On Dec. 12, 2024, a study co-lead by researchers from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver General Hospital announced they have successfully developed a deep learning model that classifies pancreatic ductal arenocarcinoma (PDAC), the most common form of pancreatic cancer, into molecular subtypes using histopathology images. This approach achieves high accuracy and offers a rapid, cost-effective alternative to current methods that rely on expensive molecular assays.

PDACs have recently surpassed breast cancer as the third leading cause of cancer mortality in Canada and the United States. Surgery can cure approximately one-fifth of PDAC cases if they are detected early. Although surgical intervention is provided to these patients, the five-year survival rate remains at 20%. Approximately 80% of patients have already developed metastatic disease at diagnosis, and most of these patients succumb to the disease within a year.

The study in the American Journal of Pathology, published by Elsevier, holds promise to advance personalized treatment strategies and improve patient outcomes.