摘要
Dear Editor, Pancreatic cancer is a devastating disease ranked as the 4th leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, and its incidence rate is increasing according to the latest statistics. The overall survival rates for patients with pan- creatic cancer have not significantly improved over the past thirty years （Siegel et al., 2012; Simard et al., 2012）. One of the reasons for the high mortality rates is the high resistance of pancreatic cancer to chemotherapy and radiation. Most patients are diagnosed at late stages of the disease. Approximately 15%-20% of patients diagnosed with pan- creatic cancer are eligible for surgical resection, and 85% of these patients eventually experience relapse and ultimately cancer-related death （Siegel et al., 2012）. In recent years, increasing evidence indicates that the fibro-inflammatory stroma is a source of cellular and molecular components contributing to tumor progression and metastasis （Feig et al., 2012; Waghray et al., 2013）. Importantly, increased levels of stroma are positively related to a poor prognosis （Erkan et al., 2008）. Despite the broader understanding of pancre- atic cancer biology, gemcitabine, a chemotherapeutic approved for pancreatic cancer treatment approximately twenty years ago, still remains the standard of care （Burris et al., 1997）. Thus, the development of novel treatment strategies for this devastating disease is urgently needed.
Dear Editor, Pancreatic cancer is a devastating disease ranked as the 4th leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, and its incidence rate is increasing according to the latest statistics. The overall survival rates for patients with pan- creatic cancer have not significantly improved over the past thirty years （Siegel et al., 2012; Simard et al., 2012）. One of the reasons for the high mortality rates is the high resistance of pancreatic cancer to chemotherapy and radiation. Most patients are diagnosed at late stages of the disease. Approximately 15%-20% of patients diagnosed with pan- creatic cancer are eligible for surgical resection, and 85% of these patients eventually experience relapse and ultimately cancer-related death （Siegel et al., 2012）. In recent years, increasing evidence indicates that the fibro-inflammatory stroma is a source of cellular and molecular components contributing to tumor progression and metastasis （Feig et al., 2012; Waghray et al., 2013）. Importantly, increased levels of stroma are positively related to a poor prognosis （Erkan et al., 2008）. Despite the broader understanding of pancre- atic cancer biology, gemcitabine, a chemotherapeutic approved for pancreatic cancer treatment approximately twenty years ago, still remains the standard of care （Burris et al., 1997）. Thus, the development of novel treatment strategies for this devastating disease is urgently needed.
