Scientists develop blood test which can catch pancreatic cancer early

Scientists have developed a new blood test which may help spot pancreatic cancer earlier - and potentially save thousands of lives. 

Around 10,500 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the UK each year - but the disease is notoriously hard to treat, and just as hard to diagnose. 

Because it's often caught very late, when treatment options are limited, only 10 per cent of sufferers live longer than five years after diagnosis with more than half dying within three months of diagnosis.

But there is hope that the new test could detect pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma - the most common form of pancreatic cancer and one of the most aggressive and deadly forms of the disease - in its earliest stages, giving medics time to treat it and increase people's chance of survival. 

A study by scientists from the University of Pennsylvania and the Mayo Clinic, published in medical journal AACR, tested different substances in stored blood samples from people with pancreatic cancer and from people without it. 

They looked at two markers already used in medicine – CA19-9 and THBS2 – which on their own are not accurate enough for pancreatic cancer screening. 

This is because CA19-9 can be high in people who don't have cancer (such as those with pancreatitis or bile duct problems), and some people don't produce it at all because of their genes.

The researchers discovered two new proteins in the blood – called ANPEP and PIGR – that were higher in people with early pancreatic cancer compared with healthy volunteers.

When the team combined all four markers (CA19-9, THBS2, ANPEP and PIGR) into one test, they were able to correctly identify pancreatic cancer about 92 per cent of the time. 

The test only gave a false alarm in 5 per cent of people without cancer. For early-stage cancer, it picked up nearly 8 per cent of cases.

The researchers hope their test could eventually be used to screen people at higher risk, such as those with a family history of the disease, certain genetic risks, pancreatic cysts, or long-term pancreatitis. 

The lead researcher said that adding the two new markers has 'significantly improved' the ability to detect pancreatic cancer when it is still treatable.

Furthermore, the new test can differentiate between cancer and non-cancerous conditions like pancreatitis, which has been a big problem with previous tests models.

The study’s lead investigator, Kenneth Zaret, Ph.D., from the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine, said that adding the newly discovered markers to the test could make it easier to catch the cancer when it counts. 

He said: 'By adding ANPEP and PIGR to the existing markers, we've significantly improved our ability to detect this cancer when it's most treatable.

'Our retrospective study findings warrant further testing in larger populations, particularly in people before they show symptoms.

'Such "prediagnostic" studies would help determine if the test could be used as a screening tool for people at high risk of developing the disease based on family history, genetic screening results or personal history of pancreatic cysts or pancreatitis.' 

While Dr Zaret's findings are incredibly positive, frustratingly it could take years before the new blood test has been through the numerous rounds of trials and testing it needs before it is approved for mainstream use.  

At present, pancreatic cancer is incurable, with life expectancy just five years from initial diagnosis.

It kills because it aggressively invades nearby organs, blocks the bile and intestinal ducts, and spreads via the blood and lymphatic system to the liver, lungs, and abdomen, eventually triggering organ failure. 

The pancreas aids digestion and produces hormones, such as insulin and glucagon, which help convert sugar from food into energy.

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Pancreatic cancer can inhibit the gland from making enough of these hormones—which can lead to unstable blood sugar levels.

Common symptoms of the incurable cancer include jaundice, when the skin and eyes take on a yellowish tinge, loss of appetite, weight loss, fatigue, a high temperature, feeling or being sick, diarrhoea and constipation.

Research published last year suggested that more than half of patients diagnosed with the six 'least curable' cancers—including lung, liver, brain, oesophageal, stomach and pancreatic—die within a year of their diagnosis. 

More than 90,000 people are diagnosed with one of these deadly cancers in the UK every year, accounting for nearly half of all common cancer deaths, according to Cancer Research UK. 

There are currently no early detection tests and approximately 80 per cent of people are not diagnosed until the cancer has spread, meaning life-saving treatment is no longer possible. 

Last week, Spanish researchers were heralded after they revealed a 'triple threat' treatment plan effectively made pancreatic cancer cells shrink. 

However, this was only seen in laboratory mice and requires much more robust testing, meaning it could be years before similar treatments are offered to human patients.