Systemwide research initiative uses blood‑based genomics to improve early detection and personalize cancer treatment

PITTSBURGH, June 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Allegheny Health Network (AHN) Cancer Institute today announced that its Biomarker Moonshot Cancer Research Program has surpassed 11,000 enrolled patients, marking five years of progress toward transforming cancer detection, monitoring, and personalized treatment across its integrated health system.

Launched in late 2020, Moonshot is a systemwide biomarker research initiative that enrolls patients across all cancer disease sites, creating one of the most comprehensive real‑world cancer data and biospecimen repositories in a community-based health care network. By combining genomic, clinical, and longitudinal blood and tissue data, the initiative is accelerating discoveries that directly inform patient care.

"Reaching our five-year milestone and enrolling more than 11,000 patients reflects the extraordinary dedication of our teams and the generosity of the patients who have chosen to participate," said David Bartlett, MD, chair of the AHN Cancer Institute and president of the AHN Research Institute. "By studying all cancer types and following patients from diagnosis through treatment, we are building a powerful, real-world dataset that drives meaningful advances in care. Moonshot is helping us move beyond a one-size-fits-all approach and bring more precise, personalized treatment to every patient we serve."

Moonshot is currently enrolling approximately 250 patients per month across more than 30 AHN clinical sites, spanning the full cancer continuum from early-stage disease to advanced malignancies. The most frequently represented disease sites include breast, lung, uterine, colorectal, ovarian, skin, blood, prostate, pancreatic, and kidney cancers, reflecting the program's broad and inclusive scope.

At the core of Moonshot is the use of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) – tiny fragments of cancer DNA found in the bloodstream – to better understand disease behavior over time. Patients who consent to the study contribute routine blood and residual surgical tissue samples, which undergo advanced genomic analysis. These results are integrated with data from the electronic medical record to create a detailed, longitudinal picture of each patient's cancer journey.

This approach could enable clinicians to:

• Detect molecular residual disease after surgery
• Assess treatment response earlier than conventional imaging
• Monitor disease progression or recurrence over time
• Inform of more precise, individualized treatment decisions

Since its launch, Moonshot has supported dozens of research projects, including peer‑reviewed publications, national conference presentations, academic grants, and industry collaborations focused on early detection, treatment response, and disease monitoring.

The initiative has also laid the groundwork for AHN's long‑term goal of developing a personalized blood test applicable across cancer types.

Building on its momentum, Moonshot is preparing to expand into studies of high‑risk populations, with the aim of advancing earlier cancer detection and prevention. As enrollment continues to grow, AHN leaders say the initiative will remain central to the network's mission to deliver innovative, high‑quality cancer care rooted in real‑world evidence.

"Every data point represents a person and a story," said Dr. Bartlett. "Moonshot ensures those stories could help shape better outcomes not only for today's patients, but for generations to come."

About the Allegheny Health Network – and the AHN Cancer Institute 

Allegheny Health Network is a western Pennsylvania-based integrated healthcare system that serves patients from across a five-state region that includes western Pennsylvania and the adjacent regions of Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, and New York. The Network's Cancer Institute employs more than 200 physicians and 500 oncology professionals who provide a complete spectrum of oncology care at 24 affiliated oncology clinics, including access to state-of-the-art technologies and new therapies being explored in hundreds of clinical cancer trials. The Cancer Institute has the only cancer program in the Pittsburgh region accredited as an Integrated Network Cancer Program by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer, and its radiation oncology program is the largest in the country accredited by the American Society for Radiation Oncology. AHN Cancer Institute is a Quality Oncology Practice Initiative certified practice, and is accredited by the Foundation for Accreditation of Cellular Therapy, National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers and the National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer.

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SOURCE Allegheny Health Network