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Updated: Jul 9, 2025
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Oncogene Expression Analysis with Alterations in pH in a Pancreatic Ductal Cell Line
Published on: April 11, 2025
359
Pancreatic Cancer: An Exocrine Tumor With Endocrine Characteristics
Xinzhe Zhu1,2,3,4, Zhiwen Xiao1,2,3,4, He Liu1,2,3,4
1Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, China.
Annals of Surgery
|December 5, 2023
Summary
Patients with pancreatic cancer and normal carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) levels represent an indolent subgroup. Glucose control may improve survival in these patients.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Biochemistry
- Metabolic Syndrome
Background:
- Pancreatic cancer is highly lethal, with few long-term survivors.
- Characteristics of long-term survivors are poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify characteristics of pancreatic cancer patients with long-term survival.
- To investigate the role of carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) in defining an indolent subgroup.
Main Methods:
- Defined an indolent subgroup using normal carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) levels (≤37 U/mL).
- Analyzed patient data (n=1558), including CA19-9 levels, glucose, and insulin.
- Utilized pancreatic cancer animal models and a clinical trial (NCT05306028) to assess glucose control interventions.
Main Results:
- Normal CA19-9 was an independent predictor of overall survival (18.1 vs 9.7 months).
- Stage IV CA19-9-normal patients had higher 5-year survival (22.4%) than CA19-9-high patients (6.8%).
- The CA19-9-normal subgroup showed lower glucose and higher insulin levels; glucose control reduced CA19-9 and improved survival in models and a clinical trial.
Conclusions:
- Pancreatic cancer with normal CA19-9 defines an indolent subgroup characterized by low glucose and high insulin.
- Glucose control presents a promising therapeutic strategy for pancreatic cancer, particularly in the CA19-9-normal subgroup.
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