Latest Research

Impact of Intraoperative MRI on Outcomes in Pituitary Adenoma Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Solís Velázquez AM, et al

A new systematic review and meta-analysis published in Cureus examined whether using intraoperative MRI (iMRI) during surgery for pituitary adenomas — benign tumors of the pituitary gland — leads to better surgical outcomes compared to surgery without this real-time imaging technology. Researchers analyzed data from four cohort studies involving 824 patients and found that patients who had iMRI-guided surgery were 71% more likely to achieve gross total resection, meaning complete removal of the tumor, than those who underwent conventional surgery. Furthermore, the rate of residual tumor detected within six months after surgery was 47% lower in the iMRI group, a statistically significant improvement. Importantly, the use of iMRI did not increase the risk of serious complications such as cerebrospinal fluid leaks or meningitis, suggesting a favorable safety profile. These findings suggest that iMRI is a valuable tool in pituitary tumor surgery, helping surgeons remove more tumor tissue while keeping patients safe. The authors call for further research on cost-effectiveness and better patient selection criteria to ensure that iMRI is used where it can provide the greatest benefit.

Cureus

Association of CDKN2A/B and MTAP deletions in adult-type diffuse gliomas.

Ebner BA, et al

Researchers investigated the genomic relationship between deletions of the tumor suppressor genes CDKN2A/B and the nearby MTAP gene in 333 adult brain tumors known as diffuse gliomas, using chromosomal microarray analysis and immunohistochemistry. The study found that CDKN2A/B and MTAP deletions co-occurred in 99.5% of cases, but importantly, when CDKN2A/B was fully deleted (homozygous deletion), MTAP was also fully deleted in only 73% of cases, while 26% retained one functional copy of MTAP. The researchers revealed that this discordance arises because an initial large chromosomal loss on chromosome 9p deletes both genes simultaneously, but a smaller secondary deletion that eliminates the remaining CDKN2A/B copy does not always extend far enough to also remove MTAP. This matters clinically because MTAP immunohistochemistry is widely used as a practical surrogate test to detect CDKN2A/B homozygous deletion, a key marker in glioma diagnosis and grading, but this study shows the surrogate is imperfect in roughly one quarter of cases. These findings urge caution in relying solely on MTAP staining to infer CDKN2A/B deletion status and may prompt laboratories to supplement IHC with direct genomic testing in ambiguous cases.

Journal of neuropathology and experimental neurology

Correction to: Concurrent local therapy extends clinical benefit of tebentafusp in metastatic uveal melanoma patients.

This publication is a correction notice for a previously published study examining whether concurrent local therapy enhances the clinical benefit of tebentafusp in patients with metastatic uveal melanoma. Tebentafusp is a novel bispecific fusion protein approved for the treatment of HLA-A*02:01-positive adults with unresectable or metastatic uveal melanoma, a rare and aggressive eye cancer with limited treatment options. The original study investigated whether combining tebentafusp with local treatment modalities such as radiation or surgery could extend patient outcomes beyond what the systemic therapy alone provides. As a correction notice, this publication updates or clarifies specific data, analyses, or statements from the original article to ensure the scientific record is accurate. Maintaining accuracy in oncology research is critical, as clinicians and researchers rely on published findings to guide treatment decisions for patients with this difficult-to-treat malignancy.

The oncologist

Mathematical modeling of the effects of screening and treatment of gastric ulcers as a control strategy for gastric cancer.

Mutua GK, et al

Researchers developed a mathematical model to study how screening and treatment of gastric ulcers can help prevent the progression to gastric cancer, a disease that ranks among the most common and deadly cancers worldwide, with a particularly heavy burden in developing countries. The model incorporates the role of Helicobacter pylori infection in the development of gastric ulcers and subsequent cancer, using a deterministic framework to simulate disease transmission dynamics under various intervention scenarios. A key mathematical quantity called the control reproduction number was calculated, allowing the team to identify the conditions under which the disease can be eliminated or will persist in a population. Sensitivity analysis revealed that increasing screening rates directly lowers the reproduction number, thereby reducing the spread of infection. Simulations demonstrated that combining screening with treatment is the most effective strategy, and that early intervention outperforms late intervention. These findings offer actionable guidance to public health authorities on prioritizing early screening and treatment programs to curb gastric ulcer progression and ultimately reduce gastric cancer incidence.

Mathematical biosciences and engineering : MBE

Intra-arterial infusion of bevacizumab for the treatment of peritoneal metastatic high-grade renal cell carcinoma: a case report.

Jin S, et al

Researchers from China published a case report in Frontiers in Immunology describing an innovative local treatment approach for a 35-year-old man with stage IV renal cell carcinoma (RCC) who developed extensive peritoneal metastases after failing multiple lines of systemic therapy. The patient had previously undergone nephrectomy, palliative surgery, and sequential treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors combined with pazopanib and then axitinib, but continued to progress rapidly. Clinicians then administered bevacizumab — an anti-angiogenic antibody that blocks tumor blood vessel growth — directly into the abdominal arteries via infusion and embolization, achieving a partial remission of the peritoneal disease. Following this local intervention, the patient was switched to systemic therapy with everolimus and voronib, and imaging follow-ups confirmed continued shrinkage of lesions over time. This case suggests that intra-arterial bevacizumab infusion may offer a viable local treatment option for patients with peritoneal metastases from RCC who have exhausted standard systemic treatments, and the authors call for further clinical studies to evaluate this approach.

Frontiers in immunology