Latest Research
All publications from the Cancer3.AI database, newest first.
Optimal patient selection beyond the current selection criteria for liver transplantation for unresectable colorectal liver metastasis.
Okuno M, et al
This study investigates how to best identify patients with unresectable colorectal liver metastases who could benefit from liver transplantation, looking beyond the currently established selection criteria. Colorectal cancer frequently spreads to the liver, and when these metastases cannot be surgically removed, treatment options are limited; liver transplantation has recently emerged as a promising approach for carefully chosen patients. The research examines clinical, biological, and oncological factors that may refine patient eligibility, potentially expanding or narrowing the pool of candidates compared to existing guidelines. The findings suggest that more nuanced and individualized selection criteria could improve outcomes for transplant recipients with this diagnosis. These results are relevant for surgical oncologists and transplant teams seeking to optimize decisions about which patients are most likely to achieve long-term survival following liver transplantation for colorectal metastatic disease.
Surgery today
Source →Clinical Profile of Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma Referred for Transarterial Chemoembolization at a Tertiary Center.
de Araujo BP, et al
Researchers at the University Hospital of Campinas, Brazil, conducted a cross-sectional observational study examining the clinical and demographic profile of 158 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) referred for transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) between 2022 and 2024. The patient population had a mean age of 64 years and was predominantly male (nearly 78%), with hepatitis C virus infection being the most common underlying liver disease (31%), followed by alcohol-related liver disease and combined HCV and alcohol use. TACE was ultimately performed in 100 of the 158 referred patients, most often as a downstaging strategy to make patients eligible for liver transplantation (37.3%) or to prevent dropout from the transplant waiting list (32.3%), with tumors averaging 3.8 cm in size and a mean MELD score of 12.5. The findings confirm that the epidemiological characteristics of HCC patients in this Brazilian tertiary center are consistent with patterns reported in international literature. This study underscores the critical role of TACE as a bridge to liver transplantation and a tumor-control tool in settings where transplant access may be limited, offering practical guidance for clinicians managing intermediate-stage HCC in Brazil and similar healthcare environments.
Transplantation proceedings
Source →Flutamide exacerbates hepatic insulin resistance in type 2 diabetic mice through overproduction of ROS and activation of NLRP3 signaling.
Zhang Y, et al
Researchers investigated why flutamide, a widely used anti-androgen drug for prostate cancer, is associated with elevated blood glucose and worsening of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in patients — a side effect whose cause was previously unknown. Using both cell culture models of insulin-impaired hepatocytes and a mouse model of T2DM induced by high-fat diet and streptozotocin, the team demonstrated that flutamide significantly worsens hepatic insulin resistance, lipid accumulation, and glucose metabolism under diabetic conditions. Mechanistically, flutamide and its active liver metabolite hydroxyflutamide were found to drive excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and over-activate the NLRP3 inflammasome signaling pathway in liver cells, disrupting normal insulin signaling. When NLRP3 was blocked pharmacologically or genetically knocked out, or when ROS were scavenged, the harmful effects of flutamide were eliminated, confirming the causal pathway. These findings carry important clinical implications: oncologists and endocrinologists should exercise heightened caution when prescribing flutamide to prostate cancer patients who also have type 2 diabetes, as the drug may meaningfully worsen their metabolic condition through a defined molecular mechanism.
International immunopharmacology
Source →A 68-Year-Old Man With Neutrophil-Rich Hepatoid Adenocarcinoma of the Gallbladder.
Chen M, et al
This case report describes a rare and aggressive cancer known as neutrophil-rich hepatoid adenocarcinoma of the gallbladder, diagnosed in a 68-year-old man who presented with right upper abdominal pain and jaundice. Hepatoid adenocarcinoma (HAC) is an uncommon extrahepatic malignancy whose tumor cells closely mimic the microscopic appearance of hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common form of primary liver cancer. The patient underwent surgical removal of the gallbladder, a portion of the liver, and multiple abdominal nodules, all confirmed as metastatic HAC by histopathology and immunohistochemistry, including positive staining for the liver-specific marker HepPar-1. A striking feature of this case was prominent neutrophil infiltration — normally immune cells associated with bacterial infection — observed in both the primary tumor and its metastases, suggesting that these cancer cells actively recruit immune cells into the tumor microenvironment. This unusual neutrophilic variant underscores the importance of comprehensive pathological workup in accurately diagnosing atypical gallbladder malignancies, as misdiagnosis could delay appropriate treatment. Clinicians should be aware of this aggressive subtype, whose rarity and histological overlap with liver cancer present significant diagnostic challenges.
The American journal of case reports
Source →Nivolumab and ipilimumab combination treatment in patients with advanced intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and gallbladder cancer: Results from the phase II MoST-CIRCUIT trial.
Nagrial A, et al
The MoST-CIRCUIT phase II trial evaluated the combination of two immune checkpoint inhibitors, nivolumab (anti-PD-1) and ipilimumab (anti-CTLA-4), in 60 patients with advanced intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma or gallbladder cancer, representing the largest cohort of biliary tract cancer patients treated with dual checkpoint blockade to date. The majority of participants (85%) had received prior systemic therapy, and the trial measured objective response rate, progression-free survival, and overall survival as its primary and secondary endpoints. Overall efficacy was limited, with an objective response rate of only 12% and a median overall survival of just 7 months across the full study population. A clinically meaningful difference was observed between cancer subtypes: patients with gallbladder cancer achieved a 26% response rate compared to only 3% in the intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma group, rising to 38% in immunotherapy-naïve gallbladder cancer patients. Severe immune-related adverse events occurred in 20% of patients, consistent with the known toxicity profile of this drug combination. The authors conclude that combined anti-PD-1/CTLA-4 immunotherapy offers limited benefit in unselected biliary tract cancers, but that further investigation focused specifically on gallbladder cancer appears warranted given its notably higher response rates.
Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research
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