Cancer diagnosis and treatment, including medical oncology, radiation oncology, surgical oncology, cancer immunotherapy, precision oncology, and palliative care
16 papersThis supplementary information provides additional data tables for a study on oral cancer, including gene expression profiles, tumor-initiating cell frequencies, and the effects of a CD36 antibody. The data details gene expression differences in various cell populations, glucose levels and weight in mice fed different diets, metastasis-initiating cell frequencies, and blood parameters measured in treated and untreated mice.
This meta-analysis of four two-arm trials, including the TOPAZ-1 trial and three real-world studies, found that durvalumab plus gemcitabine/cisplatin improved overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC) compared to chemotherapy alone. Five additional single-arm studies supported these findings but had limitations due to their design and heterogeneity.
In a study of older men with advanced prostate cancer in Ontario, Canada, researchers found that the type of doctor initially prescribing hormone therapy significantly influenced whether patients received additional, life-extending treatments. Older patients were also less likely to receive these intensified treatments, even when medically appropriate.
This study, conducted on mice, suggests that ivermectin can make breast tumors more responsive to immunotherapy by increasing T-cell infiltration and synergizing with anti-PD-1 treatment. The combined treatment resulted in complete tumor regression in some mice and prevented tumor recurrence when re-challenged with cancer cells.
This study examines the long-term effects of various chemotherapy treatments on normal blood cells. Researchers found that some chemotherapies cause significant increases in mutation burden and alter the clonal structure of blood cell populations, potentially increasing the risk of later health problems. These findings suggest the need for further investigation into minimizing the adverse effects of chemotherapy on healthy tissues.
This study found that moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries (TBI), but not mild TBIs, are associated with an increased risk of developing malignant brain tumors. This conclusion is based on a large-scale study involving over 150,000 participants from several US trauma centers and incorporated meta-analysis of data from three distinct patient cohorts. The study controlled for age, sex, race, and ethnicity but was limited by the lack of data on other potential confounding factors, such as radiation exposure from imaging studies, or lifestyle-related factors such as smoking or alcohol use.
This study found that squeezing breast cancer cells through a narrow space (confined migration) makes them resistant to a type of cell death called anoikis, which normally happens when cells detach from their surroundings. This resistance, along with increased cell movement, led to more lung metastasis in mice. This suggests that confined migration may play a key role in cancer's ability to spread.
In this large single-center study, researchers identified a cut-off size of 0.7 cm for rectal neuroendocrine tumors (NET G1) to predict recurrence. For tumors 0.7 cm or smaller, routine surveillance might not be needed after endoscopic removal, as there was no recurrence observed in the study. However, larger and more aggressive tumors still require monitoring.
In a review of five clinical trials, most recurrences of triple-negative breast cancer after neoadjuvant chemo-immunotherapy occurred within 24 months. This pattern was even more pronounced in patients with residual disease after initial treatment, emphasizing the need for improved strategies to prevent early relapse. The study was limited by its reliance on extracted data from published survival curves and heterogeneity across the included trials.
In a small Phase 1 trial, a new lymph node-targeted vaccine targeting KRAS mutations showed promising results in patients with pancreatic and colorectal cancer. The vaccine appeared to induce strong immune responses and was associated with improved outcomes, but larger studies with longer follow-up are needed to verify these findings. The authors highlighted the need for randomized studies with control groups to better assess treatment effects.
This review examined existing studies on ivermectin use in cancer patients, mostly case reports where the drug was given for parasitic infections. Ivermectin appeared safe in these patients, but the studies were not designed to test its anti-cancer effects, so more research is needed. The review proposes several potential mechanisms for how ivermectin might work against cancer, based primarily on pre-clinical evidence.
This clinical practice guideline offers a detailed roadmap for diagnosing, treating, and following up on localized rectal cancer, emphasizing personalized strategies based on individual patient characteristics and tumor features. The guideline covers everything from initial screening and diagnosis to various treatment options including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, with specific recommendations for different tumor stages and risk profiles. It also highlights the importance of multidisciplinary team involvement and shared decision-making with patients.
This research on 23 individuals shows that some chemotherapy drugs can cause significant and lasting DNA damage in healthy blood cells, comparable to the effects of aging. Different chemotherapy drugs and drug classes impact mutation burden and the clonal architecture of blood cell populations to varying degrees. While focusing solely on blood, the findings highlight the importance of considering long-term mutagenic effects when developing cancer treatments.
This study demonstrates that honeybee venom and its active component, melittin, are highly effective in killing triple-negative and HER2-enriched breast cancer cells in both cell culture and mouse models. Melittin appears to work by disrupting how growth factor receptors function, inhibiting cancer cell growth and spread. The study also found synergy between melittin and docetaxel, a chemotherapy drug, leading to even better tumor control in the mouse model.
This study investigated the antimicrobial activity of 906 metal-containing compounds and found a significantly higher hit-rate (9.9% non-toxic) compared to purely organic molecules (0.87%). Out of these, 30 non-toxic compounds displayed promising activity against various bacterial and fungal strains, highlighting the potential of metal complexes as a source for new antibiotics.
Researchers developed a radioactive platinum-bisphosphonate complex (195mPt-BP) that selectively targets bone with high metabolic activity, showing potential for treating bone metastases. The compound accumulated in the bone tissue of mice with minimal off-target effects and slow release of platinum, suggesting a safer and more effective therapeutic strategy.