AUSTRALIAN researchers are working to develop the first early-detection blood test for pancreatic cancer.
Pancreatic cancer is one of Australia's biggest killers, with poor survival rates marred by a lack of distinct symptoms and screening tools needed to detect the disease in its early stages, said researchers at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI).
It's hoped the test one day will accurately identify patients with early stages of pancreatic cancer - a crucial step towards improving survival rates and quality of life for patients.
The blood test is based on a critical WEHI discovery of proteins that can identify early pancreatic cancer in patients.
Currently, there are no early detection biomarkers for the disease, said Project lead and oncologist Dr Belinda Lee.
"We have identified 13 proteins that could distinguish between the early and late stages of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, and we hope to validate them to reliably screen for early disease."
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