Why is pancreatic cancer so deadly? The pathologist's view

J Pathol. 2019 Jun;248(2):131-141. doi: 10.1002/path.5260. Epub 2019 Apr 15.

Abstract

The remarkable aggressiveness of pancreatic cancer has never been fully explained. Although clearly multifactorial, we postulate that venous invasion, a finding seen in most pancreatic cancers but not in most cancers of other organs, may be a significant, underappreciated contributor to the aggressiveness of this disease. Copyright © 2019 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Keywords: pancreas; pancreas cancer; pancreatic cancer; prognosis; tumor immune microenvironment; vein; venous invasion.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal / genetics
  • Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal / immunology
  • Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal / mortality*
  • Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal / secondary*
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Disease Progression
  • Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition
  • Humans
  • Lymphatic Metastasis
  • Neoplasm Invasiveness
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / genetics
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / immunology
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / mortality*
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Risk Assessment
  • Risk Factors
  • Veins / pathology*