Angiogenesis, diagnosis and treatment in pancreatic cancer: up to date

Pancreatic cancer remains one of the deadliest cancer types, being the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States, after lung, breast or prostate, and colorectal cancer. The poor prognosis is caused, mainly by the advanced stage when discovered, more than 80% of patients presenting with locally advanced or metastatic disease, which precludes surgery, the only curative treatment. However, the prognosis remains reserved even in operated patients (15 – 20% of cases). Imaging has taken on a central and decisive role in the staging and evaluation of pancreatic cancer, being involved in all aspects of the clinical management of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Endoscopic ultrasonography with or without fine needle aspiration has become the main technique for evaluating pancreatobiliary disorders and has proved to have a higher diagnostic yield than the other imaging methods for recognising early pancreatic tumors. Although there have been remarkable technological progress towards improving the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer over the last decades, the survival rate remains mostly unchanged. Thus, the need for discovery of new diagnostic and therapeutic methods is essential.