Molecular biology of exocrine pancreatic cancer

Exocrine pancreatic cancer is one of the neoplasias with a worse prognosis, with conventional treatments having little impact on disease outcome. Research and genomic high-throughput technology is continuously expanding our knowledge of pancreas cancer biology. Characterization of genetic and epigenetic alterations in pancreatic tumors has allowed a better understanding of the progression model of the disease at the molecular level. The development of new therapeutic approaches with target-oriented agents is been tested in the preclinical and clinical settings. This review updates the current available data on pancreatic cancer molecular biology. Supported by an unrestricted educational grant by Bristol-Myers Squibb.