Experimental blood test detects 87% of early pancreatic cancers in study

An experimental blood test correctly identified stage 1 and 2 pancreatic cancer in 87% of cases in an international study involving nearly 1,800 people. The result is encouraging for a disease that often develops without clear early symptoms, leaving fewer treatment options by the time it is found.

Led by researchers at City of Hope in the United States, the study evaluated the test, called PANXEON, across the US, Italy, Japan and South Korea. The findings were published in Nature Medicine.

PANXEON measures three biological signals in blood, including small molecules that help control gene activity and a protein associated with pancreatic cancer. Artificial intelligence combines the measurements into a single risk score.

The test also detected advanced precancerous changes in about 64% of affected participants with high-risk pancreatic cysts. That could help doctors decide which cysts need closer monitoring or intervention before invasive cancer develops.

Important limits remain. The test incorrectly flagged cancer in 3% of people without it in low-risk groups, rising to 16% in high-risk groups. Its proposed role is to help identify higher-risk patients who need further evaluation, alongside scans and other diagnostic tests, rather than replace them.

The study measured detection, not whether testing improves survival. Larger studies following people over time are still needed before PANXEON could become part of routine care.