Pancreatic Cancer: Insights from Counterterrorism Theories

Recently, a molecular tumor profile analyzed at our medical institution evoked an uncommon communications hub in one of the molecular pathway networks. The patient was a multiyear survivor of pancreatic cancer, and the oncologist requested molecular analyses that would assist in treatment decisions. The hub was noticed because of its topological similarity to optimal terrorist networks that are resilient against attack. Although the hub's topology could have been simply a methodological artifact, its presence did support the consulting pathologist's recommendation that the oncologist refrain from overstimulating the patient's active immune system. In addition, the terrorism/cancer analogy sparked investigation into environments that neutralize covert networks; this led to novel hypotheses about cancer prevention and control for further research. Despite parallels between the “war on cancer” and the “war on terrorism,” there has been very little crossover work between biomedical researchers and researchers in military intelligence. Here is an example of how analytical methods based on infrastructure similarities between molecular interaction pathways and terrorism networks support preclinical research and medical decision making for diseases that have progressed beyond standard-of-care treatments.