Clearnote’s blood test uses AI to spot pancreatic cancer in high-risk groups
Diagnostic tool targets individuals with genetic risks or new diabetes
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A new blood test powered by artificial intelligence (AI) could offer a life-saving head start for patients at high risk of pancreatic cancer.
Clearnote Health has officially launched its enhanced Avantect Pancreatic Cancer Test, a diagnostic tool designed to catch one of the world’s deadliest cancers before it becomes untreatable.
The process requires a simple blood draw, with the sample then dispatched to a specialized laboratory, either at Clearnote’s U.S. facility or one of its partner labs across more than 70 countries. Once there, the blood is scanned for specific cancer-related molecules, which are then processed through AI-backed computer models to calculate a patient’s specific risk level.
Clearnote emphasizes that the test is a precision tool rather than a general screening. It is specifically intended for individuals with genetic predispositions or a family history of the disease, or adults 50 years and older who have been newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, which is a known “red flag” for pancreatic health.
The test has not yet been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the company advises patients to work closely with their physicians to interpret the findings.
How the technology works
“People at high risk of developing pancreatic cancer deserve better than the delayed or missed diagnoses that are all too common in healthcare today,” Dave Mullarkey, CEO of Clearnote, said in a company press release. “These latest enhancements to the Avantect Pancreatic Cancer Test are a direct result of our ongoing commitment to advancing earlier and more reliable cancer detection for the people who need it most.”
Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest types of cancer, in large part because the disease often goes undetected until it’s at an advanced stage — at which point it’s much more difficult to treat. Tests such as the Avantect aim to help patients get diagnosed earlier, when treatment is more likely to be successful.
The data behind the test is promising. According to Clearnote, in high-risk patients, the Avantect test shows an overall cancer detection sensitivity of 82.6% and specificity of 97.5% — meaning the test accurately identifies 82.6% of those with pancreatic cancer and 97.5% of those without. In other words, the test detects more than four out of every five pancreatic cancer cases, with a false-positive rate of less than 3%.
“For too long, detecting more pancreatic cancer has meant creating more false positives,” Mullarkey said. “Our updated test is built to deliver both high detection rates and high specificity — supporting clinicians with clearer answers and greater confidence when evaluating high-risk patients.”
Clearnote said the new test is being used in SAFE-D (Surveillance of pAncreatic health aFter diabEtes Diagnosis), a large U.K. study that aims to improve early detection of pancreatic cancer in people with diabetes. The test is also being incorporated into the international Pancreatic Cancer Early Detection (PRECEDE) Consortium, a global effort focused on improving early diagnosis for people at high risk of pancreatic cancer.
