Latest Research
All publications from the Cancer3.AI database, newest first.
Recurrent laryngeal nerve schwannoma adjacent to the thyroid: a case report.
Yamauchi M, et al
Researchers report an exceptionally rare case of a schwannoma — a benign nerve sheath tumor — arising from the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) in a 56-year-old Japanese woman, where the tumor was located adjacent to the thyroid gland and initially mistaken for a parathyroid or thyroid mass. The 4-centimeter tumor was discovered incidentally during a routine chest X-ray showing tracheal deviation, and standard diagnostic tests including fine-needle aspiration cytology failed to provide a conclusive diagnosis before surgery. During surgical removal, the tumor was found to be closely intertwined with the RLN, requiring the nerve to be cut and then surgically reconnected (neurorrhaphy) to preserve its function — a technically demanding procedure given the tumor's proximity to the mediastinum. Histopathology confirmed the schwannoma diagnosis, and the patient's history of similar tumors in other nerve locations suggested an underlying condition called schwannomatosis. At two years post-surgery, the patient showed no signs of recurrence, highlighting that surgical excision with nerve preservation is an effective treatment. This case underscores the importance for clinicians to include nerve-origin tumors in the differential diagnosis of paratracheal masses, particularly when imaging shows a cystic, extrathyroidal lesion and biopsy results are inconclusive.
Journal of medical case reports
Source →Gastric synovial sarcoma: the critical role of molecular techniques in diagnosis of an ultra-rare cancer.
Elango T, et al
Researchers report a rare case of gastric synovial sarcoma (GSS), a highly unusual cancer of the stomach's connective tissue, in a man in his 50s who presented with indigestion and upper abdominal pain. Gastroscopy revealed an ulcerous tumor near the gastro-oesophageal junction, and the diagnosis was confirmed through histology, immunohistochemistry, and molecular analysis identifying the SS18::SSX1 gene fusion, which is the hallmark of synovial sarcoma. The patient was successfully treated with robot-assisted minimally invasive partial stomach removal, achieving clear surgical margins, and showed no signs of cancer recurrence at six months. With only 51 cases of GSS ever reported in the medical literature, this case highlights how exceptionally challenging it is to diagnose this malignancy using conventional methods alone. The findings emphasize that advanced molecular diagnostic techniques are essential for correctly identifying GSS and distinguishing it from other stomach tumors. This case provides valuable clinical guidance for physicians encountering unusual gastric masses, demonstrating that accurate diagnosis combined with minimally invasive surgery can lead to favorable patient outcomes.
BMJ case reports
Source →Development and validation of a nomogram for overall survival in pancreatic solid pseudopapillary neoplasm: a population-based study.
Zhong P, et al
Researchers developed and validated a prognostic tool called a nomogram to predict overall survival in patients with solid pseudopapillary neoplasm (SPN), a rare type of pancreatic tumor. Using data from the large SEER population database covering diagnoses between 2000 and 2018, combined with institutional patient data spanning 2008 to 2026, the team identified four key independent factors influencing survival: the number of positive lymph nodes, patient age, type of surgery performed, and disease stage. The nomogram demonstrated excellent predictive accuracy, with concordance indices above 0.92 across training, internal validation, and external validation cohorts, and area-under-the-curve values consistently above 0.7. Calibration curves confirmed that predicted survival probabilities closely matched real-world outcomes, and decision curve analysis showed the tool provides meaningful clinical benefit. This validated nomogram offers clinicians a practical, evidence-based instrument to assess individual patient prognosis and personalize treatment decisions for this uncommon but important pancreatic tumor.
Scientific reports
Source →Histotripsy for neuroendocrine liver metastases: Early single-institution outcomes and safety.
Liu E, et al
Researchers at a single institution investigated histotripsy — a noninvasive, focused ultrasound technology that destroys tumors through mechanical cavitation without radiation — as a treatment for neuroendocrine tumor metastases in the liver. The study followed 32 consecutive patients, 27 of whom had neuroendocrine tumors originating primarily from the small intestine, pancreas, lung, or cecum, treated using the EDISON histotripsy system. Among the 19 tumors targeted with full treatment intent, all achieved a complete response, while partially treated tumors showed stable disease, demonstrating the technology's effectiveness when full tumor coverage is possible. Safety concerns emerged, however, including acute kidney injury in three patients and one treatment-related death linked to respiratory distress in a patient with pre-existing lung compromise. The authors suggest that the breakdown of tumor tissue may release substances that stress the kidneys, and they recommend careful patient selection, limiting the volume treated per session, and close monitoring during procedures. These early findings establish histotripsy as a promising tool for managing liver metastases from neuroendocrine tumors and support broader clinical trials to refine its safe application.
Surgery
Source →Development and Validation of Nomogram Predicting Survival in Resectable Gallbladder Cancer.
Patkar S, et al
Researchers developed and validated a statistical tool called a nomogram to predict overall survival in patients with resectable gallbladder cancer, a rare but aggressive malignancy with historically poor outcomes. The study analyzed data from 1,045 patients who underwent surgical resection between 2010 and 2022, making it one of the larger datasets in this field. The nomogram incorporated seven key factors: patient age, tumor stage, lymph node involvement, lympho-vascular or perineural invasion, the tumor marker CA 19-9, whether the cancer was discovered incidentally, and tumor grade. The tool demonstrated good discriminatory ability, with area under the curve values of approximately 72% for predicting survival at one, three, and five years, and successfully stratified patients into low- and high-risk groups with significantly different median survival times. This nomogram offers clinicians a practical, individualized approach to estimating prognosis after surgery, which could help guide decisions about adjuvant treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation and ultimately improve patient outcomes.
Journal of hepato-biliary-pancreatic sciences
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