Latest Research
All publications from the Cancer3.AI database, newest first.
Pituitary Adenoma Imaging as a Determinant of Acromegaly Diagnosis and Outcomes.
Haberbosch L, et al
A comprehensive review published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism examined the critical role of pituitary adenoma imaging in diagnosing and managing acromegaly, a hormonal disorder caused by excess growth hormone secretion from a somatotroph adenoma in more than 95% of cases. The authors identified a significant gap in clinical practice: despite numerous management guidelines, there is little consensus on optimal imaging protocols, leading to heterogeneous scanning approaches across centers that hinder both patient care and research comparability. High-quality imaging is essential to accurately localize tumors before surgery or radiotherapy, especially as the growing use of intracranial imaging is detecting smaller adenomas that pose new and evolving diagnostic challenges. Drawing on a thorough review of recent advances in magnetic resonance and molecular functional imaging, the authors propose a standardized, tiered imaging framework individualized to patient characteristics and the planned therapeutic strategy. An accompanying online decision-support tool was developed to guide clinicians in selecting the most appropriate imaging approach for each patient. This work has the potential to improve surgical outcomes, reduce adverse effects on normal pituitary tissue, and facilitate more meaningful cross-center comparisons worldwide.
The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism
Source →A unified FLAIR hyperintensity segmentation model for various CNS tumor types and acquisition time points.
Faanes MG, et al
Researchers developed and validated a unified deep learning model capable of automatically identifying FLAIR hyperintensities — abnormally bright regions on brain MRI scans — across multiple brain tumor types and at different stages of patient care. Using approximately 5,000 FLAIR MRI scans from patients with meningiomas, metastases, and gliomas collected across several neurosurgical centers, the team trained an Attention U-Net neural network to perform this segmentation task. The unified model achieved strong performance across all tumor categories, with Dice scores of 88.65% for pre-operative meningiomas, 80.08% for metastases, and up to 90.92% for pre-operative gliomas, matching the accuracy of models trained exclusively on single-tumor datasets. Critically, the model generalized well to both pre-operative and post-operative imaging time points, enabling consistent monitoring of tumor burden, surrounding swelling, and treatment-related tissue changes. The model has been integrated into Raidionics, a freely available open-source software platform for CNS tumor analysis, making it immediately accessible to clinicians and researchers worldwide.
Scientific reports
Source →Acral lentiginous melanoma presenting as an enlarging axillary mass.
Rajaee L, et al
A case report published in BMJ Case Reports describes a diagnostically challenging presentation of acral lentiginous melanoma (ALM), a rare subtype of skin cancer that disproportionately affects racial and ethnic minorities and carries a poor prognosis. A middle-aged Hispanic woman arrived at the emergency department with an enlarging, painful axillary mass, prompting an initial workup focused on occult breast carcinoma, which returned entirely negative results. Only a meticulous full-body physical examination revealed a previously unnoticed pigmented lesion on the patient's left thumb — a non-sun-exposed site commonly overlooked in clinical assessment. Excisional biopsy of the left nail unit confirmed malignant melanoma, and ultrasound-guided core biopsy of the axillary mass established the diagnosis of metastatic disease originating from that acral lesion. The patient was treated with neoadjuvant immunotherapy followed by surgical amputation of the left thumb and axillary lymph node dissection. This case highlights the critical need for thorough skin examination of all extremities, including non-sun-exposed areas, to avoid delayed diagnosis of ALM, particularly in minority populations who face heightened risk and often worse clinical outcomes.
BMJ case reports
Source →Precardiac mass and femur fracture caused by multiple myeloma in a ferret (Mustela putorius furo).
Weber M, et al
Veterinary researchers report a rare case of multiple myeloma in a 5-year-old spayed female ferret that was brought to a clinic with hind limb lameness and breathing difficulties. Diagnostic workup uncovered a left femoral neck fracture, mild anemia, and hyperglobulinemia, while an undifferentiated precardiac mass had already been detected five months earlier. Following euthanasia due to the animal's grave condition, post-mortem examination confirmed that the precardiac mass was multiple myeloma that had disseminated to the mediastinum, spleen, liver, kidneys, adrenal glands, lymph nodes, and bone marrow. Immunohistochemical staining showed the neoplastic plasma cells were CD138-positive and CD3-/CD79a-negative, solidifying the diagnosis. This case is clinically significant because it demonstrates that plasma cell neoplasms in ferrets can manifest as precardiac masses, a presentation not previously well-documented, meaning veterinarians should include multiple myeloma in their differential diagnosis when encountering such findings in this species.
Tierarztliche Praxis. Ausgabe K, Kleintiere/Heimtiere
Source →Solitary renal plasmacytoma presenting as a left renal mass mimicking renal cell carcinoma.
Mwarangu E, et al
This case report describes an exceptionally rare presentation of solitary extramedullary plasmacytoma arising in the kidney, a plasma cell neoplasm that closely mimicked renal cell carcinoma on imaging in a woman in her late 50s who was incidentally found to have a left renal mass during evaluation for non-specific abdominal discomfort. Cross-sectional imaging revealed a multiloculated cystic lesion with enhancing walls, raising strong suspicion for primary kidney cancer and potentially triggering surgical removal of the organ. CT-guided biopsy proved critical, demonstrating sheets of plasma cells with kappa light-chain restriction, a finding entirely inconsistent with renal cell carcinoma. Comprehensive systemic workup — including serum studies, PET-CT, and bone marrow biopsy — excluded multiple myeloma and confirmed the diagnosis of a truly solitary renal plasmacytoma. The patient was treated with definitive external beam radiotherapy and achieved complete radiological resolution with no evidence of disease progression on follow-up. This case highlights a significant diagnostic pitfall and demonstrates that early tissue biopsy can prevent unnecessary nephrectomy while enabling curative, organ-preserving treatment.
BMJ case reports
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