Latest Research
All publications from the Cancer3.AI database, newest first.
Improving MRI-based differentiation of brain metastasis, glioblastoma, and primary CNS lymphoma using deep learning.
Du X, et al
Researchers developed and evaluated a deep learning algorithm to improve the accuracy of distinguishing three serious brain tumor types — brain metastasis, glioblastoma, and primary CNS lymphoma — using MRI scans. These conditions can appear visually similar on standard imaging, making diagnosis challenging and sometimes requiring invasive biopsy procedures. The deep learning model was trained to identify subtle imaging features that differentiate these tumor types with greater precision than conventional radiological assessment. The findings suggest that artificial intelligence-assisted MRI interpretation could help clinicians arrive at the correct diagnosis more quickly and non-invasively. Faster and more accurate differentiation of these tumors is clinically significant because each condition requires a fundamentally different treatment strategy, and delays or misdiagnoses can negatively impact patient outcomes.
Neuroradiology
Source →A systematic review of the utility of 5-aminolevulinic acid-induced fluorescence in spine tumor surgery.
Alsharif T, et al
A new systematic review published in Surgical Neurology International examined the usefulness of 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA), a fluorescent dye, as a surgical tool for removing spinal tumors in humans. Researchers analyzed 13 studies encompassing 245 patients with various spinal tumor types, including ependymomas, meningiomas, astrocytomas, neurinomas, and metastatic lesions. The review found that 5-ALA fluorescence was most reliable in ependymomas and meningiomas, helping surgeons distinguish tumor tissue from healthy spinal tissue during operations, while results were less consistent for astrocytomas and metastases. Complete tumor removal was achieved more often in well-defined, benign tumors, and the standard oral dose of 20 mg/kg before surgery was safe, with side effects limited mainly to temporary light sensitivity. These findings suggest that 5-ALA is a promising intraoperative tool that may improve surgical outcomes for selected spinal tumor patients, though further large-scale studies are needed to confirm its benefits across all tumor types.
Surgical neurology international
Source →Perianal lesions in men who have sex with men living with HIV: Risk of precancer and cancer.
Rastegar S, et al
A new study published in HIV Medicine examined the risk of precancerous and cancerous perianal lesions in men who have sex with men living with HIV (MSMLWH), a population known to be at high risk for HPV-related anal cancer. Researchers analyzed 308 patients who underwent high-resolution anoscopy-guided perianal biopsy between 2018 and 2024, collecting data on HPV status, anal cytology, and tissue diagnoses. The findings revealed that 18% of participants had perianal high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) and 1% had superficially invasive squamous cell carcinoma, with HPV16 infection identified as the strongest risk factor, increasing the odds of precancer or cancer more than fivefold. Importantly, 8% of patients had perianal HSIL without any detectable disease in the anal canal, meaning internal examination alone would have missed these cases. The study concludes that perianal lesions in this population carry significant malignant potential and that thorough external examination combined with a low threshold for biopsy is essential for effective cancer prevention in this high-risk group.
HIV medicine
Source →PPP1R3C functions as a tumor suppressor in endometrial cancer through promotion of glycogen synthesis.
Seol HS, et al
Researchers investigated the role of PPP1R3C, a protein known to regulate glycogen metabolism, in endometrial cancer — one of the most common gynecological malignancies. The study found that PPP1R3C expression is significantly reduced in uterine corpus endometrial cancer (UCEC) tissues compared to normal tissue, suggesting it may normally act as a brake on tumor growth. When PPP1R3C was artificially reintroduced into endometrial cancer cell lines, it triggered cell cycle arrest and programmed cell death, and suppressed tumor growth in animal models. Crucially, the team demonstrated that these anti-tumor effects depend on PPP1R3C's ability to promote glycogen synthesis, since blocking glycogen synthase eliminated the growth-inhibitory effects. These findings identify PPP1R3C as a novel tumor suppressor gene in endometrial cancer, and suggest that metabolic reprogramming of glycogen synthesis could be a potential therapeutic target. For patients, this research opens a new avenue toward understanding why endometrial tumors develop and how they might be treated by targeting cellular energy storage pathways.
BMB reports
Source →Pituitary Apoplexy With Marked Hyperprolactinemia in a 19-Year-Old Woman: A Case Report of Diagnostic Challenges and Surgical Management.
Al Hassani Z, et al
This case report describes the diagnostic and surgical challenges encountered in a 19-year-old woman who presented with a one-month history of worsening headaches, photophobia, and visual field defects caused by pituitary apoplexy — a rare hemorrhagic event within the pituitary gland that is particularly uncommon in adolescents and young adults. Imaging revealed a 15-mm hemorrhagic cystic pituitary lesion compressing the optic chiasm, while laboratory tests showed markedly elevated prolactin levels, creating uncertainty about whether the tumor was actively secreting prolactin or whether the elevation was due to mechanical compression of the pituitary stalk. The patient was initially managed conservatively with stress-dose steroids and a low-dose dopamine agonist, but clinical deterioration on day five prompted urgent endoscopic surgical removal of the tumor through the nasal passage, followed by multilayer skull-base repair. Postoperatively, prolactin levels fell dramatically within 24 hours, ultimately normalizing by six weeks, which strongly suggested that stalk compression rather than a prolactin-secreting tumor was the primary cause of the elevated hormone levels. The patient experienced transient complications including cerebrospinal fluid leakage and temporary diabetes insipidus, both of which resolved with appropriate treatment, and she returned to university studies within four weeks. This case highlights that pituitary apoplexy can present subtly in young patients, that markedly elevated prolactin in hemorrhagic pituitary lesions does not necessarily indicate a prolactinoma, and that timely surgical intervention when conservative management fails is critical for preserving vision and hormonal function.
Cureus
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