Role of Inflammatory Cytokines in the Initiation and Progression of Pancreatic Cancer

Abstract

It is essential to identify different targets for pancreatic cancer (PC) as it is asymptomatic until it has metastasized to other organs. After which time, the convention methods to control cancer such as surgery and chemotherapy is no longer an option. Over the years, it has been noted that the inflammation is a major cause of initiation of pancreatitis, leading to cancer. Various inflammatory cytokines initiate and play a role in progression of this cancer. In this chapter, we will be discussing about major inflammatory cytokines that have been identified over the years. For each cytokine, we will be looking at the source of the cytokines, the signaling mechanism of that cytokine, its role in other cancers followed by pancreatic cancer. Since the survival of many diagnosed PC patients are limited to months, understanding the origins and basic cascades of these different cytokines could better help in identifying the targets and developing different therapeutic approaches in screening of the patients with this disease.