Despite this immunity, pancreatic cancer patients suffer a quick demise. IL-10, a Th2 cytokine, were at significantly lower levels than observed in normal donors tested between their fifth and seventh decades of life. An age associated progression of increased IL-10 levels was not observed in pancreatic cancer patients. Cell mediated cytotoxicity including T-cell mediated killing of pancreatic tumor cell lines was detected in many patients. Malignant insulinomas are more aggressive and the delay of diagnosis is shorter that in cases with benign tumors.
Selective arteriography remains the best preoperative localization procedure.
This new diagnostic modality is based on functional changes in the pancreatic cancer cells caused by enhanced glucose metabolism. Increased glucose utilization is one of the characteristics of malignantly transformed cells, independent of their origin. The technical development of PET has allowed this new procedure to be used for clinical evaluation. However, high sensitivity and high specificity are strongly dependent on the tumor stage. At present PET is still experimental and is available only in specialized centers.