Multidrug resistance: a solvable problem?

The results of chemotherapy of pancreatic cancer have been disappointing thusfar. Pancreatic tumors are primary resistant to available drugs. Why that is, is as hard to define as why normal tissues are resistant. Meaningful studies on drug resistance of pancreatic tumors can only be expected after a highly effective drug has been found. While waiting for this magic bullet to arrive, I shall review our knowledge of drug pumps used by other cancer cells to extrude drug from the cells as a method to escape initially effective chemotherapy.