[Pathology of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma].

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly aggressive malignancy. At the time of diagnosis, the cancer is usually at an advanced stage and only a minority of the cases are eligible for surgical resection. To improve prognosis, it is crucial to diagnose and treat the disease at an early stage. This article reviews the cytopathology and histopathology of PDAC and its precursors. The three main aspects of PDAC pathology are the primary confirmation of cancer, the macroscopic and microscopic evaluation of pancreatic resection specimens and molecular testing. It is beneficial to run the diagnostics and to treat the patients at specialized pancreatic cancer centers, where every member of the team is confronted with many cases.