Pancreatic cancer detection and treatment research

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SUMMARY

Researchers at Kanazawa University, Northwestern University, and ClearNote Health have developed new blood tests for early-stage pancreatic cancer detection, with some detecting over 90% of cases as of July 26, 2026. As of July 26, 2026, significant advancements include an experimental drug, daraxonrasib, showing survival gains in clinical trials, and a triple-combination therapy achieving complete tumor regression in mice. New clinical trials are underway for personalized immunotherapy and a urine-based test, while an AI model from Mayo Clinic can detect subtle tissue changes on CT scans years before clinical diagnosis. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is funding research for early detection and treatment, and a blood test developed by City of Hope Duarte Cancer Center, combined with a CA19-9 test, demonstrated 97% accuracy in identifying early-stage pancreatic cancer.

Timeline

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July 2026 — 2 developments

  1. New Blood Tests Show High Accuracy in Detecting Early-Stage Pancreatic Cancers

    Researchers at Kanazawa University have developed a new blood gene test that detects 90% of early-stage pancreatic cancers. Northwestern University has developed a test detecting KRAS mutations in over 90% of pancreatic cancers, with over 55% detection even when CT scans are clear. ClearNote Health's Avantect test showed 82.6% overall sensitivity in a high-risk cohort.

  2. Experimental Drug Daraxonrasib Shows Survival Gains in Pancreatic Cancer Trials

    An experimental drug, daraxonrasib, has demonstrated significant survival gains in clinical trials for metastatic pancreatic cancer, leading to a standing ovation at the ASCO 2026 conference. Spanish researchers achieved complete tumor regression in mice using a triple-combination therapy targeting the KRAS signaling pathway.

May 2026 — 3 developments

  1. New Trials and Targets Emerge in Pancreatic Cancer Research

    New clinical trials are underway to evaluate personalized immunotherapy for pancreatic cancer (NCT07587827) and the performance of the urine-based Panuri test for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (NCT07587866). Additionally, research has identified B7-H3 as a potential therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer, opening avenues for targeted therapies.

  2. Nanoparticle blood test shows high accuracy in pancreatic cancer detection

    A nanoparticle-based liquid biopsy has demonstrated high accuracy in distinguishing pancreatic cancer from benign conditions, according to a study published in Small. The test achieved a sensitivity of 0.92 and a specificity of 0.83 in a cohort of 36 patients. For patients over 50, the area under the curve rose to 0.97, outperforming the current standard diagnostic test.

  3. Mayo Clinic AI detects pancreatic cancer on CT scans years before diagnosis

    Mayo Clinic researchers have developed an AI model, REDMOD, capable of detecting subtle tissue changes indicative of pancreatic cancer on routine CT scans, potentially years before clinical diagnosis. The AI model identified 73% of prediagnostic cancers a median of 16 months earlier than specialists and nearly three times as many early cancers when examining scans from over two years prior to diagnosis.

April 2026 — 3 developments

  1. NIH Funds Pancreatic Cancer Research, Emphasizes Need for Further Validation

    The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is funding research for early pancreatic cancer detection and treatment, including novel biomarkers and AI in blood tests. Experts emphasize the need for further validation in larger studies to confirm efficacy and clinical utility.

  2. Penn Medicine explores KRAS inhibitors and cancer interception for pancreatic cancer

    Penn Medicine is advancing pancreatic cancer research with a preclinical study in mice aimed at intercepting tumor development by eliminating precancerous lesions. Additionally, a KRAS inhibitor drug is showing promise in clinical trials, potentially transforming pancreatic cancer into a more manageable chronic condition.

  3. New blood test using small RNA molecules shows 97% accuracy for early pancreatic cancer

    Researchers at City of Hope Duarte Cancer Center have developed a blood test that analyzes small RNA molecules. When used in conjunction with a CA19-9 test, it demonstrated 97% accuracy in identifying individuals with early-stage pancreatic cancer in a study of nearly 1,000 participants.

March 2026 — 4 developments

  1. BCAL Diagnostics Expands Avantect Blood Test Availability Across Australia

    BCAL Diagnostics is expanding the availability of its Avantect blood test for early pancreatic and ovarian cancer detection across Australia through partnerships with Sonic Healthcare and Healius Pathology Network. The test analyzes cell-free DNA and has been available in select centers since January 2026.

  2. Researchers develop 'cancer interception' approach for pancreatic cancer, doubling survival in mice

    A preclinical study in mice demonstrated a 'cancer interception' approach that eliminated precancerous pancreatic cells before tumor development, nearly doubling survival rates. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and Mayo Clinic were involved in this development, which analyzes four protein biomarkers for early detection.

  3. Researchers develop new blood test for early pancreatic cancer detection with high accuracy

    Researchers have developed a new blood test combining four protein biomarkers, including ANPEP, PIGR, CA19-9, and THBS2, which demonstrates 91.9% precision across all stages and 87.5% accuracy for early-stage pancreatic cancer (Stage I/II). This test can also differentiate pancreatic cancer from non-cancerous conditions like pancreatitis, reducing misdiagnosis. The research was funded by the NIH and involved institutions like the University of Pennsylvania and Mayo Clinic.

  4. Researchers develop AI platform PanMETAI and identify four-protein panel for early pancreatic cancer detection

    Researchers have developed PanMETAI, an AI-powered platform analyzing metabolic fingerprints in blood to detect early-stage pancreatic cancer with up to 94% accuracy. Separately, a study found a four-protein biomarker panel (ANPEP, PIGR, CA19-9, THBS2) demonstrated 87.5% accuracy in detecting early-stage pancreatic cancer (Stage I/II). These advancements offer new potential for earlier diagnosis.

February 2026 — 4 developments

  1. Clearnote Health Launches Enhanced AI-Powered Pancreatic Cancer Blood Test

    Clearnote Health has launched its enhanced Avantect Pancreatic Cancer Test, an AI-powered blood test designed to detect pancreatic cancer in high-risk individuals. The test analyzes blood for specific cancer-related molecules and uses AI to calculate a patient's risk level, showing an overall cancer detection sensitivity of 82.6% and specificity of 97.5% in high-risk patients.

  2. National Taiwan University Hospital develops AI model for early pancreatic cancer detection

    Researchers have identified two novel biomarker proteins, ANPEP and PIGR, in the blood that could potentially detect early-stage pancreatic cancer when combined with existing markers. Separately, National Taiwan University Hospital developed an AI-powered diagnostic model, PanMETAI, which can detect precancerous lesions and early-stage pancreatic cancer from blood serum with up to 90% accuracy.

  4. Reports emphasize improved diagnostic accuracy for early pancreatic cancer detection

    The story gained wider media attention, with reports emphasizing the potential for improved diagnostic accuracy compared to current methods for early pancreatic cancer detection.

January 2026 — 1 developments

  1. Researchers at University of Pennsylvania and Mayo Clinic test four-protein biomarker panel for pancreatic cancer

    Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and Mayo Clinic are prospectively testing a four-protein biomarker panel to identify pancreatic cancer in at-risk patients. This development is part of ongoing efforts to find more effective diagnostic tools for the disease, aiming to improve early detection which is crucial for better treatment outcomes.

December 2025 — 3 developments

  2. UCLA Health Highlights New Blood Test for Early Pancreatic Cancer Detection

    UCLA Health highlights a promising new blood test that analyzes microRNAs, small particles released from tumors, accurately detecting early-stage pancreatic cancer with 91% accuracy.

  3. Research Team Finalizes Study Data, Prepares Manuscript for Journal Submission

    The research team finalized the study data and prepared a detailed manuscript for submission to a leading scientific journal.

November 2025 — 1 developments

October 2025 — 1 developments

  1. Four-protein panel achieves 91.9% accuracy in detecting early-stage pancreatic cancer

    The four-protein panel demonstrated significant diagnostic improvement, achieving an impressive 91.9% accuracy in detecting early-stage pancreatic cancer during validation tests.

June 2025 — 1 developments

  1. Validation studies commenced using patient samples from Mayo Clinic and University of Pennsylvania

    Extensive validation studies commenced, utilizing diverse patient samples from institutions like the Mayo Clinic and the University of Pennsylvania to test the panel's performance.

May 2025 — 1 developments

  1. Geneseeq unveils new blood test; Mainz Biomed reports progress on liquid biopsy test

    Geneseeq Technology Inc. unveiled a new blood test utilizing cell-free DNA fragmentomics and AI, published in Nature Communications. Separately, Mainz Biomed NV reported significant progress with its multivariate RNA liquid biopsy test, achieving 100% sensitivity and 95% specificity in a feasibility study.

February 2025 — 1 developments

  1. Oregon Health & Science University Researchers Develop PAC-MANN Blood Test for Pancreatic Cancer Detection

    Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University have developed a new blood test named PAC-MANN that shows potential for earlier detection of pancreatic cancer. This test identifies changes in protease activity, a key indicator of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The PAC-MANN test has demonstrated 85% accuracy in detecting the cancer.

November 2024 — 1 developments

  1. Researchers develop four-protein panel to optimize detection accuracy

    Development of a comprehensive four-protein panel, integrating ANPEP, PIGR, CA19-9, and THBS2, was undertaken to optimize detection accuracy.

May 2024 — 1 developments

  1. Studies evaluate ANPEP and PIGR individually and in combination with established markers

    Preliminary studies were conducted to evaluate ANPEP and PIGR, both individually and in combination with established markers like CA19-9 and THBS2.

September 2023 — 1 developments

  1. Researchers identify ANPEP and PIGR as new pancreatic cancer blood markers

    Researchers identified ANPEP and PIGR as promising new blood markers, initiating focused investigation into their diagnostic potential for pancreatic cancer.

January 2023 — 1 developments

  1. Perelman School of Medicine begins research for pancreatic cancer biomarkers

    Initial research commenced at the Perelman School of Medicine to identify novel biomarkers for improving early detection methods for pancreatic cancer.