Latest Research
All publications from the Cancer3.AI database, newest first.
T-cell/NK-cell lymphomas: a review.
Panwalkar AW, et al
A new review published in Cancer Letters examines T-cell and NK-cell lymphomas, a diverse and clinically challenging group of blood cancers that are difficult to diagnose and treat. The authors highlight that accurate classification of these malignancies is essential, as evidenced by the ongoing revisions to international cancer classification systems. Treatment approaches range widely depending on the specific subtype, from watchful waiting in less aggressive cases to intensive combination therapies in more dangerous forms. Allogeneic stem cell transplantation has achieved cures in a small number of patients but remains largely experimental. Emerging tools such as gene expression profiling are expected to improve understanding of the biology underlying these cancers, while novel therapies are being investigated in clinical trials to improve upon current standards of care.
Cancer letters
Source →New evidence for the origin of intracranial germ cell tumours from primordial germ cells: expression of pluripotency and cell differentiation markers.
Hoei-Hansen CE, et al
Researchers investigated the biological origins of rare intracranial germ cell tumours — brain tumours that primarily affect children and adolescents — by examining the expression of proteins associated with stem cell pluripotency and early germ cell development. The study analyzed tumour tissue from 21 young patients diagnosed with either germinomas or non-germinomatous germ cell tumours, testing for markers such as OCT-3/4, NANOG, C-KIT, AP-2gamma, MAGE-A4, NY-ESO-1, and TSPY. The findings showed strong expression of embryonic stem cell-related proteins in these brain tumours, closely mirroring the protein profiles seen in gonadal germ cell tumours and in primordial germ cells — the earliest precursor cells of the reproductive system. A key discovery was that the protein TSPY, previously linked to gonadoblastoma development, was only detectable in male patients, suggesting it plays no essential role in triggering malignant transformation in the brain. Overall, the results provide compelling evidence that intracranial germ cell tumours arise from primordial germ cells that have retained an embryonic, stem-cell-like state, which may help explain their unusual location in the brain and could guide future diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
The Journal of pathology
Source →Late magnetic resonance imaging features of leukoencephalopathy in children with central nervous system tumours following high-dose methotrexate and neuraxis radiation therapy.
Kellie SJ, et al
Researchers investigated whether giving high-dose methotrexate (HDMTX) before cranial radiation therapy causes long-term brain damage, specifically a condition called leukoencephalopathy, in children treated for central nervous system tumors. The study followed 12 pediatric patients who had received four cycles of chemotherapy including HDMTX at 8 g/m² before undergoing whole-brain radiation doses of 36–50.4 Gy, and who survived at least four years after treatment. MRI scans performed a median of 6.5 years after radiation showed that all 12 patients had some degree of leukoencephalopathy: eight had mild (Grade I) changes and four had moderate (Grade II) changes, but none developed severe damage. Importantly, no patients showed the more serious Grade III or IV leukoencephalopathy that had been feared given the combined intensity of the treatment regimen. These findings suggest that sequencing HDMTX before cranial radiation does not lead to severe MRI-detectable brain white matter injury, offering reassurance to clinicians designing treatment protocols for pediatric brain tumor patients. The authors recommend that future studies combine HDMTX regimens with prospective neuropsychological testing to fully understand the functional impact on children's cognitive development.
European journal of cancer (Oxford, England : 1990)
Source →Alpha-fetoprotein and beta-human chorionic gonadotropin: their clinical significance as tumour markers.
Gregory JJ, et al
This review article examines the clinical utility of two widely used tumour markers, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), in cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment monitoring. The authors focus particularly on how the rate at which these markers decline during chemotherapy can serve as a powerful prognostic tool in germ cell tumours of the peripheral and central nervous system, as well as in liver cancers such as hepatoblastoma and hepatocellular carcinoma. Key findings indicate that satisfactory marker regression is an independent prognostic factor for survival in germ cell tumour patients, and that both the magnitude and rate of AFP decline correlate with survival in hepatoblastoma. A specialized subtype of AFP called Lens culinaris agglutinin A reactive AFP has shown prognostic significance specifically in hepatocellular carcinoma, though broader marker decline studies in that disease are still lacking. These insights suggest that monitoring tumour marker trends over time, rather than relying solely on initial levels at diagnosis, could enable clinicians to tailor treatment strategies to individual patients. The authors call for further studies to validate marker decline as a guide for adjusting therapy with the goal of improving survival and reducing treatment toxicity.
Drugs
Source →Extranodal peripheral T-cell and NK-cell neoplasms.
Jaffe ES, et al
This review examines the classification and clinical features of peripheral T-cell and NK-cell lymphomas that arise outside of lymph nodes, a rare group of cancers accounting for only 10 to 15 percent of all non-Hodgkin lymphomas. Unlike B-cell lymphomas, these cancers cannot be reliably classified by their appearance under a microscope alone, making clinical features such as tumor location critically important for diagnosis. Researchers identified three major categories of extranodal T/NK-cell tumors — nasal, intestinal, and subcutaneous panniculitis-like — along with hepatosplenic gamma delta T-cell lymphoma as a more systemic disease. A key finding is that most of these lymphomas display a cytotoxic phenotype, meaning they express molecules capable of triggering cell death in both tumor and surrounding healthy cells, which may influence disease behavior. Many of these cancers are linked to Epstein-Barr virus infection, with the strength of this association varying by tumor site and geographic region. These insights are clinically significant because they highlight that site of origin and immune context, including immune suppression after organ transplantation, are essential factors in diagnosing and managing these aggressive lymphomas.
American journal of clinical pathology
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