Latest Research
All publications from the Cancer3.AI database, newest first.
Association between primary tumor location and lymph node metastatic patterns in gastric cancer: A single-center retrospective study.
Dong Z, et al
A new retrospective study published in Medicine examined how the location of a primary tumor within the stomach influences the pattern of lymph node spread in gastric cancer patients. Researchers analyzed data from 160 patients who underwent curative surgery between February 2022 and June 2024, grouping them by tumor location: cardia (upper stomach), body (middle), and antrum (lower). The study found that cardia tumors had the highest lymph node metastasis rate at 74.5% and were more likely to spread across multiple regions, while antral tumors showed more localized spread to nearby stations. Multivariate analysis confirmed that cardia location, advanced T-stage (T3-T4), and poor tumor differentiation were independent risk factors for extensive lymph node involvement. Patients whose cancer had spread diffusely through the lymphatic system had significantly worse three-year survival outcomes compared to those with localized nodal spread. These findings suggest that combining information about tumor location with the lymph node ratio could help surgeons better plan the extent of lymph node removal and improve preoperative assessment for gastric cancer patients.
Medicine
Source →Global trends in gastric and colorectal cancer, 1990 to 2021: A population-based observational study using GBD 2021 data.
Yu L, et al
A large population-based study published in Medicine analyzed global trends in gastric and colorectal cancers from 1990 to 2021, drawing on data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 to assess incidence, prevalence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years across different world regions and sociodemographic groups. Researchers found that gastric cancer has been declining steadily in both incidence and mortality, especially in wealthier nations, while colorectal cancer showed a troubling rise in new cases even as death rates fell, suggesting that more people are living with the disease rather than dying from it. Men bore a consistently higher burden of both cancers throughout the study period, and countries with higher sociodemographic development experienced greater colorectal cancer incidence but better survival outcomes, reflecting stronger healthcare infrastructure. Projections through 2050 suggest gastric cancer will continue to decline, while colorectal cancer incidence may stabilize or increase modestly, with mortality continuing to fall. The authors stress that expanding early detection through gastroscopy and colonoscopy, promoting healthier diets, and eradicating Helicobacter pylori infection in at-risk populations are key strategies to reduce the future burden of these diseases and guide public health policy worldwide.
Medicine
Source →Constitutive AMPK activation prevents hepatocellular carcinoma development through inhibition of HNF4α activity.
Sun Z, et al
Researchers investigated whether activating a key metabolic enzyme called AMPK could prevent the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of liver cancer and one strongly linked to obesity and type 2 diabetes. Using genetically engineered mice with constitutively active AMPK as well as a pharmacological AMPK activator, scientists tested the approach in two distinct mouse models of HCC induced by chemical carcinogens. The results showed that sustained AMPK activation dramatically reduced tumor formation in both models by altering bile acid metabolism and suppressing a transcription factor known as HNF4α, which plays a central role in liver cancer progression. These findings reveal a previously underappreciated mechanistic link between metabolic regulation and liver cancer, providing a clearer picture of how AMPK acts as a tumor suppressor in the liver. For patients and clinicians, the study highlights AMPK as a promising therapeutic target, suggesting that drugs already being developed for metabolic diseases could potentially be repurposed to prevent or treat liver cancer.
Science advances
Source →Tumor-infiltrating platelets recruit neutrophils to promote tumor growth through the 5-HIAA-GPR35-ERK1/2 axis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.
Li N, et al
A new study published in Cancer Immunology Research has uncovered a previously unknown communication pathway between platelets and immune cells that drives liver cancer growth in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of primary liver cancer. Researchers discovered that platelets accumulating inside tumors release a metabolite called 5-HIAA when exposed to cancer cells, and this molecule acts as a chemical signal that attracts neutrophils — a type of white blood cell — into the tumor microenvironment via a receptor called GPR35. Once recruited, these GPR35-positive neutrophils activate the ERK1/2 signaling pathway, producing pro-tumor cytokines that actively stimulate cancer cell growth rather than fighting the tumor. The findings were validated in patient tissue samples, laboratory cell experiments, and mouse models of HCC, confirming the clinical relevance of the 5-HIAA-GPR35-ERK1/2 axis. Crucially, blocking GPR35 with the experimental inhibitor CID2745687 suppressed neutrophil-driven tumor promotion, identifying this receptor as a promising new therapeutic target for patients with HCC, a cancer that currently has limited treatment options and poor prognosis.
Cancer immunology research
Source →Regulatory B cells and SIVA1-LAG3 immune suppression predict poor prognosis in prostate cancer.
Tian W, et al
Researchers investigated the role of regulatory B cells (Bregs) in prostate cancer, a leading malignancy in men worldwide, using single-cell RNA sequencing, multi-omics analysis, and machine learning to better understand how the tumor immune environment resists treatment. The study found that higher infiltration of Bregs in prostate tumors is strongly linked to shorter biochemical recurrence-free survival, meaning patients with more of these immunosuppressive cells tend to experience earlier disease relapse. A key discovery was that elevated expression of the protein SIVA1 positively correlates with high levels of LAG3, an immune checkpoint molecule that helps tumors evade destruction by the immune system. Using a set of Breg-related prognostic genes, the team built and validated a novel predictive model for biochemical recurrence across multiple independent patient cohorts. Immunohistochemical tissue analysis further confirmed that high SIVA1 expression is associated with poor patient outcomes and LAG3 activity. These findings open new avenues for targeted therapies in prostate cancer, suggesting that disrupting the SIVA1-LAG3 axis or Breg-driven immune suppression could improve the effectiveness of immunotherapy for patients with this disease.
Biomolecules & biomedicine
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