Latest Research
All publications from the Cancer3.AI database, newest first.
Proposed strategy after complete LAMN (low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasm) resection by different RENAPE units: need for a new consensus?
Mouawad C, et al
Researchers from the French RENAPE network surveyed expert centers to evaluate how they manage patients after complete surgical removal of low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasms (LAMNs), a rare type of slow-growing tumor arising from the appendix that can spread mucus-producing cells into the abdominal cavity. The study found that while all centers agreed on the importance of centralized pathology review and standardized imaging, there was striking disagreement on follow-up strategies depending on the patient's risk level. For low-risk patients with clean surgical margins and no spread, centers were evenly split between recommending no further follow-up and recommending long-term MRI surveillance. In higher-risk cases involving possible tumor spread, some centers favored early aggressive intervention with cytoreductive surgery and heated chemotherapy directly into the abdomen (CRS-HIPEC), while others preferred watchful waiting or minimally invasive diagnostic procedures. These findings reveal a significant gap in evidence-based guidance and highlight the urgent need for harmonized national protocols and prospective clinical studies to improve and standardize care for LAMN patients.
Pleura and peritoneum
Source →Efficacy of nivolumab plus relatlimab versus BRAF/MEK inhibitors for first-line treatment of BRAF-mutant advanced melanoma: A matching-adjusted indirect comparison.
Miller DM, et al
This study used matching-adjusted indirect comparison (MAIC) methodology to evaluate the efficacy of the dual immunotherapy combination nivolumab plus relatlimab (NIVO+RELA) against four BRAF/MEK inhibitor regimens as first-line treatment for patients with BRAF-mutant advanced melanoma, filling an evidence gap in the absence of direct head-to-head clinical trials. Drawing on patient-level data from the RELATIVITY-047 trial and aggregate data from the COMBI-d/v, COLUMBUS, coBRIM, and IMspire150 trials, researchers found that NIVO+RELA was associated with significantly longer overall survival beyond 12 months compared to dabrafenib plus trametinib, encorafenib plus binimetinib, and vemurafenib plus cobimetinib, as well as improved overall survival at any time point versus atezolizumab plus vemurafenib plus cobimetinib. Although BRAF/MEK inhibitor combinations demonstrated faster early disease control, with higher overall response rates and superior progression-free survival during the first 12 months, NIVO+RELA reversed this trend beyond that threshold, consistent with the known pattern of immunotherapy conferring durable long-term benefit. The safety profile of NIVO+RELA was more favorable in certain respects, with fewer grade 3 or 4 adverse events compared to some BRAF/MEK inhibitor regimens, and fewer treatment discontinuations due to adverse events. These findings provide clinically valuable indirect evidence suggesting that NIVO+RELA may offer a meaningful long-term survival advantage for BRAF-mutant advanced melanoma patients, and can help guide treatment decisions for oncologists when direct comparative trial data are unavailable.
BMJ oncology
Source →A Massive Haemothorax Due to Pleural Extramedullary Haematopoiesis in a Patient With Myelodysplastic Syndrome/Myeloproliferative Neoplasm.
Theeb M, et al
Researchers report a rare and ultimately fatal case of massive haemothorax caused by extramedullary haematopoiesis (EMH) in the pleural cavity of a woman in her 60s diagnosed with myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasm (MDS/MPN). Extramedullary haematopoiesis occurs when the body produces blood cells outside the bone marrow, typically in the spleen or liver, as a response to bone marrow failure — but involvement of the pleural lining around the lungs is exceptionally uncommon. The patient experienced recurrent episodes of blood accumulating in her chest cavity, requiring repeated drainage, and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery confirmed that abnormal myeloid precursor cells and megakaryocytes had infiltrated the pleural tissue. Despite treatment with azacitidine and supportive care, her condition deteriorated and she died from multi-organ failure. This case underscores the importance of considering EMH as a cause of unexplained or recurrent bloody pleural effusions in patients with blood cancers, as early recognition may influence management decisions. Clinicians should include pleural EMH in the differential diagnosis even when it represents an unusual disease manifestation.
Cureus
Source →Challenges in Diagnosis and Management of Mastoid Osteosarcoma: A Case Report and Review of Literature.
Aldaihani A, et al
Researchers report a rare case of osteosarcoma arising in the mastoid process, a bone located behind the ear, in a patient who had previously received radiation therapy for a salivary gland cancer called mucoepidermoid carcinoma. The tumor, which developed five years after radiotherapy, had aggressively invaded the middle ear by the time it was detected through CT imaging and confirmed by biopsy. Surgeons successfully removed the mass, and the patient was subsequently treated with chemotherapy drugs cisplatin and doxorubicin, recovering well despite a postoperative wound infection that was managed with drainage and antibiotics. This case highlights that radiation-induced osteosarcomas can occur years after cancer treatment and may invade critical surrounding structures, making early vigilance in long-term cancer survivors essential. The authors emphasize that because mastoid osteosarcomas are extremely rare, multicenter collaborative studies are urgently needed to establish standardized treatment guidelines for this challenging diagnosis.
Case reports in otolaryngology
Source →Ruptured uterus: a rare and catastrophic complication of molar pregnancy.
Debele AA, et al
Researchers report a rare and life-threatening case of uterine rupture caused by a complete molar pregnancy, a condition in which abnormal placental tissue grows inside the uterus instead of a normal fetus. A 37-year-old woman with five prior pregnancies presented in hemorrhagic shock with a dangerously low hemoglobin level of 2.8 g/dL, abdominal pain, and vaginal bleeding after five months without a period. Emergency surgery revealed a rupture at the corner of the uterus, and a hysterectomy was performed to save her life, with blood transfusions and intravenous fluids used to stabilize her condition. Pathological examination confirmed a complete molar pregnancy rather than a malignant form, making this an exceptionally rare finding since nearly all previously reported cases of molar-pregnancy-related uterine rupture involved cancerous tissue. After surgery, the patient was monitored with serial blood tests for the pregnancy hormone hCG and was declared cured after six months with no sign of progression to gestational trophoblastic neoplasia. This case highlights the importance of including molar pregnancy in the differential diagnosis of uterine rupture and underscores that even non-malignant gestational trophoblastic disease can present as a surgical emergency.
AJOG global reports
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