Potential biomarker for pancreatic cancer identified

A natural protein has been identified as offering potential usefulness in the effective diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.

Research from the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia has shown that the protein survivin expresses itself in different amounts among post-surgical cancer patients undergoing different therapy regimens.

It was found that patients with higher levels of the protein were able to experience improved progression-free survival rates, suggesting that these people are likely to benefit more from certain chemotherapy types.

This discovery means that survivin could act as an important biomarker for pancreatic cancer, though further studies are still needed.

Dr Saad Khan, a medical oncology fellow at Fox Chase, said: "There's a lot of work being done in biomarkers … We are hoping to find ways to improve on existing chemotherapies, which are ineffective for controlling disease for a significant period of time."

Within the NHS, pancreatic cancer is the fifth most common cause of cancer death, with 7,800 new diagnoses recorded on average each year in the UK.