Latest Research
All publications from the Cancer3.AI database, newest first.
Trends in survival outcomes after allogeneic transplantation for MDS and MDS/MPN in a real-world experience: A 25-year nationwide study.
Itonaga H, et al
A large nationwide study from Japan analyzed survival trends among 7,175 patients who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) for myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and related blood cancers over a 25-year period from 1998 to 2022. Researchers found that overall mortality decreased significantly over time for patients with early MDS, advanced MDS, chronic myelomonocytic leukemia, and atypical chronic myeloid leukemia, with the most recent transplant era showing the greatest survival improvements. These gains were primarily driven by reductions in non-relapse mortality, meaning patients are increasingly surviving the transplant procedure itself and its complications. However, relapse rates after transplantation did not improve across any disease subtype, indicating that preventing cancer recurrence after transplant remains a major unresolved challenge. Patients with MDS/MPN-unclassified and therapy-related myeloid neoplasms did not show significant survival improvements, suggesting these subtypes require further research and new treatment strategies. Overall, the findings provide clinicians with important real-world evidence that transplant outcomes have meaningfully improved over recent decades, while pointing to relapse prevention as the critical next frontier.
British journal of haematology
Source →The Clip-Pulley Maneuver: Atraumatic and Adjustable Retraction in Robotic Liver Resection.
Ashida R, et al
Surgeons at a research center developed a novel liver retraction technique called the Clip-Pulley Maneuver (CPM) designed to improve safety during robotic liver removal surgery. Traditional retraction methods require puncturing the diaphragm or surrounding tissues with barbed sutures or hook-needles, which can cause serious complications including diaphragmatic injury or collapsed lung. The CPM instead uses a non-penetrating pulley-like system in which a suture is placed on the liver surface, threaded through a clip anchored on the diaphragm, and then guided outside the body wall, allowing the surgeon to adjust traction force in real time without additional punctures. In a series of 26 robotic hepatectomies performed between February and November 2025, the technique resulted in zero CPM-related complications and no diaphragm injuries in any patient. These findings suggest that CPM is a safe, effective, and reusable alternative to conventional retraction methods that could reduce the risk of serious surgical complications for patients undergoing robotic liver surgery.
Annals of surgical oncology
Source →Synergistic Thermochemotherapy via Injectable Polyurethane Hydrogel Co-Delivering Cisplatin and 17AAG for Peritoneal Metastasis of Colorectal Cancer.
Wang X, et al
Researchers developed an injectable hydrogel system called CDDP/17AAG@PU that co-delivers two anticancer drugs, cisplatin and 17AAG, directly into the abdominal cavity to treat colorectal cancer that has spread to the peritoneum, a condition with notoriously poor outcomes under conventional heated chemotherapy. The hydrogel is made from a biodegradable polyurethane material that remains liquid at body temperature (37°C), allowing it to spread and coat tumor nodules throughout the peritoneal surface, then rapidly solidifies into a gel at 43°C — the standard temperature used in clinical hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). Laboratory and animal studies showed the system released drugs gradually at safe doses, significantly reducing liver and kidney toxicity compared to free drug administration, as evidenced by lower ALT and creatinine blood levels and less damage to normal intestinal cells. The combination treatment enhanced tumor-killing by promoting DNA cross-linking and blocking key cancer-driving proteins including p-PI3K, p-AKT, and MMP2, outperforming single-drug treatments in animal models of peritoneal metastasis. This biocompatible, degradable delivery platform addresses a major clinical challenge — the difficulty of achieving uniform drug distribution against peritoneal tumors — and holds strong potential for improving HIPEC outcomes in colorectal cancer patients.
Advanced healthcare materials
Source →Proton-specific dose and radiation quality constraints to reduce acute oral mucositis in head and neck cancer patients.
Cartechini G, et al
Researchers at the University of Miami investigated radiation-induced oral mucositis (RIOM), a painful and debilitating side effect affecting the mouth lining, in head and neck cancer patients treated with either proton therapy (IMPT) or conventional photon radiotherapy (VMAT). The study enrolled 173 patients and found that photon therapy caused significantly more severe mucositis, with 84% of VMAT patients affected compared to 56% of IMPT patients, and high-grade cases (Grade 2 or 3) occurring in 68% versus 33% respectively. The team developed new proton-specific dose-volume constraints by incorporating not only radiation dose and organ volume but also radiation quality measured through microdosimetry, moving away from a one-size-fits-all conversion factor previously used to adapt photon guidelines for proton treatments. The new constraints showed strong ability to predict which patients would develop severe mucositis (AUC of 0.81), and computer simulations suggested that strict adherence to these guidelines could reduce high-grade RIOM rates from 33% to 20% in proton therapy patients. This work provides clinicians with a more accurate, proton-tailored framework for treatment planning that could meaningfully reduce one of the most common and distressing complications of head and neck radiotherapy.
Radiotherapy and oncology : journal of the European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology
Source →Protocol flexibility in PCOS: a combination of controlled ovarian stimulation and endometrial preparation strategies shows no impact on live birth outcomes after frozen embryo transfer-a retrospective cohort study.
Chen D, et al
A large retrospective study examined whether the choice of ovarian stimulation protocol or endometrial preparation method affects pregnancy outcomes in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) undergoing frozen embryo transfer (FET). Researchers analyzed data from 2,510 PCOS patients treated between 2017 and 2024, comparing four combinations of GnRH antagonist or agonist stimulation protocols with either hormone replacement therapy or natural ovulatory cycles for FET preparation. After rigorous statistical adjustment, live birth rates and other key reproductive outcomes were equivalent across all four protocol combinations, meaning no single approach was superior. Exploratory analyses did suggest a non-significant trend in which GnRH agonist protocols and natural ovulatory cycles were associated with slightly lower rates of preterm premature rupture of membranes and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. These findings support a flexible, individualized approach to treatment planning for PCOS patients, allowing clinicians to tailor protocols to each patient's specific circumstances without compromising the chance of a successful live birth. Further prospective research is warranted to confirm whether the observed trend toward lower obstetric complications with more physiological protocols has real clinical significance.
Gynecological endocrinology : the official journal of the International Society of Gynecological Endocrinology
Source →