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Mucinous cystic neoplasms of the pancreas: pathology and molecular genetics

  • Topics: Current understanding of precursors to pancreatic cancer
  • Published:
Journal of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery

Abstract

Mucinous cystic neoplasm (MCN) of the pancreas is a distinct clinicopathological entity characterized by mucin-producing epithelial and cyst-forming neoplasm with “ovarian-type” stroma beneath the epithelial component. It is clearly distinguished from ductal adenocarcinoma and intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN). However, MCN can progress to infiltrating carcinoma, and frequently shows a similar histological pattern to ductal adenocarcinoma. Several genetic alterations such as K-ras oncogene mutation, and epigenetic alterations such as hypermethylation of p16 in the invasive component of MCN are also common with ductal adenocarcinoma. Furthermore, recent technologies, including a laser-assisted microdissection system for histological slides and global gene expression profilings using DNA microarrays, made possible to identify more information about molecular abnormalities of MCNs. It is important to diagnose the lesions before they progress to an invasive carcinoma. MCN is one of the precursors of invasive pancreatic carcinoma.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan

    Noriyoshi Fukushima & Masashi Fukayama

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  1. Noriyoshi Fukushima
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  2. Masashi Fukayama
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Fukushima, N., Fukayama, M. Mucinous cystic neoplasms of the pancreas: pathology and molecular genetics. J Hepatobiliary Pancreat Surg 14, 238–242 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00534-006-1168-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00534-006-1168-3

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