Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest and most difficult-to-detect forms of cancer. It kills nearly half a million people annually and has a five-year survival rate of less than 15 percent. The main challenge is that there are no reliable tools to detect the disease at early stages, when the odds of survival are greatest. However, this could soon change.

A new study from researchers at the Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) proposes a test called PAC-MANN, which could help doctors detect early-stage pancreatic cancer in just 45 minutes using a blood sample. Compared to conventional diagnostic methods, PAC-MANN is more accurate, less time-consuming, and super affordable.