Unlocking the therapeutic potential of polyphenols: Promising advances and future directions in pancreatic cancer treatment

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal malignancies of the digestive tract, with a poor prognosis and a 5-year survival rate of less than 10%. The highly aggressive nature of pancreatic cancer results in a mortality rate of approximately 50% within the 6-month period of diagnosis. The absence of disease-specific symptoms significantly impedes early detection and timely intervention, contributing to its high mortality rate. Current treatment options such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and surgery are often inadequate for complete disease eradication and are associated with severe side effects that compromise patients' overall health. As a result, there is an urgent need for novel therapeutic strategies to address the rapidly increasing incidence of pancreatic cancer while ensuring safer, cost and more effective treatment alternatives. Plant-derived polyphenols have emerged as promising candidates due to their potent anticancer properties and minimal side effects compared to conventional therapies. In this review, we explore the biological significance and anticancer mechanisms of key polyphenols, including quercetin, resveratrol, apigenin, luteolin, EGCG, and curcumin, with a particular focus on their role in combating pancreatic cancer. Additionally, we provide a comprehensive summary of various pancreatic cancer studies, including ongoing clinical trials from the past decade.