Feasibility of Fecal Micrornas as Novel Biomarkers for Pancreatic Cancer
Feasibility of Fecal MicroRNAs as Novel Biomarkers for Pancreatic Cancer
Are there means of detecting Pancreatic Cancer sooner?
The article “Feasibility of Fecal MicroRNAs as Novel Biomarkers for Pancreatic Cancer” is all
about multiple studies done in hopes of finding alternate means to spot out pancreatic cancer
(PCA) in its early and beginning stages. The reason for so much emphasis and stress on this
study according to the article is because it clearly states that “PCA is the second leading cause of
gastrointestinal cancer-related death in Europe and USA.” (Link, Becker, Goel, Wex &
Malfertheiner, 2012) Majority of patients who are treated for such issues such as tumors are
usually diagnosed in the final stages of the cancer and are only able to use means such as
radiology or surgical removal to try to help prognosis along. However, upon researching this
matter further, scientists have found that “… blood, stool or other body fluids are currently
believed to be the best avenues for biomarker research that incorporates a broad spectrum of
genetic and/or epigenetic alternations associated with cancer.” (Link, Becker, Goel, Wex &
Malfertheiner, 2012) They suggest that the fluids, lining and feces that passes through the
intestines would definitely have an answer for them because the pancreas spills into the intestine.
Therefore, any fluids or secretions from the pancreas into the intestine would result in being
positive or negative for cancer cells. They suggest feces because it travels through the intestine
and it would be the best specimen to observe. In order to conduct this research, they preformed
multiple fecal specimens on a wide range of patients: 15 healthy, 15 who had chronic
pancreatitis and 15 who were PCA patients. The fecal samples had to be “broken down”
(meaning the RNA had to be isolated to get to the microRNAs and seclude this part as well).
What they found
Are there means of detecting Pancreatic Cancer sooner?
The article “Feasibility of Fecal MicroRNAs as Novel Biomarkers for Pancreatic Cancer” is all
about multiple studies done in hopes of finding alternate means to spot out pancreatic cancer
(PCA) in its early and beginning stages. The reason for so much emphasis and stress on this
study according to the article is because it clearly states that “PCA is the second leading cause of
gastrointestinal cancer-related death in Europe and USA.” (Link, Becker, Goel, Wex &
Malfertheiner, 2012) Majority of patients who are treated for such issues such as tumors are
usually diagnosed in the final stages of the cancer and are only able to use means such as
radiology or surgical removal to try to help prognosis along. However, upon researching this
matter further, scientists have found that “… blood, stool or other body fluids are currently
believed to be the best avenues for biomarker research that incorporates a broad spectrum of
genetic and/or epigenetic alternations associated with cancer.” (Link, Becker, Goel, Wex &
Malfertheiner, 2012) They suggest that the fluids, lining and feces that passes through the
intestines would definitely have an answer for them because the pancreas spills into the intestine.
Therefore, any fluids or secretions from the pancreas into the intestine would result in being
positive or negative for cancer cells. They suggest feces because it travels through the intestine
and it would be the best specimen to observe. In order to conduct this research, they preformed
multiple fecal specimens on a wide range of patients: 15 healthy, 15 who had chronic
pancreatitis and 15 who were PCA patients. The fecal samples had to be “broken down”
(meaning the RNA had to be isolated to get to the microRNAs and seclude this part as well).
What they found
References: Link, A., Becker, V., Goel, A., Wex, T., & Malfertheiner, P. (2012, August 8). PLOS ONE: Feasibility of Fecal MicroRNAs as Novel Biomarkers for Pancreatic Cancer. PLOS ONE : accelerating the publication of peer-reviewed science. Retrieved October 1, 2012, from http:// www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0042933