Latest Research
All publications from the Cancer3.AI database, newest first.
Plaque Radiotherapy for Posterior Uveal Melanoma in 4000 Eyes: Analysis of ≥15-Letter Visual Acuity Loss in the Pre-Anti-VEGF Era.
Shields CL, et al
A large-scale study published in Retina analyzed visual outcomes in 4,000 consecutive patients treated with plaque radiotherapy for posterior uveal melanoma (a rare eye cancer) between 1976 and 2008, before the era of anti-VEGF injections. Researchers tracked how often patients lost 15 or more letters of visual acuity — a clinically meaningful decline — stratifying results by tumor size into small, medium, and large categories. The study found that 62% of all patients experienced this level of vision loss at a median of just 16 months after treatment, and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed the cumulative rate rising to 73% by five years and 82% by ten years. Smaller tumors were associated with younger patients, better baseline vision, and tumors located closer to the optic disc and fovea, resulting in higher radiation doses to these critical structures. These findings establish an important historical baseline for radiation-induced vision loss in uveal melanoma, underscoring why the subsequent introduction of anti-VEGF therapy represented a significant advance in preserving sight after plaque radiotherapy.
Retina (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Source →DNA replication and cell division complexes remain physically associated throughout the cell cycle in Helicobacter pylori.
Dubey P, et al
Researchers investigated the physical relationship between two key cellular machinery complexes — the replisome, responsible for DNA replication, and the divisome, responsible for cell division — in the stomach bacterium Helicobacter pylori, a major cause of gastric cancer worldwide. The study focused on understanding how these two complexes behave throughout the bacterial cell cycle, noting that both processes begin at the cell poles and migrate toward the cell's center, an unusual arrangement compared to other bacteria. For the first time, scientists demonstrated direct physical interactions between replisome and divisome proteins both in laboratory conditions (in vitro) and within living bacterial cells (in vivo). This physical coupling appears to be facilitated by a unique Min CDE regulatory system and the absence of a protein called SlmA, features specific to Helicobacter that may explain its distinctive polar assembly pattern. These findings shed light on fundamental mechanisms of H. pylori biology and open new avenues for developing targeted antibacterial therapies, which are urgently needed as drug-resistant strains of the bacterium continue to complicate treatment of H. pylori-associated stomach cancer.
FEMS microbiology letters
Source →Surgical Determinants of Outcomes in Partial Nephrectomy: a Contemporary Review.
Guevara R, et al
A contemporary review published in Current Urology Reports examines the key technical and clinical factors that determine outcomes in partial nephrectomy, the preferred surgical treatment for localized kidney tumors. The authors analyzed how specific steps of the procedure—including ischemia management, resection technique, and parenchymal preservation—affect cancer control, kidney function, and surgical complications in the minimally invasive era. Recent evidence highlighted in the review suggests that techniques such as tumor enucleation and selective clamping can preserve kidney function without sacrificing oncologic safety in carefully selected patients. Advances in intraoperative imaging, three-dimensional surgical planning, and fluorescence-guided surgery have further improved precision and decision-making during the procedure. The review concludes that outcomes depend primarily on tumor characteristics, patient factors, and surgical technique rather than on the specific robotic or laparoscopic platform used. These findings underscore the importance of surgeon experience and thorough preoperative planning in optimizing results for patients undergoing kidney-sparing surgery.
Current urology reports
Source →Paraneoplastic leukocytosis in peritoneal dialysis.
Chan HY, et al
This case report describes an exceptionally rare occurrence of primary dedifferentiated liposarcoma arising from the pancreas in a 60-year-old woman who had been on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis for three years due to diabetic kidney disease. The patient initially presented with persistent fever and a markedly elevated white blood cell count that did not respond to broad-spectrum antibiotics, and later developed cloudy dialysate fluid that mimicked infectious peritoneal dialysis peritonitis. Imaging and needle biopsy ultimately revealed a large, locally invasive pancreatic mass with distant metastases, confirming the diagnosis of liposarcoma rather than an infectious process. Despite palliative chemotherapy, the patient's condition worsened and she died of pneumonia ten months after diagnosis. This case highlights that unexplained fever and leukocytosis in peritoneal dialysis patients should prompt clinicians to consider malignancy — a phenomenon known as paraneoplastic leukocytosis — especially when infectious workup yields negative results. Recognizing this rare presentation is critical to avoid diagnostic delays and ensure patients receive appropriate oncological evaluation.
Peritoneal dialysis international : journal of the International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis
Source →Gallbladder removal induces hepatic transcriptional and metabolic shifts with cholesterol dysregulation as a key feature.
Liang F, et al
Researchers investigated the biological consequences of cholecystectomy, the surgical removal of the gallbladder, on liver function and metabolism. The study examined gene expression patterns and metabolic activity in the liver following gallbladder removal, revealing significant transcriptional reprogramming in hepatic tissue. A key finding was that cholesterol metabolism becomes dysregulated after cholecystectomy, suggesting the gallbladder plays a more active role in maintaining hepatic lipid homeostasis than previously appreciated. These results are clinically relevant because cholecystectomy is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures worldwide, and the long-term metabolic consequences for patients have not been fully understood. The identification of cholesterol dysregulation as a central feature of post-cholecystectomy liver changes may help explain elevated risks of metabolic conditions observed in some patients after surgery and could inform future clinical management strategies.
Scientific reports
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