A City of Hope-led international study of nearly 1,800 patients reveals that a new investigational blood test, PANXEON, detects stage 1 and 2 pancreatic cancer with 87% sensitivity. The liquid biopsy combines three distinct biomarkers using artificial intelligence to estimate risk. It also identifies precancerous high-grade dysplasia in 64% of cases, offering a non-invasive screening tool for high-risk individuals to improve the disease's low 14% five-year survival rate.
PANXEON blood test development
- ▪Researchers at City of Hope led the development of PANXEON, an investigational liquid biopsy blood test designed to detect pancreatic cancer at its earliest stages.
- ▪A large international study evaluating the PANXEON blood test was published in the journal Nature Medicine on September 16, 2026.
Early-stage detection performance
- ▪The PANXEON blood test demonstrated a false-positive rate of 3% in low-risk groups and 16% in high-risk groups during the multi-country clinical study.
- ▪In a study of nearly 1,800 patients across the United States, Europe, and Asia, the PANXEON blood test correctly identified stage 1 and 2 pancreatic cancer 87% of the time.
- ▪The PANXEON blood test detected high-grade dysplasia, an advanced precancerous pancreatic condition, more than 64% of the time in the clinical study.
Multi-biomarker AI methodology
- ▪PANXEON is the first investigational test to combine three specific biomarkers—circulating microRNAs, exosomal microRNAs, and CA19-9 protein—into a single blood test.
- ▪The PANXEON test utilizes artificial intelligence to combine measurements of its three target biomarkers into a single score estimating a patient's pancreatic cancer risk.
Pancreatic cancer survival challenge
- ▪Pancreatic cancer has the lowest survival rate of any cancer, with only 14% of diagnosed patients living five years after their diagnosis.
- ▪Approximately 90% of pancreatic cancer patients have their tumors detected at advanced stages after the malignancy has already spread.
High-risk screening applications
- ▪Patients most likely to benefit from PANXEON screening include individuals with inherited genetic risk, a family history of pancreatic cancer, pancreatic cysts, or chronic pancreatitis.
- ▪The PANXEON blood test is intended to identify high-risk patients who should undergo further evaluation rather than completely replacing imaging or other diagnostic tests.
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