ALDH-Expressing Cancer Stem Cells Are Associated With Inferior Survival in Patients With Resected Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Treated With Adjuvant Chemoradiation

Abstract

We and others previously identified aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity as a marker of pancreatic cancer stem cells (or tumor-initiating cells). The presence of cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been associated with decreased survival and treatment resistance in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. In this study we investigate the role of ALDH expression in predicting survival and patterns of disease recurrence in patients treated with chemoradiation (CRT) following pancreatectomy.