Preface

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal solid organ tumors with a poor five-year survival rate despite current oncological advances. Pancreatic cancer may arise from the exocrine part of the gland (adenocarcinomas) or from the endocrine pancreas (pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors). The early and proper diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is of great importance for the improvement of the overall prognosis. Symptoms such as progressive weight loss, anorexia, abdominal pain, and jaundice appear late in the disease course and are nonspecific. Recent advances in and increasing sensitivity of diagnostic techniques such as multi-detector row computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography, and endoscopic ultrasound are promising for early detection, staging, and differentiation of pancreatic cancer from other pancreatic diseases. Prognosis and treatment depend on the stage of pancreatic cancer; treatment strategies include surgery, ablation, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and palliative care. There is increasing interest in the tumor microenvironment and the potential of treatment options. This book includes six chapters covering the current challenges and states of pancreatic cancer and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, including information on diagnostic tools, treatment strategies, and mechanisms of pancreatic cancer therapy resistance. The book is an ideal reference for a wide audience interested in the different fields of pancreatology.

For their frankness and diligence in reviewing the proposed chapters, we would like to thank all the authors who have contributed to this book. We have incorporated many of their recommendations and the book is much improved as a consequence.

Special thanks go to the staff at IntechOpen, especially Author Service Managers Dolores Kuzelj, Rebekah Pribetic, and Nina Kalinic Babic, and Commissioning Editor Lucija Tomicic-Dromgool, for their dedicated support in the reviewing process and their suggestions for further improvements.

> **Mila Dimitrova Kovacheva-Slavova and Borislav Georgiev Vladimirov** Department of Gastroenterology, University Hospital "Tsaritsa Ioanna-ISUL", Medical University of Sofia, Sofia, Bulgaria
