New imaging scans and blood tests to detect early pancreatic cancer

Researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center are testing whether two advanced imaging scans — called an ImmunoPET scan and a hyperpolarized pyruvate MRI scan — combined with blood tests can detect pancreatic cancer early in people with high-risk pancreatic cysts. The goal is to find cancer before it becomes advanced, so doctors can treat it more effectively and potentially avoid more invasive procedures.

Pancreatic cancer is hard to catch early, and many patients don't know they have it until it's advanced. This trial exists because researchers believe that combining these new imaging techniques with blood tests might provide a better, earlier warning system for people with cysts that are at higher risk of becoming cancer.