The role of novel biomarkers in the early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Background Early detection of pancreatic cancer is essential for improving survival rates. However, noninvasive diagnostic methods are lacking. Novel biomarkers, detectable through liquid biopsy, such as circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), microRNAs (miRNAs), protein markers, and metabolites, hold promise for early diagnosis. Methods A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library was conducted for studies published from January 2014 to May 2024. Studies were included if they evaluated novel biomarkers for early pancreatic cancer detection, reported diagnostic performance metrics (sensitivity, specificity), and had a QUADAS-2 score of ≥3. Data on study characteristics, patient demographics, biomarker types, and diagnostic performance were extracted following PRISMA guidelines. A bivariate random-effects model was used to calculate pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR). The area under the summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curve assessed overall diagnostic accuracy. The primary outcome was the diagnostic accuracy (sensitivity and specificity) of novel biomarkers in detecting early-stage pancreatic cancer. Results A total of 43 studies involving 19,326 participants were included, with 2,749 patients having stage I or II pancreatic cancer. The pooled sensitivities and specificities were as follows:. miRNA Biomarkers: Sensitivity 0.88 (95% CI 0.79-0.93), Specificity 0.91 (95% CI 0.82-0.95), DOR 72.68 (95% CI 26.64-198.24), AUC 0.95. Protein Biomarkers: Sensitivity 0.79 (95% CI 0.70-0.86), Specificity 0.88 (95% CI 0.82-0.93), DOR 27.74 (95% CI 14.32-53.76), AUC 0.90. Metabolite Biomarkers: Sensitivity 0.84 (95% CI 0.73-0.92), Specificity 0.85 (95% CI 0.81-0.88), DOR 31.76 (95% CI 12.38-81.48), AUC 0.90. ctDNA Biomarkers: Sensitivity 0.65 (95% CI 0.48-0.81), Specificity 0.94 (95% CI 0.88-0.97), DOR 27.73 (95% CI 12.91-59.55), AUC 0.92. Subgroup analyses showed combining biomarkers with CA19–9 improved diagnostic accuracy. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of the findings. Conclusions Novel biomarkers, particularly miRNAs and protein markers, demonstrate high diagnostic accuracy for early pancreatic cancer detection and have potential for clinical application in improving early diagnosis and patient outcomes. Systematic review registration https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, Identifier: PROSPERO (CRD42024553633).