Pol. Merkur. Lek (Pol. Med. J.), 2016, XLI/246: 296-302

SUMMARY IN POLISH & ENGLISH. FULL ARTICLE ONLY IN POLISH.

Pancreatic cancer microenvironment

Dąbkowski K1, Bogacka B1, Tarnowski M2, Starzyńska T1.

Pomeranian Medical University of Szczecin, Poland: 1Department of Gastroenterology; 2Department of Physiology

Pancreatic cancer remains one of the deadliest solid tumors in humans and an unsolved problem of today’s medicine. Experimental studies reveal that the heterogeneous and complex pancreatic cancer microenvironment is responsible, not only for cancer growth, spread, development of metastases, but also for cancer recurrence and chemotherapy resistance. Chemotherapy affecting the cancer stroma is still under clinical and experimental research and remains hope for cure of pancreatic cancer. We present the cancer microenvironment characteristics and summary of experimental studies with use of agents affecting pancreatic cancer stroma.

Key words: pancreatic cancer, tumor microenvironment, pancreatic stellate cells

Pol Med J, 2016; XLI (246); 296–302