Peer-review started: July 29, 2015
First decision: October 13, 2015
Revised: December 8, 2015
Accepted: December 29, 2015
Article in press: January 4, 2016
Published online: March 27, 2016
Pancreatic cancer has an overall 5-year survival rate of less than 5%. Unfortunately, patient survival has not substantially improved in the last couple of decades despite advances in treatment modalities that have been successful in other cancer types. The poor response of pancreatic cancer to therapy is a major obstacle faced by clinicians. Increasing attention is being paid to how tumor cells and non-tumor cells influence each other in the pancreatic tumor microenvironment. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are a highlight in this field because of their vast presence in the tumor microenvironment. TAMs promote angiogenesis, metastasis, and suppress the anti-tumor immune response. Here we review the current understanding of the role of TAMs in regulating the progression of pancreatic cancer.
Core tip: Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most deadly cancers with dismal 5-year survival rates. Increasing importance is being given to the role of macrophages in pancreatic cancer. Tumor-associated promote angiogenesis, metastasis, and suppress the anti-tumor immune response. Targeting macrophages within the tumor microenvironment is an attractive novel therapeutic approach. Here we review the current understanding of the role of tumor-associated macrophages in the progression of pancreatic cancer.