Guntars Pupelis
The year 2017 has passed without any major breakthroughs in the field of pancreatic cancer. Despite all attempts to improve the management and long-term outcomes of pancreatic adenocarcinoma, pancreatic cancer still remains a lethal malignancy, and is pushing forward all attempts to diagnose the disease as early as possible. The pancreatic protocol computed tomographic scan with arterial and venous phase enhancement is an accepted diagnostic standard and should be followed in any surgical unit which deals with pancreatic surgery, complemented by magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography or Endoultrasound when indicated. Surgical care has probably arrived at its limits, and other treatment modalities will aid in reaching truly curative long-term outcomes. While the recent development of new agents or combinations may add the hope of improving the disease outcome, a deeper exploration of the molecular, genetic nature and types of immune mechanisms is the direction to follow to reach clinically relevant long-term results.
