Feb 19, 2025 - Health

Oregon researchers develop new test for pancreatic cancer

Meira Gebel

Two people are picture in a photo where they sit in a medical lab and using instruments for a blood test. — Jared Fischer, Ph.D., left, and Jose Luis Montoya Mira, Ph.D., right, developed a new way to screen for pancreatic cancer. Photo: Courtesy of Oregon Health & Science University

Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University have developed a new blood test that they say is able to detect pancreatic cancer with 85% accuracy.

Why it matters: Pancreatic cancer is often detected at an advanced stage when it is too late, Jared Fischer, a scientist with OHSU's Knight Cancer Institute, said in a news release.

Early detection significantly improves survival rates, but traditional tests — like carbohydrate antigen 19-9 — aren't sensitive enough, the release noted.
The new test, dubbed the PAC-MANN, uses a magnetic nanosensor to identify protease activity, the process where proteins and polypeptides are broken down into amino acids, a key indicator in the early stages of pancreatic cancer.
Used alongside traditional tests, researchers found PAC-MANN was able to detect early-stage cancer and distinguish between patients with pancreatic cancer from healthy patients at high rates.

What's next: Researchers plan to run several more clinical trials with high-risk patients, and if results are validated, they said PAC-MANN could become a vital tool in screening for one of the most deadly cancers.

Add Axios on Google

Oregon researchers develop new test for pancreatic cancer

More Portland stories