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Wood LD, Adsay NV, Basturk O, Brosens LAA, Fukushima N, Hong SM, Kim SJ, Lee JW, Luchini C, Noë M, Pitman MB, Scarpa A, Singhi AD, Tanaka M, Furukawa T. Systematic review of challenging issues in pathology of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms. Pancreatology 2023; 23:878-891. [PMID: 37604731 DOI: 10.1016/j.pan.2023.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) are a cystic precursor to pancreatic cancer. IPMNs deemed clinically to be at high-risk for malignant progression are frequently treated with surgical resection, and pathological examination of the pancreatectomy specimen is a key component of the clinical care of IPMN patients. METHODS Systematic literature reviews were conducted around eight topics of clinical relevance in the examination of pathological specimens in patients undergoing resection of IPMN. RESULTS This review provides updated perspectives on morphological subtyping of IPMNs, classification of intraductal oncocytic papillary neoplasms, nomenclature for high-grade dysplasia, assessment of T stage, distinction of carcinoma associated or concomitant with IPMN, role of molecular assessment of IPMN tissue, role of intraoperative assessment by frozen section, and preoperative evaluation of cyst fluid cytology. CONCLUSIONS This analysis provides the foundation for data-driven approaches to several challenging issues in the pathology of IPMNs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura D Wood
- Department of Pathology, Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - N Volkan Adsay
- Department of Pathology, Koç University Hospital and Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM), Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Olca Basturk
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lodewijk A A Brosens
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Noriyoshi Fukushima
- Department of Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Seung-Mo Hong
- Department of Pathology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-Joo Kim
- Department of Pathology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae W Lee
- Department of Pathology, Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Claudio Luchini
- Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, Section of Pathology, University and Hospital Trust of Verona, 37134, Verona, Italy; ARC-Net Research Center, University of Verona, 37134, Verona, Italy
| | - Michaël Noë
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Martha B Pitman
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Aldo Scarpa
- Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, Section of Pathology, University and Hospital Trust of Verona, 37134, Verona, Italy; ARC-Net Research Center, University of Verona, 37134, Verona, Italy
| | - Aatur D Singhi
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Mariko Tanaka
- Department of Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Toru Furukawa
- Department of Investigative Pathology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
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2
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Chhoda A, Sharma A, Sailo B, Tang H, Ruzgar N, Tan WY, Ying L, Khatri R, Narayanan A, Mane S, De Kumar B, Wood LD, Iacobuzio-Donahue C, Wolfgang CL, Kunstman JW, Salem RR, Farrell JJ, Ahuja N. Utility of promoter hypermethylation in malignant risk stratification of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms. Clin Epigenetics 2023; 15:28. [PMID: 36803844 PMCID: PMC9942382 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-023-01429-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs), a type of cystic pancreatic cancer (PC) precursors, are increasingly identified on cross-sectional imaging and present a significant diagnostic challenge. While surgical resection of IPMN-related advanced neoplasia, i.e., IPMN-related high-grade dysplasia or PC, is an essential early PC detection strategy, resection is not recommended for IPMN-low-grade dysplasia (LGD) due to minimal risk of carcinogenesis, and significant procedural risks. Based on their promising results in prior validation studies targeting early detection of classical PC, DNA hypermethylation-based markers may serve as a biomarker for malignant risk stratification of IPMNs. This study investigates our DNA methylation-based PC biomarker panel (ADAMTS1, BNC1, and CACNA1G genes) in differentiating IPMN-advanced neoplasia from IPMN-LGDs. METHODS Our previously described genome-wide pharmaco-epigenetic method identified multiple genes as potential targets for PC detection. The combination was further optimized and validated for early detection of classical PC in previous case-control studies. These promising genes were evaluated among micro-dissected IPMN tissue (IPMN-LGD: 35, IPMN-advanced neoplasia: 35) through Methylation-Specific PCR. The discriminant capacity of individual and combination of genes were delineated through Receiver Operating Characteristics curve analysis. RESULTS As compared to IPMN-LGDs, IPMN-advanced neoplasia had higher hypermethylation frequency of candidate genes: ADAMTS1 (60% vs. 14%), BNC1 (66% vs. 3%), and CACGNA1G (25% vs. 0%). We observed Area Under Curve (AUC) values of 0.73 for ADAMTS1, 0.81 for BNC1, and 0.63 for CACNA1G genes. The combination of the BNC1/ CACNA1G genes resulted in an AUC of 0.84, sensitivity of 71%, and specificity of 97%. Combining the methylation status of the BNC1/CACNA1G genes, blood-based CA19-9, and IPMN lesion size enhanced the AUC to 0.92. CONCLUSION DNA-methylation based biomarkers have shown a high diagnostic specificity and moderate sensitivity for differentiating IPMN-advanced neoplasia from LGDs. Addition of specific methylation targets can improve the accuracy of the methylation biomarker panel and enable the development of noninvasive IPMN stratification biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankit Chhoda
- Division of Gastroenterology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Anup Sharma
- Department of Surgery, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, USA
| | - Bethsebie Sailo
- Department of Surgery, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, USA
| | - Haoyu Tang
- Yale Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, New Haven, USA
| | - Nensi Ruzgar
- Department of Surgery, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, USA
| | - Wan Ying Tan
- Department of Surgery, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, USA
| | - Lee Ying
- Department of Surgery, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, USA
| | - Rishabh Khatri
- Department of Internal Medicine, Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia, USA
| | | | | | | | - Laura D Wood
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA
| | | | | | - John W Kunstman
- Department of Surgery, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, USA
| | - Ronald R Salem
- Department of Surgery, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, USA
| | - James J Farrell
- Section of Digestive Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, USA.
| | - Nita Ahuja
- Department of Surgery, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, USA.
- Section of Digestive Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, USA.
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, USA.
- Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, USA.
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Zhang W, Jiang T, Xie K. Epigenetic reprogramming in pancreatic premalignancy and clinical implications. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1024151. [PMID: 36874143 PMCID: PMC9978013 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1024151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer (PC) is the most lethal human cancer, with less than 10% 5-year survival. Pancreatic premalignancy is a genetic and epigenomic disease and is linked to PC initiation. Pancreatic premalignant lesions include pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN), intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN), and mucinous cystic neoplasm (MCN), with pancreatic acinar-to-ductal metaplasia (ADM) as the major source of pancreatic premalignant lesions. Emerging evidence reveals that an epigenetic dysregulation is an early event in pancreatic tumorigenesis. The molecular mechanisms of epigenetic inheritance include chromatin remodeling; modifications in histone, DNA, and RNA; non-coding RNA expression; and alternative splicing of RNA. Changes in those epigenetic modifications contribute to the most notable alterations in chromatin structure and promoter accessibility, thus leading to the silence of tumor suppressor genes and/or activation of oncogenes. The expression profiles of various epigenetic molecules provide a promising opportunity for biomarker development for early diagnosis of PC and novel targeted treatment strategies. However, how the alterations in epigenetic regulatory machinery regulate epigenetic reprogramming in pancreatic premalignant lesions and the different stages of their initiation needs further investigation. This review will summarize the current knowledge of epigenetic reprogramming in pancreatic premalignant initiation and progression, and its clinical applications as detection and diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets in PC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zhang
- Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, School of Medicine, The South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, The South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tingting Jiang
- Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, School of Medicine, The South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, The South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Keping Xie
- Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, School of Medicine, The South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, The South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
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Assarzadegan N, Babaniamansour S, Shi J. Updates in the Diagnosis of Intraductal Neoplasms of the Pancreas. Front Physiol 2022; 13:856803. [PMID: 35309060 PMCID: PMC8931033 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.856803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the deadliest types of cancer worldwide. There are many reasons for this dismal prognosis, including the advanced stage at the time of diagnosis and the lack of effective therapeutic approaches. Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) represent detectable and treatable precursor lesions of PDAC. Our understanding of the pathology of IPMNs has evolved over the past few decades, and new advances in diagnostic tools have emerged. The new World Health Organization (WHO) classification scheme now recognizes the previously considered variants of IPMNs, such as intraductal oncocytic papillary neoplasms (IOPNs) and intraductal tubulopapillary neoplasms (ITPNs), as distinct neoplasms. New imaging and molecular diagnostic tests are being developed to recognize these PDAC precursor lesions better. Here, we review the advances in diagnostic tools for IPMNs, IOPNs, and ITPNs, emphasizing the new (5th edition, 2019) WHO classification for pathological diagnosis, molecular markers, new laboratory tests, and imaging tools.
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Chen M, Zhu JY, Mu WJ, Guo L. Cysteine dioxygenase type 1 (CDO1): its functional role in physiological and pathophysiological processes. Genes Dis 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gendis.2021.12.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
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Assarzadegan N, Thompson E, Salimian K, Gaida MM, Brosens LAA, Wood L, Ali SZ, Hruban RH. Pathology of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms. Langenbecks Arch Surg 2021; 406:2643-2655. [PMID: 34047827 DOI: 10.1007/s00423-021-02201-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) represent a unique opportunity to treat and prevent a curable neoplasm before it has the chance to progress to incurable cancer. This prospect, however, has to be balanced with the real risk of over treating patients with lesions that would, in fact, never progress during the life of the patient. PURPOSE Informed clinical decisions in the treatment of IPMNs are first and foremost based on a deep understanding of the pathology of these lesions. CONCLUSIONS Here we review the pathology of IPMNs, with an emphasis on the clinical relevance of the important features that characterize these lesions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naziheh Assarzadegan
- Department of Pathology, The Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21212, USA
| | - Elizabeth Thompson
- Department of Pathology, The Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21212, USA
| | - Kevan Salimian
- Department of Pathology, The Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21212, USA
| | - Matthias M Gaida
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Lodewijk A A Brosens
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Laura Wood
- Department of Pathology, The Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21212, USA.,Department of Oncology, The Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21212, USA
| | - Syed Z Ali
- Department of Pathology, The Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21212, USA.,Department of Oncology, The Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21212, USA
| | - Ralph H Hruban
- Department of Pathology, The Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21212, USA. .,Department of Oncology, The Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21212, USA.
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Kane LE, Mellotte GS, Conlon KC, Ryan BM, Maher SG. Multi-Omic Biomarkers as Potential Tools for the Characterisation of Pancreatic Cystic Lesions and Cancer: Innovative Patient Data Integration. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:769. [PMID: 33673153 PMCID: PMC7918773 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13040769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer (PC) is regarded as one of the most lethal malignant diseases in the world, with GLOBOCAN 2020 estimates indicating that PC was responsible for almost half a million deaths worldwide in 2020. Pancreatic cystic lesions (PCLs) are fluid-filled structures found within or on the surface of the pancreas, which can either be pre-malignant or have no malignant potential. While some PCLs are found in symptomatic patients, nowadays many PCLs are found incidentally in patients undergoing cross-sectional imaging for other reasons-so called 'incidentalomas'. Current methods of characterising PCLs are imperfect and vary hugely between institutions and countries. As such, there is a profound need for improved diagnostic algorithms. This could facilitate more accurate risk stratification of those PCLs that have malignant potential and reduce unnecessary surveillance. As PC continues to have such a poor prognosis, earlier recognition and risk stratification of PCLs may lead to better treatment protocols. This review will focus on the importance of biomarkers in the context of PCLs and PCand outline how current 'omics'-related work could contribute to the identification of a novel integrated biomarker profile for the risk stratification of patients with PCLs and PC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura E. Kane
- Department of Surgery, Trinity St. James’s Cancer Institute, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin D08 W9RT, Ireland;
| | - Gregory S. Mellotte
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tallaght University Hospital, Dublin D24 NR0A, Ireland; (G.S.M.); (B.M.R.)
| | - Kevin C. Conlon
- Discipline of Surgery, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin D02 PN40, Ireland;
| | - Barbara M. Ryan
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tallaght University Hospital, Dublin D24 NR0A, Ireland; (G.S.M.); (B.M.R.)
| | - Stephen G. Maher
- Department of Surgery, Trinity St. James’s Cancer Institute, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin D08 W9RT, Ireland;
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Kubota Y, Tanabe S, Azuma M, Horio K, Fujiyama Y, Soeno T, Furue Y, Wada T, Watanabe A, Ishido K, Katada C, Yamashita K, Koizumi W, Kusano C. Predictive Significance of Promoter DNA Methylation of Cysteine Dioxygenase Type 1 (CDO1) in Metachronous Gastric Cancer. J Gastric Cancer 2021; 21:379-391. [PMID: 35079440 PMCID: PMC8753284 DOI: 10.5230/jgc.2021.21.e35] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 11/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Promoter DNA methylation of various genes has been associated with metachronous gastric cancer (MGC). The cancer-specific methylation gene, cysteine dioxygenase type 1 (CDO1), has been implicated in the occurrence of residual gastric cancer. We evaluated whether DNA methylation of CDO1 could be a predictive biomarker of MGC using specimens of MGC developing on scars after endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). Materials and Methods CDO1 methylation values (TaqMeth values) were compared between 33 patients with early gastric cancer (EGC) with no confirmed metachronous lesions at >3 years after ESD (non-MGC: nMGC group) and 11 patients with MGC developing on scars after ESD (MGCSE groups: EGC at the first ESD [MGCSE-1 group], EGC at the second ESD for treating MGC developing on scars after ESD [MGCSE-2 group]). Each EGC specimen was measured at five locations (at tumor [T] and the 4-point tumor-adjacent noncancerous mucosa [TAM]). Results In the nMGC group, the TaqMeth values for T were significantly higher than that for TAM (P=0.0006). In the MGCSE groups, TAM (MGCSE-1) exhibited significantly higher TaqMeth values than TAM (nMGC) (P<0.0001) and TAM (MGCSE-2) (P=0.0041), suggesting that TAM (MGCSE-1) exhibited CDO1 hypermethylation similar to T (P=0.3638). The area under the curve for discriminating the highest TaqMeth value of TAM (MGCSE-1) from that of TAM (nMGC) was 0.81, and using the cut-off value of 43.4, CDO1 hypermethylation effectively enriched the MGCSE groups (P<0.0001). Conclusions CDO1 hypermethylation has been implicated in the occurrence of MGC, suggesting its potential as a promising MGC predictor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yo Kubota
- Department of Gastroenterology, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Sagamihara, Japan
| | - Satoshi Tanabe
- Division of Therapeutic Endoscopy, Department of Research and Development Center for New Medical Frontiers, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Sagamihara, Japan
| | - Mizutomo Azuma
- Department of Gastroenterology, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Sagamihara, Japan
| | - Kazue Horio
- Department of Gastroenterology, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Sagamihara, Japan
| | - Yoshiki Fujiyama
- Division of Advanced Surgical Oncology, Department of Research and Development Center for New Medical Frontiers, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Sagamihara, Japan
| | - Takafumi Soeno
- Division of Advanced Surgical Oncology, Department of Research and Development Center for New Medical Frontiers, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Sagamihara, Japan
| | - Yasuaki Furue
- Department of Gastroenterology, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Sagamihara, Japan
| | - Takuya Wada
- Department of Gastroenterology, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Sagamihara, Japan
| | - Akinori Watanabe
- Department of Gastroenterology, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Sagamihara, Japan
| | - Kenji Ishido
- Department of Gastroenterology, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Sagamihara, Japan
| | - Chikatoshi Katada
- Department of Gastroenterology, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Sagamihara, Japan
| | - Keishi Yamashita
- Division of Advanced Surgical Oncology, Department of Research and Development Center for New Medical Frontiers, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Sagamihara, Japan
| | - Wasaburo Koizumi
- Department of Gastroenterology, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Sagamihara, Japan
| | - Chika Kusano
- Department of Gastroenterology, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Sagamihara, Japan
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Intraductal Pancreatic Mucinous Neoplasms: A Tumor-Biology Based Approach for Risk Stratification. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21176386. [PMID: 32887490 PMCID: PMC7504137 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21176386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is one of the most lethal human cancers. Its precursor lesions include pancreatic intra-epithelial neoplasia, mucinous cystic neoplasm, and intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN). IPMNs usually present as an incidental finding at imaging in 2.6% of the population and, according to the degree of dysplasia, they are classified as low- or high-grade lesions. Since the risk of malignant transformation is not accurately predictable, the management of these lesions is based on morphological and clinical parameters, such as presence of mural nodule, main pancreatic duct dilation, presence of symptoms, or high-grade dysplasia. Although the main genetic alterations associated to IPMNs have been elucidated, they are still not helpful for disease risk stratification. The growing body of genomic and epigenomic studies along with the more recent development of organotypic cultures provide the opportunity to improve our understanding of the malignant transformation process, which will likely deliver biomarkers to help discriminate between low- and high-risk lesions. Recent insights on the topic are herein summarized.
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