Majumder S, Raimondo M, Taylor WR, et al. - Given that specific methylated DNA sequences in pancreatic tissue were correlated with adenocarcinoma, researchers analyzed these methylated DNA markers (MDMs) in pancreatic juice samples from patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas or intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) with high-grade dysplasia (cases), and evaluated their ability to distinguish these patients from people without dysplasia or with IPMNs with low-grade dysplasia (controls). Pancreatic juice samples were obtained from 38 patients and 73 controls, obtained endoscopically from the duodenum after secretin administration from February 2015 through November 2016 at 3 medical centers. By quantitative allele-specific real-time target and signal amplification, samples were examined for the presence of 14 MDMs (in the genes NDRG4, BMP3, TBX15, C13orf18, PRKCB, CLEC11A, CD1D, ELMO1, IGF2BP1, RYR2, ADCY1, FER1L4, EMX1, and LRRC4). In pancreatic juice, the authors identified a group of 3 MDMs (at C13orf18, FER1L4, and BMP3) identifying patients with pancreatic cancer with an area under the receiver operating characteristic value of 0.90, including patients with early stage disease or advanced precancer. These patterns of DNA methylation may be included in pancreatic cancer early detection algorithms, particularly in high-risk cohorts. There is a need for further optimisation and clinical studies.