SHIELD · Comprehensive Surveillance of High-risk Individuals and Health Integration for Early detection of Pancreatic cancer utilising innovative multiplex immunoassays

The SHIELD project seeks to revolutionise early detection of pancreatic cancer, focusing on individuals with high heritable genetic risk. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has a 5-year survival rate of less than 10%, primarily due to late-stage diagnosis. Consequently, 85% of PDAC cases are identified too late for curative treatment. However, early detection can significantly improve outcomes, increasing the survival rate to 42% with surgical intervention. There is a pressing need for better early detection methods, especially for those with familial or genetic predispositions. The only FDA-approved biomarker, CA19-9, is limited to monitoring treatment response due to its lack of sensitivity and specificity, while imaging methods ofter fail to detect early-stage cancers and cause a strain to the healthcare system due to their cost and limited availability. SHIELD aims to validate a new blood-based diagnostic test designed for early PDAC detection in high-risk individuals and pilot an early detection programme in Greece, Slovenia and Lithuania. Developed by partner Reccan, this test uses a 5-plex multiple immunoassay to analyze protein readouts and provides a probability score for pancreatic cancer. Initial studies with over 450 samples showed excellent performance with >91% sensitivity and >96% specificity. The project will validate the test's clinical performance in a prospective multi-center study across seven EU countries, targeting individuals with familial or genetic predispositions. It will also identify new protein biomarkers for other high-risk indications, such as new-onset diabetes (NOD). Collaboration with national screening authorities will help integrate this test into existing programs, and partnerships with patient organizations will enhance recruitment. SHIELD envisions transforming pancreatic cancer diagnostics by increasing the 5-year survival rate to 30% by 2035 in Europe. This action is part of the Cancer Mission cluster of projects on “Prevention & early detection (early detection heritable cancers)