Latest Research
All publications from the Cancer3.AI database, newest first.
Carotid body tumors: A 10-year observation study of clinical presentation and surgical outcomes.
Arapi B, et al
A Turkish research team conducted a 10-year retrospective study examining surgical outcomes in 52 patients who underwent removal of carotid body tumors, rare growths that develop near the main artery supplying the brain. The study focused on how tumor complexity, classified by the Shamblin system into three grades, influenced surgical difficulty, blood loss, and the risk of nerve damage after the operation. Researchers found that patients with higher Shamblin class tumors experienced significantly longer surgeries, greater intraoperative blood loss, and more frequent neurological complications, with 21.2% of all patients suffering nerve injuries affecting swallowing or voice. The role of preoperative embolization, a technique used to block blood supply to the tumor before surgery, could not be fully evaluated as it was performed in only one patient, leaving its neuroprotective benefit uncertain. These findings reinforce that early detection and surgical planning based on Shamblin classification are critical to reducing the risk of permanent nerve damage in patients with carotid body tumors.
Turk gogus kalp damar cerrahisi dergisi
Source →Patterns of response and survival in metastatic paragangliomas and pheochromocytomas: Experience from two Spanish neuroendocrine tumor centers.
Del Olmo-García MI, et al
Researchers from two Spanish referral centers conducted a retrospective study of 49 patients with metastatic pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas (mPPGLs) treated between 2010 and 2024, aiming to better understand treatment responses and survival outcomes in these rare neuroendocrine tumors. The study evaluated first-line systemic treatments including somatostatin analogues, radionuclide therapies (177Lu and 131I-MIBG), and chemotherapy, finding that chemotherapy and radionuclide therapies produced higher partial response rates than somatostatin analogues. A key finding was that initial tumor burden appeared to be a stronger predictor of treatment response than radiologic progression, which had traditionally been the main trigger for starting systemic therapy. The median overall survival from the start of systemic treatment was 48 months, and patients receiving radionuclide therapies showed longer progression-free survival compared to other treatment types. The authors also proposed a novel five-pattern clinical classification system based on disease trajectory, which may help clinicians individualize treatment strategies for this heterogeneous and difficult-to-treat cancer. The study underscores the urgent need for prospective trials to establish optimal timing and sequencing of systemic therapies in mPPGL patients.
Journal of neuroendocrinology
Source →Combined Large Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of the Endometrium Treated With Paclitaxel, Carboplatin, and Durvalumab, Followed by Maintenance Therapy With Durvalumab and Olaparib (DUO-E Regimen): A Case Report.
Suzuki T, et al
Researchers report the first known case of combined large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) of the endometrium treated with the DUO-E chemotherapy regimen, which pairs paclitaxel and carboplatin with the immunotherapy drug durvalumab. The patient, a 61-year-old woman, was initially diagnosed with suspected endometrial serous carcinoma at an advanced stage and underwent surgery, after which previously undetected lung metastases were discovered. Treatment with the three-drug combination led to the complete disappearance of pulmonary metastases after just one cycle, followed by maintenance therapy with durvalumab and the PARP inhibitor olaparib. This remarkable response suggests that durvalumab, already approved for small cell lung cancer — a cancer with biological similarities to neuroendocrine carcinoma — may represent a promising treatment option for this otherwise deadly gynecologic malignancy. The case provides clinicians with a potential new therapeutic pathway for patients with endometrial LCNEC, a rare and aggressive cancer with historically poor outcomes.
The journal of obstetrics and gynaecology research
Source →Meningoencephalitis and secondary pituitary abscess in a 16-year-old patient with gigantism.
Wissa M, et al
Researchers report an extremely rare case of a 16-year-old patient with gigantism who developed bacterial meningoencephalitis complicated by a superinfected pituitary macroadenoma, forming a secondary pituitary abscess. The patient presented with classic signs of meningitis, and brain MRI revealed a large 30-millimeter pituitary tumor alongside frontobasal meningoencephalitis, initially suggesting a hemorrhagic event within the adenoma. Emergency surgery was performed due to rapid neurological deterioration, and intraoperative findings showed a fibrous, partially necrotic tumor rather than a classic abscess. The medical team concluded that the most likely route of infection was hematogenous spread, meaning bacteria traveled through the bloodstream to infect the pre-existing pituitary adenoma. This case is only the fourth of its kind reported in medical literature, highlighting how rare and diagnostically challenging the combination of meningoencephalitis and pituitary adenoma infection can be. Clinicians are urged to consider hematogenous spread when evaluating similar presentations and to tailor treatment accordingly.
JCEM case reports
Source →Nationwide Incidence, Treatment Pattern, and Prognosis of Primary CNS Lymphoma in Taiwan, 2012-2020: A Retrospective Cohort Study.
Hsiao F, et al
A nationwide retrospective cohort study from Taiwan examined the epidemiology, treatment patterns, and survival outcomes of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) using data from 820 patients diagnosed between 2012 and 2020. The age-standardized incidence was 0.39 per 100,000 person-years, with the disease disproportionately affecting elderly men, and the vast majority of cases being the aggressive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma subtype. Despite 89.5% of patients receiving induction therapy, overall prognosis remained poor, with a median survival of just 1.85 years and nearly half of patients developing relapsed or refractory disease within roughly five months of diagnosis. Encouragingly, the adoption of methotrexate-based chemotherapy combined with rituximab increased substantially over the study period and was associated with significantly better survival compared to whole-brain radiotherapy alone. However, treatment-related adverse events were highly prevalent—including infections in 87.9% and neutropenia in over half of patients—and first-year healthcare costs averaged more than $35,000 USD per patient. These findings highlight a critical unmet need for more effective and better-tolerated therapies for PCNSL, particularly for elderly patients who face dramatically worse outcomes.
Cancer medicine
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