Blood tests to find pancreatic cancer early
Mayo Clinic Prospective Resource for Biomarker Validation and Early Detection of Pancreatic Cancer
This project aims to use blood proteins, methylated DNA markers, and the CA19-9 marker to detect pancreatic cancer earlier in people at higher risk.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Mayo Clinic Rochester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Rochester, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11162488 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will use Mayo Clinic’s large, prospectively collected biobank of blood samples from high-risk individuals, patients, and healthy controls to search for early signs of pancreatic cancer. They will measure combinations of blood proteins, methylated DNA (MDM) markers, and CA19-9 and analyze results using blinded, PRoBE-compliant methods. Samples collected before diagnosis will be tested blind to outcomes to reduce bias and improve reliability. The goal is to identify marker combinations that reliably flag early or pre-diagnostic pancreatic cancer and could be moved toward clinical screening for high-risk groups.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are people at increased risk for pancreatic cancer, such as those with a strong family history, known genetic mutations linked to pancreatic cancer, or certain high-risk pancreatic conditions.
Not a fit: People without elevated pancreatic cancer risk or those already diagnosed with advanced-stage disease are less likely to benefit directly from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these tests could catch pancreatic cancer earlier when treatments are more likely to work and survival may improve.
How similar studies have performed: Existing markers like CA19-9 have limited sensitivity, and early studies combining protein and methylated DNA markers have shown promise but need larger, blinded validation.
Where this research is happening
Rochester, United States
- Mayo Clinic Rochester — Rochester, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Majumder, Shounak — Mayo Clinic Rochester
- Study coordinator: Majumder, Shounak
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.