Clinical Utility of Epigenetic Changes in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

Abstract

Pancreatic cancer is a molecularly heterogeneous disease. Epigenetic changes and epigenetic regulatory mechanisms underlie at least some of this heterogeneity and contribute to the evolution of aggressive tumor biology in patients and the tumor’s intrinsic resistance to therapy. Here we review our current understanding of epigenetic dysregulation in pancreatic cancer and how it is contributing to our efforts in early diagnosis, predictive and prognostic biomarker development and new therapeutic approaches in this deadly cancer.

Keywords

• pancreatic adenocarcinoma
• pancreatic cancer
• DNA methylation
• histone
• epigenetics
• diagnosis