Latest Research
All publications from the Cancer3.AI database, newest first.
Cancer in Africa, 2022: Incidence, Mortality, and Age-Patterned Fatality From GLOBOCAN Across 36 Cancer Types.
Ugwu LE, et al
A new study published in JCO Global Oncology used GLOBOCAN 2022 data to provide a comprehensive picture of cancer incidence, mortality, and mortality-to-incidence ratios (MIRs) across 36 cancer types in Africa, broken down by age group and country. Researchers found that in 2022, Africa recorded over 1.15 million new cancer cases and nearly 755,000 cancer deaths, with breast, cervical, prostate, colorectal, and liver cancers accounting for the largest share of new diagnoses. Mortality was particularly driven by liver, lung, cervical, breast, and stomach cancers, and the risk of dying from cancer increased sharply with age, reaching its highest point in patients aged 70 and older. Roughly 80% of all incident cases were concentrated in just 15 countries, highlighting geographic disparities that can guide resource allocation. The findings underscore the urgent need for expanded HPV and hepatitis B vaccination programs, stronger tobacco control policies, and improved oncology care packages in high-burden African nations to reduce the continent's growing cancer mortality burden.
JCO global oncology
Source →Letrozole for Ovulation Induction in Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.
Li X
A new review published in Obstetrical & Gynecological Survey examines the role of letrozole, a third-generation aromatase inhibitor, in inducing ovulation in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a hormonal condition affecting up to 20% of women of reproductive age and frequently associated with infertility. Drawing on evidence from major databases including PubMed, Cochrane, and EMBASE through June 2024, the authors evaluated how letrozole compares to older treatments and how different dosing protocols affect outcomes. The review found that letrozole consistently achieves higher pregnancy and live birth rates than clomiphene citrate, which was previously the standard first-line treatment, and is particularly beneficial for women who do not respond to clomiphene. The authors also explored how variations in treatment timing, extended dosing schedules, stair-step protocols, and combinations with other medications such as metformin, FSH, aspirin, and dexamethasone can further optimize results. These findings support the growing recommendation of letrozole as the preferred first-line agent for ovulation induction in anovulatory PCOS patients, offering clinicians a clearer framework for personalizing fertility treatment.
Obstetrical & gynecological survey
Source →Clinicopathological and molecular characteristics of rare ovarian sex cord stromal tumors with BAP1 mutation.
Li H, et al
Researchers investigated the clinical, microscopic, and molecular features of ovarian sex cord stromal tumors (SCSTs) harboring mutations in the BAP1 gene, a known cancer predisposition gene linked to BAP1 tumor predisposition syndrome (BAP1-TPDS). The study characterized three such tumors from patients aged 54 to 63 years, two of whom had family histories suggestive of BAP1-TPDS, making this the first case series to report both subtypes of BAP1-mutated ovarian SCSTs. Under the microscope, all tumors showed densely packed cells in sheet-like arrangements with distinctive nuclear features, and immunohistochemical staining confirmed expression of sex cord markers alongside universal loss of BAP1 protein. Genetic sequencing identified three distinct pathogenic BAP1 mutations, with follow-up over approximately three years revealing two late recurrences, though all patients remained alive. These findings establish BAP1-mutated ovarian SCSTs as a distinct tumor subset with characteristic features, helping clinicians better recognize and classify these rare tumors and potentially prompting genetic counseling for affected patients and their families.
Virchows Archiv : an international journal of pathology
Source →Melatonin enhances the antitumor and immunomodulatory effects of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin immunotherapy in a murine bladder cancer model.
Menbari Oskouie I, et al
Researchers investigated whether combining melatonin with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) immunotherapy could improve treatment outcomes in bladder cancer using a mouse tumor model. BCG is the standard treatment given directly into the bladder after surgery, but its effectiveness is limited and many patients experience cancer recurrence. In the study, mice receiving high-dose BCG together with melatonin showed significantly smaller tumors, greater cancer cell death, and increased immune cell infiltration compared to BCG treatment alone. The combination also reduced blood vessel formation within tumors and suppressed molecular pathways linked to cancer spread, including the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition pathway, while favorably regulating key genes such as BAX, P53, BCL-2, VEGF-A, and immune signaling molecules. Notably, melatonin reduced the inflammatory side effects caused by high-dose BCG, including elevated white blood cell counts and C-reactive protein levels, suggesting a better safety profile. These findings indicate that melatonin could serve as a low-cost, well-tolerated adjunct to BCG immunotherapy, potentially allowing lower BCG doses while maintaining or improving efficacy for bladder cancer patients.
Molecular biology reports
Source →Bis(4-(1,3-benzoxazol-2-yl)) phenyl analogues as novel matrices for Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometric imaging of lipids in dual ion mode in vulvar squamous cell carcinomas.
Li Y, et al
Researchers developed and tested a new class of chemical compounds called bis(4-(1,3-benzoxazol-2-yl)) phenyl analogues as matrices for a cutting-edge imaging technique to map lipids in vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (VSCC), a rare gynecological cancer that accounts for 2–5% of female reproductive cancers. The study used MALDI-Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometric imaging (MALDI-FT ICR-MSI), which can visualize the spatial distribution of metabolites directly in tissue sections in both positive and negative ion modes simultaneously. Among the four synthesized compounds, BPYA demonstrated the best performance, enabling detection of 402 lipids in positive mode and 107 in negative mode within VSCC tissue, with lower background noise and higher sensitivity than conventional matrices. A total of 140 lipids were found to differ between tissue types, and 18 of these findings were independently confirmed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. This approach offers a more objective and comprehensive method for analyzing VSCC tissue compared to traditional immunohistochemical staining, potentially enabling faster and user-independent cancer diagnoses based on characteristic lipid distribution patterns in affected tissue.
Analytical and bioanalytical chemistry
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