A new study reveals that some men who are diagnosed with “Grade Group one” (GG1) prostate cancer may actually be at higher risk than biopsy results suggest, according to research led by Weill Cornell Medicine, University Hospitals Cleveland and Case Western University. The researchers conclude that relying on biopsy grade alone can lead to underestimating disease risk and misclassifying individuals who may benefit from definitive treatment with either surgery or radiation. Biopsies test only small areas of the prostate, so they can miss more advanced or aggressive cancer cells, providing an incomplete picture.

In patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), regular treatment with immunoglobulin replacement therapy was not associated with a reduced risk of serious infections requiring hospitalization, according to a study published in Blood Advances.

Recent research from U-M Medical School uncovers more clues about the risk conferred by variants in a gene linked to colon cancer, called MUTYH, the normal function of which is to repair DNA.

Endometrial cancer (EC) is one of the most prevalent malignancies of the female reproductive system and ranks among the three primary types of gynecological cancers. Recent trends indicate a rising incidence of EC in younger patients, highlighting the urgent need for effective early screening strategies. This review examines the challenges associated with early diagnosis and screening, including ambiguous methodologies (e.g., transvaginal ultrasound: sensitivity 80–90%, specificity 60–70%), undefined target populations, and the absence of efficient, cost-effective, minimally invasive solutions (e.g., cytology sensitivity ≤50% in community settings). The article provides an overview of the current landscape and emerging innovations in universal EC screening, highlighting advancements in early detection and diagnosis, such as DNA methylation panels (sensitivity 89–94%, specificity 91–97% in phase II trials) and vibrational spectroscopy (sensitivity 92%, specificity 88% in pilot studies). Additionally, future directions for implementing effective screening strategies are explored, emphasizing the potential of high-accuracy biomarkers and scalable technologies to reduce mortality and healthcare costs.

A new UNLV study by a team of chemical biologists, published in Advanced Materials, details a way to selectively route mRNA to the pancreas by using the body’s own endogenous pathways – systems responsible for moving materials through the body.

Drug sensitivity analysis is crucial for precision cancer therapy. We developed CPADS, a web tool integrating transcriptomic data from 29,000+ samples (44 cancers, 288 drugs, 9,000+ gene perturbations). It enables differential expression, pathway, drug, and gene perturbation analyses with interactive visualization. CPADS aids researchers in exploring drug resistance mechanisms at gene/pathway levels. Access: https://smuonco.shinyapps.io/CPADS/ or https://robinl-lab.com/CPADS.