Pancreatic Cancer Detection Consortium

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the deadliest forms of cancer. It often goes undetected until it is at an advanced stage, making it challenging to treat. Currently, only a small percentage of patients are diagnosed early enough for effective treatment. While a blood marker exists, called serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9), it is used primarily to track the disease, and it is unreliable for early detection.

To address this problem, the researchers have developed a new method to analyze circulating vesicles (called exosomes), which contain specific genetic material called microRNAs (miRNAs). In a previous study, by analyzing both the miRNAs that circulate freely in serum and the miRNAs that are inside the exosomes, the researchers have already identified a combination of 13 miRNAs that could accurately detect early-stage PDAC.

In this study, the researchers will test this method in a larger international cohort study. This study aims to confirm the effectiveness of this approach in identifying PDAC at its earliest stages.