Better screening and care for people at high risk of pancreatic cancer

Improving Management of patients at High Risk of Pancreatic Cancer

NIH-funded research Johns Hopkins University · NIH-11291329

This project will test a new blood-based screening test plus personalized risk tools to find pancreatic cancer earlier in people at high risk.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionJohns Hopkins University NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Baltimore, United States)
Project IDNIH-11291329 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

You could give a blood sample to help researchers develop PancSEEK, a blood test designed to detect early pancreatic cancer. The team will combine blood results with your imaging, genetic, and clinical information to build personalized risk models called PancDetect. They will then follow people at higher risk over time to see how well the combined approach guides who needs further imaging or intervention. Participation may involve giving samples and attending scheduled visits at participating clinical sites.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults with known inherited or clinical risk factors for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma who are willing to provide blood samples and attend follow-up visits.

Not a fit: People without high-risk features for pancreatic cancer or those unwilling to give samples or travel to study visits are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this project.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could enable earlier, less invasive detection of pancreatic cancer and more targeted surveillance for people at high risk.

How similar studies have performed: Blood-based early-detection approaches for pancreatic cancer have shown promising early results, but prospectively validated tests that combine blood markers with imaging and genetics are still largely unproven.

Where this research is happening

Baltimore, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Cancers
Last reviewed 2026-06-10 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.