Scientists may be able to detect pancreatic cancer by looking at microorganisms in stool samples, according to new research.

The study, part-funded by Worldwide Cancer Research, has raised hopes of the first screening test for pancreatic cancer.

Researchers found that 27 microbial species in stool samples could pinpoint people at high risk of the most common form of pancreatic cancer.

The 27 microbes, which were mostly bacteria, could distinguish well between people without cancer and those with the disease, both in advanced and early stages.

Clydebank Post: Generic photo of a researcher. Photo via Canva/Pixabay.Generic photo of a researcher. Photo via Canva/Pixabay.

Microbiome - the collection of fungi, bacteria, and viruses that live inside our bodies - is known to interact with the immune system.

Pancreatic cancer is deadly and can be very difficult to treat, with only around one in four people surviving one year or more after diagnosis.

Pancreatic cancer is the fifth most prevalent cancer in the UK, one doctor said, with about 10,000 new cases recorded every year.

The study, published in the journal Gut, involved 136 people, including 57 with pancreatic cancer (25 early stage and 32 advanced), 50 without cancer acting as controls, and 29 patients with chronic pancreatitis, where the pancreas has become permanently damaged by inflammation.

Rapid pancreatic cancer test kits

Experts from the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) concluded it is “feasible” for a screening programme to be developed using stool samples that may help pick up pancreatic cancer.

A patent has been applied for, for the development of a pancreatic cancer diagnostic kit that detects the microorganisms in stool samples in a rapid way.

Dr Helen Rippon, chief executive of Worldwide Cancer Research, said: “This new breakthrough builds on the growing evidence that the microbiome – the collection of microorganisms that live side by side with the cells inside our body – is linked to the development of cancer.

“What’s amazing about this discovery is that the microbiome of stool samples from patients could be used to help diagnose pancreatic cancer early.

“Early detection and diagnosis are just as important an approach to starting new cancer cures as developing treatments.

“This research provides hope that an effective, non-invasive way to diagnose pancreatic cancer early is on the horizon.”

Dr Chris MacDonald, head of research at Pancreatic Cancer UK, said: “New, more accurate biomarkers for the detection of pancreatic cancer are urgently needed and it’s vital that we leave no stone unturned.

“We know the microbiome – the collection of fungi, bacteria, and viruses that live inside our bodies or on our skin – and its interaction with our immune system is integral to our health.

“But we’re only now scratching the surface in understanding how this symbiotic relationship works in both health and disease, which is why innovative early-stage research like this is so important.

“There’s tremendous potential in this area and, as our knowledge of the microbiome grows, we would want to see further research explore whether a new microbiome biomarker can detect pancreatic cancer in people with vague symptoms, not just in patients with known disease.

“Back pain, indigestion, weight loss, changes to poo are all common symptoms in pancreatic cancer and of much less serious health conditions, and this is a key factor in why 80% of people with pancreatic cancer are currently diagnosed at an advanced stage.

“We desperately need an early detection tool capable of helping GPs diagnose thousands more people at early symptomatic stage in time for lifesaving treatment.”

The study was accurate at detecting the most common form of pancreatic cancer – pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Fewer than one in 20 people with this type survive five or more years.

It also found that some microorganisms were abundant in the stool samples of the cancer patients, while others were depleted.

This “microbial profile” consistently identified patients with the disease, irrespective of how far it had progressed.

This finding was replicated in a separate group of 76 German people, 44 of whom had pancreatic ductal cancer and 32 of whom did not, and using other data.