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News|Articles|March 10, 2026 (Updated: March 10, 2026)

UHPSFC/MS Lipidomic Profiling for Early Detection of Pancreatic Cancer

Author(s)John Chasse

Ultrahigh-performance supercritical fluid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UHPSFC/MS) was used to perform lipidomic profiling of plasma and serum samples to develop a noninvasive, blood-based diagnostic tool for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The findings suggest that UHPSFC/MS lipidomic profiling holds significant promise as a highly sensitive and specific screening method for early-stage pancreatic cancer, potentially outperforming current diagnostic standards.

The poor prognosis of pancreatic cancer, one of the most aggressive malignancies (with a 5-year relative survival rate of only 13%) is largely due to the lack of reliable tools for early detection. As diagnostic standards currently depend on imaging methods that are invasive, costly, and often inadequate to detect early-stage disease, a noninvasive blood-based test with high sensitivity and specificity could substantially improve patient outcomes. Responding to this need, researchers conducted a pilot study evaluating lipidomic profiling of prospectively collected plasma and serum samples from patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC, n = 177), healthy controls (n = 218), and high-risk individuals for pancreatic cancer (n = 93). Lipid concentrations in plasma and serum samples were determined by ultrahigh-performance supercritical fluid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UHPSFC/MS), and multivariate statistical modeling was used to analyze lipid profiles and differentiate between groups. A paper based on this study was published in Communications Medicine.1

The incidence and mortality caused by pancreatic cancer have been gradually rising gradually, to the point where it has been predicted that itbecome the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths by 2030 and double the number of new cases in the United States.2 The combination of chemotherapy and surgical techniques has traditionally been the principal treatment options for PDAC; however, fewer than 20% of patients are diagnosed at a stage where surgery is a viable option due to PDAC being mostly asymptomatic or presents with vague symptoms, which leads to detection at a later stage.3,4 While imaging modalities (for example, endoscopic ultrasonography [EUS], magnetic resonance imaging [MRI], and computed tomography [CT]) are the typical diagnostic approaches for the early diagnosis of PDAC, these techniques are time-consuming, technically challenging, and frequently uncomfortable or invasive for patients, as they can possibly expose individuals to radiation or contrast agents and can be contraindicated in subjects with certain medical devices, claustrophobia, or allergies,5,6

The lipidomic test developed by the researchers differentiates PDAC patients from healthy controls with an accuracy rate of over 95%. The sensitivity is reported to be approximately 30% higher than that of the carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9), a biomarker routinely used in PDAC diagnostics. When used with high-risk individuals, the method attains a specificity of over 96%, comparable to established imaging-based approaches.1

“This pilot study,” write the authors of the study,1 “demonstrates the promising potential of lipidomic profiling as a noninvasive, blood-based screening tool for pancreatic cancer. The method outperforms current biomarkers, maintains high diagnostic accuracy in early-stage disease, and performs reliably in high-risk populations. These findings support the initiation of a clinical trial aimed at validating the lipidomic test for the early detection of PDAC.”

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References

  1. Peterka, O.; Jirásko, R.; Dolečková, Z. et al. Pilot Study of Screening Method for Pancreatic Cancer Using Lipidomic Profiling of Plasma or Serum. Commun Med (Lond). 2026, 6 (1), 127. DOI: 10.1038/s43856-026-01445-5
  2. Rahib, L.; Smith, B. D.; Aizenberg, R. et al. Projecting Cancer Incidence and Deaths to 2030: The Unexpected Burden of Thyroid, Liver, and Pancreas Cancers in the United States. Cancer Res. 2014, 74 (11), 2913-2921. DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-14-0155
  3. Ilic, M.; Ilic, I. Epidemiology of Pancreatic Cancer. World J Gastroenterol. 2016, 22 (44), 9694-9705. DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v22.i44.9694
  4. Vincent, A.; Herman, J.; Schulick, R. et al. Pancreatic Cancer. Lancet 2011, 378 (9791), 607-620. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(10)62307-0
  5. Yang, J.; Xu, R.; Wang, C. et al. Early Screening and Diagnosis Strategies of Pancreatic Cancer: A Comprehensive Review. Cancer Commun (Lond). 2021 Dec;41(12):1257-1274. DOI: 10.1002/cac2.12204
  6. Singhi, A. D.; Koay, E. J.; Chari, S. T. et al. Early Detection of Pancreatic Cancer: Opportunities and Challenges. Gastroenterology 2019, 156 (7), 2024-2040. DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2019.01.259

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