The scientists from the UK and Spain who developed the test hope that if
its early promise is realized then it could be possible to diagnose
patients much earlier and offer them treatment.
The research looked at almost 500 urine samples. Just under 200 were
from patients with pancreatic cancer, 92 from patients with chronic
pancreatitis and 87 from healthy volunteers.
The rest of the samples were from patients with benign and cancerous liver and gall bladder conditions. Out
of 1,500 proteins found in the urine samples, three - LYVE1, REG1A and
TFF1 - were seen to be at much higher levels in the pancreatic cancer
patients, providing a "protein signature" that could identify the most
common form of the disease.
The signature was found to be 90% accurate.
The Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund said this was "an exciting finding" and that an early diagnostic test was "much needed".
Fiona
Osgun, of Cancer Research UK, said: "At the moment, we're a long way
from knowing if this research could lead to a test that would help
detect pancreatic cancer at an early stage, or who that test might
benefit.
"But research like this is vital as there's been little
progress in improving survival for pancreatic cancer, and innovative
approaches are needed."
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