Update on the Pathology and Genetics of Exocrine Pancreatic Tumors with Ductal Phenotype: Precursor Lesions and New Tumor Entities

Publisher: Karger

E-ISSN: 1421-9875|19|1|15-23

ISSN: 0257-2753

Source: Digestive Diseases, Vol.19, Iss.1, 2001-05, pp. : 15-23

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Abstract

The majority of pancreatic neoplasms show a ductal phenotype and can be classified as ductal adenocarcinomas. Pancreatic duct lesions have been discussed as tumor precursors. This review presents a recently adopted standard system for these lesions which distinguishes among three grades of pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN). Molecular studies revealed that PanIN-2 and PanIN-3 lesions represent a distinct step towards invasive carcinoma. Another focus of the review is the advances that have been made in the further immunohistochemical and molecular characterization of special pancreatic neoplasms showing a ductal phenotype, such as undifferentiated carcinoma, mucinous noncystic (colloid) carcinoma, intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm, mucinous cystic neoplasm, medullary carcinoma, and other rare tumors.