Latest Research
All publications from the Cancer3.AI database, newest first.
Ultra-high-frequency ultrasound in the detection of recurrent conjunctival melanoma: A case report.
Russo A, et al
Researchers report a case study exploring the use of ultra-high-frequency ultrasound (UHFUS) at 48 MHz to detect recurrent conjunctival melanoma, a rare and difficult-to-monitor cancer of the eye surface. A middle-aged patient with a history of treated conjunctival melanoma presented with a new lump near the eye socket and a pigmented lesion at the inner corner of the eye, prompting referral for suspected relapse. UHFUS imaging revealed epidermal thickening and three subepidermal nodules with irregular shape and increased blood flow, identifying multiple subtle recurrent lesions that might otherwise have been missed by standard clinical examination. The imaging findings helped confirm the absence of lymph node involvement and refined local staging, supporting the patient's ongoing immunotherapy treatment plan. This case suggests that UHFUS could become a valuable non-invasive tool in the surveillance of conjunctival melanoma, improving early detection of recurrence and guiding multidisciplinary care decisions.
World journal of clinical cases
Source →Tympanic Bone: Small Neglected Bone with Extreme Anatomic Importance in Lateral Skull-Base Surgery.
Grinblat G, et al
Researchers investigated the surgical and anatomical significance of the tympanic bone, a small but critically important component of the temporal bone located in the lateral skull base, which is often overlooked in medical literature. The study examined 20 formalin-preserved temporal bones to measure the tympanic bone's dimensions and its relationship to the styloid process, finding that tympanic bone thickness averaged 10.6 mm and styloid process length averaged 43 mm. Among 272 patients operated on for tympanojugular paraganglioma — a rare tumor arising near the jugular vein and middle ear — tympanic bone infiltration by tumor was found in virtually all advanced-stage cases and in a substantial proportion of earlier-stage tumors. The findings demonstrate that surgeons must carefully remove part or all of the tympanic bone during lateral skull-base procedures to safely access critical structures such as the internal carotid artery. The authors emphasize that high-resolution CT scanning, especially coronal sections, is essential for pre-surgical planning involving this neglected but anatomically vital bone.
Otology & neurotology open
Source →Sepsis Caused by Clostridium Perfringens in an Elderly Female Patient with Breast Cancer: A Case Report.
Fan N, et al
Researchers from China have reported a rare and fatal case of a 75-year-old woman with breast cancer who developed life-threatening septic shock caused by a mixed infection with Clostridium perfringens type A and Escherichia coli. The patient, who also had hypertension and diabetes, presented with nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fever, and loss of consciousness, and was additionally found to have suffered an acute myocardial infarction. Despite aggressive treatment with the broad-spectrum antibiotic meropenem, the patient died from multiple organ failure within fewer than four days of admission, making this only the third documented case of breast cancer complicated by Clostridium perfringens bacteremia in medical literature. The suspected source of infection was gastrointestinal, potentially linked to the patient's consumption of watermelon left unrefrigerated for more than 24 hours, highlighting everyday food safety risks for vulnerable patients. Although Clostridium perfringens bloodstream infections are extremely rare, accounting for approximately 0.017% of all such infections, mortality rates in immunocompromised individuals and cancer patients can reach 70% to 100%. Clinicians are urged to consider virulent anaerobic bacteria as a possible cause when cancer patients present with fever, myocardial injury, or signs of hemolysis, as early identification and targeted treatment are essential to improving outcomes.
Infection and drug resistance
Source →An Eye-Opening Approach: Cancer of Unknown Primary Source With Choroidal Metastasis Case Report.
Kaser E, et al
This case report describes a 33-year-old man who presented with eye pain and visual disturbance and was ultimately diagnosed with cancer of unknown primary origin that had spread to the choroid of the eye, small lung nodules, and a bone lesion in the iliac crest. Biopsies indicated metastatic adenocarcinoma most likely of lung origin, but without targetable genetic mutations or PD-L1 expression, limiting standard treatment options. The patient was treated with a combination of chemotherapy (carboplatin and paclitaxel), immunotherapy (pembrolizumab), and radiation to multiple disease sites; after disease progression on maintenance immunotherapy with new brain and rib lesions, he received further chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Despite losing vision in the affected eye, the patient achieved durable disease control and remains free of detectable cancer more than four years after his initial diagnosis. This case demonstrates that an aggressive, coordinated multimodality approach—combining systemic therapy with targeted local radiation—can yield surprisingly long-term survival even after immunotherapy failure in patients with choroidal metastasis. Clinicians are urged to consider individualized, multidisciplinary treatment strategies rather than defaulting to palliative care when managing choroidal metastases in the modern immunotherapy era.
Interactive journal of medical research
Source →Unexpected 123I FP-CIT (DaT SCAN) Uptake in Palpebral Conjunctival Melanoma.
Kagaya R, et al
Researchers at a nuclear medicine center reported the first known case of unexpected radiotracer uptake in a recurrent eyelid melanoma detected during a brain scan performed for an unrelated neurological condition. A 60-year-old woman with a six-year history of Parkinsonism and a prior diagnosis of malignant melanoma of the left palpebral conjunctiva underwent imaging with 123I FP-CIT, a tracer normally used to assess dopamine transporter activity in the brain for Parkinson disease evaluation. Surprisingly, intense 123I FP-CIT uptake was detected not only in the expected brain regions but also in the left eyelid lesion, while a second brain tracer, 99mTc-ECD, showed no such uptake in the same area. CT and MRI scans confirmed the presence of a mass in the eyelid consistent with recurrent malignant melanoma, suggesting that melanoma cells may express dopamine transporters or related proteins capable of binding this tracer. This case highlights the importance of recognizing incidental, extrastriatal radiotracer uptake during routine nuclear medicine scans, as it may reveal unsuspected cancer recurrence and influence patient management.
Clinical nuclear medicine
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