New trial aims to improve early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer
Southampton researchers will see if a new blood test can detect pancreatic cancer at an earlier stage.
Pancreatic cancer is of one of the most under-diagnosed and difficult to treat cancers.
The SAFE-D study will evaluate how well a new blood test can detect pancreatic cancer at an earlier stage, when it is curable. It will be run by researchers at the Southampton Clinical Trials Unit (SCTU).
The trial will be led by Mr Zaed Hamady, consultant surgeon at University Hospital Southampton (UHS) and pancreatic researcher at the University of Southampton.
Improving patients’ survival
Pancreatic cancer is the tenth most common cancer in the UK, with around 10,500 people diagnosed each year. Nearly half a million people are diagnosed each year worldwide.
However, the symptoms of pancreatic cancer can be vague and are often attributed to other things. Most patients are therefore diagnosed at a late stage, when the cancer has grown too large to be removed surgically. This means survival rates are lower than for many other types of cancer.
“Improving the early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is vital,” says Mr Hamady. “However, there is currently no targeted early detection or surveillance test for the disease, meaning patients are often only picked up when they become unwell and go to the hospital as an emergency.
“If we can develop approaches to detect the cancer sooner, then there are more options we may consider to treat the disease, and patients will have a much better chance of long-term survival.”
Testing people with type 2 diabetes
The Avantect test has been developed by biotechnology company ClearNote Health. It is a DNA-based test that looks for signs of pancreatic cancer in blood.
The researchers will use this to test blood samples from people with a recent diagnosis of type 2 diabetes – a known risk factor for developing pancreatic cancer.
People with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes have a 1% risk of also being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer within three years. Type 2 diabetes affects pancreatic cells that make the hormone insulin.
The SAFE-D study will therefore focus on this patient group to trial the Avantect test. The aim is to see how well it is able to detect signs of the cancer in its early stages.
Angelica Cazaly is Senior Trial Manager for SAFE-D at the SCTU.
“We will be asking people with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes who are attending GP surgeries or diabetic clinics whether they would like to take part in the study,” she says.
“For the initial pilot phase of the trial, we will collect blood samples from 800 people for testing, before moving to the next, larger phase of the study. All participants will be monitored for two years.”
The researchers will use the blood test results and medical information collected from each patient.
“Although most people with diabetes will not go on to develop the disease, new onset diabetes is associated with a 6-8-fold increased risk,” says Mr Hamady.
“This patient group gives us a way to test how accurate the new diagnostic blood test is, and that could potentially help thousands of people in the future.”
Giving patients a better chance
The SAFE-D study is currently in set-up and will begin recruiting participants in early 2025.
The trial is primarily funded by ClearNote Health, with additional financial support from Cancer Research UK core funding at the SCTU. It is sponsored by UHS.
“Early diagnosis of the deadliest cancers to enable patients to live longer, healthier lives is our mission at ClearNote Health,” says Samuel Levy, chief scientific officer of ClearNote Health.
“Our early data supports the ability of Avantect to identify pancreatic cancer in its earliest stages (I/II), and we are excited to collaborate with the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust and Southampton Clinical Trials Unit.
“The SAFE-D study will give patients with new onset type 2 diabetes that may have pancreatic cancer a better chance to secure a cure.”