Latest Research
All publications from the Cancer3.AI database, newest first.
Comparison of complete resection rate and endocrine function improvement between neuronavigation-assisted neuroendoscopic transnasal transsphenoidal approach and microscopic transcranial approach for giant pituitary adenoma.
Liu S, et al
A study published in the American Journal of Cancer Research compared two surgical strategies for treating giant pituitary adenomas — large benign tumors of the pituitary gland measuring at least 4 centimeters in diameter — in a retrospective cohort of 300 patients across two surgical groups. The neuronavigation-assisted neuroendoscopic transnasal transsphenoidal approach, which accesses the tumor through the nasal passages without opening the skull, achieved a significantly higher rate of complete tumor removal than the traditional open-skull microscopic transcranial approach (71.21% versus 59.52%). Patients who underwent the nasal endoscopic procedure also experienced better recovery of hormonal and visual function, shorter operative times, reduced intraoperative blood loss, shorter postoperative hospital stays, and a meaningfully lower overall complication rate of 13.64% compared to 23.21% in the open-surgery group. Multivariate statistical analysis confirmed that the transsphenoidal approach was an independent protective factor against incomplete tumor resection. These results indicate that for appropriately selected patients with giant pituitary adenomas, the modern endoscopic nasal technique may represent a superior alternative to traditional cranial surgery, improving both oncological outcomes and patient recovery.
American journal of cancer research
Source →MDM4 at the Crossroads: Beyond p53 and MDM2.
Thapa D, et al
This review article examines MDM4, also known as MDMX, a protein long recognized as a critical suppressor of the tumor suppressor p53, and demonstrates that its biological role in cancer is far broader and more complex than previously appreciated. Researchers synthesized recent findings showing that MDM4 interacts with a wide array of proteins beyond the canonical p53-MDM2 axis, including p73, E2F1, SMAD family members, retinoblastoma protein, mTOR complex 1, and Polycomb Repressive Complexes, thereby influencing cell cycle progression, DNA double-strand break repair, replication fork dynamics, and even ferroptosis. Strikingly, evidence reveals that MDM4 can function both as a cancer-promoting oncogene and, paradoxically, as a tumor suppressor depending on cellular context and the presence or absence of functional p53. This context-dependent duality makes MDM4 a particularly complex but highly promising target for the development of novel anti-cancer therapies. A deeper mechanistic understanding of MDM4 biology may ultimately guide more precise and effective treatment strategies across multiple cancer types.
Cancers
Source →27-Hydroxycholesterol in bile duct tissue promotes cholangiocarcinoma progression through estrogen receptor signaling.
Konishi N, et al
Researchers investigated whether 27-hydroxycholesterol (27-HC), a naturally occurring cholesterol metabolite abundant in bile, drives the growth of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (eCCA), a rare and aggressive bile duct cancer, through estrogen receptor (ER) signaling. Comparing 17 eCCA tumor tissue samples with 6 noncancerous bile duct samples, the team found that 27-HC concentrations and expression of both estrogen receptor subtypes, ERα and ERβ, were significantly elevated in cancerous tissue, alongside increased levels of the cancer-promoting genes cMYC, HIF-1α, and VEGFα. In laboratory experiments using two human cholangiocarcinoma cell lines, 27-HC stimulated cancer cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner comparable to the natural estrogen 17β-estradiol, and this growth-promoting effect was completely abolished when estrogen receptor inhibitors were applied. These findings reveal 27-HC as a previously unrecognized promoter of bile duct cancer growth acting through estrogen receptor pathways, suggesting that targeting 27-HC metabolism or ER signaling could open new therapeutic avenues for patients with this difficult-to-treat malignancy.
American journal of cancer research
Source →Efficacy of Metronomic Oral Capecitabine, Methotrexate and Cyclophosphamide in Locally Advanced Operable Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma - A Phase II Study.
Chanda S, et al
A Phase II clinical trial conducted in India evaluated whether an oral metronomic chemotherapy (OMCT) regimen combining capecitabine, methotrexate, and cyclophosphamide could safely prevent disease progression in patients with locally advanced oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) during the often-lengthy wait for surgery. The study enrolled 81 patients with Stage III and IVA oral cavity SCC, with the buccal mucosa being the most frequently affected site, and patients received up to two cycles of OMCT while awaiting their planned surgical procedure. Results showed that 71% of patients achieved stable disease and 12% experienced a partial tumor response, while disease progression occurred in only 17% of patients, and toxicity was minimal with just 16% of participants reporting low-grade (Grade I) side effects and no severe adverse events. These findings demonstrate that this fully oral, low-intensity chemotherapy approach is a safe and effective bridging strategy, allowing patients to reach curative surgery without clinically meaningful harm during surgical waiting periods. The regimen offers a practical and accessible solution for resource-limited oncology centers where delays in surgical access risk disease progression in otherwise operable patients.
Indian journal of surgical oncology
Source →BMD, TBS, and osteoporosis in women with breast cancer vs. healthy controls: An age-stratified retrospective analysis.
Feng L, et al
A new retrospective study published in the Journal of Clinical Densitometry examined bone health in 578 women with breast cancer compared to 2,312 healthy controls, using two complementary measures: bone mineral density (BMD) and trabecular bone score (TBS), which assesses the microscopic structure of bone tissue. Researchers found that younger women with breast cancer (under 60) had lower spinal BMD than healthy peers, while older patients showed paradoxically higher BMD, highlighting that BMD alone can present a misleading picture of bone health in this population. Critically, degraded bone microarchitecture — as measured by TBS — was consistently more common in women with breast cancer across all age groups, even among those whose BMD readings appeared normal or only mildly reduced. The prevalence of both osteoporosis and poor bone microarchitecture increased progressively with age in cancer patients, and multivariate analysis identified age and lumbar spine BMD as independent predictors of deteriorated bone structure. These findings suggest that relying solely on standard BMD scans may significantly underestimate fracture risk in breast cancer patients, particularly younger women. Clinicians are therefore encouraged to incorporate TBS assessments alongside BMD measurements to better identify patients who would benefit from early bone-protective treatments.
Journal of clinical densitometry : the official journal of the International Society for Clinical Densitometry
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