Latest Research
All publications from the Cancer3.AI database, newest first.
Smoking, Alcohol, and Their Interaction in the Risk of Head and Neck Cancer: A Nationwide Cohort Study.
Park E, et al
A large-scale Korean cohort study involving nearly six million adults examined how smoking and alcohol consumption — individually and together — affect the risk of developing head and neck cancer (HNC) across multiple anatomic sites. Participants were followed for an average of 13 years, during which 13,491 HNC cases were identified through the national cancer registry. The study found that current smokers and heavy drinkers each faced significantly elevated cancer risk in a dose-dependent fashion, but when both habits were combined, the risk was greater than the sum of each factor alone — a phenomenon called supra-additive or synergistic interaction. This synergy was most pronounced for cancers of the oral cavity, oropharynx, nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses, and larynx, with some sites also showing multiplicative interaction effects. These findings are important for public health because they demonstrate that tackling smoking and heavy drinking together — rather than in isolation — is critical to meaningfully reducing the burden of head and neck cancers in the population.
Cancer medicine
Source →[Endoscopic and Combined Skull Base Surgery - The Experience of Shaare Zedek Medical Center].
Forer B, et al
Researchers at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Israel conducted a descriptive review of all anterior skull base surgeries performed using endoscopic or combined open-endoscopic approaches between 2017 and 2024. The anterior skull base is a critical anatomical region separating the brain from the nasal cavities and sinuses, and it is affected by a range of conditions including benign and malignant tumors, infections, and traumatic injuries. Over the study period, 177 surgeries were performed — 163 for primary pathologies and 14 revision procedures — with postoperative cerebrospinal fluid leaks occurring in only 5.5% of patients and symptomatic residual tumors in just 3%. The majority of cases were handled using minimally invasive endoscopic techniques, while more complex cases involving extensive bone loss or intracranial involvement required a combined approach integrating both open and endoscopic methods. These findings demonstrate that the shift from traditional open surgery to endoscopic techniques has meaningfully improved patient outcomes, reduced complications, and shortened recovery times. The study underscores the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration between neurosurgeons and otolaryngologists in achieving safe and effective skull base surgery.
Harefuah
Source →Paranasal Sinus Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Adenocarcinoma: A SEER Database Analysis.
Brame L, et al
A new large-scale study published in Cancer Medicine examined survival outcomes and prognostic factors for two common types of paranasal sinus cancer — squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and adenocarcinoma (AC) — using nearly two decades of data from the U.S. SEER database, encompassing over 10,000 patients diagnosed between 2000 and 2019. Researchers found that patients with adenocarcinoma tended to be younger but presented with more advanced and less differentiated tumors compared to those with squamous cell carcinoma, and median overall survival was dramatically shorter for AC patients (56 months) versus SCC patients (203 months). Key predictors of survival differed between the two cancer types: for SCC, tumor stage, primary anatomical site, and treatment approach were all significant, while for AC, stage and treatment were the dominant factors. Notably, SCC arising in the nasal cavity was associated with better survival compared to other sinus locations, and for both cancer types, treatment combining surgery with radiation outperformed radiation alone. These findings provide clinicians with clearer guidance on how to counsel patients and tailor treatment strategies for these rare but aggressive malignancies.
Cancer medicine
Source →Total margin control surgery achieves local control in four high-stage penile squamous cell carcinoma cases.
O'Connell KA, et al
This study examined the use of total margin control (TMC) surgery as a treatment approach for four patients diagnosed with high-stage penile squamous cell carcinoma, a rare and aggressive form of penile cancer. TMC surgery involves comprehensive examination of all surgical margins to ensure complete tumor removal, minimizing the risk of leaving cancerous tissue behind. The results demonstrated that TMC surgery successfully achieved local control in all four cases, suggesting it can effectively manage even advanced-stage disease. These findings are significant for clinicians because penile cancer at high stages is notoriously difficult to treat while preserving penile function, and TMC offers a potentially organ-sparing approach without compromising oncological outcomes.
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology : JEADV
Source →Integrating ultrasound findings and extreme CA-125 elevation in the diagnosis of spontaneous endometrioma rupture: a case report.
Surya IU, et al
This case report, published in the International Journal of Surgery Case Reports, describes the clinical presentation and management of a spontaneous endometrioma rupture in a 27-year-old woman who arrived at a labor and delivery unit with acute abdominal pain coinciding with the onset of menstruation. Ultrasound imaging revealed a collapsed, irregularly walled ovarian cyst with ground-glass appearance and free fluid in the abdominal cavity, strongly suggesting a ruptured endometrioma. Laboratory findings showed a dramatically elevated CA-125 level of 5315 U/ml, far above the normal threshold of 35 U/ml, alongside elevated inflammatory markers consistent with diffuse peritonitis caused by the spillage of endometrioma contents. The patient underwent emergency laparotomy with cystectomy and peritoneal lavage, and histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of endometriosis. This case highlights that extremely elevated CA-125 levels, when combined with characteristic ultrasound findings, can serve as a critical diagnostic clue for spontaneous endometrioma rupture, helping clinicians distinguish this surgical emergency from other causes of acute abdominal pain in women of reproductive age.
International journal of surgery case reports
Source →