PANCAID:EU-funded project to develop a blood test for early detection of pancreatic cancer kicks off

HAMBURG, Germany - Feb. 21, 2023 - PRLog -- PANCAID (PANcreatic CAncer Initial Detection via liquid biopsy) is an international research project aiming to develop a minimally invasive blood test for the early detection of pancreatic cancer. The project, consisting of partners from eight countries (DE, SE, ES, AT, BE, FR, IL, and UK), will receive a total of EUR 9.8M funding from the European Commission (EC) and use a comprehensive panel of liquid biopsy diagnostics.
Scientists will collect and analyse blood samples from patients with pancreatic cancer, its precursor lesions, as well as individuals at risk. The project will first identify the best possible composite biomarker panel, then establish and validate a blood test. "The impacts of PANCAID are huge: Apart from new insights into the biology and pathophysiology of pancreatic cancer, we pave the way to fill a substantial gap in the diagnosis of one of the most malignant cancers. At the end of the process, we want to have the prospective design ready to launch a multicentre randomised clinical trial, in which the new blood test will be investigated for its efficacy", said Prof. Klaus Pantel, Director of the Institute of Tumor Biology at UKE in Hamburg and project coordinator.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the most common type of pancreatic cancer, usually only causes signs and symptoms at later stages. "Most patients die within one year after diagnosis. The biggest challenge in the management of patients with pancreatic cancer is the current inability to diagnose it in time. Therefore, early detection and diagnosis are urgently needed", explained Prof. Dr Mattias Löhr, Professor of Gastroenterology at Karolinska Institutet and co-coordinator of PANCAID. "Developing a minimally invasive blood test with high sensitivity and specificity might not only enable physicians to diagnose the disease and initiate treatment earlier, but early detection of PDAC might also result in reduced mortality and better quality of life for cancer patients." About 150'000 people in the EU are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer every year.

The project is part of the Horizon Europe programme and EU Mission: Cancer. Project and funding by the EC started on 1 Jan 2023,  kick-off was 13-15 Feb, in Hamburg, Germany.

https://www.pancaid-project.eu

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency (REA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.