Promoters from genes altered in a broad number of tumor types and in pancreatic cancer in particular, such as the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), midkine (MK), E2F1, cancer-specific progression elevated gene-3 promoter (PEG-prom), human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), urokinase-like plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) have been used to drive E1 and/or E4 adenoviral genes. This evidence concerns the gene MDK and neoplasm.