New Blood Test Shows Promise for Early Pancreatic Cancer Detection

March 23, 2026 Dr. Michael Lee – Health Editor Health

A latest blood test shows promise in detecting pancreatic cancer in its early stages, a critical advancement given the disease’s aggressive nature and historically low survival rates. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine and Mayo Clinic have identified a panel of four protein biomarkers that, in a retrospective study, correctly identified 91.9% of pancreatic cancer cases across all stages.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, the most common form of pancreatic cancer, is often diagnosed after it has spread, limiting treatment options. Currently, only about 10% of patients live longer than five years after diagnosis. Early detection is widely believed to be the key to improving outcomes, but the lack of effective screening tools has been a significant obstacle.

The research, detailed in Clinical Cancer Research, builds on previous work examining existing biomarkers like carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) and thrombospondin 2 (THBS2). While CA19-9 is commonly used to monitor treatment response, its utility as a screening tool is limited because its levels can be elevated in other, non-cancerous conditions, such as pancreatitis. Some individuals do not produce detectable levels of CA19-9 due to genetic factors. THBS2 has also faced similar limitations as a standalone marker.

The breakthrough came with the identification of two additional proteins – aminopeptidase N (ANPEP) and polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (PIGR) – that appear to be elevated in individuals with early-stage pancreatic cancer. Researchers analyzed stored blood samples from patients with and without the disease, finding that these newly identified biomarkers showed distinct differences between the two groups.

When combined with CA19-9 and THBS2, the four-marker panel demonstrated a high degree of accuracy. The test detected 87.5% of early-stage (stage I/II) pancreatic cancer cases, with a false positive rate of 5% in individuals without the disease. Importantly, the test also showed an ability to differentiate pancreatic cancer from other pancreatic conditions, such as pancreatitis, reducing the potential for misdiagnosis.

“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 Kenneth Zaret, Ph.D., the lead investigator from the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is currently funding research aimed at developing early detection tools for pancreatic cancer, including the New Onset Diabetes (NOD) Study, which is enrolling 10,000 people with new-onset diabetes or hyperglycemia. This study is exploring whether a blood test can identify individuals recently diagnosed with diabetes who may require further testing for pancreatic cancer, given the known link between the two conditions.

Zaret emphasized the need for further testing in larger populations, particularly in individuals before they exhibit 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,” he said. The study was supported by several NIH grants, including U01CA210138 and P50CA102701.