Molecular aspects of carcinogenesis in pancreatic cancer.

Background: Pancreatic cancer (PCa) is one of the most aggressive human solid tumors, with rapid growth and metastatic spread as well as resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs, leading rapidly to virtually incurable disease. Over the last 20 years, however, significant advances have been made in our understanding of the molecular biology of PCa, with a focus on the cytogenetic abnormalities in PCa cell growth and differentiation.

Data Sources: A MEDLINE search and manual cross-referencing were utilized to identify published data for PCa molecular biology studies between 1986 and 2008, with emphasis on genetic alterations and developmental oncology.

Persistent early organ failure: defining the high-risk group of patients with severe acute pancreatitis?

Objectives: The aim of our study was to evaluate the clinical significance of prolonged organ failure during the first week of severe acute pancreatitis and the potential correlation with final outcome.

Methods: Of 234 patients with acute pancreatitis admitted to our department between January 2002 and December 2006, 64 patients with predicted severe acute pancreatitis were studied according to the presence and also the duration of organ failure early in the course of the disease.

Results: Transient (<48 h duration) or persistent (>48 h duration) early organ failure (EOF) was present in 33 of 64 patients (51.