Latest Research
All publications from the Cancer3.AI database, newest first.
5-year results of hypofractionated locoregional radiotherapy in early breast cancer HypoG-01 (UNICANCER): a French multicentre, randomised, non-inferiority, phase 3, open-label, controlled trial.
Rivera S, et al
A French multicentre phase 3 randomised trial called HypoG-01 investigated whether a shorter, 3-week course of radiotherapy (40 Gy in 15 fractions) is as safe and effective as the standard 5-week course (50 Gy in 25 fractions) for early breast cancer patients requiring irradiation of both the breast or chest wall and nearby lymph nodes. The study enrolled 1,221 women across 29 French centres and followed them for a median of nearly 5 years, focusing on the risk of arm lymphoedema — a painful swelling caused by damage to the lymphatic system — as the primary safety endpoint. Results showed that approximately 25% of patients in both groups developed arm lymphoedema, and the shorter regimen was formally proven non-inferior to the longer one, with a hazard ratio of 1.02 and a highly significant non-inferiority p-value. Serious (grade 3 or worse) adverse events were actually slightly less frequent in the 3-week group (8%) compared to the 5-week group (13%), suggesting the shorter schedule does not increase harm. These findings are clinically important because they support replacing the lengthy standard nodal radiotherapy protocol with a more convenient 3-week schedule, reducing the burden on patients and healthcare systems without compromising safety or effectiveness.
Lancet (London, England)
Source →[Pheochromocytoma in Neurofibromatosis Type 1].
Rebrova DV, et al
A study published in Problemy endokrinologii examined four patients diagnosed with pheochromocytoma — a hormone-secreting adrenal gland tumor — occurring as part of familial neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), a hereditary condition affecting multiple body systems. The cases ranged from completely asymptomatic presentations to dramatic episodic cardiovascular symptoms, highlighting the broad clinical variability of this tumor in NF1 patients. Notably, the severity of high blood pressure did not correlate with laboratory levels of metanephrines or tumor size, complicating standard diagnostic approaches. In one of the four cases, both adrenal glands were simultaneously affected, and imaging findings on CT and PET/CT with 18-FDG differed from typical pheochromocytoma patterns, further challenging diagnosis. The authors emphasize that careful physical examination revealing subtle NF1 signs was critical in establishing a correct diagnosis even when laboratory and imaging results were inconclusive. Early recognition of NF1, thorough screening for associated tumors, and regular monitoring of patients and their blood relatives are essential steps to improve outcomes and survival.
Problemy endokrinologii
Source →Epstein-Barr virus-associated lymphoma: current understanding and treatment strategies.
Ju HY
A new review published in Blood Research examines the role of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in the development of several types of lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system. EBV is one of the most common human viruses, infecting the majority of the global population, and has the unique ability to hide dormant inside B cells of the immune system, where it can trigger malignant transformation over time. The review details how viral proteins expressed during this latent phase drive critical cancer-promoting processes such as immune evasion, uncontrolled cell growth, and new blood vessel formation. EBV has been linked to multiple distinct lymphoma subtypes, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, Burkitt lymphoma, and post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders, with EBV-positive cases generally carrying a worse prognosis than EBV-negative ones. The authors evaluated both established and emerging treatment strategies, highlighting the urgent need for therapies that specifically target EBV-driven mechanisms. This comprehensive overview provides clinicians and researchers with an updated framework for understanding and managing EBV-associated lymphomas.
Blood research
Source →Integrative screening identifies functional variants and VNTRs underlying GWAS signals at the 5p15.33 multi-cancer susceptibility locus.
O'Brien A, et al
Researchers investigated a region of chromosome 5p15.33 known to influence susceptibility to multiple cancer types, where genetic signals have long been difficult to interpret because the same variants appear to increase risk for some cancers while decreasing it for others—a phenomenon called antagonistic pleiotropy. Using a combination of statistical fine-mapping, massively parallel reporter assays, and CRISPR-based gene silencing screens, the team identified eight functional variants across three genetic signals that affect cancer risk in a tissue-specific manner. A key finding was that targeting a specific variant near the CLPTM1L gene suppressed TERT expression in lung cancer cells but had the opposite effect in pancreatic cancer cells, directly explaining the antagonistic pleiotropy at this locus. The study also uncovered that a variable number tandem repeat (VNTR)—a type of repetitive DNA sequence rarely examined in cancer genetics—acts as a powerful gene enhancer and may itself be a causal variant, with Hippo-pathway transcription factors regulating its activity. These findings reveal that cancer susceptibility at this locus is driven by both conventional single-nucleotide variants and structural DNA elements, providing a new framework for dissecting complex genetic risk regions that could ultimately improve understanding of cancer predisposition across multiple tumor types.
medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences
Source →Pancreatic Cancer Screening and Early Detection: Current Strategies and Emerging Innovations in Imaging.
Srinivas Rao S, et al
This review article examines the current state and future directions of screening and early detection for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), a cancer notorious for its poor prognosis driven largely by diagnosis at advanced stages. The authors outline existing guidelines, which recommend active surveillance only for individuals whose lifetime risk of developing PDAC exceeds 5%, including those with hereditary predispositions or relevant genetic mutations. Imaging modalities are identified as the backbone of current surveillance programs, while serum biomarkers are highlighted as promising complementary tools that could improve detection accuracy. A key finding of the review is that emerging imaging technologies are showing the capacity to identify subtle cancerous or precancerous changes years before a clinical diagnosis would otherwise be made. The authors argue that multidisciplinary surveillance strategies, which integrate advanced imaging with molecular biomarkers, represent the most viable path toward shifting PDAC diagnoses to earlier, more treatable stages. For high-risk patients and clinicians alike, these combined approaches offer genuine hope of improving survival outcomes in a disease where early detection has historically been elusive.
Radiologic clinics of North America
Source →