New blood test may detect early-stage pancreatic cancer
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NIH-funded study could diagnose pancreatic cancer at earlier, more treatable stage
CANCER DIGEST – April 18, 2026 – A new blood test could detect pancreatic cancer much earlier than is currently possible, making treatment at an early stage of the cancer possible, according to a new study published in the Jan. 29, 2026 journal Clinical Cancer Research.
Pancreatic cancer is one of the most deadly cancers, in part because it is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage when treatment options are limited. As a result, only about 10 percent of patients survive five years or more after diagnosis.
In the study researchers led by Brianna Krusen of the University of Pennsylvania, and colleagues at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, analyzed blood samples from people with and without pancreatic cancer.
They evaluated several blood markers of cancer including two CA19-9 and THBS2 that have been loosely linked to pancreatic cancer. The problem with them was that they could also be associated with non-cancerous conditions such as pancreatitis, or bile duct obstruction. As a result neither current markers are considered reliable enough for screening.
Through their research, however, the scientists identified two additional proteins that appear to be elevated in people with early-stage pancreatic cancer. The proteins are call aminopeptidase N (ANPEP) and another called polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (PIGR). There was a clear difference in the blood level of these proteins in people with pancreatic cancer and those without.
When the researchers combined these two new protein markers with the previous markers they were able to distinguish pancreatic cancer from non-pancreatic cancer 91.9 percent of the time across all stages, with a false positive rate of 5 percent in non-cases. For early-stage pancreatic cancer (stage I/II) the test detected 87.5 percent of cases.
An important advantage of the new test is its ability to differentiate pancreatic cancer from conditions such as pancreatitis and bile duct obstruction.
"By adding ANPEP and PIGR to the existing markers, we've significantly improved our ability to detect this cancer when it's most treatable," said the study's senior investigator, Kenneth Zaret, Ph.D., of the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine in a press release.
"Our retrospective study findings warrant further testing in larger populations, particularly in people before they show symptoms," Zaret added. "Such 'pre-diagnostic' 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."
Sources: National Institutes of Health press release and the journal Clinical Cancer Research
