Latest Research
All publications from the Cancer3.AI database, newest first.
Treating microsatellite unstable metastatic parathyroid carcinoma with anti-PD1 therapy.
Amir-Kabirian B, et al
Researchers report the case of a 60-year-old woman diagnosed with parathyroid carcinoma, a rare and aggressive cancer of the parathyroid glands, which initially appeared indistinguishable from a benign condition called primary hyperparathyroidism. After surgical removal of the affected gland, the cancer returned six months later with metastatic spread, leaving the patient with no standard systemic treatment options. Genetic testing of the tumor revealed a mutation in the MSH2 gene, a marker of microsatellite instability, which is a molecular feature known to predict favorable responses to immune checkpoint therapy. The patient was treated with pembrolizumab, an anti-PD-1 immunotherapy drug, and experienced normalization of calcium and parathyroid hormone levels along with partial shrinkage of metastatic lesions. This case is the first to demonstrate a clinical benefit of pembrolizumab in metastatic parathyroid carcinoma with microsatellite instability, offering a potential treatment pathway for a disease that has historically had no effective medical therapy. Clinicians are encouraged to consider routine molecular profiling of parathyroid carcinoma tumors, as identifying microsatellite instability may open the door to immunotherapy in otherwise untreatable cases.
JCEM case reports
Source →Comprehensive treatment for two patients with small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the liver: A case report and literature review.
Feng R, et al
Researchers from China report two cases of hepatic small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (HSCNEC), an exceptionally rare and aggressive liver cancer with very poor prognosis, contributing to the limited clinical evidence available for this disease. Both patients were diagnosed through tumor biopsy confirming small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the liver, and neither was a candidate for surgical removal of the tumor. The first patient, a 76-year-old man with multiple comorbidities, received only transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) — a procedure that delivers chemotherapy directly to the tumor via its blood supply — and died within three months after declining further treatment. The second patient, aged 58, underwent multiple TACE sessions combined with targeted therapy and immunotherapy, achieving a significantly improved quality of life and is currently living and working normally under regular follow-up. This case report suggests that combining TACE with targeted immunotherapy may represent a meaningful advance in managing inoperable HSCNEC, potentially prolonging survival and improving daily functioning for affected patients.
Oncology letters
Source →Spatiotemporal patterns of AIDS and non-AIDS defining cancers before and after antiretroviral therapy rollout in Botswana, 1990-2021.
Mathoma A, et al
A new study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention examined over three decades of cancer trends in Botswana, analyzing data from 27,726 cases recorded in the national cancer registry between 1990 and 2021 to understand how antiretroviral therapy (ART) expansion influenced the burden of both AIDS-defining cancers (ADCs) and non-AIDS-defining cancers (NADCs) among people living with HIV (PLHIV) and HIV-negative individuals. Nearly half of all cancer cases (49.5%) occurred in PLHIV, and age-standardized incidence and mortality rates for all cancer types rose significantly during the ART era, with the most pronounced increases observed in the Northeast, Southeast, and Central districts of Botswana. Compared with HIV-negative individuals, PLHIV faced substantially elevated risks for cervical cancer and Kaposi sarcoma, and most districts recorded a relative cancer risk above 1.0 during the most recent period of 2016-2021. Although standardized incidence and mortality ratios declined in several districts over time, the overall cancer burden remains high, particularly in more urbanized and densely populated areas. These findings highlight an urgent need for expanded cancer screening, timely diagnosis, and equitable access to treatment for people living with HIV in Botswana, and will directly inform the country's National Cancer Control Plan.
Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology
Source →Kaposi sarcoma in solid organ transplant recipients: updates in epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment and prevention.
Mularoni A, et al
This review article published in Frontiers in Immunology provides a comprehensive update on Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) as it occurs in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients, a population at elevated cancer risk due to prolonged immunosuppression. KS is caused by human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8/KSHV), and the disease can arise from reactivation of a latent infection or from a newly acquired primary infection, sometimes transmitted via the donor organ, with primary infection often leading to a more aggressive disease course. Unlike KS in the general population, post-transplant KS frequently involves internal organs and lymph nodes without the typical skin lesions, making diagnosis challenging and requiring a high degree of clinical suspicion. The cornerstone of treatment is reducing immunosuppressive therapy and switching patients to mTOR inhibitor-based regimens, while liposomal doxorubicin chemotherapy is the preferred option for visceral disease. The authors emphasize that active surveillance, risk stratification based on HHV-8 serological status of both donor and recipient, and personalized multimodal treatment strategies are essential to improve outcomes in this vulnerable patient group.
Frontiers in immunology
Source →Diagnostic performance of triplanar real-time chest magnetic resonance imaging in preschool children - comparison with dedicated lung magnetic resonance imaging.
Zellner M, et al
Researchers evaluated whether a rapid, real-time MRI technique called triplanar cine FIESTA could serve as a quick, reliable chest imaging tool for young children, comparing it against conventional dedicated lung MRI sequences. The study included 53 children under age seven who underwent sedated chest MRI at 1.5 Tesla, with the real-time sequence completed in under one minute. The technique performed excellently for detecting pleural effusion (94%), mediastinal masses (100%), lung consolidation and atelectasis (91%), air-filled cysts (100%), and diaphragmatic motion abnormalities (100%), while cardiovascular findings were identified in 75% of cases. A significant limitation was the complete failure to detect bronchial wall thickening, which was missed in all 20 cases where it was present. These findings suggest that real-time cine FIESTA could be a valuable rapid screening tool in sedated young children for many chest conditions, but cannot replace dedicated sequences when airway pathology is suspected, and its use in non-sedated children still needs investigation.
Pediatric radiology
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