AI detects signs of pancreatic cancer years before the tumour appears

A model developed by the Mayo Clinic identifies early signs of pancreatic cancer on routine abdominal scans up to three years before clinical diagnosis.

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic have developed an AI model, called REDMOD, capable of detecting early signs of pancreatic cancer on standard abdominal scans up to three years before a clinical diagnosis is made. The system analyses hundreds of tissue texture and structural features to identify subtle biological changes, long before a tumour is visible to the naked eye.

Published in the journal *Gut*, the study shows that this model significantly outperforms experienced radiologists in identifying pancreatic cancer at an early stage. The findings pave the way for the AI-PACED clinical trial, which is now assessing how this type of AI-assisted detection can be integrated into the monitoring of high-risk patients.