Pancreatic cancer is notoriously difficult to diagnose early and treat effectively. It ranks as the 12th most common cancer globally, with a dismal survival rate.
As the disease is most often detected at advanced stages, there is an urgent need for new diagnostic methods. A promising study suggests that a panel of gut microbes could be the key to early and accurate diagnosis.
The Problem with Current Diagnostic Methods
Currently, pancreatic cancer is diagnosed using a variety of methods, including imaging scans, blood tests, and invasive tissue samples.
These methods often fall short in accurately diagnosing the condition in its early stages, resulting in either delayed treatment or unnecessary invasive procedures.
The Role of the Microbiome
Recent research has indicated that the microbiome, the collection of microorganisms living in our digestive system, may have a role in both the development and progression of pancreatic cancer.
In a new study published in the journal Gut, researchers analyzed saliva, stool samples, and pancreatic tissue from Spanish adults newly diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Machine Learning Identifies Microbial Signatures
The researchers discovered that gut microbes could be more informative than mouth microbes for this type of cancer.
They found a distinct microbial profile in the stool samples of people with pancreatic cancer, regardless of the stage of the disease.
Machine learning techniques were employed to identify the presence of certain microbial species.
High Accuracy in Prediction
The area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve, which measures the accuracy of a diagnostic test, reached 0.84 for the microbial profile alone.
When combined with blood levels of carbohydrate antigen 19-9, the only currently approved non-invasive test for monitoring pancreatic cancer, the AUROC curve rose to 0.94, indicating extremely high accuracy.
Validation and Future Research
The research, though cross-sectional and observational, shows strong promise. The microbial profile was validated in a separate group and against data from 25 studies involving various health conditions.
“The research represents significant progress for non-invasive cancer detection,” said Drs. Rachel Newsome and Christian Jobin in a linked commentary.
They do caution that further research is needed to understand if these microbial markers are specific to pancreatic cancer and to move from cross-sectional observations to prospective cohorts.
Conclusions and Implications
Although more research is needed, the study offers a promising avenue for early and accurate diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
The identified panel of bacterial species could not only serve as a diagnostic tool but may also provide insights into disease prevention and therapy in the future.
This marks a significant step forward in the realm of non-invasive cancer diagnostics and highlights the role of the microbiome in cancer surveillance.
If you care about pancreatic cancer, please read studies about herb that could help treat pancreatic cancer, and new therapy to kill pancreatic cancer from within.
For more information about pancreatic cancer, please see recent studies about a big cause of common pancreatic cancer, and results showing this plant compound may help pancreatic cancer patients.
The research findings can be found in Gut.
Follow us on Twitter for more articles about this topic.
Copyright © 2023 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
