have recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, as well as those with a genetic predisposition or a family history of pancreatic cancer. The test demonstrates a sensitivity of 66.7% and a specificity of 96.9%.

Avantect is specifically intended for people over 50 with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes, hereditary risk, or relevant family history. The results provide clear information that can support decisions about whether additional diagnostic steps are needed. In the absence of effective early detection tools for pancreatic cancer, this noninvasive blood test offers a promising way to identify the disease in its early stages, enabling timely interventions that can improve patient outcomes.

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