Pancreatic Cancer: Pathogenesis and Diagnosis

Abstract

Pancreatic cancer is a fatal malignancies which is predominantly seen in men and at advanced age (40-85 years) and has an aggressive course. Its frequency is gradually increasing over the past years. It accounts for 2% of all cancers and 5% of cancer-related deaths. Pancreatic cancer takes the first place among asymptomatic cancers. Ninety percent of cases are adenocarcinomas. Ten percent of the patients have a familial disposition. The disease is very difficult to detect as it has no early signs and spreads rapidly to surrounding organs is one of the most deadly types of cancer. Pancreatic cancer may result from hereditary germline or somatic acquired mutations in cancer-related genes and mutations also cause cancer progression and metastasis.