Latest Research
All publications from the Cancer3.AI database, newest first.
Almonertinib-Induced Interstitial Lung Disease in an NSCLC Patient Harboring an EGFR Ex19del Mutation: A Case Report.
Gao X, et al
This case report describes a 55-year-old Asian woman with stage IVB non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring an EGFR exon 19 deletion mutation who developed severe, grade 3 interstitial lung disease (ILD) approximately three months after starting almonertinib, a third-generation EGFR-targeted therapy used as a first-line treatment. The patient presented with rapidly worsening breathlessness, dangerously low blood oxygen levels, and extensive interstitial changes on high-resolution CT scanning, confirmed as ILD through multidisciplinary review. Prompt discontinuation of almonertinib and immediate treatment with intravenous methylprednisolone — a potent anti-inflammatory corticosteroid — produced remarkable clinical and radiological recovery within just seven days. The authors emphasize that although almonertinib-induced ILD is rare, it can escalate to a life-threatening emergency with striking speed, underscoring the importance of early recognition and swift intervention. Additionally, the case raises concern that pre-existing pulmonary risk factors — including occupational dust inhalation and smoking history — may heighten a patient's susceptibility to EGFR-TKI-induced lung toxicity. Clinicians prescribing almonertinib, particularly to patients with such risk factors, are advised to maintain heightened vigilance for respiratory complications throughout the course of therapy.
Case reports in oncology
Source →The Critical Role of Intra-Operative Frozen Section Biopsy in Recurrent and Previously Treated Oral Cavity Cancers: Institutional Experience from 510 Cases.
Hussain M, et al
Researchers at an Indian institution conducted a retrospective study of 510 patients with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC) to evaluate whether intraoperative frozen section (FS) biopsy is equally necessary across all patient types, comparing those with recurrent or previously treated disease to those undergoing surgery for the first time. The study found a striking difference in initial margin assessment results: 34.41% of previously treated patients had close or positive surgical margins on initial frozen section, compared to just 1.52% of treatment-naïve patients, a highly statistically significant difference. Thanks to intraoperative margin revisions guided by frozen section, 95% of the initially concerning cases in the previously treated group ultimately achieved clear margins, and only 4 of 510 total patients ended up with close or positive margins on final pathology. The findings suggest that for patients undergoing their first surgery for oral cavity cancer, gross visual inspection with adequate margin targeting may be sufficient, while frozen section analysis is indispensable for patients who have had prior treatment, recurrence, or second primary tumors, where tissue changes make visual assessment unreliable. This study provides important practical guidance for surgical oncologists in resource-limited settings, helping them prioritize the use of frozen section biopsy where it delivers the greatest clinical benefit.
Indian journal of surgical oncology
Source →Real-World Use of Dostarlimab Plus Chemotherapy in Advanced or Recurrent dMMR Endometrial Cancer: A Nationwide Cohort Study in France.
Singier A, et al
A nationwide French cohort study examined real-world outcomes of dostarlimab combined with chemotherapy in 644 patients with advanced or recurrent mismatch repair-deficient endometrial cancer, using the French National Health Data System with follow-up through late 2025. The study found that patients treated in routine clinical practice were older (median age 71 years), had more comorbidities including obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes, and presented with more advanced disease compared to participants in the pivotal RUBY clinical trial. Median overall survival was not reached during the follow-up period, with a one-year survival probability of 72.8%, though time to treatment discontinuation and progression-free survival were shorter than those observed in the RUBY trial. The safety profile was broadly comparable to clinical trial data, with hematologic adverse events being the most common specific concern, followed by digestive complications. These findings highlight that real-world cancer patients are often older and sicker than those enrolled in trials, which can translate into less favorable outcomes, and underscore the importance of generating post-approval evidence to guide clinical decision-making for this immunotherapy combination.
BioDrugs : clinical immunotherapeutics, biopharmaceuticals and gene therapy
Source →Treatment Outcomes of Methotrexate-Resistant Post-Molar Gestational Trophoblastic Neoplasia: A Retrospective Cohort Study at Tu Du Hospital, Vietnam.
Vo TM, et al
Researchers at Tu Du Hospital in Vietnam conducted a retrospective study examining treatment outcomes in 124 patients with gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) — a rare pregnancy-related cancer — who had stopped responding to first-line methotrexate chemotherapy between 2018 and 2023. The study found that alternative chemotherapy regimens achieved a high overall success rate of 89.52%, meaning most patients were successfully treated without needing further salvage therapy. Key findings revealed that patients switched to the EMA-CO regimen fared significantly better than those given actinomycin-D (Act-D), with salvage chemotherapy required in only 3.44% of EMA-CO patients compared to 16.67% in the Act-D group. However, EMA-CO was associated with considerably higher rates of severe blood toxicity, including grade 3-4 neutropenia in 56.9% of patients, compared to just 13.6% with Act-D. The study also identified that receiving fewer than four cycles of methotrexate before switching regimens was a risk factor for treatment failure. These findings provide clinicians with important guidance on selecting second-line treatments for methotrexate-resistant GTN, helping to balance effectiveness against side-effect risks.
Cancer control : journal of the Moffitt Cancer Center
Source →[Current advances and challenges of immunotherapy in gestational trophoblastic neoplasia].
Jiang F, et al
A new review article published in Zhonghua yi xue za zhi examines the emerging role of immunotherapy in gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN), a rare but highly treatable group of malignant tumors that develop from placental tissue. While most GTN cases respond well to chemotherapy, a subset of patients with high-risk disease, drug-resistant tumors, or rare subtypes face significant treatment challenges. The review highlights how immune checkpoint inhibitors — particularly drugs targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway — have shown promising results in patients whose disease has relapsed or stopped responding to standard chemotherapy, with some achieving long-term remission. The biological basis for this approach is supported by GTN's unique immune profile, which includes strong antigenicity, heavy immune cell infiltration within the tumor, and high expression of immune checkpoint proteins. Despite these advances, important questions remain unresolved, including when best to introduce immunotherapy, how it affects fertility in young patients, and which biomarkers can predict treatment response. The authors call for further research to address these gaps and to establish clearer guidelines for integrating immunotherapy into GTN clinical practice.
Zhonghua yi xue za zhi
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