Latest Research
All publications from the Cancer3.AI database, newest first.
Clinicopathologic Features and Treatment Outcomes of Squamoid Eccrine Ductal Carcinoma: A Comprehensive Retrospective Series.
Fortarezza F, et al
Researchers conducted a retrospective analysis of 16 patients diagnosed with squamoid eccrine ductal carcinoma (SEDC), an exceptionally rare and frequently misdiagnosed malignant skin tumor, at a single center over a ten-year period. The study found that SEDC predominantly affects elderly men, with tumors arising on sun-exposed areas of the head and neck and often mimicking squamous cell carcinoma clinically, leading to significant diagnostic challenges. Histologically, the tumors displayed a characteristic dual-layered architecture combining squamous surface features with deeper gland-like ductal structures, frequently accompanied by perineural invasion and subcutaneous infiltration. Despite surgical excision with clear margins being achieved in most patients, local recurrence was observed in 25% of cases—typically within the first year—and one patient died from distant metastatic disease. The researchers identified an erythematous plaque presentation and deeper tumor invasion as factors associated with worse clinical outcomes. This study, representing one of the largest single-center cohorts of SEDC reported to date, underscores the importance of deep tissue sampling, precise histopathologic evaluation, and long-term clinical follow-up to improve management of this locally aggressive but rare skin cancer.
The American Journal of dermatopathology
Source →Remnant cystic duct cancer with gradual enlargement over two years of follow-up: a case report and literature review.
Kondo T, et al
Remnant cystic duct cancer is an exceptionally rare malignancy that can arise in the small portion of the cystic duct left behind after surgical removal of the gallbladder. Researchers describe the case of a 78-year-old woman who, following laparoscopic liver surgery for hepatocellular carcinoma, was found to have a slowly growing mass near the porta hepatis that was monitored over two years using computed tomography, MRI, and endoscopic ultrasonography with contrast enhancement. Surgical resection of the extrahepatic bile duct with reconstruction was performed, and histopathological analysis confirmed a well-differentiated adenocarcinoma originating where the cystic duct meets the common bile duct. The patient remained disease-free two years after surgery with no signs of recurrence or metastasis, demonstrating that successful outcomes are achievable with timely intervention. This case is clinically important because it reveals that remnant cystic duct cancer can progress silently and slowly, unlike the typically late-stage presentations previously described, suggesting that vigilant long-term imaging follow-up after cholecystectomy may allow earlier detection of this rare tumor.
Journal of rural medicine : JRM
Source →Gangrenous cholecystitis in a non-elderly man taking opioids.
Kanda T, et al
This case report describes a man in his 50s with advanced oropharyngeal cancer who developed acute acalculous gangrenous cholecystitis — a severe, life-threatening inflammation of the gallbladder without gallstones — while taking opioid pain medications. Because opioids suppress the normal sensation of abdominal pain, the patient presented only with fever and abnormal liver function tests, without the classic pain symptoms that typically alert clinicians to a gallbladder emergency. Ultrasound examination proved critical, revealing an enlarged gallbladder, wall thickening, biliary sludge, and intraluminal membranes, while contrast-enhanced CT confirmed the diagnosis of gangrenous cholecystitis with ascitic fluid. Urgent surgery was performed successfully, and the patient remained well at one-year follow-up. The case underscores that clinicians managing cancer patients on opioids must maintain a high index of suspicion for gangrenous cholecystitis even in the complete absence of abdominal pain, and should pursue aggressive imaging whenever fever and liver dysfunction are present.
Journal of rural medicine : JRM
Source →Intranasal administration in modulating depressive-like behavior and reconstructing treatment paradigms through neuroinflammation and neurotrophic pathways.
An J, et al
This comprehensive review examines intranasal drug delivery as a non-invasive, brain-targeted strategy for treating depression, focusing on how this approach bypasses the blood-brain barrier via olfactory and trigeminal neural pathways to significantly enhance drug bioavailability in the brain. Researchers systematically evaluated multiple drug delivery formats—including nanoparticles, gels, in situ gels, and cell membrane biomimetic carriers—comparing their nasal mucosal retention time, mucus penetration capacity, and brain-targeting efficiency. The review details the antidepressant mechanisms of intranasally delivered agents, encompassing neurotransmitter regulation (serotonin, dopamine, glutamate), suppression of neuroinflammation and microglial activation, promotion of hippocampal neurogenesis and synapse formation, and modulation of the gut microbiota-gut-brain axis. Clinical trial data on intranasal esketamine for treatment-resistant depression highlighted its rapid onset of action and high therapeutic response rates, while also addressing management of adverse effects such as dissociative symptoms and local nasal irritation. The authors identified key technical barriers—including uneven drug absorption due to inter-individual nasal anatomical differences and scalability challenges in nanocarrier production—and proposed future directions centered on intelligent responsive nanocarriers, multimodal synergistic treatment systems, and precision medicine-guided personalized regimens. This review provides a critical roadmap for researchers and clinicians aiming to develop more effective intranasal therapies that could substantially improve outcomes for patients with depression, particularly those resistant to conventional treatments.
Journal of nanobiotechnology
Source →Middle ear lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma with cerebellopontine angle invasion misdiagnosed as meningioma: A case report and literature review.
Deng D, et al
Researchers report a rare and diagnostically challenging case of lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (LELC) — a malignancy most commonly arising in the nasopharynx — that instead originated in the middle ear and extended intracranially to invade the cerebellopontine angle, where it was initially misidentified as a meningioma. The patient, an 82-year-old man with a background of chronic otitis media, presented with a two-year history of hearing loss, three years of facial asymmetry, and ten days of nausea and vomiting before subtotal surgical resection and histopathological analysis confirmed the true diagnosis. This case underscores how the extreme rarity of primary middle ear LELC, combined with limited clinicoradiological data in the literature, creates significant diagnostic pitfalls that can delay appropriate management. Notably, the patient survived 23 months receiving only supportive care, suggesting a variable clinical course for this uncommon malignancy. The authors urge clinicians — especially those practicing in regions endemic for Epstein-Barr virus, which is strongly linked to LELC — to include this rare tumor in the differential diagnosis when evaluating patients with chronic ear disease and atypical cerebellopontine angle masses.
The Journal of international medical research
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