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Review
. 2014 Jun 28;20(24):7819-29.
doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i24.7819.

Pancreatic biomarkers: could they be the answer?

Angela Lamarca  1 , Jaime Feliu  1
Affiliations
Review

Pancreatic biomarkers: could they be the answer?

Angela Lamarca et al. World J Gastroenterol. .

Abstract

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is known for its poor prognosis. Most of the patients are diagnosed with advanced stages, when no curative treatment is available. Currently, despite extensive clinical research on PDA, the median overall survival remains short. Diagnosis delay and primary chemo-resistance due to its intrinsic biological nature may explain the challenges to improve our results. Our knowledge about the molecular biology of PDA has exponentially increased during the last decades and its use for the development of biomarkers could help to reach better results in the clinical setting. These biomarkers could be the clue for the improvement in PDA clinical research by earlier detection strategies with diagnostic biomarkers, and by an individualization of treatment approach with prognostic and predictive biomarkers. This review summarizes the current knowledge about the molecular biology of PDA and the status of the most important prognostic and predictive biomarkers.

Keywords: Biomarkers; Diagnosis; Pancreatic adenocarcinoma; Predictive; Prognostic; Treatment.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Multiple randomized phase III trials have been completed in the last decades; however, we have not been able to cross the barrier of 12 mo survival in advanced pancreatic cancer.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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