Could Pancreatic Cancer be Detected via a Blood Test?

A recent study shows how early stages of pancreatic cancer could be detected via genetic material found in a blood test.

According to researchers, by studying tiny pieces of microRNA found in the blood of patients who have already been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, they found that certain combinations of microRNAs could potentially help distinguish between individuals with or without the health issue.

The study involved 409 patients with pancreatic cancer, 312 healthy people and 25 people with chronic pancreatitis or inflammation of the pancreas, which is often caused by alcohol abuse. Researchers chose these different groups in order to determine if the blood tests could distinguish between pancreatic cancer and other diseases of the same organ.

Two microRNA combinations were identified that contained potential diagnoses for pancreatic cancer and other diseases of the same organ.

The study showed that two panels correctly identified approximately 85 percent of patients with pancreatic cancer that had the disease. However, the test was only able to correctly identify 29 percent of patients with chronic pancreatitis and 50 percent of healthy individuals who did not have the health issue.

Yet when researchers added the serum cancer antigen 19-9, a marker that's elevated approximately 80 percent of people with pancreatic cancer, neither of the microRNA panels were better than CA19-9 at identifying patients with pancreatic cancers.

"Given the dismal prognosis for patients with pancreatic cancer, it is important that new diagnostic approaches, such as the one used in this study, are sought," said Donald Buchsbaum, of the University of Alabama, Birmingham, and Dr. Carlo Croce, of Ohio State University, Columbus, who discussed study results in an editorial accompanying the study. They point out the fact how many of the participants in the study were younger than those typically diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, which may have, in turn, affected study results, via LiveScience. "However, additional investigation will be necessary to support and extend these interesting findings."

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More information regarding the study can be found via the Journal of the American Medical Association.