Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Contributors
- Overview: Biology Is the Foundation of Therapy
- PART I BASIC RESEARCH
- PART II CLINICAL RESEARCH
- 23 Introduction to Clinical Research
- 24 Sarcoma
- 25 Neuroblastoma
- 26 Retinoblastoma
- 27 Primary Brain Tumors and Cerebral Metastases
- 28 Head and Neck Cancer Metastasis
- 29 Cutaneous Melanoma: Therapeutic Approaches for Metastatic Disease
- 30 Gastric Cancer Metastasis
- 31 Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer
- 32 Metastasis of Primary Liver Cancer
- 33 Advances in Management of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
- 34 Lung Cancer Metastasis
- 35 Metastatic Thyroid Cancer: Evaluation and Treatment
- 36 Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma
- 37 Bladder Cancer
- 38 Bone Complications of Myeloma and Lymphoma
- 39 Breast Metastasis
- 40 Gynecologic Malignancies
- 41 Prostate Cancer Metastasis: Thoughts on Biology and Therapeutics
- 42 The Biology and Treatment of Metastatic Testicular Cancer
- 43 Applications of Proteomics to Metastasis Diagnosis and Individualized Therapy
- 44 Critical Issues of Research on Circulating and Disseminated Tumor Cells in Cancer Patients
- 45 Lymphatic Mapping and Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy
- 46 Molecular Imaging and Metastasis
- 47 Preserving Bone Health in Malignancy and Complications of Bone Metastases
- 48 Role of Platelets and Thrombin in Metastasis
- THERAPIES
- Index
- References
31 - Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer
from PART II - CLINICAL RESEARCH
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Contributors
- Overview: Biology Is the Foundation of Therapy
- PART I BASIC RESEARCH
- PART II CLINICAL RESEARCH
- 23 Introduction to Clinical Research
- 24 Sarcoma
- 25 Neuroblastoma
- 26 Retinoblastoma
- 27 Primary Brain Tumors and Cerebral Metastases
- 28 Head and Neck Cancer Metastasis
- 29 Cutaneous Melanoma: Therapeutic Approaches for Metastatic Disease
- 30 Gastric Cancer Metastasis
- 31 Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer
- 32 Metastasis of Primary Liver Cancer
- 33 Advances in Management of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
- 34 Lung Cancer Metastasis
- 35 Metastatic Thyroid Cancer: Evaluation and Treatment
- 36 Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma
- 37 Bladder Cancer
- 38 Bone Complications of Myeloma and Lymphoma
- 39 Breast Metastasis
- 40 Gynecologic Malignancies
- 41 Prostate Cancer Metastasis: Thoughts on Biology and Therapeutics
- 42 The Biology and Treatment of Metastatic Testicular Cancer
- 43 Applications of Proteomics to Metastasis Diagnosis and Individualized Therapy
- 44 Critical Issues of Research on Circulating and Disseminated Tumor Cells in Cancer Patients
- 45 Lymphatic Mapping and Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy
- 46 Molecular Imaging and Metastasis
- 47 Preserving Bone Health in Malignancy and Complications of Bone Metastases
- 48 Role of Platelets and Thrombin in Metastasis
- THERAPIES
- Index
- References
Summary
Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive of human malignancies. In the United States, more than 37,000 people develop pancreatic adenocarcinoma each year, and almost all are expected to die from this disease [1], which is the fifth leading cause of cancer death in the country [2]. In Europe, about 40,000 deaths from pancreatic cancer are observed each year [3]. Median survival is only eight to twelve months for patients with locally advanced disease and three to six months for patients with metastatic disease, regardless of the therapy chosen. The overall survival rate is less than 5% [2]. Surgical resection is the only potentially curative treatment for pancreatic cancer. Unfortunately, the disease typically presents late, and therefore by the time a diagnosis is made, only a limited number of patients are candidates for pancreatectomy [4]. In large series of patients, only 5% to 22% were found to have resectable tumors at diagnosis, owing to the presence of advanced local tumor growth, peritoneal spread, or hepatic metastases [5, 6].
IMPORTANCE OF METASTASES
The treatment of metastatic disease remains the primary challenge in the treatment of pancreatic malignancy. Although distant metastasis can occur, locoregional metastasis is the most common recurrence or spread. Aggressive behavior, neurotrophic growth, and early spread are the main characteristics of this tumor.
Distant spread to the liver, peritoneum, lung, and bones is associated with poor prognosis [7] and with a short median survival of three to six months, depending on the extent of the disease and the performance status [8].
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Cancer MetastasisBiologic Basis and Therapeutics, pp. 333 - 343Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2011