Geneseeq Unveils Groundbreaking Blood Test for Early Detection of Pancreatic Cancer

Cision Canada

07-05-2025

TORONTO, May 7, 2025 /CNW/ - Geneseeq Technology Inc., in collaboration with leading clinical institutions, has developed a cutting-edge blood-based screening test that could transform early detection of pancreatic cancer-potentially saving by identifying the disease at more treatable stages. Published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (Impact Factor: 50.7), this study represents the most comprehensive assessment to date of using cell-free DNA (cfDNA) fragmentomics and artificial intelligence (AI) for early pancreatic cancer detection.
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal malignancies, largely because it is rarely caught early and diagnosed too late for curative treatment. The five-year survival rate remains around 12%, and currently tools-such as imaging and CA19-9 blood test-often miss early-stage cases. There is currently no recommended population-wide screening method for PDAC.
The new test model from Geneseeq analyzes cfDNA fragmentomics-specific patterns of DNA fragments shed into the bloodstream by cancer cells. By applying advanced machine learning algorithm to shallow whole-genome sequencing data, the test can detect subtle genomic and epigenetic changes associated with early-stage PDAC.
Key clinical results:
Achieved 93.4% sensitivity and 95.2% specificity in the training cohort
Reached 90.91-97.3% sensitivity and 92.8-94.5% specificity in multiple validation cohorts
Demonstrated strong performance even in early-state cancers
Outperformed CA19-9, especially in individuals with normal bilirubin levels
"Our cfDNA fragmentomics model offers a practical, highly accurate, and non-invasive option for detecting pancreatic cancer early," said Dr. Hua Bao, VP of R&D at Geneseeq. "It could support earlier identification of at-risk individuals, allowing timely clinical follow-up and potentially improving outcomes."
What makes this approach especially promising is its clinical feasibility. The test uses low-coverage sequencing (as little as 0.5×), making it cost-effective and suitable for broader population screening. The test also showed high stability, even with lower DNA sequencing data, and could be used to monitor high-risk patients or suspicious pancreatic lesions. The researchers also estimated that applying this test at the population level could reduce pancreatic cancer mortality by up to 27%, by catching more cancers at a treatable stage.
Further research is underway to refine the model's application in screening programs and to validate its effectiveness in more diverse populations. Clinicians may soon have a powerful new tool to help combat one of the hardest-to-detect cancers.
About Geneseeq:
Geneseeq Technology Inc. (Geneseeq) is a research-driven leader in precision oncology, utilizing cutting-edge next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies to advance cancer care. The company provides comprehensive genomic profiling solutions for all tumor types, including pan-cancer and cancer-specific panels, alongside cutting-edge tools for minimal residual disease (MRD) monitoring and multi-cancer early detection (MCED). Geneseeq has reached key regulatory milestones to date, including CE-IVD certification for its solid tumor and hematologic cancer panels, and FDA Breakthrough Device Designation for its MCED test, CanScan®. The company has also received approval from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for GeneseeqPrime™, designed for tumor mutational burden (TMB) detection in lung cancer.