Early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer

Óscar Pozo

Fundació Institut Hospital del Mar d’Investigacions Mèdiques, Barcelona, Spain

Early diagnosis followed by complete surgical removal of the tumour is currently the only potentially curative therapy for cancers such as pancreatic cancer. However, sufficiently sensitive and specific diagnostic tests to detect this type of tumour at an early stage are not yet available.

In previous studies, the team has identified a signature of 7 metabolites present in the blood, which makes it possible to distinguish between people with pancreatic cancer, even in the early stages, and healthy individuals or those with chronic pancreatitis. They have also been able to establish concentration thresholds for each metabolite, thus facilitating the clinical interpretation of the analyses.

One of the drawbacks of this new diagnostic system that hinders its translation to the clinic is the need to preserve the integrity of the metabolites during transport. Currently, samples are transported frozen. The aim of the current project is to simplify sample collection and shipping by using dried blood drop devices, without compromising the sensitivity and reliability of the diagnostic system. To achieve this, various types of devices will be tested.

• Adelaida Garcia
  Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica de Girona (IDIBGI), Spain

CarboSign7 for pancreatic cancer diagnosis: Biosampling optimization

Stage 1