Latest Research
All publications from the Cancer3.AI database, newest first.
Association Between Statin Use and Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer Risk: A Distributed Network Analysis of 11 Real-World Databases.
An J, et al
A large multicenter study from South Korea investigated whether the use of statins — widely prescribed cholesterol-lowering medications — affects the risk of developing non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC), the most common type of skin cancer. Researchers analyzed electronic health records from 11 Korean hospitals, enrolling over 18,500 statin users and an equal number of matched non-users among patients treated for high cholesterol. Using propensity score matching and Cox regression analysis, the study found no statistically significant association between statin use and NMSC risk, with a hazard ratio of 1.03, essentially indicating no difference between groups. Subgroup analyses by drug type, age, and sex also showed no meaningful trends. These findings provide reassurance to clinicians and patients that statin therapy does not appear to increase the risk of non-melanoma skin cancer, helping to resolve prior uncertainty about a possible harmful or protective skin cancer effect of these medications.
Annals of dermatology
Source →Line-field confocal optical coherence tomography for early diagnosis and characterization of kaposi sarcoma: correlation with histopathology.
Feresin F, et al
Researchers investigated the use of line-field confocal optical coherence tomography (LC-OCT), a non-invasive skin imaging technology, for the early diagnosis and detailed characterization of Kaposi sarcoma, a cancer of the blood and lymphatic vessel walls that commonly affects immunocompromised patients. The study examined how LC-OCT images correlate with traditional histopathology findings, effectively comparing what the device sees in living tissue with what pathologists observe under a microscope on biopsy samples. The findings suggest that LC-OCT can reliably identify structural features of Kaposi sarcoma in the skin without the need for an invasive biopsy, offering a real-time, painless diagnostic alternative. This technology could significantly benefit clinicians by enabling faster diagnosis and better monitoring of lesion progression or response to treatment. For patients, particularly those living with HIV or undergoing immunosuppressive therapy, a non-invasive diagnostic tool could reduce procedural burden and allow for earlier therapeutic intervention.
Italian journal of dermatology and venereology
Source →Platelets Outperform Leukocytes in Transcriptomic Liquid Biopsy Profiling of Myeloproliferative Neoplasms.
Shen Z, et al
Researchers compared the diagnostic power of RNA sequencing from platelets versus white blood cells (leukocytes) in 76 individuals, including patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) — a group of blood cancers that can progress to life-threatening bone marrow scarring known as myelofibrosis. Using matched blood samples from the same patients, the team found that platelets carried far richer disease-specific molecular signals, showing 5.1 times more differentially expressed genes in myelofibrosis compared to leukocytes. Platelet gene activity reflected dysfunction of the bone marrow cells that produce platelets (megakaryocytes), while leukocyte signals captured only general inflammation. Machine learning models built on platelet RNA outperformed both leukocyte-based and standard clinical models in diagnosing myelofibrosis, achieving an area under the curve of 0.85 versus 0.77 and 0.59 respectively. These findings position platelet transcriptomics as a superior, minimally invasive tool for monitoring disease progression in MPN patients, potentially reducing the need for invasive bone marrow biopsies.
bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology
Source →European Society of Neuroendocrine Tumors (ENETS) 2025 guidance paper for lung and thymic carcinoids.
Baudin E, et al
The European Society of Neuroendocrine Tumors (ENETS) has released a comprehensive 2025 guidance paper addressing the diagnosis and management of lung and thymic carcinoids, a relatively rare group of neuroendocrine tumors. Developed by a multidisciplinary working group, the document synthesizes the latest clinical evidence and expert opinion to provide practical, evidence-graded recommendations using the GRADE system. The paper is structured in a question-and-answer format specifically designed to resolve common clinical dilemmas, including areas where scientific evidence remains limited or contested. Key topics covered include diagnostic approaches, treatment strategies, and long-term follow-up protocols for patients with these tumors. By standardizing care recommendations across European centers, the guidance aims to improve patient outcomes and reduce variability in clinical practice for this challenging group of malignancies.
Journal of neuroendocrinology
Source →Pleural-Based GLI1-Altered Mesenchymal Tumor With ACTB-GLI1 Fusion: A Rare Pulmonary Entity Mimicking Synovial Sarcoma.
Lizwan M, et al
Researchers from a thoracic oncology team report the first known case of a GLI1-altered mesenchymal tumor arising from the pleura—the lining surrounding the lungs—in a 39-year-old nonsmoking woman whose chest mass was discovered incidentally. Advanced molecular testing using next-generation sequencing identified a specific genetic fusion, ACTB-GLI1, which confirmed the rare diagnosis and distinguished it from more common pleural tumors such as synovial sarcoma. The tumor was successfully removed via minimally invasive video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, and the patient chose surveillance over additional therapy after a multidisciplinary team review. At one year post-surgery, the patient remains free of disease, suggesting that complete surgical removal may be sufficient in select cases. This report is clinically significant because it broadens the known anatomical locations where GLI1-altered tumors can occur and highlights how molecular diagnostics are essential to avoid misdiagnosis and guide appropriate treatment decisions.
Thoracic cancer
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