An old flame of mine passed away several years ago from this, so it strikes pretty close<\/p>\n
Researchers Test a New Way To Find Pancreatic Cancer Before It\u2019s Too Late.<\/a><\/p>\n An experimental blood test could help detect early pancreatic cancer and precancerous changes, guiding decisions about further testing.<\/strong><\/p>\n People at high risk of pancreatic cancer are often monitored with imaging and other tests that can be invasive, expensive, and limited in their ability to catch the disease early. An experimental blood test called PANXEON could give doctors another way to look for cancer while it is more treatable and potentially curable.<\/p>\n In an international study led by researchers at City of Hope, PANXEON correctly identified stage 1 and 2 pancreatic cancer 87% of the time. The study, published in Nature Medicine<\/em>, evaluated the test in nearly 1,800 patients across the United States, Europe, and Asia to see whether earlier promising results would hold up across different clinical settings.<\/p>\n Finding pancreatic cancer early remains a major challenge. About 90% of patients<\/a> are diagnosed at advanced stages, when their cancer has already spread. The disease has the lowest survival rate of any cancer, with just 14% of patients<\/a> living five years after diagnosis.<\/p>\n PANXEON also detected more than 64% of cases of high-grade dysplasia, an advanced precancerous condition of the pancreas often described as \u201cstage 0\u201d pancreatic cancer. Detecting these changes could help doctors determine which pancreatic cysts need active monitoring or intervention before invasive cancer develops.<\/p>\n \u201cA stage shift is not just a statistic,\u201d said senior author Ajay Goel, Ph.D., AGAF, chair of the Department of Molecular Diagnostics and Experimental Therapeutics at City of Hope. \u201cThe earlier we find pancreatic cancer, the greater the chance that meaningful intervention is still possible.\u201d<\/p>\n The study included people with inherited genetic risk, a family history of pancreatic cancer, pancreatic cysts, or chronic pancreatitis, which is persistent inflammation of the pancreas. These are also the groups most likely to benefit from a blood test that helps guide further evaluation. Goel said testing PANXEON in these patients, rather than comparing cancer patients only with healthy controls, was a key distinction from earlier research.<\/p>\n The test\u2019s rate of false positives depended on the group being tested. It incorrectly flagged cancer in 3% of people without cancer in low-risk groups and 16% of those in high-risk groups. Goel said PANXEON could help identify high-risk patients who need additional evaluation, alongside imaging and other diagnostic tests.<\/p>\n \u201cPancreatic cancer remains so deadly largely because we find it after the window for cure has begun to close,\u201d Goel said. \u201cFor patients, these findings represent progress toward finding pancreatic cancer before symptoms appear and while more treatment options remain available.\u201d<\/p>\nDetecting precancerous changes in the pancreas<\/h4>\n
More false positives in high-risk groups<\/h4>\n