Blood test PANXEON shows high accuracy for early pancreatic cancer detection

Pancreatic cancer’s five-year survival rate remains low because the disease is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage. Researchers reported in Nature Medicine that a blood test named PANXEON detected stage 1-2 cancers with roughly 87% sensitivity and produced few false positives in a study of about 1,800 people in the United States, Europe and Asia. The assay also identified advanced pancreatic dysplasia in over 64% of participants with high-risk pancreatic cysts.

PANXEON measures three molecular signatures and applies artificial-intelligence algorithms to assign an individual risk score, helping clinicians decide on further diagnostic steps, particularly for patients with inherited risk or a history of pancreatitis. While the results are promising, the authors note that larger clinical trials are required before the test can be used routinely. Ajay Goel, senior author and chair of molecular diagnostics at City of Hope, highlighted that earlier detection improves the chance for meaningful intervention. The development follows the FDA’s recent approval of the drug daraxonrasib, which modestly extends survival for late-stage patients.