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Detecting Pancreatic Cancer Earlier for Better Treatment Outcomes

Pancreatic cancer is the second most common digestive cancer. With a poor prognosis, it is often diagnosed at an inoperable stage and is therefore extremely difficult to treat in 90% of cases. One of the projects at the PRISM National Center for Precision Medicine aims to detect pancreatic cancer earlier in order to significantly increase patients’ chances of recovery. Ultimately, 100,000 lives could be saved each year worldwide.

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With more than 14,000 cases diagnosed in France each year*, pancreatic cancer is the second most common gastrointestinal cancer after colorectal cancer. Worldwide, this disease causes 400,000 deaths annually. With incidence rates on the rise, it is estimated that this cancer will be the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in France by 2030. Today, the vast majority of pancreatic tumors are diagnosed too late. In fact, the disease can progress silently for 10 or 15 years without any warning signs. By the time symptoms appear, the cancer is already at an advanced stage and often inoperable. Currently, there are very few treatment options available for these highly aggressive and complex cancers. However, if detected early enough, they can be cured in 80% of cases. That is why the PRISM project aims to develop an early-detection test to significantly increase the chances of curing the disease.

* INCa data, 2018

3 years to develop an early-detection test for pancreatic cancer

The team leading the project has set itself a 3-year timeline to develop a new method for the early detection of pancreatic cancer by identifying its molecular signature. The goal is to eventually provide a reliable diagnosis through a simple blood test or urine sample.

The first stage of the project will involve analyzing the molecular profile of 200 pancreatic tumors at a very early stage and comparing them to the analyses of a group of people without tumors. This analysis will identify abnormalities specific to pancreatic cancer in order to establish its molecular signature. Researchers will then be able to check whether these abnormalities are present in the plasma and urine of the patients whose tumors were analyzed, thereby validating the feasibility of using these methods as a diagnostic tool.

The second phase, contingent upon the first phase yielding satisfactory results, will involve analyzing the molecular profiles of 200 new patients with pancreatic cancer and 200 healthy volunteers. If these analyses confirm the diagnostic test’s performance, a study will be conducted to validate the impact of this screening test on mortality rates among those tested. A total of 2.1 million euros will be needed to carry out this project over a three-year period. If successful, this could spark a true revolution in the management of pancreatic cancer. Detected earlier and therefore more easily treatable, this disease would no longer be synonymous with a therapeutic dead end, as is currently the case for 100,000 people worldwide each year.

Each of us has—or will have in the coming years—a loved one affected by pancreatic cancer.

The incidence of pancreatic cancer is rising, and its prognosis is, unfortunately, grim. Each of us has—or will have in the coming years—a loved one affected by this disease. More than 90% of pancreatic cancers are diagnosed at an inoperable stage, at which point patients cannot be cured. The goal of this PRISM project dedicated to pancreatic cancer is to develop a molecular signature—that is, to identify the genes involved in this disease—in order to make a diagnosis as early as possible.

Dr. Antoine Hollebecque, a gastrointestinal oncologist in the Department of Therapeutic Innovation and Early-Phase Trials.