Latest Research
All publications from the Cancer3.AI database, newest first.
Yttrium-90 Radioembolization Versus Transarterial Embolization for Lung Carcinoid Hepatic Metastasis.
Yuan G, et al
Researchers at a single institution conducted a retrospective study comparing two catheter-based, liver-directed treatments — transarterial embolization (TAE) and yttrium-90 transarterial radioembolization (TARE) — in 30 patients with liver metastases originating from lung carcinoid tumors, analyzing outcomes from 53 treatment procedures performed between 2009 and 2022. The study found that TARE provided significantly superior local tumor control, with a median local tumor progression-free survival of 30.6 months compared to 13.9 months for TAE, a statistically significant difference. Patients who received the targeted therapy everolimus concurrently with TARE experienced a particularly striking improvement in local tumor control, suggesting a potential synergistic benefit of this combination. Overall survival was similar between the two groups at approximately 43.5 months, indicating that the local control advantage of TARE did not yet translate into a survival benefit in this relatively small cohort. Both procedures were deemed safe, with most adverse events being mild or moderate, and only four severe complications recorded across all treatments. These findings suggest that TARE should be considered the preferred liver-directed approach for lung carcinoid metastases when local tumor control is the primary goal, and that prospective studies combining TARE with everolimus are warranted.
JTO clinical and research reports
Source →Synchronous Bilateral Breast Invasive Ductal Carcinoma With Osteoclast-Like Stromal Giant Cells in a 44-Year-Old Woman: A Case Report.
Tezuka H, et al
Researchers report what is believed to be the first documented case of synchronous bilateral primary invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) featuring osteoclast-like stromal giant cells (OCGCs) in both breasts simultaneously, occurring in a 44-year-old premenopausal woman. Imaging identified small tumors in each breast, and core needle biopsies confirmed invasive carcinoma with associated non-invasive (in situ) components and abundant OCGCs within the tumor stroma of both lesions. Both tumors were hormone receptor-positive and HER2-negative, classifying them as luminal A-like subtype, and bilateral mastectomy with sentinel lymph node biopsy revealed no lymph node involvement. Genetic testing found no pathogenic BRCA1/2 variants, and the patient remained free of recurrence six months after surgery. The discovery of OCGCs in both the invasive and in situ components of each tumor suggests these macrophage-derived cells can emerge very early in cancer development and likely reflect a distinctive immune-reactive tumor microenvironment shaped by host factors. This extraordinarily rare case provides new pathological insight into OCGC-associated breast carcinoma and highlights the importance of thorough bilateral evaluation and immunohistochemical analysis in atypical breast cancer presentations.
Cureus
Source →The Clinical Impact of Patent Foramen Ovale in Patients With Carcinoid Heart Disease.
Scalia IG, et al
A new study published in JACC: Advances investigated the clinical impact of patent foramen ovale (PFO) — a small, often undetected opening between the upper chambers of the heart — on disease progression in patients with carcinoid heart disease, a serious complication of carcinoid syndrome arising from neuroendocrine tumors. Researchers followed 175 patients with neuroendocrine tumors and carcinoid syndrome over a median of 3.6 years, of whom 67 had a PFO, and tracked changes in heart valve function using serial echocardiograms. Patients with a PFO were found to be nearly twice as likely to experience worsening of left-sided heart valve disease and were significantly more likely to require valve replacement surgery (13.6% vs. 2.1%). Perhaps most strikingly, the presence of a PFO was associated with a more than fivefold increase in the risk of stroke. These findings are clinically important because they highlight PFO as a meaningful risk modifier in carcinoid heart disease, suggesting that routine screening for PFO and closer cardiac surveillance — along with consideration of early intervention — could meaningfully improve outcomes for this patient population.
JACC. Advances
Source →Assessment of the Value of Sentinel Lymph Node in Stomach Cancer Patients Using Blue Dye in Suez Canal University Hospital.
Ramadan AA, et al
Researchers at Suez Canal University Hospital conducted a prospective study to evaluate the use of patent blue dye for sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping in gastric cancer surgery, enrolling 37 patients with operable gastric cancer between December 2021 and December 2023. The technique involved injecting blue dye around the tumor to identify the first lymph nodes draining the cancer site, which can indicate whether cancer has spread to the lymphatic system. The sentinel lymph node identification rate was high at 94.59%, and sensitivity reached 95.65% when the sentinel lymph node basin concept was applied, compared to 73.91% with the simpler pick-up method alone. Only one case of skip metastasis outside the sentinel basin was observed, representing 2.7% of patients. These findings suggest that patent blue dye SLN mapping is a feasible and accurate intraoperative technique that could allow surgeons to perform less extensive stomach resections while still ensuring oncological safety. The authors call for larger multicenter studies to validate the long-term oncological outcomes of this approach.
Indian journal of surgical oncology
Source →Relevance of Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) miRNAs in EBV-Infected B Cells and B-Cell Lymphomas.
Rueda-Forero NJ, et al
Researchers have published a comprehensive review examining the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) encoded by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in the development of EBV-positive B-cell lymphomas, a group of cancers affecting immune cells. While it has long been known that EBV proteins drive cancer progression, this review shines a spotlight on the virus's genetic regulators—miRNAs—which are small molecules that control which genes are switched on or off in infected cells. By synthesizing data from gene profiling studies and laboratory models, the authors identified how EBV miRNAs help the virus persist in the body, evade the immune system, and promote the survival and uncontrolled growth of B cells. The review catalogs specific target genes and cancer-related pathways affected by these viral miRNAs, building a clearer picture of how EBV transforms normal B cells into lymphoma cells. These findings are significant because EBV miRNAs could represent entirely new therapeutic targets, potentially leading to more precise treatments for patients with EBV-associated lymphomas, which are particularly difficult to treat. This work lays an important foundation for future experimental and clinical studies aimed at disrupting the cancer-promoting activities of viral miRNAs.
Cancers
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