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Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma (Ductal Adenocarcinoma)PANCATCH-PilotNCT07723781

Structured Case-Finding for Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma in Swiss Primary Care: A Feasibility Study

An observational study of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma (Ductal Adenocarcinoma) and Early Detection of Cancer, run by Saskia Hendrich at 1 site in Switzerland.

Not yet recruiting

Opening soon. The study is approved but enrolment has not started yet. Sites may already take enquiries.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is diagnosed at an advanced, incurable stage in more than 80% of cases in Switzerland. Certain warning signs - new-onset diabetes, unexplained weight loss, or a family history of pancreatic cancer - may indicate elevated risk, but are not systematically assessed in primary care. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 60 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
What is being tested?
Structured case-finding pathway (MRI/MRCP + PancreaSure biomarker assay)
How many people
50 participants
Where
1 siteSwitzerland
Study dates
1 Oct 2026to 30 Sep 2030
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 60 years and older
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Study population: Adults aged 60 years or older with defined metabolic or familial/genetic risk factors for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, recruited through GP practices in Canton Zurich and adjacent cantons, or via self-presentation through the study website (spot-cancer.ch).

Who may be able to join

  • Age 60 years or older
  • Attendance at a participating GP practice in Canton Zurich or adjacent canton (maximum 1 hour travel time), or self-presentation via study microsite
  • At least one trigger criterion fulfilled: metabolic trigger (new-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus diagnosed within 24 months AND unintentional weight loss >5% body weight within 3 months) OR familial/genetic trigger (≥2 first-degree relatives with PDAC, or ≥1 first-degree relative with PDAC, or BRCA1/2 germline mutation, or CDKN2A mutation); combined with age ≥60 years
  • Written informed consent
  • Sufficient German or English language skills for study communication

Who cannot join

  • Prior or current diagnosis of pancreatic carcinoma or pre-malignant pancreatic lesion
  • Contraindication to MRI (metallic implants, severe claustrophobia without available alternative)
  • Active untreated psychiatric condition impairing capacity to consent
  • Pregnancy
  • Incapacity to provide informed consent

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

Saskia AD Hendrich, MD contact

+41 43 344 33 33

saskia.hendrich@ozh.ch

Switzerland1 site

  • Onkozentrum Zürich AG

    Zurich, Canton of Zurich, 8038

    Saskia AD Hendrich, MD, +41 43 344 33 33, saskia.hendrich@ozh.ch

Other trials in Switzerland

About this study

Official title: PANCATCH-Pilot: Structured Early Detection of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma in Swiss Primary Care - A Prospective Feasibility Study of a Case-Finding Pathway in the Canton of Zurich

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is diagnosed at an advanced, incurable stage in more than 80% of cases in Switzerland. Certain warning signs - new-onset diabetes, unexplained weight loss, or a family history of pancreatic cancer - may indicate elevated risk, but are not systematically assessed in primary care.

PANCATCH-Pilot tests whether a structured case-finding pathway in Swiss general practices is feasible. Adults aged 60 years or older with one or more of these risk factors are invited to undergo an MRI/MRCP examination of the pancreas and a blood draw for a blinded biomarker test (PancreaSure, Immunovia Inc.). Findings are reviewed by a multidisciplinary tumour board. The goal is not treatment, but to assess whether such a pathway works in the Swiss primary care context - as preparation for a larger national study.

The study enrolls 50 trigger-positive participants over 24 months through two parallel recruitment pathways: GP referral and self-presentation via a study website. Feasibility is assessed using six combined endpoints covering recruitment, process quality, safety, and equity.

Being tested
Structured case-finding pathway (MRI/MRCP + PancreaSure biomarker assay)
Keywords
Pancreatic cancer, Case finding, Primary care, Feasibility study, MRI screening, PancreaSure, PDAC, Switzerland
Medical subject headings
Pancreatic Neoplasms

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Structured case-finding pathway (MRI/MRCP + PancreaSure biomarker assay)Diagnostic test

    Single-visit structured pathway comprising: (1) standardised clinical risk assessment; (2) MRI/MRCP with macrocyclic gadolinium contrast agent (Dotarem) per PRECEDE consensus protocol; (3) blood draw for blinded PancreaSure serum biomarker assay (Immunovia Inc.) and study biobank; (4) multidisciplinary tumour board review. No therapeutic intervention.

Study groups in NCT07723781
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Trigger-positive participantsAdults aged 60 years or older with at least one metabolic trigger (new-onset type 2 diabetes ≤24 months combined with unintentional weight loss >5% in 3 months) or familial/genetic trigger (family history of PDAC or BRCA1/2/CDKN2A germline mutation), recruited through GP referral or self-presentation via study website.
Receives: Diagnostic Test: Structured case-finding pathway (MRI/MRCP + PancreaSure biomarker assay)

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Composite Feasibility Score

    Feasibility assessed by dual-criterion approach (Roychoudhury et al. 2018) across 6 combined endpoints: (1) GP recruitment rate ≥60%; (2) trigger documentation rate ≥70%; (3) T0-T4 time window median ≤21 days; (4) data completeness ≥85%; (5) harm indicator (invasive follow-up procedures) ≤25%; (6) equity index (Spread Quotient ≤4 and Representation Index 0.7-1.3). Study success criterion: ≥5 of 6 endpoints meet both target value and acceptance threshold.

    Measured: 24 months

Secondary outcomes (4)

  1. PancreaSure Biomarker Performance

    Blinded exploratory characterisation of PancreaSure serum biomarker assay performance in a Swiss primary care population. Hypothesis-generating only; no inferential statistics planned.

    Measured: Through study completion, an average of 3 years

  2. Multidisciplinary Tumour Board Process Characterisation

    Descriptive characterisation of the MDT tumour board process including case volume, time from MRI to board discussion, and board composition.

    Measured: 24 months

  3. GP Experience with Study Pathway

    Semi-structured questionnaire assessing GP experience with the case-finding pathway, including perceived burden, clarity of trigger criteria, and willingness to participate in a national main trial.

    Measured: 24 months

  4. Participant Experience with Study Pathway

    Structured assessment of participant-reported experience with the study pathway including perceived burden, satisfaction with communication, and willingness to recommend participation.

    Measured: 12 months

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted23 Jul 2026
  2. Study start1 Oct 2026 (estimated)
  3. Primary completion31 Mar 2030 (estimated)
  4. Study completion30 Sep 2030 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Observational
Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrolment
50 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07723781
Sponsor's protocol ID
PANCATCH-Pilot-2026
Acronym
PANCATCH-Pilot
Status last verified
Jul 2026
First submitted
14 Jul 2026
Last updated
23 Jul 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No: Individual participant data will not be shared due to Swiss data protection regulations (revDSG) and the pseudonymisation framework of the study. Aggregated results will be published open access.

Publications

  • Roychoudhury S, et al. Bayesian approaches to phase II trials. Stat Med. 2018 (dual-criterion feasibility framework)

  • Aslanian HR, Lee JH, Canto MI. AGA Clinical Practice Update on Pancreas Cancer Screening in High-Risk Individuals: Expert Review. Gastroenterology. 2020 Jul;159(1):358-362. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2020.03.088. Epub 2020 May 19.

    PubMed 32416142

  • Clift AK, Tan PS, Patone M, Liao W, Coupland C, Bashford-Rogers R, Sivakumar S, Hippisley-Cox J. Predicting the risk of pancreatic cancer in adults with new-onset diabetes: development and internal-external validation of a clinical risk prediction model. Br J Cancer. 2024 Jun;130(12):1969-1978. doi: 10.1038/s41416-024-02693-9. Epub 2024 May 3.

    PubMed 38702436

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma (Ductal Adenocarcinoma) and Early Detection of Cancer, run by Saskia Hendrich at 1 site in Switzerland.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 23 Jul 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Switzerland. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Contact Saskia AD Hendrich, MD (+41 43 344 33 33, saskia.hendrich@ozh.ch), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Composite Feasibility Score (time frame: 24 months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07723781, which also lists 3 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 23 Jul 2026; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 7 Nov 2026.

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