NIH-Supported Study Unveils Four-Marker Blood Test for Earlier Detection of Pancreatic Cancer

Overview

• The panel combines two novel proteins, aminopeptidase N (ANPEP) and polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (PIGR), with CA19-9 and THBS2.
• In retrospective banked samples, the test identified pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma in 91.9% of cases at a 5% false-positive rate.
• For stage I/II disease, the assay detected 87.5% of cases.
• The four-marker test distinguished cancer from healthy individuals and from noncancerous pancreatic conditions such as pancreatitis.
• The University of Pennsylvania and Mayo Clinic study, supported by NIH, was published January 29, 2026, in Clinical Cancer Research.