Pancreatic cancer is the world’s toughest cancer – the 5-year relative survival rate is just over 10 percent. Most pancreatic cancer patients are diagnosed at stage 4, which is why survival rates for this disease are so low. Known as the “holy grail” in pancreatic cancer, early detection and screening protocols do not currently exist and are critical to reversing the mortality rate of this deadly disease.

Dr. Eugene J. Koay, Associate Professor in the Department of Gastrointestinal Radiation Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and Dr. Anirban Maitra, scientific director of the Pancreatic Cancer Research Center at MD Anderson, have formed a collaboration of leading experts from across North America to improve early detection and overall outcomes for this disease using radiomics and artificial intelligence. 

For many years, research into early detection has primarily focused on circulating biomarkers of early pancreatic cancer in the blood. What makes this research project unique is that it will combine blood biomarkers with pre-diagnostic computed tomography (CT) images to intercept the disease through advanced AI-based imaging algorithms.

“We are grateful to be the sole funder of this groundbreaking research that uses new technologies to detect pancreatic cancer at earlier stages to improve survival rates,” says Michelle Capobianco, CEO, Pancreatic Cancer North America (PCNA) and Pancreatic Cancer Canada (PCC). “With each undertaking, we aim to shift the narrative around pancreatic cancer from the well-held notion that it is a death sentence, to it being a treatable and survivable cancer.”

The research team expects to be well-situated to translate these integrated biomarkers into prospective, multi-institutional clinical trials across the United States and Canada by the completion of this study. There is also great potential for new intellectual property and alliances with industry and foundations to accelerate the translation of their discoveries to patient care.

“We’re optimistic that this research will move the needle on this very deadly disease,” explains Dr. Eugene Koay. “There isn’t really any other research that is combining this set of biomarkers together with medical imaging, so we’ll be able to address for the first time the question of how we can use these tools and technologies for the betterment of patients at risk of this disease.”

With the support of our dedicated donors, PCNA and PCC have made a $2 million commitment over five-years to fund this project. We are grateful to the Warren Y. Soper Charitable Trust for establishing the “Warren Y. Soper Fund in Pancreatic Cancer Early Detection” to kick start this project with a generous multi-year investment.

For more information about our commitment to early detection and screening or to make a donation, visit pancreaticcancerna.org (US donors) or pancreaticcancercanada.ca (Canadian donors).