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Mucinous cystic neoplasms of the pancreas: pathology and molecular genetics
Author(s) -
Fukushima Noriyoshi,
Fukayama Masashi
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of hepato‐biliary‐pancreatic surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.63
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1868-6982
pISSN - 0944-1166
DOI - 10.1007/s00534-006-1168-3
Subject(s) - pathology , microdissection , pancreas , laser capture microdissection , intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm , biology , adenocarcinoma , mucinous carcinoma , ductal carcinoma , stroma , neoplasm , cyst , cancer research , medicine , cancer , gene , immunohistochemistry , gene expression , genetics , breast cancer , biochemistry
Mucinous cystic neoplasm (MCN) of the pancreas is a distinct clinicopathological entity characterized by mucin‐producing epithelial and cyst‐forming neoplasm with “ovarian‐type” stroma beneath the epithelial component. It is clearly distinguished from ductal adenocarcinoma and intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN). However, MCN can progress to infiltrating carcinoma, and frequently shows a similar histological pattern to ductal adenocarcinoma. Several genetic alterations such as K‐ras oncogene mutation, and epigenetic alterations such as hypermethylation of p16 in the invasive component of MCN are also common with ductal adenocarcinoma. Furthermore, recent technologies, including a laser‐assisted microdissection system for histological slides and global gene expression profilings using DNA microarrays, made possible to identify more information about molecular abnormalities of MCNs. It is important to diagnose the lesions before they progress to an invasive carcinoma. MCN is one of the precursors of invasive pancreatic carcinoma.