Current and future intratumoral targeted treatment for pancreatic cancer

Ther Deliv. 2014 Aug;5(8):913-26. doi: 10.4155/tde.14.44.

Abstract

Pancreatic cancer is an insidious type of cancer with its symptoms manifested upon extensive disease. The overall 5-year survival rates between 0.4 and 4%. Surgical resection is an option for only 10% of the patients with pancreatic cancer. Local recurrence and hepatic metastases occur within 2 years after surgery. There are currently several molecular pathways investigated and novel targeted treatments are on the market. However; the nature of pancreatic cancer with its ability to spread locally in the primary site and lymph nodes indicates that further experimentation with local interventional therapies could be a future treatment proposal as palliative care or adjunct to gene therapy and chemotherapy/radiotherapy. In the current review, we will summarize the molecular pathways and present the interventional treatment options for pancreatic cancer.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • AMP-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases
  • Genes, p16
  • Humans
  • Molecular Targeted Therapy*
  • NF-kappa B / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / antagonists & inhibitors
  • ras Proteins / genetics

Substances

  • KRAS protein, human
  • NF-kappa B
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • STK11 protein, human
  • AMP-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)
  • ras Proteins