Molecular markers of early pancreatic cancer.
Pancreatic cancer is a deadly disease and the fourth most common cause of cancer death in the United States. Since chemotherapy and radiotherapy have thus far largely failed to significantly improve the survival of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, there is considerable interest in identifying better diagnostic markers of pancreatic neoplasia. Not only could better markers improve the early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer and allow more patients to undergo curative surgical resection, but also could potentially be used for patients at high risk of developing pancreatic cancer to identify precancerous lesions while they are amenable to cure. A wealth of information has recently become available about gene expression, DNA methylation, and proteomics alterations that occur in pancreatic cancers creating hope that better diagnostic markers of pancreatic cancer will be soon forthcoming.
The Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center, The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Department of Pathology, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21205-2196, USA. mgoggins@jhmi.edu
Michael
M
Goggins
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D021441:Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D005819:Genetic Markers; D006801:Humans; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D005819:Genetic Markers