Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the deadliest forms of cancer. It often goes undetected until it is at an advanced stage, making it challenging to treat. Currently, only a small percentage of patients are diagnosed early enough for effective treatment. While a blood marker exists, called serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9), it is used primarily to track the disease, and it is unreliable for early detection.
To address this problem, the researchers have developed a new method to analyze circulating vesicles (called exosomes), which contain specific genetic material called microRNAs (miRNAs). In a previous study, by analyzing both the miRNAs that circulate freely in serum and the miRNAs that are inside the exosomes, the researchers have already identified a combination of 13 miRNAs that could accurately detect early-stage PDAC.
In this study, the researchers will test this method in a larger international cohort study. This study aims to confirm the effectiveness of this approach in identifying PDAC at its earliest stages.
