ABSTRACT
Pancreatic duct stones are closely related to chronic pancreatitis. Although the incidence is low, they can cause intractable abdominal pain and may lead to pancreatic cancer. Changes in the composition of pancreatic juice are the essential causes for the formation of pancreatic duct stones, while local inflammation and pancreatic ductal stenosis are the direct causes of the progression of stones and the recurrence of the symptoms, and they are also the main targets of treatment. Endoscopic treatment combined with extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy has a good therapeutic effect on most pancreatic duct stones. More complex stones require surgical intervention. The choice of specific surgical methods is related to the size and distribution of the stones. Treatment schemes should aim at reducing long-term stones or pain recurrence, and preserving more endocrine and exocrine functions of the pancreas, in order to bring greater benefits to patients.
ABSTRACT
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is closely associated with the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). T2DM can increase the risk of HCC in many ways, which suggests that several signaling pathways or susceptibility genes might be involved in the development of these two diseases. This article discusses the role of T2DM in the development of HCC and the association between T2DM and HCC at genetic and molecular levels and finds that nuclear receptor co-activator 5, transcription factor 7-like 2, glycogen synthase kinase 3β, and Toll-like receptor 4 are involved in the pathogenesis of T2DM and HCC, which is the key that links the two diseases at genetic and molecular levels.