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NCT Number: NCT06122896

Prospective Screening for Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma in High-Risk Individuals

The purpose of this research is to see if adding blood-based tests and symptom review to standard-of-care pancreatic cancer screening procedures can identify cancer early among individuals with increased risk.

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Key information

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Early Phase 1

Primary location

Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States

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About this study

In this research study, investigators will combine blood-based tests and review of symptoms with standard-of-care pancreatic cancer screening procedures to see if pancreatic cancer can be detected early among individuals with increased risk. Pancreatic cancer screening procedures include Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), or Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography (MRCP).

The research study procedures include screening for eligibility, questionnaires, clinic visits, endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) or Magnetic Resonance (MRI)/Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography (MRCP), and collection of blood, stool, and saliva samples.

Participation in this research study will be a minimum of 30 months and up to 20 years via review of medical records and the annual collection of blood and stool samples.

It is expected that about 5,000 people will take part in this research study.

This study is supported by the Hale Family Research Center at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Participants must meet any of the following:

  • Individuals with pathogenic/likely pathogenic germline variants in STK11, and age ≥30 years.
  • Individuals with pathogenic/likely pathogenic germline variants in CDKN2A, and age ≥40 years (or 10 years younger than the earliest exocrine pancreatic cancer diagnosis in the family, whichever is earlier).
  • Individuals with pathogenic/likely pathogenic germline variants in one of the other pancreatic cancer susceptibility genes (ATM, BRCA1, BRCA2, MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, EPCAM, PALB2, TP53), and age ≥50 years (or 10 years younger than the earliest exocrine pancreatic cancer diagnosis in the family, whichever is earlier) AND
  • Exocrine pancreatic cancer in ≥1 first- or second-degree relative from the same side of (or presumed to be from the same side of) the family as the identified pathogenic/likely pathogenic germline variant.
  • Individuals with pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants in PRSS1 AND a clinical phenotype consistent with hereditary pancreatitis, and age ≥40 years (or 20 years after onset of pancreatitis, whichever is earlier).
  • Individuals with familial pancreatic cancer including:
  • Family history of exocrine pancreatic cancer in ≥2 first-degree relatives from the same side of the family, even in the absence of a known pathogenic/likely pathogenic germline variant, OR
  • Family history of exocrine pancreatic cancer in 1 affected first-degree relative and 1 second-degree relative, even in the absence of a known pathogenic/likely pathogenic germline variant, OR
  • Family history of exocrine pancreatic cancer in ≥3 first- and/or second-degree relatives from the same side of the family, even in the absence of a known pathogenic/likely pathogenic germline variant.
  • Individuals who are undergoing clinically recommended pancreatic cancer surveillance.

Exclusion criteria

  • Individuals with active or prior pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma diagnosis.
  • Individuals with any active metastatic cancer.
  • Individuals who are unable to give informed consent.
  • Individuals who are under the age of 18 (infants, children, teenagers).
  • Individuals unable to tolerate Magnetic Resonance Imaging/Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography and Endoscopic Ultrasound.
  • Pregnant women are unlikely to be undergoing screening procedures and will not be considered eligible but can consent to the study at a later date.

Treatment and study plan

Screening Blood Tests

Other

Carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9, and Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) per standard-of-care.

Endoscopic Ultrasound

Diagnostic Test

Annually and per National Comprehensive Cancer Network Guidelines (NCCN) guidelines.

Other names: EUS

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Combination Product

Annually and per National Comprehensive Cancer Network Guidelines (NCCN) guidelines.

Other names: MRI

Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography

Combination Product

Annually and per National Comprehensive Cancer Network Guidelines (NCCN) guidelines.

Other names: MRCP

Primary outcomes

  1. Number of Incident Pancreatic Cancers or High-Grade Pancreatic Neoplasms

    Time frame: 6-monthly for 3 years with 5-year follow-up

    Subjects will be counted in this metric if they have pathological tissue confirmation of a pancreatic cancer or high-grade dysplasia during each observation period.

  2. Number of Imaging-Positive Pancreatic Cancers or High-Grade Neoplasms

    Time frame: 6-monthly for 3 years with 5-year follow-up

    Subjects will be considered imaging-positive if they have a biopsy-confirmed pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma or high-grade dysplasia that was initially detected on standard-of-care screening MRI or EUS during each observation period.

  3. Number of Imaging-Negative, Assay-Positive Pancreatic Cancers or High-Grade Neoplasms

    Time frame: 6-monthly for 3 years with 5-year follow-up

    Subjects will be considered imaging-negative and assay-positive if: 1) the subject has a study visit that yields any newly positive CA19-9 (>35U/mL or >=20% increase) or diabetes (FBG >100mg/dL for first time or HgbA1c increased by 0.5) assay result or ENDPAC score >=3 with negative MRI and/or EUS at that visit or within six months prior to that visit; and 2) has a biopsy-confirmed pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma or high-grade dysplasia within two years after that visit.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Positive Predictive Value of Blood Assays

    Time frame: 6-monthly for 3 years

    Positive predictive value of blood assays, defined as newly positive CA19-9 (>35U/mL or >=20% increase) or diabetes (FBG >100mg/dL for first time or HgbA1c increased by 0.5) assay result or ENDPAC score >=3, with a positive biopsy for PDAC or High-Grade Dysplasia within six months divided by the total number with a positive blood assay.

  2. Negative Predictive Value of Blood Assays

    Time frame: 6-monthly for 3 years

    Negative predictive value of blood assays, defined as CA19-9 (<=35U/mL or <20% increase) or diabetes (FBG <100mg/dL for first time or HgbA1c increased by less than 0.5) assay result or ENDPAC score <3, without a positive biopsy for PDAC or High-Grade Dysplasia within six months divided by the total number with a negative blood assay.

  3. Proportion of Screen-Detected, Resected Pancreatic Lesions

    Time frame: 6-monthly for 3 years

    Number of screen-detected pancreatic lesions that are resected compared to the total number of screen-detected pancreatic lesions.

  4. Proportion of Non-Worrisome Pancreatic Lesions

    Time frame: 6-monthly for 3 years

    Number of pancreatic lesions that are biopsied without cancer or high-grade dysplasia divided by number of pancreatic lesions that are biopsied.

  5. Incremental Yield of Blood-Based Assays over Standard-of-Care Screening

    Time frame: 6-monthly for 3 years

    Number of imaging-negative, assay-positive cases showing cancer or high-grade dysplasia divided by the total number of imaging-negative cases with cancer or high-grade dysplasia.

  6. Number of False-Positive Assay Results

    Time frame: 6-monthly for 3 years

    Number of positive assay results, defined as newly positive CA19-9 (>35U/mL or >=20% increase) or diabetes (FBG >100mg/dL for first time or HgbA1c increased by 0.5) assay result or ENDPAC score >=3, without a clinical diagnosis of pancreatic cancer within one year.

  7. Number of Non-PDAC Cancer Diagnoses

    Time frame: 6-monthly for 3 years

    Number of non-PDAC cancer detected through blood-based assays, EUS and/or MRI during the active screening period.

  8. Clinical Predictors of Neoplastic Development

    Time frame: up to 8 years

    Frequencies of clinical predictors of neoplastic development as indicated by responses to the study surveys.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Matthew Yurgelun, MD

CONTACT

[email protected]

617-582-8673

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2023
Primary completion
2040
Study completion
2041
First posted
Nov 8, 2023
Registry last updated
May 29, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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