TY - JOUR
T1 - Adenosquamous carcinoma of the pancreas
T2 - A distinct clinicopathologic entity
AU - Trikudanathan, Guru
AU - Dasanu, Constantin A.
PY - 2010/9/1
Y1 - 2010/9/1
N2 - Among exocrine pancreatic tumors, adenosquamous carcinoma (ASC) is a rare, aggressive subtype with a worse prognosis and a higher potential for metastases compared to its more conventional glandular counterpart, adenocarcinoma. The disease distribution shows an approximately 1:1 male/female ratio and a median survival of circa five months. Although such features as central necrosis and hypervascularity are suggestive of pancreatic ASC, more research is necessary to identify other, more specific markers for this tumor subtype. Humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy has also been described with ASC of the pancreas, likely as a result of PTHrP production by the squamous component of the tumor. Similar to the therapeutics of pancreatic adenocarcinoma, adjuvant chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy is currently indicated for resectable ASC of the pancreas, while gemcitabine or gemcitabine combinations are used for a more advanced disease. Both pathologic and molecular features of pancreatic ASC characterize it as a distinct subtype of pancreatic cancer. As a result, its molecular and genetic makeup could be exploited for both diagnostic and therapeutic quests in the future.
AB - Among exocrine pancreatic tumors, adenosquamous carcinoma (ASC) is a rare, aggressive subtype with a worse prognosis and a higher potential for metastases compared to its more conventional glandular counterpart, adenocarcinoma. The disease distribution shows an approximately 1:1 male/female ratio and a median survival of circa five months. Although such features as central necrosis and hypervascularity are suggestive of pancreatic ASC, more research is necessary to identify other, more specific markers for this tumor subtype. Humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy has also been described with ASC of the pancreas, likely as a result of PTHrP production by the squamous component of the tumor. Similar to the therapeutics of pancreatic adenocarcinoma, adjuvant chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy is currently indicated for resectable ASC of the pancreas, while gemcitabine or gemcitabine combinations are used for a more advanced disease. Both pathologic and molecular features of pancreatic ASC characterize it as a distinct subtype of pancreatic cancer. As a result, its molecular and genetic makeup could be exploited for both diagnostic and therapeutic quests in the future.
KW - adenocarcinoma
KW - adenosquamous carcinoma
KW - central necrosis
KW - pancreas
KW - squamous cell
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77956392590&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=77956392590&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1097/SMJ.0b013e3181ebadbd
DO - 10.1097/SMJ.0b013e3181ebadbd
M3 - Review article
C2 - 20697320
AN - SCOPUS:77956392590
SN - 0038-4348
VL - 103
SP - 903
EP - 910
JO - Southern Medical Journal
JF - Southern Medical Journal
IS - 9
ER -