[Genetic anomalies of pancreatic carcinoma and clinical applications]

Pancreatic cancer is a dismal disease. The 5-years overall survival ranges from 1% to 5%. Surgery is the only curative treatment available. Survival of selected patients with small lesion (< 2 cm) confined to the pancreas is improved to 19-41%. Presently the major effort is on studies of the cancer development phenomena to improve detection of patients with early lesions. The analysis of oncogene and tumor-suppressor gene activation may enable us to better define and cure this disease. Molecular genetic new tecnquiques performed on pancreatic juice, duodenal juice and stool, probably are the most promising new approach for early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. This could be the right path to diagnose pancreatic malignant lesions at a curable stage, and to discriminate patients with a more favourable prognosis candidates to be submitted to adjuvant therapy with a curative intent, and also to discriminate real pancreatic cancer from patients with chronic pancreatitis.