AI to spot early signs of pancreatic cancer from CT scans and health records
Multimodal AI Fusion Model for Early Detection for Pancreatic Cancer
A computer tool that combines routine CT images and medical records to spot early signs of pancreatic cancer in people without symptoms.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Mayo Clinic Arizona NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Scottsdale, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11193447 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are training an AI called PRECISE to read routine abdominal CT scans and pick out subtle imaging signs that may appear before pancreatic cancer is diagnosed. They will combine those imaging features with clinical information from electronic health records—like age, weight, and diabetes history—to estimate a person's risk. The team will use deep learning to segment imaging biomarkers and apply adversarial debiasing so the tool works across different hospitals and patient groups. Validation will use imaging and records from Mayo Clinic, Cornell, and UCSF.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults who have had abdominal CT scans and have linkable electronic health records, especially those with risk factors such as older age, obesity, or diabetes.
Not a fit: People without prior abdominal CT imaging or without accessible electronic health records, as well as those already diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, would not benefit from this approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help detect pancreatic cancer earlier in people without symptoms, potentially leading to earlier treatment and better outcomes.
How similar studies have performed: Previous smaller studies suggest CT-based imaging biomarkers can flag early pancreatic changes, but combining those markers with EMR data using multimodal AI and explicit debiasing is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Scottsdale, United States
- Mayo Clinic Arizona — Scottsdale, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Banerjee, Imon — Mayo Clinic Arizona
- Study coordinator: Banerjee, Imon
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.