Molecular oncology in pancreatic cancer

Cancer of the pancreas still has a very poor prognosis despite improved diagnostic methods and therapeutic regimens. The reasons for the aggressiveness of this cancer are not known, and the molecular mechanisms that govern the growth of pancreatic cancer cells are still not clearly defined. During the past two decades the development of new molecular biological techniques has offered new perspectives for a better understanding of pancreatic cancer. Tumor markers such as CA19-9 and CEA are used for diagnosis and for following the postoperative course of cancer patients. Characterization of pancreatic cancer cells using several molecular biological techniques has revealed overexpression or altered expression of growth factors and adhesion molecules, implying altered cell-cell and growth-regulatory interactions. In pancreatic cancer mutations in oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes are frequently detected in p53 and K-ras. This article reviews the possible molecular approaches for diagnosis, prognosis, or even therapy of pancreatic cancer.