How to Test for Pancreatic Cancer

If you are experiencing symptoms that your doctor suspects might be pancreatic cancer, you may be recommended to undergo various tests and scans. They will determine whether the cause is indeed cancer or perhaps a different underlying issue(s). Besides imaging tests, your doctor may request for certain laboratory tests to be done when diagnosing pancreatic cancer.

Learn more: How is Pancreatic Cancer Diagnosed?

A common test performed for pancreatic cancer is a liver function test. Done through a simple blood test, the liver function test checks your bilirubin levels. If there is a blockage in your bile ducts (potentially caused by a tumor), your bilirubin levels may be elevated. The normal range of bilirubin levels is between 0.3 and 1.3 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter). One sign of elevated bilirubin levels is jaundice. If you have symptoms of jaundice, your doctor may request a liver function test to help determine the cause.

Tumor marker tests may also be used when testing for pancreatic cancer. When you have pancreatic cancer, the level of certain substances produced by certain organs, tissues or tumor cells in the body may be elevated. These substances are called tumor markers. Tumor markers can be found in your blood, urine or tissue samples. Elevated levels of these tumor markers, such as CA 19-9 or carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), are something that your doctor will look out for during a tumor marker test.

However, tumor marker tests do not guarantee a pancreatic cancer diagnosis. Some pancreatic cancer patients do not have elevated tumor marker levels and others who do not have pancreatic cancer can also have elevated tumor marker levels. For example, some non-cancerous pancreatic conditions such as jaundice and pancreatitis can cause elevated levels of CA 19-9. However, together with other tests, a tumor marker test may be helpful in determining if you have pancreatic cancer.

A urine test may be conducted to check for the presence of bilirubin in your urine. As bilirubin is not normally found in urine, the presence of bilirubin in urine may indicate a potential blockage in your bile ducts or damage to the liver. While a urine test doesn’t check for pancreatic cancer per se, it can give your doctor more information about potential underlying causes for symptoms you may be experiencing.

If there is a family history of pancreatic cancer, doctors may suggest genetic testing. This is done with a blood or saliva sample to look for inherited DNA changes in genes like BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2, or CDKN2A that raise the risk of pancreatic cancer.

A positive result does not mean you will get cancer, but it shows higher risk and helps guide earlier checkups or preventive care. Genetic counseling before and after testing is important to understand the results and decide on next steps for you and your family.

Other tests not directly related to the diagnosing of pancreatic cancer include a complete blood count (CBC) or a chemistry panel. From these tests, your doctor will better understand the state of your health, such as your kidney and bone marrow function. These tests are not used to determine whether or not you have pancreatic cancer. However, they will help in assessing if you are suitable to undergo major operations. This information is necessary in determining subsequent treatment plans should you have pancreatic cancer.