Abstract:

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is now one of the most common causes of cancer death worldwide. K-ras mutations are present in up to 90% of pancreatic cancer cases. The expression of mutant K-ras activates the Akt/protein kinase B pathway, resulting in the activation of the nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kB) transcriptional factor. Based on in vitro studies, constitutive NF-kB activity plays a key role in pancreatic carcinoma. NF-kB expression does not have direct effects on the overall survival of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. The correlation with the positive lymph node status suggests a role in invasive properties of the tumor. Activation of NF-kB is most likely an early event in pancreatic carcinogenesis. Due to the increased activation in pancreatic cancer, NF-kB seems to be a good target for therapeutic interventions.

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