Pancreatic Cancer Blood Test Screening Program Yields Earlier Diagnoses at Hackensack University Medical Center

Screening at-risk groups—including 50+ with diabetes and BRCA gene carriers—leads to Stage 1 and Stage 2 asymptomatic diagnoses and successful treatment

According to the recently released 2022 GLOBOCAN data, pancreatic cancer is the No. 6 cause of mortality in the world. A new early blood screening diagnosis tool is making a big difference for pancreatic cancer outcomes at Hackensack University Medical Center.

Because pancreatic cancer is often asymptomatic while up to 10 years of genetic changes occur—changes that the new biomarker blood test can help detect—the cancer that was once rarely diagnosed at an early stage now is getting diagnosed at a stage when surgical treatment is feasible.

In late 2023, results of the PATHFINDER study validated the potential for multicancer early detection blood tests, which more than doubled the number of cancers detected with standard screening alone. Of the participants, 1.4% screened positive for cancer, and half of positive cases were identified at Stage 1 or 2.

“The results of PATHFINDER showed we could get to thresholds in routine blood testing for cancer,” said Hackensack University Medical Center gastroenterologist Rosario J. Ligresti, M.D.

When the first biomarker blood screening tests for pancreatic cancer recently became available, the Center’s Pancreatobiliary Program, led by Dr. Ligresti, embraced the new blood test tool and leveraged the network-wide electronic medical record, becoming New Jersey’s first care provider to adopt a more proactive screening protocol incorporating the new blood tests.

Dr. Ligresti identified certain populations in which routine screening for pancreatic cancer is effective, including those with a family history of pancreatic cancer, BRCA gene mutations and new onset diabetes diagnoses. One in four individuals diagnosed with pancreatic cancer was diagnosed with diabetes prior, while individuals with the BRCA gene have up to an eight times higher risk for pancreatic cancer, Dr. Ligresti said. Of these higher-risk groups screened at Hackensack Meridian Health, 3% test positive for pancreatic cancer.

Forging relationships with other specialties such as endocrinology and oncology created a referral pipeline, in addition to self-referred patients with a family history of pancreatic cancer. The new screening approach has doubled the center’s pancreatic cancer diagnosis rate. The program team also is identifying a majority of cases at stage one, versus 40% prior to the screening program’s initiation.

Learn more about innovations in gastroenterology and our advanced endoscopy program at Hackensack University Medical Center.