Is acquired resistance of pancreatic cancer cells towards 5-Fluorouracil and gemcitabine associated with altered expression of apoptosis-regulating genes?
These findings reveal that pancreatic cancer cell lines are generally resistant to 5-FU and are more sensitive towards gemcitabine. The bax/bcl-2 ratio is predictive of chemotherapy sensitivity, whereas bcl-x(L) and mcl-1 mRNA levels following repeated exposure to 5-FU or gemcitabine are associated with resistance to these drugs. These findings suggest that the activation of anti-apoptotic genes after repeated drug exposure contributes to chemoresistance of pancreatic cancer cells and that blockage of anti-apoptotic genes might enhance chemosensitivity in pancreatic cancer.
Simple algorithms can identify Medicare claims for screening mammography with high predictive values in Medicare claims alone and in claims linked with cancer registry data.