Molecular technology and pancreatic cancer

Background Pancreatic cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer death in the Western world. Despite improvement in operative mortality rates, little impact has been made on overall 5-year survival. This review discusses the molecular changes peculiar to pancreatic cancer and how the use of molecular technology might affect detection, screening, diagnosis and treatment of the disease. Methods A literature review was performed using the National Library of Medicine's Pubmed database; this was combined with ongoing work within the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham. Results Over the past 20 years great strides have been made in our understanding of the molecular basis of disease. Advances in molecular biology are now reshaping how diseases are screened for, diagnosed, investigated and treated. In recent years collaboration between clinicians and basic scientists has revealed a unique pattern of genetic and molecular events in pancreatic cancer. This review discusses how these advances may impact on patients with this disease. Conclusion The past decade has seen some improvement in outlook for patients with pancreatic cancer, but the ‘molecular age’ promises to deliver even better results. © 2000 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd