About this Research Topic
Preliminary results suggested that such “personalized medicine” information without a need for surgery allows accurate prognostication, better treatment stratification, and potentially, improves outcomes for all patients with PDAC. Similarly, the EUS approach has recently enabled the integration of molecular analysis in the assessment of patients with pancreatic cysts and PanNETs, and its impact on clinical outcomes required further evaluation. The analogy to the current concept of a clinical multi-disciplinary approach, where the involvement of a number of specialists in the area can optimize the clinical treatment and outcome of the patients, better characterization of the cancer based on its biological signatures is essential to guide targeted therapies.
In this Frontiers in Medicine Research Topic our goal is to review the current progress in molecular diagnostics and its impact on the decision-making process and therapeutic implications in patients with PDAC, PanNETs, and pancreatic cysts. Given the concept of “personalized oncology” can only be achieved by the availability of appropriate, good quality tissue, approaches of tissue acquisition and preparation from the pancreas will be critical for its success. Specifically, the sampling tools and techniques from the pancreas, methods of tissue preparation, storage and process, and different types of molecular analysis will be discussed in detail. In addition, data on the utility of these molecular analyses on prognostication, treatment stratification, and potential new therapeutic target development will be reviewed and discussed.
We welcome manuscripts in Frontiers in Medicine accepted formats, including original research, systematic reviews, reviews, mini-reviews, perspectives, clinical trials, and case reports. This Research Topic will cover a selection of recent research and current review articles in patients with PDAC, PanNETs, and pancreatic cysts. Specific themes, in particular, but not exclusively, will be:
Endoscopic ultrasound-guided tissue acquisition for molecular diagnostics purpose
New molecular findings and clinical implications
Implications of molecular specificities and prognostic stratification on patient management
New drugs for personalized treatment of PDAC and PanNETs
Keywords: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, pancreatic cysts, pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, molecular diagnostics, decision-making
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.