Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly aggressive primary malignancy of the pancreas, with a dismal prognosis and limited treatment options. It possesses a unique tumor microenvironment (TME), generating dense stroma with complex elements cross-talking with each other to promote tumor growth and progression. Diversified neural components makes for not having a full understanding of their influence on its aggressive behavior. The aim of the study was to summarize and integrate the role of nerves in the pancreatic tumor microenvironment. The role of autonomic nerve fibers on PDAC development has been recently studied, which resulted in considering the targeting of sympathetic and parasympathetic pathways as a novel treatment opportunity. Perineural invasion (PNI) is commonly found in PDAC. As the severity of the PNI correlates with a poorer prognosis, new quantification of this phenomenon, distinguishing between perineural and endoneural invasion, could feature in routine pathological examination. The concepts of cancer-related neurogenesis and axonogenesis in PDAC are understudied; so, further research in this field may be warranted. A better understanding of the interdependence between the neural component and cancer cells in the PDAC microenvironment could bring new nerve-oriented treatment options into clinical practice and improve outcomes in patients with pancreatic cancer. In this review, we aim to summarize and integrate the current state of knowledge and future challenges concerning nerve–cancer interactions in PDAC.

Reversed‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography has been applied to the determination of acyclovir (ACV) esters such as acetate, isobutyrate, pivalate, ethoxycarbonate, and nicotinate. All analyses were carried out at laboratory temperature using a column LiChrospher RP‐18 (250 × 4 mm, 5 µm) and a proper mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile and phosphate buffer (pH 6 or 6.7) or acetonitrile and potassium dihydrogen phosphate, and acetic acid. The methods were validated by the determination of the following parameters: selectivity, precision, accuracy, and linearity. Kinetic studies on the hydrolysis were investigated in solutions at 310 K over the pH range 0.42–1.38. The pH‐profiles indicated specific acid‐catalyzed and spontaneous water‐catalyzed degradation. The stability of the studied ACV esters were determined not only by steric factors. In the case of ethoxycarbonyl ester of ACV, the hydrolysis was a two‐step reaction.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally, exceeded only by cardiovascular disease. Despite the introduction of several survival-prolonging treatment modalities, including targeted therapy and immunotherapy, the overall prognosis for the metastatic disease remains challenging. Therefore, the identification of new molecular biomarkers and therapeutic targets related to cancer diagnosis and prognosis is of paramount importance. DNA polymerase delta 1 (POLD1), a catalytic and proofreading subunit of the DNA polymerase δ complex, performs a crucial role in DNA replication and repair processes. Recently, germline and somatic mutations of the POLD1 gene have been acknowledged in several malignancies. Moreover, diversified POLD1 expression profiles have been reported in association with clinicopathological features in a variety of tumor types. With this review, we aim to summarize the current knowledge on the role of POLD1 in cancers. In addition, we discuss the future prospects and clinical applications of the assessment of POLD1 mutation and expression patterns in tumors.

I n t r o d u c t i o n : Computed tomography laser mammography (CTLM) is a type of opticaltomography imaging. The main advantage of optical methods is the absence of ionizing radiation. Therefore, it can be used regardless of the age or pregnancy condition of the patient. Moreover, CTLM does not require breast compression. A i m : The aim of the study is to evaluate the accuracy of CTLM for detecting breast cancer and therefore to asses the suitability to place this new technique in the diagnostic chain of procedures. M a t e r i a l a n d m e t h o d s : A group of 175 white European women were enrolled in the study (age 25-79, average 55 years old). All of the subjects had a CTLM performed in 2006 at the Department of Radiodiagnostics in the Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Centre. R e s u l t s a n d d i s c u s s i o n : Based on the histopathology, breast cancer was found in 70 (40%) cases; in 105 (60%) cases malignancy was not found. When comparing CTLM results to the golden standard of histopathology, a differentiation between benign and malignant foci was found, obtaining the following values for the sensitivity of 71%, specificity of 72%, PPV 63,2% and NPV 79,1%). C o n c l u s i o n s : The obtained levels of sensitivity and specificity in this study exclude CTLM as a stand-alone diagnostic method and it is assessed as unable to compete with current state-of-the-art approaches.

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