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Identification and Analysis of Precursors to Invasive Pancreatic Cancer

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Pancreatic Cancer

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 980))

Abstract

Precursor lesions of pancreatic cancer have been recognized about a century ago. The development of a consistent reproducible nomenclature and classification system for these lesions has been a major advance in the study of these noninvasive precursors. Pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN) as microscopic precursor lesions can be distinguished from mucinous cystic neoplasms (MCNs) and intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN) that are cystic and can often be recognized on imaging. Since precursor lesions harbor the unique chance to treat a patient before a fatal pancreatic cancer can arise a molecular characterization is essential to understand the biology and to find diagnostic and therapeutic targets to fight this disease of near uniform lethality. In order to study precursor lesions on a molecular level a meticulous isolation of the neoplastic cells is inevitable. We present the salient histopathologic and molecular features of precursor lesions of pancreatic cancer as well as methods that have proved to be useful within experimental studies.

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Acknowledgements

Anirban Maitra is supported by the Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center and the Michael Rolfe Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research. Hanno Matthaei is supported by a fellowship grant by Deutsche Krebshilfe (German Cancer Aid), Bonn, Germany. We are grateful to Dr. Ralph Hruban at Johns Hopkins for his contributions to an earlier edition of this chapter.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology and Oncology, The Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Hanno Matthaei

  2. Department of Pathology, The Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Marco Dal Molin

  3. Department of Oncology, The Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Marco Dal Molin

  4. Departments of Pathology and Oncology, The Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Anirban Maitra

Authors
  1. Hanno Matthaei
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  2. Marco Dal Molin
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  3. Anirban Maitra
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Correspondence to Anirban Maitra .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Irving Cancer Research Center, Columbia University, St. Nicholas Avenue 1130, New York, 10032, New York, USA

    Gloria H. Su

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Matthaei, H., Molin, M.D., Maitra, A. (2013). Identification and Analysis of Precursors to Invasive Pancreatic Cancer. In: Su, G. (eds) Pancreatic Cancer. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 980. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-287-2_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-287-2_1

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-62703-286-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-62703-287-2

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