The Role of MicroRNA in the Diagnosis, Prognosis and Response to Treatment in Pancreatic Cancer

April 6, 2026 updated by: Richard Frank, Nuvance Health
Aberrant miRNA production has been linked to a wide range of human cancers and shown to play important roles in their genesis and growth. These miRNA can be detected in the blood and tumors of patients with cancer. The investigators hypothesize that the detection of certain miRNAs present in the blood/serum of patients with pancreatic cancer may be important to the early diagnosis of the disease. Furthermore, the investigators hypothesize that miRNA detection in PC patients will yield prognostic information and help predict the response to treatment.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Specific aims of the study include:

  1. To obtain serum samples from patients with newly diagnosed pancreatic cancer at baseline before treatment and monthly throughout treatment.
  2. To analyze the miRNA profiles present at each time point.
  3. To determine miRNAs that may distinguish pancreatic patients from unaffected individuals. This could be developed into a diagnostic test.
  4. To determine miRNAs whose levels correlate with treatment response, both in patients with and without elevations in the serum tumor marker CA 19-9.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

200

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

  • United States
    • Connecticut
      • Norwalk, Connecticut, United States, 06856
        • Recruiting
        • Nuvance Health
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Richard Frank, MD
        • 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

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sampling Method

Probability Sample

Study Population

Individuals with new diagnoses of unresectable pancreatic cancer, or recurrent pancreatic cancer following a Whipple procedure

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Have biopsy proven adenocarcinoma of the pancreas

  • Have initially inoperable disease, classified as either locally advanced or metastatic disease

    • Recurrent disease after a Whipple procedure is allowed
    • Patients who are able to undergo resection after neoadjuvant therapy will continue to be followed after resection
  • Have radiographically measurable disease
  • Have an ECOG performance status of 2 or less
  • Be willing to contribute the required information and specimens
  • Provide written signed consent to participate

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Having received prior anti-cancer treatments for metastatic pancreatic cancer
  • Concurrently receiving systemic therapy for another cancer except androgen deprivation therapy for stable/controlled prostate cancer
  • Presence of other active cancer except for: adequately treated local basal or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, cervical carcinoma in situ, superficial bladder cancer, asymptomatic prostate cancer without known metastatic disease and with no requirement for therapy or requiring only hormonal therapy and with normal prostate-specific antigen for >1 year prior to start of trial. Other adequately treated Stage 1 or 2 cancer currently in complete remission, or any other cancer that has been in complete remission for > 5 years is allowable

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
New Unresectable Pancreatic Cancer
Individuals with biopsy-proven adenocarcinoma of the pancreas, classified as locally advanced or metastatic disease
Procedure: Blood draw
Individuals in the unresectable pancreatic cancer group will receive monthly blood draws. Individuals in the control group will receive one blood draw
Control
Healthy individuals without cancer diagnoses to provide reference microRNA
Procedure: Blood draw
Individuals in the unresectable pancreatic cancer group will receive monthly blood draws. Individuals in the control group will receive one blood draw

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Analysis of miRNA profile
Time Frame: Through study completion, up to 5 years
Analyze the miRNA profiles present at each time point.
Through study completion, up to 5 years

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
PCR miRNA validation
Time Frame: Through study completion, up to 5 years
Determine miRNAs that may distinguish pancreatic patients from unaffected individuals. This could be developed into a diagnostic test.
Through study completion, up to 5 years
miRNA PCR expression
Time Frame: Through study completion, up to 5 years
Determine miRNAs whose levels correlate with treatment response, both in patients with and without elevations in the serum tumor marker CA 19-9.
Through study completion, up to 5 years

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Nuvance Health

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Richard Frank, MD, Nuvance Health

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)

April 1, 2015

Primary Completion (Estimated)

April 1, 2030

Study Completion (Estimated)

April 1, 2030

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

May 22, 2020

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 22, 2020

First Posted (Actual)

May 28, 2020

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

April 13, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 6, 2026

Last Verified

April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 15-10

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

De-identified participant data for all primary and secondary outcome measures will be made available

IPD Sharing Time Frame

Data will be available within 6 months of study completion

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

Data access requests will be reviewed on an individual basis post submission. Requestors may be required to sign a data access agreement

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • ICF
  • CSR

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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