In a significant stride forward for pancreatic cancer care, researchers have developed an artificial intelligence-driven blood test that can dramatically cut down the time needed to assess whether a treatment is working. Named ARTEMIS-DELFI, this innovative approach could mark a turning point in how one of the deadliest forms of cancer is diagnosed and monitored, potentially boosting survival rates for patients worldwide.
Created by scientists at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, ARTEMIS-DELFI analyzes cell-free DNA in a patient’s blood, applying machine learning algorithms to determine the effectiveness of treatment with greater speed and accuracy. This method promises to reshape current practices in oncology by offering a faster, non-invasive alternative to traditional tumor biopsies.
At the heart of ARTEMIS-DELFI is its ability to decode patterns in DNA fragments circulating in the bloodstream. Once these patterns are identified, the AI determines whether the patient is responding positively to their prescribed therapy. This process eliminates the often lengthy and invasive procedure of obtaining tumor samples, allowing for quicker clinical decisions.
ARTEMIS-DELFI was evaluated alongside another test, WGMAF, in two major clinical trials: CheckPAC and PACTO. Both tests were performed on blood samples from individuals diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Remarkably, each was able to forecast treatment outcomes within two months—a notable improvement over current imaging techniques and molecular marker analyses. However, ARTEMIS-DELFI emerged as the more efficient and viable tool for clinical use.
While WGMAF used tumor tissue to analyze DNA and predict outcomes, its dependency on tissue samples made it less practical compared to the more adaptable AI-driven method.
“The ‘fast-fail’ ARTEMIS-DELFI approach may be particularly useful in pancreatic cancer, where changing therapies quickly could be helpful in patients who do not respond to the initial therapy. It’s simpler, likely less expensive, and more broadly applicable than using tumor samples,” explains Carolyn Hruban, lead author of the study and postdoctoral researcher at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
With clinical testing complete, the focus now shifts to whether ARTEMIS-DELFI will be widely adopted and if it can consistently guide physicians toward more effective treatments and improved outcomes for patients facing pancreatic cancer.