Epidemiology, risk factors, and the promotion of pancreatic cancer: role of the stellate cell.
There are approximately 277,000 new cases of pancreatic cancer and 266,000 deaths from pancreatic cancer annually, indicating a mortality rate of 96% of the cases diagnosed. Because of the ineffectiveness of therapies, a major emphasis needs to be placed on prevention. This paper reviews the epidemiology and risk factors for pancreatic cancer, and uses this information to propose plausible research directions for determining the biological mechanisms mediating the effects of risk factors on the promotion of pancreatic cancer, with a focus on the pancreatic stellate cell.
Southern California Research Center for Alcoholic Liver and Pancreatic Diseases, University of California and Department of Veterans Affairs, Los Angeles, California, USA. Stephen.pandol@va.gov
Stephen
S
Pandol
Anna
A
Gukovskaya
Mouad
M
Edderkaoui
Mouad
M
Edderkoui
David
D
Dawson
Guido
G
Eibl
Aurelia
A
Lugea
D000818:Animals; D004777:Environment; D006801:Humans; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D058954:Pancreatic Stellate Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D015398:Signal Transduction