Latest Research
All publications from the Cancer3.AI database, newest first.
Gastric Regional Lymph Node Metastases from a Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Unknown Primary Site: A Case Report.
Komo T, et al
Researchers from Japan reported a rare case of a 75-year-old woman who presented with a gastric submucosal tumor that turned out to be a lymph node metastasis from a cancer of unknown primary site, consisting of squamous cell carcinoma cells. Despite extensive imaging and diagnostic workup, no primary tumor could be identified in the head and neck, esophagus, or lungs, making this an exceptionally uncommon clinical scenario. The patient underwent open proximal gastrectomy with systematic lymph node dissection and removal of involved surrounding organs, after which histopathology confirmed squamous cell carcinoma metastases in five of thirty-five dissected gastric lymph nodes. Postoperatively, the immunotherapy drug nivolumab was initiated, and the patient remained alive and recurrence-free seven months after surgery. The authors suggest that when a cancer of unknown primary spreads to gastric regional lymph nodes and surgical removal eliminates all detectable disease, this may be functionally equivalent to a curative resection, offering hope for long-term disease control in such rare presentations.
Surgical case reports
Source →Leukaemia cutis as a late, isolated extramedullary relapse: a case report of a patient with acute myeloid leukaemia 6 years after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation and remission.
Montazer F, et al
Researchers report a rare case of leukaemia cutis — a condition where leukaemic cells infiltrate the skin — occurring as a late, isolated relapse in a 24-year-old man six years after he had undergone allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for acute myeloid leukaemia. The patient presented with a single nodule on his scalp, and although blood tests and bone marrow biopsy showed completely normal results, a core needle biopsy of the skin lesion confirmed the presence of leukaemic cells confined solely to the skin. Because the disease had not spread beyond the skin, the patient was treated with local radiotherapy rather than systemic chemotherapy. This case underscores the importance of long-term follow-up in leukaemia survivors, as relapse can occur in so-called sanctuary sites such as the skin even many years after successful transplantation and complete remission. Clinicians are reminded to consider leukaemia cutis in any leukaemia patient presenting with unusual skin lesions, regardless of how much time has passed since treatment.
Skin health and disease
Source →Synergistic Antitumor Activity and Neuroprotective Effects of FGF1/FGFR Inhibition with Oxaliplatin Chemotherapy.
Xie C, et al
Researchers investigated whether targeting the fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF1) and its receptor (FGFR) signaling pathway could improve the effectiveness of oxaliplatin chemotherapy while simultaneously reducing its harmful side effects on the nervous system. Oxaliplatin is a standard chemotherapy drug widely used against cancers such as liver and lung cancer, but its usefulness is limited both by modest efficacy as a single agent and by a serious complication called oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neurotoxicity (OIPN), which causes nerve damage and pain in patients. The study found that FGF1 levels rise in tumor cells and in nerve tissue of tumor-bearing mice after oxaliplatin treatment, and that high FGF1 activity both accelerates cancer growth and worsens nerve damage. When FGF1 was genetically silenced in cancer cell lines and in animal models, oxaliplatin became more effective at killing tumors and caused significantly less nerve injury. Most importantly, combining oxaliplatin with existing FGFR inhibitor drugs produced stronger tumor suppression and clear relief from neuropathy symptoms in preclinical models. These findings suggest that adding an FGFR inhibitor to oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy regimens could offer cancer patients a double benefit: better tumor control and fewer debilitating nerve side effects.
Journal of advanced research
Source →Skin conditions in persons living with HIV during hospital admission in the UK.
McCluskey J, et al
A UK study examined the types of skin conditions affecting people living with HIV (PLHIV) who were admitted to a tertiary hospital between 2018 and 2022, providing an updated picture of dermatological disease in the era of modern antiretroviral therapy. Researchers reviewed records of 199 patients and identified 303 cases of skin disease, finding that infections were by far the most common category, accounting for over half of all cases. Bacterial cellulitis was the single most frequent diagnosis overall, while patients with advanced HIV infection (low CD4 counts) were most commonly affected by oral candidiasis, herpes simplex virus infection, seborrhoeic dermatitis, and Kaposi sarcoma. The findings highlight that despite effective HIV treatments, skin infections remain a significant burden for hospitalised PLHIV, and that those with more advanced immunosuppression face a distinct and serious pattern of skin disease. Clinicians caring for HIV-positive patients should remain vigilant for a wide range of dermatological conditions, particularly infections, which may signal underlying immune compromise. The authors call for larger prospective studies and outpatient data to build a more comprehensive understanding of skin health in this population.
Skin health and disease
Source →Ten-Year Experience in the Treatment of Cancers of Unknown Primary from Poland: From Overall Survival to Factors Influencing Response in the Prepersonalization Era.
Tałasiewicz K, et al
Researchers at the Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology in Warsaw conducted a retrospective study of 149 patients diagnosed with cancer of unknown primary (CUP) between 2006 and 2016, aiming to identify clinical and pathological factors that influence survival before the advent of modern molecular diagnostics. CUP, which accounts for 3–5% of all cancer cases, presents a major clinical challenge because the tumor's origin cannot be determined, complicating treatment decisions. The study found that the median overall survival for these patients was just 7.1 months, reflecting the aggressive nature of the disease. Multivariate analysis identified four independent predictors of poorer survival: a performance status score above 1, elevated alkaline phosphatase, elevated calcium levels, and a neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio of 2.61 or higher. These findings provide clinicians with accessible, routine laboratory and clinical markers that can help stratify patients and guide treatment eligibility decisions even without advanced genomic testing. The results underscore the continued relevance of traditional prognostic indicators in CUP management and lay groundwork for future studies incorporating next-generation sequencing.
Cancers
Source →