Pancreatic ductal neoplasia exists as a spectrum, ranging from subtle and noninvasive
epithelial abnormalities, termed hyperplasia, to invasive malignancy. It also represents a
progressive series of stages of neoplastic development as cells gain a variety of genetic
changes in a stepwise manner. Many of the genes involved are already known. Some
genetic mutations are inherited in a familial pattern, whereas the bulk is acquired during the
neoplastic progression that occurs in the ducts. Patients with the familial form of recurrent …