The Role of Microbiota in Pancreatic Cancer and Precursor Lesions (MICROPAC)

November 18, 2025 updated by: Bojan Kovacevic, Herlev Hospital

This is a prospective observational study aiming to investigate the microbiome in patients suspected of having pancreatic cancer. The purpose is to enhance diagnostic accuracy by developing screening protocols for high-risk individuals, identifying specific microbial biomarkers, and improving prognostic criteria to optimize treatment response.

Participants will be asked to complete a questionnaire, provide oral and fecal swabs, and-if clinically indicated-1-2 pancreatic biopsies will be collected.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

300

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

    • Capital Region
      • Herlev, Capital Region, Denmark, 2730
        • Recruiting
        • Herlev og Gentofte Hospital
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Adult patients at Herlev Hospital or Rigshospitalet, who meets the inclusion criteria

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patients with a suspected lesion (solid/cystic) in the pancreas undergoing diagnostic or therapeutic endoscopic procedure
  • Age of 18 years or above
  • Signed informed consent form

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Contraindications for endoscopic or surgical procedure, such as uncorrected coagulopathy

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Intervention / Treatment
Patients suspected of pancreatic cancer
Aprox. 300 patients suspected of pancreatic cancer. Of those, minimum of 50 patients with histologically confirmed PDAC in each of the stages I-II, III and IV, as some of the participants will be diagnosed with a non-malignant disease and will constitute the control group.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Composition of microbiota in pancreatic cancer
Time Frame: 2037
To examine the composition of microbiota in pancreatic cancer and its precursors, to explore association between bacterial/fungal genera and final diagnosis, survival and risk of recurrence, but also to examine a possible role of microbiota in development of surgical adverse events.
2037

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Databank
Time Frame: 2037
To establish a databank containing clinical and demographic information from patients undergoing endoscopic evaluation of a pancreatic lesion
2037
Biobank
Time Frame: 2037
To establish a biobank of various biological material, herein tissue biopsies and/or cyst fluid, oral and fecal swabs at the time of inclusion and following end of therapy
2037
Intratumor and gut mikrobiota
Time Frame: 2037
To assess possible differences between intratumor and gut microbiota, and to inspect any changes in gut microbiota composition following surgery.
2037
Intratumor viral DNA
Time Frame: 2037
To investigate prevalence of intratumor viral DNA for the first time.
2037
Microbiome-tumor interaction
Time Frame: 2037
To elucidate microbiome-tumor interaction by examining intratumor gene expression and metabolism through RNA sequencing and isothermal microcalorimetry.
2037
Microbiome composition
Time Frame: 2037
To visualize microbiome composition within the tumor through fluorescence in situ hybridization confocal laser scanning microscopy and to determine geographic spread of the microbiome and its interaction with tumor cells.
2037

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Collaborators

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

November 1, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

October 1, 2030

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 1, 2037

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

November 18, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 18, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

November 26, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

November 26, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 18, 2025

Last Verified

October 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

  • H-22019595

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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