Latest Research
All publications from the Cancer3.AI database, newest first.
Secondary primary tumors following iodine-125 low-dose-rate brachytherapy for localized prostate cancer.
Niwa K, et al
Researchers at Gifu University Hospital in Japan investigated the long-term risk of developing new, secondary cancers in patients who received low-dose-rate brachytherapy (LDR-BT) using iodine-125 seeds as treatment for localized prostate cancer. The retrospective study followed 478 patients for a median of nearly nine years, tracking the occurrence of secondary primary tumors, with a particular focus on bladder and rectal or anal cancers. Secondary tumors developed in only 13 patients, representing a relatively low incidence of 2.7%, with bladder cancer and rectal or anal canal cancer each accounting for roughly half of these cases. Importantly, multivariate analysis revealed that patients who received a biologically effective dose of 197 Gray or higher faced a significantly greater risk of developing a secondary tumor, with a hazard ratio exceeding four. These findings suggest that while LDR-BT is generally a safe and effective treatment for localized prostate cancer, careful calibration of radiation dose and structured long-term follow-up monitoring are important strategies for minimizing and early-detecting secondary cancers in treated patients.
International journal of clinical oncology
Source →Diagnostic challenges in hepatic metastatic olfactory neuroblastoma: a case report and literature review.
He K, et al
A new case report published in Discover Oncology highlights the diagnostic difficulties posed by liver metastases from olfactory neuroblastoma (ONB), a rare cancer originating in the nasal cavity. Clinicians describe a 42-year-old woman with a prior ONB diagnosis who developed a liver mass that was initially misidentified as primary hepatocellular carcinoma based on imaging studies including contrast-enhanced ultrasound, CT, and MRI, as well as mildly elevated tumor markers. Only after surgical removal and detailed pathological and immunohistochemical analysis was the correct diagnosis of ONB hepatic metastasis established. The case underscores that ONB can spread to uncommon sites such as the liver and may convincingly mimic primary liver cancer on standard imaging, creating a serious risk of misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment. The authors emphasize that a thorough patient history combined with histopathological confirmation is essential whenever a liver lesion is found in a patient with any prior history of ONB.
Discover oncology
Source →NUT carcinoma of the upper respiratory tract: Two case reports and literature review.
Jiang Y, et al
Researchers from China have reported two cases of NUT carcinoma, a rare and highly aggressive cancer driven by rearrangement of the NUTM1 gene, arising in the upper respiratory tract of two young women. One tumor was located in the larynx and the other in the left main bronchus, and both were identified through biopsy samples showing characteristic features including sheets of uniform tumor cells, extensive necrosis, and focal squamous differentiation. Diagnosis was confirmed using immunohistochemical staining for markers P40, P63, and NUT protein, along with fluorescence in situ hybridization to detect the NUTM1 gene rearrangement. The clinical outcomes were devastating: one patient died within five months despite chemotherapy, while the other refused further treatment after diagnosis. The authors conducted a literature review to highlight that delayed diagnosis, often occurring only at advanced disease stages, contributes to the extremely poor survival rates associated with this malignancy. Greater awareness among clinicians and pathologists, combined with early molecular testing, may be key to improving outcomes for future patients with this rare cancer.
Science progress
Source →Flexible Endoscopic Laser Surgery for Glottic Carcinoma After Radiotherapy Failure: A First Experience.
Gurău P, et al
Researchers evaluated flexible endoscopic laser surgery (FELS) as a minimally invasive salvage treatment for patients with recurrent or persistent glottic (vocal cord) cancer following failed radiotherapy. The study enrolled nine patients with early-stage glottic carcinoma (stages T1a, T1b, and T2) who underwent tumor removal using a neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser delivered through a flexible endoscope, with some procedures performed under local anesthesia rather than general anesthesia. After five years of follow-up, 66.7% of patients achieved overall survival with ultimate disease control, and 55.6% were cured with their larynx preserved, while all three patients with T1-stage disease remained alive and disease-free with larynx preservation achieved by FELS alone. These results suggest that FELS is an effective alternative to total laryngectomy and the more conventional transoral CO2 laser microsurgery, particularly for patients who face risks or contraindications to general anesthesia. The ability to perform the procedure under local anesthesia with spontaneous breathing expands treatment access to a broader population of vulnerable patients and offers a meaningful quality-of-life advantage by avoiding permanent voice loss associated with total laryngectomy.
Cureus
Source →A Rare Case of Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor with Intraductal Extension in the Dorsal Duct of a Pancreas Divisum.
Crucillà S, et al
Researchers report an unusual case of a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (pNET) in a 63-year-old man, notable for its rare intraductal growth pattern within the dorsal duct of a pancreas divisum — an uncommon anatomical variant in which the pancreatic ducts fail to fuse during fetal development. The patient presented with pruritus, weight loss, and lymphadenopathy, and initial imaging raised concern for more common and aggressive pancreatic malignancies such as intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm or pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Endoscopic ultrasound with fine-needle biopsy (EUS-FNB) successfully identified the lesion as a well-differentiated, low-grade (G1) neuroendocrine tumor with loss of DAXX protein expression — a clinically significant molecular marker linked to tumor behavior. A multidisciplinary tumor board guided preoperative optimization, including somatostatin analog therapy and supervised weight reduction, before the patient underwent a pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy, with final pathology fully confirming all preoperative findings. This case expands the known spectrum of pNET presentations and underscores the indispensable role of EUS-FNB in achieving accurate morphological, proliferative, and molecular characterization, which is essential for tailored surgical planning.
Reports (MDPI)
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