Researchers have developed a new blood test that could greatly improve early detection of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, one of the most aggressive cancers. Traditional markers such as CA19-9 and THBS2 often lack accuracy when used alone, limiting their usefulness in screening.
The new approach combines four proteins—CA19-9, THBS2, and two newly identified markers, ANPEP and PIGR—into a single panel. This “four-marker” test significantly improves precision, correctly identifying cancer in about 91.9% of cases. It is especially effective in early stages, detecting 87.5% of Stage I and II cancers, when treatment outcomes are much better. The test also maintains a low false positive rate of around 5% and can distinguish cancer from conditions like pancreatitis.
This advancement is important because pancreatic cancer is often diagnosed late, leading to a low five-year survival rate of about 10%. A reliable blood test like this could help screen high-risk individuals, such as those with a family history or pancreatic cysts, and allow earlier, more effective treatment.