This article has an accompanying continuing medical education activity, also eligible for MOC credit, on page e19. Learning Objective: Upon completion of this CME activity successful learners will be able to (1) evaluate the probability of a venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with newly diagnosed pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC); (2) identify the risk factors for VTE in patients with PDAC; and (3) assess the impact of VTE on survival in patients with PDAC. Venous Thromboembolism and Pancreatic CancerThe BACAP-VTE Study : pancreatic cancer patients prospectively followed-up from time of enrollment until last visit or death 152 patients (20.79%) developed a VTE during a median follow-up of 19.3 months Patients developing VTE during follow-up had lower PFS (HR 1.74, 95%CI 1.19-2.54, P=.004) Patients developing VTE during follow-up had lower OS (HR 2.02, 95%CI 1.57-2.60, P<.001).

Identification of K-ras mutations in samples of pancreatic juice may be useful in differentiating between pancreatic cancer and noncancerous pancreatic diseases. K-ras mutation can precede clinical evidence of pancreatic cancer, but the clinical implications of this finding need further study.

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Expression profiling is a useful method to identify biomarkers and potential target genes. Molecular analysis of EUS-guided FNA samples in pancreatic cancer appears as a valuable strategy for the diagnosis of pancreatic adenocarcinomas.