Latest Research
All publications from the Cancer3.AI database, newest first.
Conventional and novel platelet parameters: Clinical and laboratory approaches.
Bayani A, et al
A new review published in Clinica Chimica Acta examines both conventional and advanced methods for measuring platelets and their related indices as part of routine blood testing. Researchers evaluated four main technologies used by modern blood analyzers — impedance, optical light scatter, fluorescence-based detection, and hybrid approaches — finding that each has distinct strengths and weaknesses depending on the clinical situation. Advanced fluorescence-based and hybrid methods proved most accurate in patients with very low platelet counts, a condition known as severe thrombocytopenia, where standard methods often fail. The review also assessed the diagnostic and prognostic value of platelet indices such as mean platelet volume, platelet distribution width, and immature platelet fraction in conditions ranging from immune thrombocytopenia and myelodysplastic syndromes to heart attacks and sepsis. Despite their promise, the authors highlight that significant variability between different analyzers and the absence of standardized protocols limit widespread clinical adoption. The review concludes that integrating artificial intelligence into platelet analytics could enhance accuracy and reproducibility, but further validation and harmonization of methods are urgently needed.
Clinica chimica acta; international journal of clinical chemistry
Source →Aggressive extramedullary acute myeloid leukaemia masquerading as dental infection with rare t(10:11) translocation and subsequent relapse as leukaemia cutis.
Pustake M, et al
This case report describes an unusually aggressive presentation of extramedullary acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) in a 36-year-old woman, just six months after childbirth, whose facial nodules were initially mistaken for a dental infection following tooth extractions. Despite the misleading initial diagnosis, further investigation revealed extensive soft-tissue masses, cervical lymphadenopathy, and pancytopenia, and biopsies confirmed extramedullary AML with monocytic differentiation. Cytogenetic analysis uncovered a rare t(10;11)(p13;q13.3) translocation alongside additional chromosomal abnormalities, indicating a high-risk genetic profile associated with aggressive disease behaviour. The patient received induction and consolidation chemotherapy, but subsequently developed leukaemia cutis — cancerous skin infiltration — signalling persistent and relapsing extramedullary disease. This case highlights the critical importance of considering haematologic malignancy when facial or soft-tissue lesions fail to respond to standard treatment, particularly in postpartum women. Clinicians are urged to pursue early biopsy and cytogenetic workup in ambiguous presentations to avoid diagnostic delays that can worsen outcomes.
Journal of cancer research and therapeutics
Source →A case of suspected ectopic parathyroid chief cell carcinoma in a cat.
Kim M, et al
Veterinary researchers in South Korea have reported a rare and suspected case of ectopic parathyroid chief cell carcinoma in a 12-year-old domestic cat, marking what is believed to be the first documented case of this tumor type with extensive cystic changes and metastatic features in felines. The cat presented with large masses in both the neck and chest cavity, along with abnormally high blood calcium and low phosphorus levels, while parathyroid hormone levels remained paradoxically within the normal range. Advanced imaging and tissue analysis revealed multicystic, hemorrhagic, and necrotic masses, and immunohistochemistry confirmed that the tumor cells were actively producing parathyroid hormone, establishing the diagnosis of parathyroid chief cell carcinoma. Despite treatment with bisphosphonates to manage the dangerous calcium levels, the condition could not be controlled, and the cat was humanely euthanized approximately ten months after initial presentation. This case highlights the diagnostic challenges of ectopic parathyroid tumors in cats, particularly when hormone levels do not follow expected patterns, and underscores the importance of immunohistochemical confirmation in reaching an accurate diagnosis. Clinicians caring for cats with unexplained hypercalcemia and mediastinal masses should consider ectopic parathyroid carcinoma as a differential diagnosis, even when standard hormone testing appears normal.
The Journal of veterinary medical science
Source →Risk of Subsequent Primary Melanoma in 68,002 five-year survivors of childhood and adolescent cancer in Europe: The PanCareSurFup cohort study.
Shojaie B, et al
A large European study examined the long-term risk of developing melanoma skin cancer among 68,002 survivors of childhood and adolescent cancer, representing the largest such cohort ever analyzed. Researchers found that survivors were 2.3 times more likely to develop melanoma compared to the general population, and this elevated risk persisted into older age, remaining more than twice as high even after age 50. Survivors of heritable retinoblastoma faced the greatest danger, with a risk more than 16 times higher than expected, and a cumulative melanoma incidence reaching 5.5% by age 60. Radiotherapy treatment was associated with a 70% higher melanoma risk overall, rising to a nearly four-fold increase among survivors aged 50 and older. These findings, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, suggest that current survivorship guidelines should be updated to account not only for treatment history but also for the type of childhood cancer diagnosed and the patient's current age, especially when detailed treatment records are unavailable.
Journal of the National Cancer Institute
Source →Targeting tumor-intrinsic CDK1/Cyclin B1 complex improves responses to immunotherapy in pancreatic cancer.
Li B, et al
Researchers investigated why pancreatic cancer, a so-called 'cold tumor,' responds poorly to immunotherapy, focusing on how tumor cells suppress immune activity. Using an in vivo CRISPR-Cas9 genetic screen, scientists identified the CDK1/Cyclin B1 protein complex as a previously unknown driver of immune evasion in pancreatic cancer. They found that blocking this complex — either genetically or with drugs — transformed the tumor microenvironment into an immune-active state by restoring NF-κB signaling, boosting GM-CSF production, and recruiting dendritic cells that activate cancer-fighting T cells. Combining CDK1/Cyclin B1 inhibition with anti-PD-1 checkpoint immunotherapy produced significantly stronger tumor suppression than either treatment alone. These findings offer a compelling new therapeutic strategy for pancreatic cancer patients, who currently have very limited options and almost never benefit from existing immunotherapies.
Cancer letters
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