Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) represents a paradigm of targeted therapy in hematologic malignancies. Once regarded as the most fatal form of leukemia due to its rapid onset and severe hemorrhagic risk, APL was fundamentally transformed in the 20th century when Dr. Tingdong Zhang from Harbin Medical University, China discovered that arsenic trioxide (ATO) could effectively treat patients, achieving remission rates of up to 90% and converting it into the most curable acute leukemia. Extensive mechanistic studies have demonstrated that ATO exerts therapeutic effects by inducing apoptosis and promoting differentiation of APL cells. More recently, a study published in Science Bulletin using single-cell sequencing further revealed that ATO not only directly eliminates leukemic cells but also reshapes the tumor microenvironment through modulation of lymphocyte activity, underscoring its multifaceted role in APL treatment.

Researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center will present new data at the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) 2025 Annual Meeting demonstrating that stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) and surgery achieved similar survival outcomes at 10-year follow-up for patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer, with radiation offering quality-of-life benefits. These findings will be presented Sept. 29 by Joe Chang, M.D., Ph.D., professor of Radiation Oncology, and Troy Kleber, M.D., resident.