DCLK1 and familial pancreatic carcinoma: In order to assess DCLK1's gene expression pattern across gastrointestinal cancer types, we analyzed the TCGA esophageal (ESCA), stomach (STAD), liver (LIHC), pancreas (PAAD), and colorectal (COADREAD) datasets and found that pancreatic cancer tissue has the highest DCLK1 mRNA expression levels among the gastrointestinal cancer types (Figure 1(a)).