Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains one of the most aggressive malignancies, with limited therapeutic options and poor prognosis. Dynamic contrast-enhanced imaging provides valuable non-invasive information on tumor biology, and rim enhancement (RE) on computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has emerged as a potential biomarker of aggressive disease. To clarify its clinical significance, a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies published up to May 31st, 2025, in Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library was conducted. Twelve studies (10 retrospective, 2 prospective) including 2207 patients were analyzed. The pooled prevalence of RE was 36.3%, with a good inter-observer agreement (κ = 0.808). RE was consistently associated with reduced resectability (odds ratio [OR] 3.35, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.19-5.12, p < 0.001), poorer histological differentiation (OR 4.23, 95% CI 1.05-17.07, p = 0.043), and increased frequency of SMAD4 (OR 1.78, 95% CI 1.22-2.60, p = 0.003) and KRAS mutations (OR 2.55, 95% CI 1.37-4.75, p = 0.003). Patients with RE also experienced shorter progression-free, disease-free, and overall survival after both surgical and non-surgical treatments (all p < 0.001). These findings indicate that RE is a reproducible imaging marker of aggressive tumor biology in PDAC, reflecting unfavorable pathological and molecular features and serving as a predictor of resectability and survival.

Patients with refractory metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) have poor survival outcomes. Treatment options include trifluridine/tipiracil (FTD-TPI) ± bevacizumab, regorafenib, or fruquintinib, though direct comparisons are lacking. Therefore, we conducted a network meta-analysis (NMA) to evaluate the comparative efficacy and safety of these treatments in refractory mCRC.

IntroductionThis meta-analysis aims to evaluate the impact of increasing the use of metformin in neoadjuvant treatment for breast cancer (BC) on the rate of pathological complete response (pCR) in patients.MethodsA systematic search was conducted in four electronic databases: PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library. The search scope covered all the literature from the establishment of the databases to April 2025. The risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. The outcome indicator was the pCR rate.ResultThis meta-analysis included a total of 8 randomized controlled trials (RCTs), involving 474 patients. The results showed that there was no statistically significant difference in the pCR rate between the experimental group containing metformin and the control group (RR = 1.21, 95% CI: [0.85, 1.71], P = 0.28). Subgroup analysis revealed that there were no significant differences in the pCR rate between the two groups in patients with metabolic syndrome (RR = 2.09, 95% CI [0.55, 7.85], P = 0.28), patients without metabolic syndrome (RR = 1.12, 95% CI [0.81, 1.55], P = 0.49), patients from Eastern countries (RR = 1.15, 95% CI [0.63, 2.11], P = 0.65), and patients from Western countries (RR = 1.32, 95% CI [0.75, 2.32], P = 0.34).ConclusionThis study did not observe any effect of increasing the use of metformin on the pCR rate of patients in neoadjuvant treatment for BC.

Endometrial cancer of no specific molecular profile (NSMP) represents the most prevalent molecular subtype of endometrial cancer, comprising over 50 % of all diagnoses. Although studies have explored the prevalence of the NSMP subtype, to our knowledge, no systematic review or meta-analysis has specifically targeted grade 3 (G3, high-grade) tumors.

Cadherin 17 (CDH17) is a cell adhesion glycoprotein essential for epithelial integrity. It is frequently overexpressed in various cancers, where it is associated with aggressive behaviour. While evidence indicates that CDH17 functions as an upstream regulator of Wnt/β-catenin signalling, findings are inconsistent across tumour types, limiting the assessment of CDH17 as a biomarker or therapeutic target for Wnt pathway in cancer. In this study, we systematically review and meta-analyse the relationship between CDH17 and Wnt/β-catenin signalling in human cancers and evaluate whether CDH17 modulation affects tumour behaviour through Wnt-related mechanisms. Our search of Medline, Web of Science and Scopus identified five studies examining CDH17 expression in the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in vitro and in vivo. All five studies identified CDH17 as a key driver of canonical Wnt signalling, directly influencing cancer progression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), gastric cancer (GC), and colorectal cancer (CRC). Meta-analysis (MA) showed that CDH17 inhibition consistently reduced Wnt/β-catenin downstream T-cell factor/lymphoid enhancer-binding factor (TCF/LEF) transcriptional activity (MD = -1.32, 95% CI: -1.64 to -0.99, p < 0.00001). Narrative synthesis found that CDH17 suppression decreased total and nuclear β-catenin, phosphorylated glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK-3β), and cyclin D1 while increasing tumour suppressors, retinoblastoma (Rb) and p53/p21. These changes were associated with reduced proliferation, colony formation, migration, invasion and cell cycle arrest. In vivo, CDH17 suppression resulted in 80-95% tumour growth suppression (Mean Difference (MD) = -96.67, 95% CI: [-144.35, -48.98], p < 0.0001), with immunohistochemistry confirming cytoplasmic β-catenin sequestration and lower cyclin D1 levels. Collectively, these findings show CDH17 as a critical upstream effector sustaining Wnt/β-catenin signalling, cancer progression, tumour proliferation, stem cell properties, and metastasis, and support CDH17 inhibition as a promising therapeutic target across multiple cancer types.

This study aimed to ascertain the incidence of flap-related complications in the oral reconstruction area after free flap reconstruction (FFR) in patients with oral cancer (OC).

In Indonesia, it is common to have prolonged neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by postponement of surgery due to the fact that diagnostic imaging, the surgical waiting list, and even sociodemographic cultures would delay the operation. This research aims to compare the results of osteosarcoma patients who had immediate surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy to those who received prolonged neoadjuvant chemotherapy for a longer period of time and delayed surgery.

Overall survival (OS) of patients with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is poor. Re-irradiation (re-RT) represents an emerging strategy aimed at improving outcomes for patients who experience recurrence or progression after initial radiation therapy (RT). While re-RT is increasingly used at progression, its survival benefit lacks robust quantification. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to evaluate the impact of re-RT timing on OS and toxicity in pediatric DIPG.

This meta-analysis evaluated the efficacy of adjuvant ICIs in resected stage IB-IIIA NSCLC following chemotherapy.

Genomic heterogeneity in melanoma tumors remains a major obstacle to achieving durable responses with conventional and targeted therapies. In this study, we performed a genome-wide association study meta-analysis, integrated with proteome-wide Mendelian randomization and colocalization analyses, to identify potential therapeutic targets for cutaneous melanoma (CM). Analyzing data from 5527 CM cases and 645 797 controls, we uncovered seven novel genome-wide significant variants linked to CM risk. Additionally, genetically predicted protein levels revealed 15 proteins associated with CM susceptibility, among which ASIP, CD72, CCL11, LYZ, and CCL25 showed the strongest associations. Validation in independent cohorts further supported their potential as biomarkers. Notably, these protein-coding genes are predominantly expressed in macrophages, B cells, CD8 T cells, and malignant cells within CM tissue. Among them, CD72 and LYZ stand out as promising candidates for therapeutic repurposing. These findings enhance our understanding of CM-related genetic and protein biomarkers, providing a foundation for future therapeutic development.

Older men with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) are more likely to have comorbid medical conditions and die from causes other than prostate cancer. We aimed to determine if age impacts the overall survival (OS) benefit from systemic treatment intensification (TI) with androgen receptor pathway inhibitors (ARPIs) and/or chemotherapy in mHSPC.

Pancreatoblastoma constitutes the most common malignant pancreatic tumor in children. Pancreatoblastomas are rare and data to generate evidence-based management guidelines are limited. A literature review and pooled data analysis of cases 18 years old or younger with relapsed pancreatoblastoma (RP) was performed to describe their prognosis and management. The 2-year overall survival post-relapse (OS-pr) for patients with RP (n=15) was 54.4% (95% CI: 32.5%-71.6%). On the basis of surgery at relapse, the 2-year OS-pr was 85.7% (95% CI: 59.8%-96.1%) for cases who underwent surgery (n=9) versus 16.7% (95% CI: 1.1%-44.9%) for nonsurgical cases (n=6); P=0.003. This study shows that patients with RP can be salvaged and supports pursuing treatment with curative intent, including maximal safe resection where feasible.

For the effective treatment planning of head and neck cancers, precise tumor segmentation is vital. The combination of artificial intelligence (AI) technology with imaging systems like positron emission tomography (PET) and PET/ computed tomography (PET/CT) has made attempts to automate these processes. Despite these attempts, the usefulness of AI segmentation with PET imaging compared to PET/CT still lacks clarity.

Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are a rare and diverse group of mesodermal-origin cancers with limited systemic treatment options in advanced-stage disease. Recent evidence suggests that combination therapies involving tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) targeting the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) may enhance clinical outcomes.

Recurrence invariably occurs in patients with high-grade glioma (HGG) despite maximal definitive therapy. Currently, there is no standard-of-care salvage treatment approach and re-irradiation is considered an option for select patients. Various radiotherapy fractionation schedules have been investigated, including the use of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). The aim of this study was to provide clinical practice recommendations on behalf of the International Stereotactic Radiosurgery Society (ISRS) specific to salvage SRS for recurrent-HGG. We define SRS as focal radiation in a single fraction and hypofractionated radiosurgery (HFSRS) as focal radiation delivered over 2-5 fractions.

The primary cancer of the urinary system is bladder cancer, which includes 2 subtypes: muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) and non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). Intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) therapy remains the gold standard for treating individuals with high-risk NMIBC. However, disease development and recurrence pose serious clinical problems. This study aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) as innovative therapeutic approaches for patients with BCG-unresponsive NMIBC. We conducted this study according to the PRISMA guidelines. We systematically reviewed clinical trials that evaluated ICIs as a treatment for BCG-unresponsive NMIBC and reported predefined efficacy and safety outcomes. We synthesized data using R software and evaluated the risk of bias using the ROBINS-I tool. Nine studies (488 patients) were included in the review, of which 6 were pooled in the meta-analysis. Following ICI therapy, the complete response (CR) rates were 36% at 3 months, 25% at 6 months, and 18% at twelve months. Across all studies, 14% of patients had a radical cystectomy (RC), with the lowest rates occurring in patients receiving atezolizumab. Treatment-related adverse events (TrAEs) were common, occurring in 15% of patients at grades 3 to 5 and 67% of patients at grades 1 to 2. Adverse events related to the immune system (IrAEs) were noted in 6% of individuals with grades (3-5) and 22% of patients with (grades 1-2). Serious adverse events occurred in 15% of patients overall; the atezolizumab group had a greater incidence (21%) than the pembrolizumab group (11%). Immune checkpoint inhibitors have shown encouraging effectiveness and safety in treating BCG-unresponsive NMIBC. However, the observed variability in therapeutic response and adverse events highlights the necessity for large-scale RCTs to clarify long-term efficacy and inform patient selection for ICI-based therapies.

Prostate cancer is the most prevalent cancer among men within the U.S. and globally, with rising incidence, including advanced-staged disease. Risk factors for aggressive prostate cancer are not well defined. This systematic review and meta-analysis provide an overview of the relationship between cardiometabolic diseases (diabetes, dyslipidemia, obesity, and hypertension) and aggressive prostate cancer.

The optimal level of the inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) ligation in rectosigmoid cancer surgery remains controversial, with ongoing debate about the balance between oncologic adequacy and anastomotic integrity. This meta-analysis compared high ligation (HL) versus low ligation (LL) of IMA in terms of postoperative and long-term oncologic outcomes using randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

Radiotherapy is a common treatment for early-stage glottic cancer, with recent advances exploring smaller target volumes and (ultra-)hypofractionation. While (ultra-)hypofractionation offers potential advantages in treatment efficiency, concerns remain regarding increased late laryngeal toxicity. This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the incidence of dysfunctional larynx -defined as the need for tracheostomy or laryngectomy without local recurrence- after radiotherapy for early-stage glottic cancer. This review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. A comprehensive literature search was conducted up to September 2025. Studies were eligible if they included: (1) patients diagnosed with early-stage glottic carcinoma (cTis-cT2), (2) patients treated with definitive radiotherapy. Exclusion criteria were: (1) concurrent therapies (e.g. chemotherapy), (2) stage 3 or 4 laryngeal carcinoma, (3) unknown late severe toxicity (laryngectomy or tracheostomy), (4) palliative radiotherapy, (5) case reports and (6) not published in English. A total of 49 studies were included. The pooled analysis of all included studies, comprising 7033 patients, found a low overall incidence of 0.3 % for dysfunctional larynx. The risk of dysfunctional larynx remained low (<1%) for studies that used moderate to (ultra-)hypofractionation. These findings support the safety of contemporary radiotherapy approaches for preserving laryngeal function in this patient population.

B7x is overexpressed in female reproductive system malignancies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive value of B7x expression in the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of female reproductive system malignancies.