Better blood tests for early pancreatic cancer detection and monitoring
Using markers to improve pancreatic cancer screening and surveillance: a multi-center study
This project is testing blood-based tumor markers and AI-read plasma signals to help find early pancreatic cancer in people with a strong family or genetic risk.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11144373 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, you'll be part of a high-risk group already being watched regularly for pancreatic problems, with about 1,500 people in the program. The team will add yearly blood draws to the current surveillance routine and run gene-based tumor marker tests to define each person's normal marker range. They will also use plasma MR spectroscopy plus artificial-intelligence tools to look for subtle metabolic changes that might signal cancer earlier than imaging does. Your blood samples would be stored in a biobank for future biomarker work, and the team will follow long-term health outcomes.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people with a strong family history of pancreatic cancer or known high-risk genetic mutations who are enrolled in or eligible for the CAPS surveillance program.
Not a fit: People without a familial/genetic high-risk for pancreatic cancer or those with already advanced disease are unlikely to benefit from this surveillance-focused work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these blood tests could help find pancreatic cancer at an earlier, more treatable stage for people at high familial or genetic risk.
How similar studies have performed: Previous CAPS experience shows regular surveillance can catch cancers at earlier stages, but adding blood tumor markers and AI-based plasma spectroscopy for routine pancreas screening is relatively new and not yet proven.
Where this research is happening
Baltimore, United States
- Johns Hopkins University — Baltimore, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Goggins, Michael G. — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Goggins, Michael G.
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.