Chemical Induced Pre-Clinical Models of Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer continues to be a significant cause of mortality across the world. Currently, it is the 3rd leading cause of cancer death in the United States, and it is often diagnosed late when there are few treatment options. The 5year survival rate remains dismal at approximately 10% (72). Patients frequently endure severe abdominal pain, jaundice, ascites, and cachexia. A subset of these patients will also develop diabetes mellitus. Acinar cells are the prevalent cell type of the pancreas, and a large portion of human pancreatic carcinomas are pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas. Acinar cells are able to dedifferentiate through a process known as acino-ductal metaplasia, and some believe that the resulting duct like structures result in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.