Implication of ERBB2 as a Predictive Tool for Survival in Patients with Pancreatic Cancer in Histological Studies

Pancreatic cancer will be positioned by the year 2030 as the second cause of oncological death after lung cancer. The pathophysiology of the most common variety, which involves the adenocarcinoma of the pancreas, represents one of the main challenges for current oncology to explain its tumorigenesis and create a targeted treatment. The tumor microenvironment, metastatic capacity, and lack of early diagnosis lead patients to present advanced stages at the time of diagnosis. Despite numerous efforts, little progress has been made in clinical outcomes and with respect to the improved survival of these patients. For this reason, in recent years, numerous diagnostic tests, treatments, and possible approaches in the fields of radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and surgery have been developed to find a combination of methods that improves life expectancy in patients diagnosed with this disease. On the other hand, the scientific community has made numerous advances in the molecular bases of pancreatic cancer since several oncogenetic pathways have been described and the markers expressed by the tumor have proven to be useful in the prognosis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. These molecular alterations allow the study of possible therapeutic targets that improve the prognosis of these patients, but even numerous tumor cell-individual interactions must be explained to understand the underlying pathophysiology causing the high mortality. Therefore, the purpose of our study is to examine the expression of markers such as EGFR, Cyclin D1, andCDK4 in order to find a relationship with the possible long-term prognostic factors of patients affected by pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Our results show that there is a prognostic role for ErbB2, EGFR, beta catenin, cyclin D1, and CDK4. Of these, we highlight the clinical importance of ErbB2 in the survival rates of patients who overexpress this component.

Automated summary

Pancreatic cancer is expected to become the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths by 2030. The pathophysiology and treatment options for pancreatic adenocarcinoma, the most common type of pancreatic cancer, remain major challenges in oncology. Despite efforts to improve clinical outcomes, early diagnosis is difficult and many patients are diagnosed at advanced stages. Numerous diagnostic tests, treatments, and approaches have been developed to prolong the survival of patients with pancreatic cancer. Advances in understanding the molecular basis of pancreatic cancer have identified potential therapeutic targets, but further research is needed to fully understand the underlying mechanisms. This study examines the expression of markers such as EGFR, Cyclin D1, and CDK4 to identify prognostic factors for patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma and highlights the clinical importance of ErbB2 in patient survival rates.