New blood test could improve survival rates of deadly cancer
New test could detect pancreatic cancer earlier
- A new blood test has been developed that could improve survival rates for pancreatic cancer, a disease frequently diagnosed at advanced stages.
- Pancreatic cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths in the UK, with only 7 per cent of patients surviving five years or more after diagnosis.
- Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania identified two new biomarkers, ANPEP and PIGR, which, when combined with two existing markers, significantly enhance detection.
- The four-marker test successfully distinguished pancreatic cancer patients from non-cancer cases in 91.9 per cent of instances and identified early-stage cancer in 87.5 per cent of cases.
- While promising, the retrospective study's findings require extensive further validation in larger, pre-diagnostic populations before the test can be implemented for screening high-risk individuals.
Bookmark popover
Removed from bookmarks