Advances in pancreatic cancer biomarkers

TLDR

Biomarkers are essential for managing invasive cancers, yet pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma suffers from poor prognosis due to late presentation and limited therapies, and no validated screening or predictive markers exist; CA 19‑9 is the only approved marker but has low sensitivity and specificity, although emerging data over the past two decades suggest potential new biomarkers. This article reviews current and future biomarkers that could serve as critical tools for early diagnosis, prediction, and prognosis in pancreatic cancer. The authors perform a narrative review of the literature on pancreatic cancer biomarkers.

Abstract

Biomarkers play an essential role in the management of patients with invasive cancers. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDC) associated with poor prognosis due to advanced presentation and limited therapeutic options. This is further complicated by absence of validated screening and predictive biomarkers for early diagnosis and precision treatments respectively. There is emerging data on biomarkers in pancreatic cancer in past two decades. So far, the CA 19-9 remains the only approved biomarker for diagnosis and response assessment but limited by low sensitivity and specificity. In this article, we aim to review current and future biomarkers that has potential serve as critical tools for early diagnostic, predictive and prognostic indications in pancreatic cancer.