Implications of growth factor alterations in the treatment of pancreatic cancer

Autor: Malfertheiner Peter, Nitsche Barbara, Juhász Márk, Ebert Matthias PA
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2003
Předmět:
Zdroj: Molecular Cancer, Vol 2, Iss 1, p 5 (2003)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1476-4598
DOI: 10.1186/1476-4598-2-5
Popis: Abstract Pancreatic cancer ranks fifth as a cause of cancer-related death in the world with an overall 5-year survival rate of less than 1% and a median survival of less than a year after tumour detection. Most of these patients have already metastases at the time of diagnosis. The oncologic strategies such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, antihormonal modalities or the systemic use of specific monoclonal antibodies have not achieved a significant improvement in the survival of pancreatic cancer patients. Recent studies suggest that alterations in molecular pathways, particularly in growth factor mediated mechanisms, that regulate cell proliferation and differentiation play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of this cancer. The molecular knowledge regarding changes in the expression of growth factors in pancreatic cancer has the potential to improve diagnostic and therapeutic treatment strategies in the near future.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals