Molecular epidemiology and biology of pancreatic cancer among Iranian patients: an updated preliminary review

Abstract

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers, with a very poor prognosis and survival. The incidence and mortality of pancreatic cancer are increasing among the Iranian population. Pancreatic cancer is a multifactorial disease, and various genetic and environmental factors are involved in its pathogenesis. Genetic changes and epigenetic alterations feature prominently in the development of this disease; nevertheless, it is still not well defined for the Iranian population. According to these, the early detection of tumors is needed to reduce mortality in pancreatic cancer patients. This review aims to summarize the current knowledge about pancreatic cancer by focusing on cellular and molecular processes which have been observed among Iranian patients to elucidate the molecular pathobiology of pancreatic cancer. It is reported that immunity and inflammation, apoptosis, oxidative DNA damage and the development of diabetes mellitus are the most common cellular mechanisms, associated with pancreatic cancer. Moreover, this review introduces different factors including epigenetic (miRNAs, long non-coding RNAs and DNA methylation patterns) and genetic factors (DNA polymorphisms) as well as environmental and chemical factors that can serve as potential diagnostic, prognostic and/or therapeutic biomarkers to manage pancreatic cancer patients in the Iranian population.