Open AccessMolecular targets for the treatment of pancreatic cancer: Clinical and experimental studies
Author(s) -
Tasuku Matsuoka,
Masakazu Yashiro
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
world journal of gastroenterology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.427
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 2219-2840
pISSN - 1007-9327
DOI - 10.3748/wjg.v22.i2.776
Subject(s) - pancreatic cancer , medicine , cancer , disease , oncology , refractory (planetary science) , bioinformatics , intensive care medicine , biology , physics , astrobiology
Pancreatic cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Although recent therapeutic developments for patients with pancreatic cancer have provided survival benefits, the outcomes for patients with pancreatic cancer remain unsatisfactory. Molecularly targeted cancer therapy has advanced in the past decade with the use of a number of pathways as candidates of therapeutic targets. This review summarizes the molecular features of this refractory disease while focusing on the recent clinical and experimental findings on pancreatic cancer. It also discusses the data supporting current standard clinical outcomes, and offers conclusions that may improve the management of pancreatic cancer in the future.