The MUC gene family: Their role in diagnosis and early detection of pancreatic cancer

The early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, as well as distinguishing between chronic pancreatitis and malignant pancreatic disease, remains still a clinical problem. Presently, there is no specific tumor marker for diagnosing pancreatic cancer. Mucin-associated marker like CA 19-9 are the most widely available pancreatic cancer tumor marker, but its value as a screening marker is limited by its reduced specificity. Mucins (MUCs) are heavily glycosylated, high molecular weight glycoproteins with an aberrant expression profile in various malignancies. This review considers briefly the potential use of the mucin expression pattern in diagnosis of pancreatic neoplasm. The overview will point out the present knowledge about changes in the mucin gene expression in pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanINs) as precursor lesions and in pancreatic adenocarcinoma, compared to normal pancreas and chronic pancreatitis and the potential role for differentiating chronic pancreatitis from pancreatic cancer. Furthermore, the potential use of MUCs in the diagnosis and differentiation of intraductal papillary-mucinous neoplasm's (IPMNs) will be discussed.