Latest Research
All publications from the Cancer3.AI database, newest first.
Management of incidental gallbladder cancer in a nationwide CAPBIL study.
McClements J, et al
A nationwide UK study called CAPBIL investigated real-world management strategies and survival outcomes for 285 patients diagnosed with incidental gallbladder cancer (GBC) discovered after routine gallbladder removal (cholecystectomy) across 24 centers between 2014 and 2022. The five-year disease-free and overall survival rates were 41.5% and 45.1%, respectively, underscoring the serious prognosis of this cancer even when found unexpectedly. Patients who underwent additional liver resection had dramatically better outcomes, with median disease-free survival of 51 months versus only 15 months, and median overall survival of 72 months versus 26 months, compared to those who did not proceed to surgery. Completing adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery also conferred significant survival benefits in both disease-free and overall survival compared to patients who did not receive it. Multivariable analysis identified lymph node metastases and advanced tumor stage (T3-T4) as independent predictors of worse survival, equipping clinicians with key prognostic markers to guide treatment decisions. These findings provide robust real-world evidence supporting liver resection and adjuvant chemotherapy as essential components of care for eligible patients with incidentally discovered gallbladder cancer.
The British journal of surgery
Source →Microbiome Modulation with Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG Potentiates Curcumin's Efficacy in Reversing Gemcitabine Resistance of Gallbladder Cancer through Gut Microbiota-PI3K/AKT Axis.
Li Y, et al
Researchers investigated whether combining curcumin, a natural polyphenol found in turmeric, with the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG could overcome resistance to the chemotherapy drug gemcitabine in gallbladder cancer, a malignancy notorious for poor treatment outcomes. Using gemcitabine-resistant gallbladder cancer cells and xenograft mouse models, the team demonstrated that the curcumin-probiotic combination significantly reduced cancer cell proliferation, suppressed migration and invasion, and triggered programmed cell death, outperforming either agent used alone. The combined treatment also remodeled the gut microbiome in tumor-bearing mice, enriching beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium while reducing pathogenic species, and restored a healthier bile acid profile characterized by higher primary and lower secondary bile acids. Mechanistically, the intervention suppressed the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, a key molecular driver of cancer cell survival and chemoresistance, linking microbiome changes directly to the anticancer effect. These findings suggest that pairing a dietary natural compound with a well-characterized probiotic represents a promising gut microbiota-based strategy for reversing chemotherapy resistance and improving outcomes for gallbladder cancer patients.
Journal of microbiology and biotechnology
Source →Colonic Stenting in Obstructed Colorectal Cancer as a Bridge to Surgery.
Tham SZ, et al
This publication in Diseases of the Colon and Rectum examines the use of colonic stenting — placement of a self-expanding metal stent — as a bridge-to-surgery strategy in patients with acute large bowel obstruction caused by colorectal cancer. Rather than proceeding directly to emergency surgery, which carries high risks of complications and often requires a temporary colostomy, clinicians can insert a stent endoscopically to relieve the obstruction and allow time for patient stabilization and bowel preparation before planned elective resection. The study evaluates outcomes such as surgical complication rates, stoma formation rates, oncological adequacy, and overall patient safety when stenting precedes definitive surgery compared with immediate operative intervention. Findings from such research consistently inform multidisciplinary teams about which patients are most likely to benefit from the bridging approach and which may face higher risks, such as stent-related perforation or tumor seeding. This work is clinically significant because colorectal cancer presenting with obstruction accounts for a meaningful proportion of colorectal cancer diagnoses, and optimizing the management pathway directly affects both short-term surgical outcomes and long-term cancer control. The results help gastroenterologists and colorectal surgeons refine patient selection criteria and procedural protocols to maximize the benefit of this minimally invasive bridging technique.
Diseases of the colon and rectum
Source →Hemidesmosomal Proteins in Oral Cancer Progression: An Immunohistochemical Study of Human and Mouse.
Mongia N, et al
A new study published in the Journal of Oral Pathology & Medicine investigated the role of three hemidesmosomal proteins — plectin isoform Ia, dystonin, and CD151 — in the progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), examining tissues ranging from normal to hyperplasia, dysplasia, and frank cancer in both humans and mice. Using immunohistochemistry combined with quantitative digital image analysis in the QuPath platform, researchers found that all three proteins showed significantly increased expression across the disease spectrum in a mouse model of chemically induced oral cancer. In human tissue, however, a more nuanced picture emerged: a focused analysis of the basement membrane zone and adjacent basal cell layers revealed a significant reduction in CD151 expression in OSCC compared to normal and high-grade dysplasia tissues, as well as reduced dystonin in OSCC versus high-grade dysplasia. These findings suggest that CD151 and dystonin may serve as tissue biomarkers for oral cancer progression in humans, but only when analysis is precisely targeted to the biologically relevant zone rather than the whole tissue section. The study highlights the critical importance of region-of-interest selection in digital pathology when evaluating structurally complex proteins in heterogeneous human cancer tissues.
Journal of oral pathology & medicine : official publication of the International Association of Oral Pathologists and the American Academy of Oral Pathology
Source →Risk of Head and Neck Cancer in Former Smokers by Subsite: A Multicenter Analysis From the INHANCE Consortium.
de Abreu M, et al
A large multicenter case-control study using data from the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology (INHANCE) Consortium examined risk factors for three subtypes of head and neck cancer — oral cavity cancer, oropharyngeal cancer, and laryngeal cancer — in a population of former smokers comprising 2,143 cases and 5,799 controls. The analysis found that cumulative tobacco exposure remained a powerful driver of cancer risk even after quitting: former smokers with more than 50 pack-years of exposure faced up to a 2.8-fold elevated risk of oral cavity cancer compared to those with fewer than 10 pack-years. Alcohol consumption emerged as an especially potent independent risk factor, with heavy drinkers consuming five or more drinks per day facing a fivefold increased risk of oropharyngeal cancer and a 4.4-fold increased risk of oral cavity cancer. Geographic differences were also observed, with tobacco-related risk continuing to climb with greater consumption in North America, while risk appeared to plateau in Western and Southern Europe and South America beyond 31 to 50 pack-years. Critically, former smokers who quit after age 55 had a threefold higher risk of laryngeal cancer and more than double the risk of oral cavity cancer compared to those who quit before age 45, reinforcing the clinical message that earlier cessation yields greater benefit. These findings highlight that former smokers are not a homogeneous low-risk group, and that tailored surveillance strategies should account for total tobacco and alcohol exposure, age at cessation, and cancer subsite.
International journal of cancer
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