The Need for a Shift Toward Early Detection in Pancreatic Cancer

Standardized early detection protocols for pancreatic cancer must be prioritized to mirror the long-term survival improvements achieved in other major malignancies, according to Diane Simeone, MD. Earlier in 2026, the American Cancer Society published results that revealed that the 5-year survival rate across all combined cancer types was 70%; however, pancreatic cancer was significantly lower, at 13%.¹

CancerNetwork® spoke with Simeone, director of the Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health, about what needs to be done to address this problem. While precision oncology has advanced the treatment landscape for patients with lung cancer and melanoma, Simeone noted that the most significant survival increases for colorectal, breast, and prostate cancers were driven by early detection and population-based screening.

The transition to effective screening for pancreatic cancer faces unique anatomical and logistical hurdles. Unlike colorectal cancer, where endoscopic visualization is standard, the pancreas is not easily accessible for direct scoping. Furthermore, current imaging modalities require further optimization for early-stage identification, and a validated early detection blood test remains unavailable to clinicians.

Simeone also characterized the historical approach to this disease as "fragmented," with 3000 to 4000 annual publications often originating from small groups working in isolation. To overcome these barriers, Simeone advocated for a "Manhattan Project" approach, drawing parallels to the intensive, large-scale investments that facilitated breakthroughs in HIV/AIDS treatment and the rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines.

Transcript:

CancerNetwork: Breast and colorectal cancers were once highly lethal until screening helped counter that. What parallels do you see between those disease states and where pancreatic cancer detection science is today?

We have had some advancements in new precision oncology therapies that have improved survival in advanced cases in some cancers, and perhaps lung cancer and melanoma might be 2 good examples. But a lot of improvement in the survival for colon cancer, breast cancer, and prostate cancer [related to] early detection. There’s already the groundwork in place that shows this makes sense. The problem with pancreatic is that it’s been felt to be an uncommon disease, and it is a little more challenging to have algorithms for early detection with the pancreas because it’s not the easiest thing to just put a scope in and see it. Imaging still needs to be optimized. We don’t have an early detection blood test.

A big problem has been a very fragmented approach to this problem, where you might have 3000 to 4000 papers that come out in a year on early detection of pancreatic cancer [but they’re] all small groups working in silos, not developing a large enough set of data and patients to really tackle it the way it needs to be tackled. If you just think back in scientific history, how did we make huge advances in AIDS? [Through] very large investment in the problem, and a bit more of the “Manhattan Project” approach. [It was] the same thing with developing effective [COVID-19] vaccines. We have been a proponent of taking a step back and rethinking the strategy to drive early detection of pancreatic cancer. Truth be told, if you look at the investment in early detection and the prevention of cancer in the US, it’s really only about 6% to 8% of all money spent on cancer. I feel like there’s malalignment of what patients want, what doctors want, and where our investments are. We need to have a little bit of a correction of the course on this matter.

References

Siegel RL, Kratzer TB, Wagle NS, Sung H, Jemal A. Cancer statistics, 2026. CA Cancer J Clin. 2026;76(1):e70043. doi:10.3322/caac.70043