Mutations and their consequences in the development of pancreatic cancer

Abstract

Pancreatic cancer is a common cancer with a very poor prognosis and aggressive course. The main reason for the highly unfavorable prognosis of patients with pancreatic cancer is its long-term asymptomatic development, which results in the diagnosis being made at a stage when the cancer process is significantly advanced. Despite extensive research in the field of effective diagnosis and treatment of this cancer, patient survival rates are increasing slowly and insignificantly. Pancreatic cancer cells contain many mutations, the most frequently found of which concern the KRAS, TP53, CDKN2A, SMAD4, BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Each of these mutations is associated with specific consequences at the molecular level and translates into further cell functioning, including uncontrolled cell division. The occurrence of specific mutations influences the planning of therapeutic procedures and patient prognosis. Many mutations are associated with a hereditary predisposition to cancer, including pancreatic cancer.