Scientists develop blood test which tells pancreatic cancer patients how long they have left to live
A simple blood test could predict the survival chances of patients with pancreatic cancer and help doctors choose the best treatment, The Telegraph reports.
Scientists at the Sorbonne University in Paris, discovered that the prognosis for patients is far worse if tumour DNA is found in their blood.
In tests of 135 pancreatic cancer patients, those without tumour DNA lived between 19 and 32 months, compared to just six months for those with the DNA.
Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest diseases because it is often diagnosed too late for treatment to be effective.
Each year around 9,600 people in Britain are diagnosed with the disease and more than 8,000 will die. Fewer than one per cent of people diagnosed live for ten years or more.
In recent years the disease has claimed the lives of actors Alan Rickman and Patrick Swayze, and Apple founder Steve Jobs.
The new test would enable doctors to know whether to attempt treatment or allow patients to live out their last few months without the side-effects of drugs or radiation treatment.
Dr Jean-Baptiste Bachet, from Sorbonne University in Paris, said: "Our study confirms the strong prognostic value of the presence of tumour DNA and of its level, when detected, in advanced pancreatic cancer.
"Our results demonstrate the utility of circulating biomarkers in sub-classifying cancers and managing treatment.
"We need to confirm these results in prospective clinical trials to better assess the predictive value of this biomarker in light of the dynamic biological changes that occur during treatment."
A recent survey by Pancreatic Cancer Action found that one in three people are confused about the symptoms of pancreatic cancer. Symptoms can include jaundice, upper abdominal pain, back pain, fatigue, indigestion, low mood or depression, new onset diabetes, unexplained weight loss and pain on eating.
The findings are published in the journal Clinical Cancer Research.