Pancreatic cancer is considered one of the deadliest forms of cancer in the world. One reason it is so dangerous is that it is usually very difficult to detect early.
Many patients do not notice symptoms until the disease has already spread to other parts of the body. By the time the cancer is found, treatment options are often limited.
Doctors say pancreatic cancer is responsible for a large number of cancer deaths each year, even though it is less common than some other cancers. Survival rates remain very low. Today, only about 12 percent of people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer survive longer than five years after diagnosis.
Now, scientists have made an important discovery that may help explain how pancreatic cancer starts and spreads in its earliest stages. Researchers from the Sloan Kettering Institute at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and IRB Barcelona say their findings could eventually lead to better ways to detect, prevent, and treat the disease.
Their study was published in the journal Science.
Like many cancers, pancreatic cancer often begins when DNA inside a cell becomes damaged. DNA contains the instructions that tell cells how to behave. When these instructions are altered, cells may begin growing uncontrollably.
The researchers focused on a gene called KRAS, which is one of the most important genes linked to pancreatic cancer. Under normal conditions, KRAS helps control cell growth and repair. But when the gene mutates, it can become permanently switched on, causing cells to grow too quickly.
Scientists often compare the mutated KRAS gene to a gas pedal stuck to the floor of a car. Instead of slowing down when needed, the cells keep multiplying. KRAS mutations are also found in other cancers, including lung cancer and colon cancer.
However, the researchers discovered that the KRAS mutation alone is usually not enough to create pancreatic cancer. Another important factor appears to be inflammation.
Inflammation is the body’s natural response to injury, infection, or irritation. In the short term, inflammation helps the body heal. But when inflammation continues for a long time, it can damage healthy tissues and create conditions that help cancer grow.
In the new study, scientists found that inflammation can trigger major changes in pancreatic cells very quickly after injury. In some cases, these changes started only one or two days after damage to the pancreas occurred.
The researchers studied pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, also called PDAC. This is the most common and aggressive form of pancreatic cancer. To better understand how the disease develops, the team used mice carrying the same KRAS mutations commonly found in human patients.
By carefully observing the cells over time, the researchers were able to watch healthy pancreatic cells slowly begin transforming into cancer cells step by step.
One of the most important discoveries involved something called “cell plasticity.” Cell plasticity means that cells can change their identity and behavior. Instead of remaining stable, these cells become flexible and adaptable.
The scientists found that inflammation helps push pancreatic cells into this plastic state. Once the cells become more flexible, they are better able to communicate with nearby cells and adjust to their environment. This may help explain why pancreatic cancer can grow and spread so aggressively.
The study also showed that these cellular changes do not happen randomly. The transformation appears to follow a specific order. Researchers believe that if doctors can understand this sequence and interrupt it early enough, they may eventually be able to stop cancer before it fully develops.
To study the process in greater detail, the researchers used a powerful technique known as single-cell analysis. This method allowed them to examine individual cells one by one instead of studying large groups of cells together.
Using this technology, the scientists identified certain cells that acted like communication centers. These cells constantly sent signals to immune cells and surrounding tissues. Researchers believe these communication signals may help cancer spread faster through the pancreas and nearby organs.
The findings provide scientists with a much clearer picture of what happens during the earliest stages of pancreatic cancer development. In the future, this knowledge may help doctors create tests that detect dangerous cellular changes long before tumors become visible on scans.
Researchers also hope the discovery could lead to new treatments designed to block inflammation, stop harmful cell changes, or interrupt the dangerous communication between cells.
Although more research is still needed before these discoveries can be turned into treatments for patients, scientists say the study marks an important step forward in the fight against pancreatic cancer.
Experts believe that understanding how the disease begins at the cellular level could eventually help save lives by allowing doctors to find pancreatic cancer earlier, treat it more effectively, and perhaps even prevent it from developing in some people.
If you care about cancer, please read studies that a low-carb diet could increase overall cancer risk, and vitamin D supplements could strongly reduce cancer death.
For more information about health, please see recent studies about how drinking milk affects the risks of heart disease and cancer and results showing higher intake of dairy foods linked to higher prostate cancer risk.
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