Latest Research
All publications from the Cancer3.AI database, newest first.
Radiation Dose to Swallowing Muscles and Post-Radiotherapy Laryngeal Penetration or Aspiration in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma.
Chotchutipan T, et al
A new study published in Cancers investigated which swallowing muscles are most vulnerable to radiation damage in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma treated with radiotherapy, a condition known to cause serious swallowing difficulties called dysphagia. Researchers analyzed 53 patients who underwent post-radiotherapy swallowing assessments and compared 22 patients who developed laryngeal penetration or aspiration — where food or liquid enters the airway — against matched controls. Using advanced statistical modeling, the team found that high radiation doses to the genioglossus muscle, a key tongue muscle involved in swallowing, were the strongest predictor of post-radiotherapy swallowing dysfunction. Specifically, the proportion of the genioglossus receiving 70 Gray or more of radiation was significantly associated with a higher risk of aspiration, with each unit increase raising the odds by 6 percent. These findings suggest that radiation treatment plans for head and neck cancer should carefully consider limiting the dose delivered to the genioglossus muscle in order to reduce the risk of life-threatening complications such as aspiration pneumonia. The authors call for prospective studies to confirm these results and potentially establish the genioglossus as a formal dose-limiting structure in radiotherapy planning.
Cancers
Source →New histopathological terminology for well-differentiated hepatocellular lesions in unusual clinico-pathological scenarios: HCA-like and FNH-like.
Sempoux C, et al
An international panel of liver pathologists has proposed a new diagnostic terminology to better classify well-differentiated liver lesions—specifically hepatocellular adenomas (HCA) and focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH)—when they arise in unusual clinical settings, such as in patients with pre-existing chronic liver disease. Traditionally, both lesions were defined as occurring in otherwise healthy liver tissue, but advances in contrast-enhanced imaging, immunohistochemistry, and molecular analysis have shown that they can develop in diseased livers, where distinguishing between the two becomes diagnostically ambiguous. The International Liver Pathology Study Group recommends that such lesions be designated as 'HCA-like' or 'FNH-like,' with pathology reports explicitly noting the background liver condition and the unusual clinical context in which the lesion was identified. This new terminology moves beyond the traditional binary of benign versus malignant and acknowledges that these outlier lesions may carry a spectrum of malignant potential that requires individualized clinical judgment. By flagging these cases with specific language, pathologists can alert hepatobiliary multidisciplinary teams to adjust patient management strategies accordingly. The framework also provides a standardized foundation for future collaborative research into these complex and diagnostically challenging liver lesions.
JHEP reports : innovation in hepatology
Source →Primary pulmonary histiocytic sarcoma with CNS metastasis: a case report and molecular profiling insights.
Chen K, et al
Researchers report a rare case of primary pulmonary histiocytic sarcoma (HS) in a 53-year-old woman who presented with a 60-mm lung mass and later developed fatal brain metastases, offering new molecular insights into this poorly understood malignancy. Using whole-exome sequencing and fusion gene analysis, the team identified simultaneous activation of two major cancer-driving pathways—RAS/MAPK and PI3K/mTOR—along with inactivation of the tumor suppressor gene TP53 and alterations in immune-related HLA genes. Drug sensitivity profiling pointed to potential therapeutic benefit from sunitinib and MEK inhibitors, offering possible treatment directions for future patients. A comparison with nine previously reported lung HS cases revealed that pulmonary location is associated with significantly worse survival compared to HS arising elsewhere in the body. The study also identified high tumor cell proliferation (Ki-67 greater than 30%) and large tumor size (greater than 50 mm) as key markers of poor prognosis. These findings underscore the need for comprehensive molecular profiling in rare cancers to guide personalized treatment strategies.
Frontiers in oncology
Source →Endocrine Hypertension: The Role of Imaging in Diagnosis and Management.
Siddiqui MA, et al
A new review published in The British Journal of Radiology examines the critical role of imaging in diagnosing and managing endocrine hypertension, a relatively uncommon but highly treatable form of secondary high blood pressure caused by abnormal hormone production. The review covers a wide spectrum of conditions, including pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas, which produce excess catecholamines, as well as disorders leading to overproduction of aldosterone or cortisol by the adrenal or pituitary glands. Additional endocrine conditions such as acromegaly, primary hyperparathyroidism, and thyroid disorders are also highlighted as potential drivers of hypertension. The authors emphasize that clinical presentation and laboratory findings should guide clinicians toward the most appropriate imaging modality, enabling accurate identification of the underlying cause. Early and correct diagnosis through targeted imaging is essential because many of these conditions can be surgically or medically cured, offering patients significant long-term health benefits and reducing cardiovascular risk.
The British journal of radiology
Source →The Utility of Cystathionine Assessment using proton MR Spectroscopy for the Preoperative Differential Diagnosis of Adult-Type Diffuse Gliomas.
Kikuchi K, et al
Researchers evaluated whether a brain metabolite called cystathionine, measurable noninvasively by proton MR spectroscopy (1H-MRS), could help distinguish between the three main subtypes of adult diffuse gliomas—oligodendroglioma, astrocytoma, and glioblastoma—before surgery in 85 patients. The study found that cystathionine levels were significantly higher in oligodendrogliomas compared to astrocytomas, but no significant difference was detected between oligodendrogliomas and glioblastomas, limiting the marker's standalone diagnostic value. Standard ROC analysis showed only moderate discriminatory performance (AUC 0.69 for oligodendroglioma vs. astrocytoma), though restricting analysis to spectra with reliable quantification improved this to AUC 0.83. Combining cystathionine with another metabolic marker, 2-hydroxyglutarate (2HG), provided modest additional improvement in diagnostic accuracy. These findings suggest that cystathionine has biological relevance as a glioma metabolic marker but is insufficient on its own for reliable preoperative subtyping, and future multi-metabolite 1H-MRS panels may offer more clinically useful noninvasive glioma classification.
AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology
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