Clinical Value of Circulating miRNA in Diagnosis, Prognosis, Screening and Monitoring Therapy of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma–A Review of the Literature

Abstract

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is considered to be the seventh most common cause of cancer-related deaths. The number of deaths caused by PC is estimated to increase in the future. An early diagnosis of PC is crucial for improving treatment outcomes. The most common histopathological subtype of PC is pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). MicroRNAs (miRNAs)—which are endogenous non-coding RNAs involved in the posttranscriptional regulation of multiple gene expression—constitute useful diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in various neoplasms, including PDAC. Circulating miRNAs detected in a patient’s serum or plasma are drawing more and more attention. Hence, this review aims at evaluating the clinical value of circulating miRNA in the screening, diagnosis, prognosis and monitoring of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma therapy.