Multiparametric ultrasound imaging for pancreatic risk screening and thyroid nodules
Official title: Development and Evaluation of Ultrasound Imaging Acquisition and Analysis Methods
Run by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center · NCT07270237 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will try multiparametric ultrasound (mpUS) to see if it gives clearer pictures of pancreatic tissue for people at high risk for pancreatic cancer and of thyroid nodules for people being evaluated for those lumps.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 85 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Academic / other |
| Locations | 7 sites (Basking Ridge, New Jersey and 6 other locations) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | November 24, 2025 |
| Main results expected | November 2027 |
| Study ends | November 2027 |
| Registry record updated | December 12, 2025 |
| Trial ID | NCT07270237 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are people enrolled in MSK’s pancreatic registry who are undergoing endoscopic ultrasound because they are at high risk for pancreatic cancer, and patients being evaluated for thyroid nodules who are having ultrasound-based workup.
✕Probably not a fit
People who do not meet the MSK pancreatic registry criteria, are pregnant, or cannot undergo endoscopic ultrasound or the required imaging procedures are unlikely to benefit from participation.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This interventional imaging protocol uses multiparametric ultrasound (mpUS) — combining multiple ultrasound techniques that show structure, blood flow, and microarchitecture — and compares its findings to standard ultrasound and other routine tests. One cohort focuses on people at high hereditary risk for pancreatic cancer who are undergoing endoscopic ultrasound; another cohort includes patients with thyroid nodules. Images from mpUS will be collected and compared to conventional imaging and diagnostic results to determine whether mpUS provides additional or more accurate information. The study is conducted through Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center with consent sites listed in New Jersey.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, mpUS could provide clearer, more detailed imaging that helps doctors better distinguish cancerous from non-cancerous tissue and reduce unnecessary biopsies or delays in care.
How similar studies have gone: Early research and pilot studies of multiparametric ultrasound have shown promising improvements in lesion characterization, but mpUS remains an emerging technique that is not yet standard practice.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
* Cohort 1 - Feasibility of multiparametric endoscopic ultrasound (mpEUS) imaging of patients at high-risk for pancreatic cancer:
Patient Group: those having standard endoscopic ultrasounds because they are at high risk of pancreatic cancer Participants enrolled into the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Pancreatic Registry protocol (IRB#: 02-102) will be eligible for this study. Specifically, related individuals without pancreatic cancer who are at-risk for developing pancreatic cancer and meet all of the following criteria (family health history will be self-reported):
* 10 years younger than the earliest pancreatic cancer diagnosis in the family
* Be at least 50 years old
* Be at least 40 years old if diagnosed with FAMMM syndrome (CDKN2A/p16) or Hereditary Pancreatitis (PRSS1, SPINK1/PST1, CTRC, CPA1 or other candidate hereditary pancreatitis genes)
* Be at least 35 years old if diagnosed with Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (STK11 aka LKB1)
* Not pregnant and not Nursing
* Relatives at least 21 years old with other high-risk clinical criteria that warrants pancreatic cancer surveillance or follow-up as determined by the project leader (Dr. Vineet Rolston)
* Must agree to be contacted for follow-up
* Must satisfy at least one of the following 4 criteria:
1. Have at least two affected relatives who are a first-degree relative to each other, of whom at least one is a first degree relative to the individual OR have at least two affected first-degree relatives on the same side of the family.
2. Have at least one first- or second-degree affected relative and have germline genetic test results that confirm a likely pathogenic or pathogenic variant in at least one of the following genes:
1. APC (Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP) and Attenuated FAP syndrome
2. BRCA1(Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Symptoms)
3. MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, PMS2, or EPCAM (Lynch Syndrome)
4. PALB2
5. TP53 (Li-Fraumeni Syndrome)
6. Other established pancreatic cancer predisposition gene per project leader's discretion
3. Have germline genetic test results that confirm a likely pathogenic or pathogenic variant in one or more of the following genes:
1. CDKN2A/p16 (Familial Atypical Multiple Mole Melanoma Syndrome (FAMMM))
2. STK11 aka LKB1 (Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome)
3. PRSS1, SPINK1/PST1, CTRC, CPA1 or other candidate hereditary pancreatitis genes per project leader's discretion
4. ATM (ataxia telangiectasia mutated)
5. BRCA 2(Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Symptoms)
4. Relatives at least 21 years old with other high-risk clinical criteria that warrants pancreatic cancer surveillance or follow-up as determined the project leader (Dr. Vineet Rolston)
Cohort 2 - Multiparametric endoscopic ultrasound imaging (mpEUS) of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma:
Patient Group: those with pancreatic cancer having endoscopic ultrasound-guided biopsies
Patients will be entered into the study if they meet the following criteria:
* Patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
* Are undergoing endoscopic ultrasound-guided tissue core biopsy as part of their standard of care
* Not pregnant and not nursing
Cohort 3 - Thyroid nodule assessment with multiparametric ultrasound (mpUS) imaging:
Patient Group: those with a thyroid nodule that will be biopsied whether they have known cancer or not
* Are undergoing ultrasound-guided thyroid biopsy as part of their standard of care
* Not pregnant and not nursing
Healthy Volunteers will be entered into the study if they meet the following criteria:
* No known cancer diagnosis or thyroid nodules
* Age ≥ 18
* Able to understand and give informed consent
* Not pregnant and not nursing
Exclusion Criteria:
Cohort 2 - Multiparametric endoscopic ultrasound imaging (mpEUS) of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma:
* Unable to sign an informed consent for medical or other reasons; residents outside the continental United States
* Under 18 years of age
Cohort 3 -Thyroid nodule assessment with multiparametric ultrasound (mpUS) imaging
* Unable to sign an informed consent for medical or other reasons; residents outside the continental United States
* Under 18 years of age
Where it's running
-
Memorial Sloan Kettering Basking Ridge (Consent Only)
Basking Ridge, New Jersey, United States Recruiting -
Memorial Sloan Kettering Monmouth (Consent Only)
Middletown, New Jersey, United States Recruiting -
Memorial Sloan Kettering Bergen (Consent Only)
Montvale, New Jersey, United States Recruiting -
Memorial Sloan Kettering Suffolk - Commack (Limited Protocol Activities)
Commack, New York, United States Recruiting -
Memorial Sloan Kettering Westchester (Consent Only)
Harrison, New York, United States Recruiting -
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (All Protocol Activities)
New York, New York, United States Recruiting
Show 1 more location
-
Memorial Sloan Kettering Nassau (Consent Only)
Uniondale, New York, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Mark T Burgess, MD — Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
- Study coordinator: Mark T Burgess, PhD
- Email: burgesm1@mskcc.org
- Phone: 646-608-8284
Similar studies
Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.
-
Integrated genomic and clinical database for cancer biomarker discovery
Researchers are building a combined genomic and clinical database at Samsung Medical Center to test biomarkers for cancer diagnosis, treatment choice, and predicting how well treatments work.
-
Using contrast-enhanced ultrasound to check for local pancreatic cancer recurrence after surgery
This pilot test uses contrast-enhanced ultrasound to see if it can help detect return of pancreatic cancer after surgery in patients being watched with CT scans.
-
Combination of ivermectin with standard skin-protective care for daraxonrasib-related skin toxicity in pancreatic cancer
This study tests whether adding ivermectin to standard preventive skin care helps people with pancreatic cancer who develop skin side effects from daraxonrasib.
-
Becotatug Vedotin Plus Anti-PD-1 and S-1 in EGFR-Positive Advanced Pancreatic Cancer
This study tests a three-drug regimen (becotatug vedotin, an anti-PD-1 therapy, and S-1) in adults with EGFR-positive advanced pancreatic cancer who have not responded to at least one prior therapy.
-
Blood protein biomarkers to help diagnose pancreatic cancer in adults
This study tests whether blood protein biomarkers can help detect pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and tell it apart from chronic pancreatitis and mucinous pancreatic lesions, and whether combining markers with CA 19-9 improves accuracy.
-
Lm-LLO-TT and Gemcitabine in Unresectable Pancreatic Cancer (Phase 1)
This early-stage study tests whether giving Lm-LLO-TT directly into the belly with low-dose gemcitabine is safe and tolerable for adults with previously treated, unresectable or metastatic pancreatic cancer.
How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.