Liquid biopsy to detect AXL-positive circulating tumor cells in pancreatic cancer
Liquid Biopsy and Pancreas Cancer: Detection of AXL(+) Functional CTCs Using EPIDROP
This test tries a blood-based liquid biopsy to see if AXL-positive circulating tumor cells can be found in adults with newly diagnosed metastatic pancreatic cancer who have not yet received treatment.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 63 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | University Hospital, Montpellier Academic / other |
| Drugs / interventions | chemotherapy |
| Locations | 1 site (Montpellier) |
| Trial ID | NCT05346536 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This single-center protocol enrolls adults with treatment-naïve metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma and uses blood draws to isolate and enumerate circulating tumor cells (CTCs) that express the AXL receptor. Collected samples are analyzed with a sensitive CTC detection platform to identify AXL(+) cells and characterize their presence over time. The goal is to link presence and changes in AXL(+) CTCs with disease status, prognosis, and potential therapeutic markers. Procedures are non-invasive blood tests performed at CHU Montpellier and patients are followed according to the protocol schedule.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Adults (18+) with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma who are treatment-naïve, able to give consent, and able to attend the Montpellier site are the intended participants.
Not a fit: Patients without metastatic disease, those who have already received systemic therapy, pregnant or lactating women, people legally unable to consent, or those with significant frailty or poor compliance are unlikely to benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could give doctors a minimally invasive way to monitor aggressive tumor cells, help predict disease course, and inform treatment decisions.
How similar studies have performed: Liquid biopsy detection of CTCs is an established technique and prior work links AXL to metastatic behavior, but AXL-specific CTC detection in pancreatic cancer has limited clinical outcome data so its utility remains emerging.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * The patient is at least 18 years old; * Patients with pancreatic cancer with remote metastases, naïve of any treatment, that is, eligible for a first line of treatment; * Patients with oral consent Exclusion Criteria: * Non-affiliation or non-beneficiary of a Social Security regimen; * Frailty persons according to Article L1121-6 of the CSP; * Adult protected or unable to give consent as per Article L1121-8 of the CPMP; * Pregnant or lactating women as per MSC L1121-5. * Not included for monitoring difficulties (mutation, insufficient motivation, predictable poor compliance, priority associated pathology in care, etc.)
Where this trial is running
Montpellier
- CHU Montpellier — Montpellier, France (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Catherine Alix-Panabières, PhD — University Hospital, Montpellier
- Study coordinator: Thomas Bardol, MD
- Email: t-bardol@chu-montpellier.fr
- Phone: +33682882757
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.