Latest Research
All publications from the Cancer3.AI database, newest first.
Updates on Langerhans cell histiocytosis and other histiocytosis in children: invited review-challenges and novelties in paediatric tumours.
Galluzzo Mutti L, et al
A comprehensive invited review published in Virchows Archiv examines the current classification, diagnostic challenges, and novel presentations of histiocytic disorders in children, including Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH), juvenile xanthogranuloma (JXG) family lesions, and Rosai-Dorfman-Destombes disease (RDD), all now grouped under the World Health Organization category of histiocytic/dendritic cell neoplasms. These conditions range from localized lesions to aggressive systemic diseases affecting multiple organs, making early and accurate diagnosis critical for appropriate treatment. The review highlights newly recognized entities such as ALK-positive histiocytosis, mixed histiocytosis, and secondary histiocytic lesions that can arise following prior leukemia or lymphoma, expanding the clinical landscape clinicians must navigate. Malignant histiocytic neoplasms, though rare in childhood, are identified as distinct high-grade tumors that can occur either as primary disease or secondary to prior blood cancers. Importantly, the review clarifies that hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, despite its name, is not a true histiocytic neoplasm but rather a spectrum of hyperinflammation with diverse triggers, a distinction with significant implications for diagnosis and management. This update provides pediatric pathologists and oncologists with essential guidance for navigating the complex and evolving field of childhood histiocytic disorders.
Virchows Archiv : an international journal of pathology
Source →Malignant Transformation of Craniopharyngioma: A rare case after 32 years of follow-up.
Orhan G, et al
Researchers report a remarkably rare case in which a craniopharyngioma — a benign brain tumor of the sellar region — underwent malignant transformation into squamous cell carcinoma a full 32 years after the original diagnosis. The patient had endured four surgical resections and two separate courses of radiotherapy over the decades, with imaging remaining stable for seven years before a rapidly enlarging, locally invasive lesion suddenly appeared. Histopathological analysis confirmed squamous cell carcinoma with beta-catenin positivity, consistent with an adamantinomatous origin. The case raises important questions about radiotherapy as a potential contributing factor to malignant transformation, though a definitive causal link has not been established. Clinicians are reminded that craniopharyngioma patients require lifelong surveillance, as malignant change can occur even after prolonged periods of apparent disease stability. Given the poor prognosis and limited treatment options associated with malignant craniopharyngioma, greater documentation and awareness of such cases is urgently needed to guide future management strategies.
Kathmandu University medical journal (KUMJ)
Source →Atypical placental site nodule detected via hysteroscopy - first case report from Brazil.
Braga A, et al
Researchers from Brazil have reported the first documented Brazilian case of atypical placental site nodule (APSN), a rare and poorly understood form of gestational trophoblastic disease, diagnosed using hysteroscopy in a 43-year-old woman following a miscarriage. APSN arises from the abnormal proliferation of intermediate trophoblast cells and is considered a potential precursor to aggressive cancers such as placental site trophoblastic tumor and epithelioid trophoblastic tumor. Laboratory analysis confirmed the diagnosis through characteristic tissue features including nuclear atypia, positive staining for PLAP and p63 markers, and an elevated cell proliferation index above 5%. The patient chose to avoid hysterectomy—the standard definitive treatment—and instead underwent careful monitoring, showing no signs of disease progression over 12 months of follow-up. This case highlights the critical diagnostic challenges posed by APSN, which can mimic both benign lesions and malignant tumors, and demonstrates that hysteroscopy is a valuable tool for both diagnosis and fertility-preserving management. The authors call for international multicenter studies and patient registries to develop evidence-based guidelines for this rare condition, which currently lacks standardized treatment protocols.
Ceska gynekologie
Source →Immunohistochemical predictors of local recurrence in breast carcinoma: development and sensitivity validation of an IHC-based risk score.
Căluianu V, et al
Researchers in Romania conducted a retrospective study of 100 breast cancer patients who underwent breast-conserving surgery between 2013 and 2018, aiming to develop a simple, low-cost tool to predict local tumour recurrence using standard immunohistochemical (IHC) biomarkers. The team constructed an integrated IHC risk score ranging from 0 to 6 points based on the absence of estrogen and progesterone receptors and the presence of HER2 overexpression, stratifying patients into low, moderate, and high risk groups. Local recurrence was observed in 21 of the 100 patients, with notably higher rates in biologically unfavourable subgroups: 26.47% in ER-negative tumours, 33.33% in HER2-positive tumours, and 37.5% in the ER-negative/PR-negative phenotype. To address gaps in data linkage, three sensitivity scenarios were tested, and the risk stratification remained stable across all scenarios, demonstrating the model's robustness. This pragmatic scoring system relies entirely on biomarkers already routinely assessed in pathology laboratories, making it accessible without expensive genomic testing, and the authors call for external validation in larger, multicentre cohorts to confirm its clinical utility.
Romanian journal of morphology and embryology = Revue roumaine de morphologie et embryologie
Source →Different Presentations and Different Treatment Options in Blastic Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Neoplasms: A Case Series.
Cengiz E, et al
Researchers present a case series examining blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN), a rare and aggressive blood cancer that originates from plasmacytoid dendritic cells and was formally reclassified under histiocytic and dendritic cell neoplasms in the 2022 World Health Organization classification. The study describes three patients with BPDCN who exhibited different clinical presentations, highlighting the variable ways this disease can manifest. Two of the patients were eligible for intensive treatment, while one was not, illustrating how treatment decisions must be individualized based on patient fitness. Available therapies include chemotherapy and immunotherapy, with stem cell transplantation recognized as the best consolidative strategy for eligible patients. This case series underscores the importance of clinical awareness of BPDCN, as early recognition and appropriate treatment selection are critical to improving outcomes in this difficult-to-treat malignancy.
International journal of hematology-oncology and stem cell research
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