Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest forms of cancer, with a five-year survival rate of just 13%.
One of the biggest challenges with this disease is that over 80% of cases are diagnosed at a late stage, when treatment options are limited and less effective.
Now, a team of researchers led by Dr. Jianjun Zhang at the IU Indianapolis Fairbanks School of Public Health has made discoveries that could lead to earlier detection—and give patients a better chance of survival.
Dr. Zhang, a professor of epidemiology and surgery, worked with researchers at Indiana University and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to find biological signs—called biomarkers—that appear very early in the development of pancreatic cancer.
Their work focuses on identifying the disease during its earliest stages, when it may still be curable.
One key part of their research involved studying cysts in the pancreas, known as intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs). These cysts are one of the few warning signs doctors have for pancreatic cancer.
The team found a group of proteins in fluid from these cysts that can help tell which ones are more likely to turn into cancer. This information could help doctors decide which patients need close monitoring or surgery.
The team also discovered changes in how the body processes certain molecules before cancer fully develops. They found that a special type of fat-and-sugar molecule, called sulfatides, becomes more active early in the disease.
They also noticed that higher levels of small molecules known as polyamines in cyst fluid are linked to a higher risk of cancer. These discoveries give doctors new signals to look for when screening patients who might be at risk.
Another breakthrough involved improving the accuracy of an existing pancreatic cancer blood test called CA19-9. Traditionally, this test is used to detect cancer based on one-time measurements of the CA19-9 level.
However, Dr. Zhang’s team found that taking several measurements over time gives a much clearer picture and helps identify cancer earlier—before it causes symptoms.
These new findings could help doctors better sort patients by risk level and develop new, less invasive tests for pancreatic cancer. For example, instead of waiting for a patient to show symptoms, a doctor could monitor specific biomarkers and detect cancer in time to start treatment early.
Dr. Zhang emphasized the importance of catching the disease early. “For a disease as aggressive as pancreatic cancer, early detection is key to saving lives,” he said. “These discoveries bring us closer to finding cancer when patients still have a real chance at a cure.”
The team’s work was published in 2025 in four papers across three respected medical journals: Clinical Cancer Research, Gut, and Cancer Letters. Alongside Dr. Zhang, the research team included C. Max Schmidt from the IU School of Medicine and Johannes Fahrmann and Samir Hanash from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
These findings mark an important step forward in the fight against pancreatic cancer. With continued research, they may lead to the development of new screening tools that could help detect this silent killer while it’s still treatable.
If you care about cancer, please read studies that artificial sweeteners are linked to higher cancer risk, and how drinking milk affects risks of heart disease and cancer.
For more health information, please see recent studies about the best time to take vitamins to prevent heart disease, and results showing vitamin D supplements strongly reduces cancer death.
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