Invited Commentary

Commentary on “Investigational Biomarkers for Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: Where Do We Stand?”

Authors: Philip F. Stahel, MD

Abstract

In most patients, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is associated with poor prognosis because of the presence of advanced-stage disease at the time the diagnosis is established.1 Surgical resection in conjunction with adjuvant chemotherapy represents the only option with curative intent; however, tumor invasiveness of surrounding tissues, including major vessels, renders most tumors not radically resectable with microscopic clearance (R0 resection).2 For this reason, a serum biomarker with high sensitivity and specificity for the disease would be of high value as a diagnostic screening tool in patients with early preclinical pancreatic cancer.

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References

1. Werner J, Combs SE, Springfield C, et al. Advanced-stage pancreatic cancer: therapy options. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 2013;10:323-333.
 
2. Hartwig W, Werner J, Jager D, et al. Improvement of surgical results for pancreatic cancer. Lancet Oncol 2013;14:e476-e485.
 
3. Makawita S, Dimitromanolakis A, Soosaipillai A, et al. Validation of four candidate pancreatic cancer serological biomarkers that improve the performance of CA19.9. BMC Cancer 2013;13:404.
 
4. Kanda M, Fuji T, Takami H, et al. The combination of the serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 and carcinoembryonic antigen is a simple and accurate predictor of mortality in pancreatic cancer patients. Surg Today 2013 October 9 [Epub ahead of print] .
 
5. Datta J, Vollmer CM Jr. Investigational biomarkers for pancreatic adenocarcinoma: where do we stand? South Med J 2014;107:256-263.