Extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTL) is an aggressive neoplasm derived from cytotoxic T cells or natural killer (NK) cells, with higher prevalence in Asia and Latin America. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection plays a crucial role in its pathogenesis, being detected in most cases through in situ hybridization for EBV-encoded RNA (EBER). ENKTL predominantly affects men between 40 and 50 years of age, mainly involving the upper aerodigestive tract, particularly the nose and nasopharynx. However, it can also present in extranasal sites, where it tends to behave more aggressively. Clinical manifestations include cutaneous lesions with variable presentations that often mimic infections, delaying diagnosis. In limited-stage disease, radiotherapy (RT) is the treatment of choice, while advanced disease requires chemotherapy regimens, although no universally accepted standard protocol currently exists.

Kaposi sarcoma (KS) is an angioproliferative neoplasm linked to human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) and occurs more frequently in immunosuppressed patients, including kidney transplant recipients. While KS typically manifests cutaneously, visceral disease represents an uncommon presentation. Visceral KS involving the allograft kidney in patients with a previous renal transplant is an exceedingly rare finding that has seldom been reported. Herein, we report the case of a 66-year-old man with a history of kidney transplant who was found to have biopsy-confirmed, HHV-8-positive visceral KS involving the renal allograft less than one year post transplant, without cutaneous involvement. The patient's clinical course was marked by severe vasculature obstruction, bowel ischemia, and sepsis as a result of his disease burden, culminating in death despite prompt withdrawal of immunosuppression, highlighting the rarity and severity of allograft-associated KS. The severe manifestations of this patient's disease underscore the need for heightened vigilance when treating our immunosuppressed population to ensure appropriate and prompt care is given.

Oral cancer, particularly oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), is a major global health concern, with late-stage diagnoses significantly lowering survival rates. Salivary gland tumors (SGTs), though less common, pose diagnostic challenges due to their varied presentation. This study investigates the role of interleukin-35 (IL-35) in OSCC and SGTs, aimed at assessing its potential as a biomarker for early detection and prognosis.

A cross-sectional study was conducted, including 65 OSCC patients, 65 SGTs patients, and 50 healthy individuals as a control group. Inclusion criteria included age over 18 years, negative HPV confirmation, and histopathologically confirmed cancer diagnosis (SGT or OSCC). Blood samples were collected from all participants. Serum IL-35 levels were measured using the ELISA kit.

IL-35 levels varied significantly between the groups (p = 0.002), with the lowest levels detected in the SGT group. Pairwise comparisons revealed that IL-35 levels were significantly lower in the SGTs patients (5.45 ± 6.03 pg/mL) compared to both the OSCC group (9.21 ± 10.81 pg/mL, p = 0.002) and the control group (10.50 ± 11.77 pg/mL, p = 0.004). IL-35 levels were significantly lower in patients with malignant SGTs (5.45 ± 6.03 pg/mL) compared to healthy controls (p = 0.002). There were no significant differences in IL-35 levels between benign and malignant SGTs (p = 0.133). In OSCC patients, IL-35 levels did not significantly differ from those in the control group (p > 0.05). Furthermore, OSCC tumor characteristics, including tumor origin and lymphatic involvement, showed no significant correlation with IL-35 levels (p > 0.05).

The study indicates that IL-35 levels are notably reduced in SGTs compared to healthy individuals. However, no significant difference was observed between benign and malignant SGTs. The absence of significant correlation in OSCC patients suggests that IL-35 may have a minor role in this type of cancer, highlighting the potential need for other biomarkers to improve early detection.

Conventional bronchoscopy has imited diagnostic yield for challenging peripheral pulmonary nodules(C-PPNs), particularly for small (≤20 mm), pleural-contact, or reverse-angle (bifurcation angle ≤90°) nodules. This prospective multi-centre study evaluates the novel robotic bronchoscopy system (RBS) with ultra-thin catheters in C-PPNs under radiation-free conditions.

This multi-centre, prospective study enrolled 89 patients with C-PPN (characterised by a diameter ≤20 mm, pleural-contact, or an angle ≤90°) from three centres, who underwent RBS biopsy between 2022 and 2024. Diagnostic yield were conducted based on specific nodule characteristics. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were performed to evaluate the association between nodular-related factors and diagnostic yield.

The average nodule size was 19.54 mm (53.9%, ≤20 mm). Pleural-contact was observed in 71.9% of nodules, and 64.0% exhibited a reverse-angle (≤90°). The novel system achieved 100% navigation and sampling success. Importantly, the diagnostic yield reached 84.2%, with 88.3% sensitivity for malignancy. Diagnostic performance were comparable across Single-criteria, Dual-criteria, and Triple-criteria groups (p = 0.416). Nodules ≤20 mm had lower yield (75.0%) compared to pleura-contact (90.6%, p = 0.013) or reverse-angle (89.5%, p = 0.028). Logistic regression confirmed nodule size >20 mm as a significant diagnostic yield predictor. Notably, no pneumothorax occurred, and only two patients experienced minor bleeding.

This prospective multi-centre study introduced the concept of C-PPN, establishing a valuable reference for subsequent research. Moreover, the novel system featuring ultra-thin catheters demonstrated superior performance, achieving 100% navigation success, 84.2% diagnostic yield and 0 pneumothorax, in such nodules without radiation guidance.

On December 4, 2025, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) released its inaugural AACR Pediatric Cancer Progress Report, which highlights the remarkable scientific and clinical advances transforming outcomes for children (ages 0-14) and adolescents (ages 15-19) with cancer. This first-of-its-kind report encompasses progress against pediatric cancers made over the past decade and chronicles major developments in molecularly targeted therapies, immunotherapies, and genomic profiling that are reshaping pediatric cancer diagnosis, surveillance, and treatment. The report also underscores the enduring challenges that impede progress, including the lack of effective therapies for rarer and aggressive pediatric cancers and the persistent inequities in access to high-quality treatment and supportive care, both in the United States and worldwide. Collectively, these insights reaffirm the urgent need for increased federal investment, strengthened international collaboration, and innovative research strategies to accelerate progress against pediatric cancer. The full report is freely available at PediatricCancerProgressReport.org.

The economic burden of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is high, and is projected to increase with the introduction of new targeted treatments and improved survival. These high costs are not only associated with anticancer treatment, but also with the treatment and prevention of CLL symptoms and adverse events. Infections are among the most common adverse events in CLL patients, resulting from immune dysregulation caused by both the underlying disease and treatments. Immunoglobulin replacement therapy (IgRT) is one prophylactic measure used to prevent infections, but its effectiveness in CLL is unclear and costs are substantial. The aim of this paper was to estimate the excess cost associated with serious infections in patients with CLL, and explore other factors that may increase hospitalization costs in Australia.

We conducted a retrospective longitudinal study of linked hospital data, including 3705 patients with CLL and hospital admissions between July 2016 and June 2022. We estimated the excess cost associated with serious infections, inhospital anticancer treatment and IgRT using generalized linear models with gamma distribution and identity link.

Over the study period, the mean inhospital cost per patient per month was AU$1291 (US$892) and was highest in the month of CLL diagnosis, at AU$4168 (US$2880). The excess cost in the month of a serious infection was AU$22,905 (US$15,829) per patient, and costs remained higher in the subsequent 6 months. The monthly costs associated with IgRT and anticancer treatment were AU$3288 (US$2772) and AU$5223 (US$3609) per patient, respectively.

Our results highlight the high economic burden of serious infections in a large cohort of patients with CLL over a 6-year period. Further costing studies including costs to the patient and healthcare utilization in the outpatient setting are needed to ascertain the total cost of infections and the overall cost of cancer care in patients with CLL.

Tongue cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer in the intraoral region across many countries. This study aims to explore the global burden of the disease, its associated risk factors, and trends in incidence over time across different demographic groups.

Data were extracted from the Global Cancer Observatory, Cancer Incidence in Five Continents Plus, Global Burden of Disease, the United Nations, and the World Bank. Linear regression analysis was applied to assess the relationship between tongue cancer incidence and various factors. Temporal trends in tongue cancer incidence across countries and regions were analyzed using the Average Annual Percentage Change (AAPC). The accuracy of these trend estimates was reported with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

A total of 151,338 cases of tongue cancer were identified globally, with an age-standardized rate (ASR) of 1.7 per 100,000 population. The highest ASRs were observed in South-Central Asia (3.4), Northern America (2.3), and Northern Europe (2.1). Males were found to have a higher ASR (2.6) compared to females (0.86). Tongue cancer incidence was significantly linked to a higher prevalence of smoking (β = 0.038, CI: 0.016-0.059, p = 0.001), alcohol consumption (β = 0.049, CI: 0.027-0.072, p < 0.001), and dietary factors (β = 0.013, CI: 0.002-0.024, p = 0.025). An increasing trend was presented globally based on pre-2013 data, except for the Philippines, which showed the only significant drop.

Geographical variation was observed in tongue cancer, with South-Central Asia having the highest disease burden. The higher incidence of tongue cancer in males may be attributed to smoking and alcohol, highlighting the need for intensive lifestyle modifications.

Individuals at elevated risk of developing colorectal cancer (CRC) benefit from regular surveillance colonoscopies. However, many countries lack well-managed recall processes, leading to either excessive or insufficient colonoscopy use, both of which have significant consequences. A nurse-coordinated surveillance program has been shown to improve compliance with surveillance guidelines but is associated with a costly administration burden. This study aims to create a multicenter, stepped-wedge cluster trial that will integrate digital processes into this model to optimise colonoscopy management, reduce resource burden and ensure equitable service delivery across multiple healthcare sites.

Data from colonoscopy and pathology reports will be extracted into a clinical registry and natural language processing will be used to structure the data. Rule-based algorithms (based on the Australian colonoscopy surveillance guidelines (but adaptable to other international standards), and with version control) will assess the need for future surveillance colonoscopies and recommend appropriate follow-up intervals. The accuracy of the recommendations will be evaluated by nurse coordinators, with adherence to the guidelines assessed both at baseline and 6 months post-implementation. Patient-reported measures will be collected before and during trial implementation to assess satisfaction with the surveillance processes. Outcome measures will include evaluation of guideline compliance, key performance indicators for the quality of endoscopic services and cost-effectiveness.

This trial will establish the performance, acceptability and cost-effectiveness of a digital health approach to managing surveillance colonoscopy. This will improve healthcare delivery by providing a cost-effective way to manage colonoscopy demand and to mitigate risk for CRC.

To evaluate the performance of the Tokuhashi, Tomita, SORG machine learning (SORG ML), and OPTImodel algorithms as survival predictors for vertebral metastases in clinical practice.

A retrospective study (2013-2023) analyzed 573 patients from Cabueñes University Hospital (Asturias, Spain). Thirty-two demographic, epidemiological, clinical, and analytical variables were considered, including diagnosis chronology and survival.

Among the 573 patients studied, 272 (47.4%) presented visceral metastases at the time of diagnosis. A total of 362 patients (63.2%) had associated comorbidities. The most frequent primary histological diagnoses in these patients were lung 147 (25.7%), prostate 146 (25.5%), breast 118 (20.6%), kidney 30 (5.2%), and colorectal 29 (5.1%). The median survival of the cohort was 185 days. The accuracy rates for the Tokuhashi, SORG ML, OPTImodel, and Tomita algorithms were 0.5509, 0.4812, 0.3404, and 0.3858, respectively. The models with the highest accuracy rates in specific time segments were Tokuhashi (77.5% for < 6 months) and OPTImodel (90.8% for more than 1 year). The areas under the curve (AUC) for survival intervals were as follows: Tokuhashi at 42 days (73.19%), 90 days (79.3%), and 365 days (82.73%); Tomita at 42 days (69.27%), 90 days (76.82%), and 365 days (78.79%); SORG ML at 42 days (52.77%), 90 days (51.69%), and 365 days (51.38%).

All models showed relatively low accuracy. The newer models (OPTImodel, SORG ML) did not outperform the traditional Tomita and Tokuhashi in predicting survival for vertebral metastases patients.

Cancer survivors often receive inadequate pain management, leading to impaired quality of life. Despite their importance, evidence on the global prevalence of chronic pain in cancer survivors remains insufficiently clear.

The systematic review and proportional meta-analysis aimed to estimate the pooled global prevalence of chronic pain among cancer survivors and to explore heterogeneity stratified by geographic region, cancer type, pain duration, and pain assessment tool.

Five databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure) were searched up to September 2024 for studies in English or Chinese. The review followed MOOSE and PRISMA guidelines with PROSPERO registration (CRDxx). Studies were included if they reported chronic pain prevalence in cancer survivors using validated instruments or solely reported chronic pain. Two reviewers independently screened studies, extracted data, and assessed quality using the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for Analytical Cross-Sectional Studies. Pooled prevalence and 95% prediction intervals were calculated using a random-effects model with Freeman-Tukey double arcsine transformation. Subgroup analysis was used to explore heterogeneity. Leave-one-out analysis explored robustness. Funnel plot and Egger's test were used to examine publication bias.

In total, 36 studies involving 39,806 participants were included. The pooled prevalence of chronic pain among cancer survivors was 41% (95% CI: 34%-49%) after testing robustness, with significant heterogeneity (I² = 99.32%). Subgroup analysis indicated significant group differences in prevalence rates by geographic region, cancer type, and pain duration (all p < 0.001).

These findings stress the need for more extensive and tailored chronic pain management in current clinical practice. Additional research on chronic pain outcomes among pediatric cancer survivors, cancer populations within Africa and South America, and those with cancer types other than breast cancer is needed.

PROSPERO Registration: CRD42024597090.