Latest Research
All publications from the Cancer3.AI database, newest first.
O-to-H Flap Reconstruction of a Central Forehead Defect Following Basosquamous Carcinoma Excision: A Case Report and Literature Review.
Krili S, et al
Researchers report a case of basosquamous carcinoma (BSC), a rare and aggressive skin cancer combining features of both basal and squamous cell carcinoma, treated surgically in an 88-year-old male patient with a large ulcerative lesion on the central forehead. Following wide excision under local anesthesia, which produced a sizable 4.6 x 4.4 cm defect, the surgical team reconstructed the area using an O-to-H flap technique, a method that converts a circular wound into an H-shaped closure using strategically placed horizontal incisions. At four-month follow-up, the patient showed excellent cosmetic and functional results, with well-healed scars, preserved sensation, and no signs of cancer recurrence. The authors also conducted a literature review highlighting the lack of standardized guidelines for BSC management and reconstruction. This case demonstrates that H-plasty is a reliable, technically accessible option for closing complex central forehead defects, minimizing nerve damage risk and donor-site complications. The findings are clinically relevant for surgeons managing facial skin cancers in elderly patients where simple yet effective reconstructive solutions are essential.
Cureus
Source →Intraosseous Solitary Fibrous Tumor of the Maxilla: A Report of an Unusual Case.
Corredor Y, et al
Researchers report an exceptionally rare case of solitary fibrous tumor (SFT), a type of soft-tissue cancer originating from connective tissue cells, occurring inside the bone of the upper jaw (maxilla) in a 31-year-old man. The patient presented with a slow-growing, painless but visually deforming mass that had been developing for 14 months in the left posterior region of the upper jaw. Diagnosis was confirmed through a combination of tissue biopsy, microscopic examination, and immunohistochemical staining, with the tumor showing the characteristic NAB2::STAT6 genetic fusion that defines SFT. Complete surgical removal of the tumor with clear margins was successfully performed, and the patient is being followed long-term given the known risk of local recurrence associated with this tumor type. This case is significant because SFT almost never occurs within the bones of the face and jaw, and it underscores the importance of thorough diagnostic workup—including imaging, histopathology, and specialized protein markers—when clinicians encounter unusual jaw masses in young patients.
Cureus
Source →Mucosal Melanoma of Head and Neck: A Rare and Aggressive Disease-A Register-Based Cohort Study.
Degerholm SC, et al
Researchers at Helsinki University Hospital conducted a register-based cohort study examining head and neck melanomas diagnosed between 2002 and 2023, comparing mucosal melanoma — a rare form arising from the mucous membranes lining body cavities — with the more common cutaneous (skin) melanoma. The study included 56 patients with mucosal melanoma and 714 with cutaneous melanoma, finding that mucosal melanoma occurred at a rate of just 1.55 cases per million people per year, most frequently in the nose and paranasal sinuses. The survival difference between the two forms was stark: only 12% of mucosal melanoma patients survived five years, compared to 60.3% of those with cutaneous melanoma. Mucosal melanoma was also more frequently diagnosed in women, while cutaneous melanoma was more common in men. These findings highlight the exceptionally aggressive nature of mucosal melanoma and underscore the urgent need for earlier diagnosis and improved treatment strategies for this rare but deadly cancer.
Journal of oral pathology & medicine : official publication of the International Association of Oral Pathologists and the American Academy of Oral Pathology
Source →Attributable fraction and interaction of tobacco smoking and alcohol drinking on the risk of head and neck cancer: a pooled analysis of 11 prospective cohort studies in Japan.
Tsuge H, et al
A large pooled analysis of 11 prospective cohort studies in Japan, involving over 434,000 participants, investigated how tobacco smoking and alcohol drinking individually and jointly affect the risk of head and neck cancer (HNC). Over the follow-up period, 1,835 new HNC cases were identified, and both smoking and alcohol consumption were confirmed as significant independent risk factors. Crucially, the two habits were found to interact synergistically — people who both smoked and drank faced a risk greater than the sum of each factor alone, with a multiplicative interaction of 1.55. Among men, smoking was responsible for about 41% of HNC cases and alcohol for about 34%, while together they accounted for nearly 47% of all cases. The contribution of each risk factor also varied by cancer subsite: smoking had a stronger attributable fraction for nasopharyngeal and laryngeal cancers, while alcohol was more strongly linked to oral cavity and hypopharyngeal cancers. These findings underscore the importance of combined tobacco and alcohol cessation strategies in Japan and provide subsite-specific evidence that can help clinicians and public health officials design more targeted HNC prevention programs.
International journal of epidemiology
Source →Identification of the Carcinogenic Process from Lobular Endocervical Glandular Hyperplasia to Gastric-Type Adenocarcinoma of the Uterine Cervix via Whole-Exome Sequencing.
Kuruma A, et al
Researchers investigated the poorly understood process by which lobular endocervical glandular hyperplasia (LEGH), a benign-appearing tissue change in the cervix, may progress into gastric-type adenocarcinoma (GAS), a rare and aggressive cervical cancer with poor survival rates. Using laser microdissection and whole-exome sequencing, the team compared the genetic profiles of normal cervical glands, LEGH, and GAS tissue taken from the same patients, allowing direct tracking of genomic changes across disease stages. The study found that GAS harbored significantly more mutations and chromosomal copy number alterations than LEGH, and phylogenetic analysis in three cases supported a sequential progression from LEGH to GAS. Key mutations in tumor suppressor genes STK11 and ARID1A were already present in LEGH and became more prominent in GAS, while loss-of-function mutations in SMAD4 and SMAD2 appeared exclusively in the cancerous stage, suggesting they drive malignant transformation. These findings identify potential molecular markers that could help clinicians detect early cancer development in patients with LEGH and may open new avenues for targeted therapies against this difficult-to-treat cancer.
Cancers
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