The RANK pathway has been extensively investigated for its role in bone resorption; however, its significance extends beyond bone metabolism. Preclinical models suggest that inhibition of RANK signaling can prevent mammary tumor development by reducing proliferation and tumor cell survival. Additionally, both preclinical and clinical data support the ability of RANK pathway inhibitors to enhance the anti-tumor immune response.

Immunotherapy combinations have revolutionised the therapeutic landscape of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but not all yield a significant overall survival benefit, underscoring the need for novel effective agents. Anlotinib plus penpulimab has demonstrated encouraging activity and safety in a phase 2 study. In this phase 3 trial, we aimed to assess whether the combination of anlotinib plus penpulimab improved survival versus sorafenib in patients with unresectable HCC.

The phase 3 DESTINY-Breast04 trial demonstrated superior efficacy and acceptable safety with trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) vs physician's choice of chemotherapy in previously treated patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-low metastatic breast cancer (mBC). We report the patient-reported outcomes (PROs), focusing on the hormone receptor-positive cohort.

Fibroma pendulans, commonly known as skin tag, is a benign protrusion of connective tissue that often develops groupwise in areas subjected to mechanical friction. Although generally harmless, they can become cosmetically concerning or painful if infarcted. Traditional removal methods, such as electrocautery and cryotherapy, often result in hypopigmentation or scarring. Lasers became interesting for skin-tag removal, but are they really more effective than classical scissor snip exisions? This study aimed to compare the efficacy, healing outcomes, and patient acceptance of scissor snip excision versus 532 nm LBO laser therapy for the removal of skin tags. 68 patients with a total of 1,257 fibromas located on the neck or axillae were treated. Each patient received both treatments in a randomized split-neck/axillar manner. Fibromas were either excised using scissors or treated with the non-ablative 532 nm LBO laser. Outcomes were evaluated at 4 and 12 weeks post-treatment, focusing on complete healing, patient preference, pain perception, and cosmetic results. At 12 weeks, the scissor excision group exhibited a significantly higher healing rate of 85% compared to 71% in the laser group (p = 0.00001). The adjusted overall response rate was 92.64% for scissor excision and 84.19% for laser treatment. Patient preference favored scissor excision, with 63% of patients opting for this method for future treatments, while 19% preferred the laser, and 18% were indifferent. Pain scores were lower for scissor excision (mean: 2.6) compared to laser treatment (mean: 3.42). Laser therapy was 39% faster than scissor excision when accounting for wound dressing, although it had higher rates of redness, hyper- and hypopigmentation. The bloodless nature of the laser and the absence of dressings were perceived as advantages, but the persistence of necrotic fibromas for up to three weeks was a notable drawback. Despite the perceived advantages of a bloodless and dressing-free procedure with the 532 nm LBO laser, scissor snip excision demonstrated superior healing outcomes, lower pain scores, and higher patient satisfaction. These findings suggest that scissor snip excision remains the gold standard for treating pedunculated fibromas, though further studies exploring the effect of the 532 nm laser on small disseminated fibromas and other laser modalities are warranted.

Abiraterone is a 17α-hydroxylase/C17-20 lyase inhibitor used for the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). This multi-center, randomized, open-label, active-controlled phase II study compared the pharmacodynamics (PD), pharmacokinetics (PK), and safety of abiraterone acetate tablets (II) (AAT[II]), a new formulation of abiraterone acetate, and ZYTIGA®, the originator abiraterone acetate (OAA), in patients with metastatic CRPC.

In the global CAPItello-291 randomized phase 3 study (NCT04305496) in patients with hormone receptor-positive/HER2-negative advanced breast cancer and progression during/after aromatase inhibitor treatment, capivasertib-fulvestrant significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) in the overall population and patients with PIK3CA/AKT1/PTEN-altered tumors versus placebo-fulvestrant. We assessed efficacy and safety of capivasertib-fulvestrant in a prespecified exploratory analysis of a Chinese cohort (n = 24) and extended study with the same protocol (n = 110). Clinically meaningful PFS benefit for capivasertib-fulvestrant was observed in the overall population (median PFS: 6.9 [capivasertib-fulvestrant] versus 2.8 [placebo-fulvestrant] months; hazard ratio 0.51, 95% CI 0.34-0.76), patients with PIK3CA/AKT1/PTEN-altered tumors (n = 46; 5.7 versus 1.9 months; hazard ratio 0.41, 95% CI 0.19-0.85) and PIK3CA/AKT1/PTEN-non-altered tumors (patients with confirmed next-generation sequencing results [n = 68]; 9.2 versus 2.7 months; hazard ratio 0.38; 95% CI 0.21-0.68). The most frequent adverse events (AEs) with capivasertib-fulvestrant were diarrhea (60.6% versus 11.3% with placebo-fulvestrant) and hyperglycemia (57.7% versus 17.7%). AEs leading to capivasertib-fulvestrant discontinuation were reported in 11.3% of patients versus 3.2% for placebo-fulvestrant. The benefit-risk profile of capivasertib-fulvestrant in the Chinese cohort was favorable; further exploration in patients with PIK3CA/AKT1/PTEN-non-altered tumors is warranted.

With the assistance of ENDOANGEL, a study was conducted at Hainan General Hospital to evaluate the effect of artificial intelligence (AI) system on the detection of gastrointestinal precancerous lesions.

Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is a common technique for sampling mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes. However, the optimal sedation for EBUS-TBNA remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of adding fentanyl to midazolam.

Optimal sequencing of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and targeted therapies (TTs) in BRAFV600-positive advanced melanoma should achieve rapid tumour control and durable progression-free survival (PFS), translating into prolonged overall survival (OS).

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools could improve clinical decision making or exacerbate inequities because of bias. African American (AA) men reportedly have a worse prognosis for prostate cancer (PCa) and are underrepresented in the development genomic biomarkers. We assess the generalizability of tools developed using a multimodal AI (MMAI) deep learning system using digital histopathology and clinical data from NRG/Radiation Therapy Oncology Group PCa trials across racial subgroups.

To evaluate the effectiveness of a simple positioning aid device in neck CT scans for the diagnosis of thyroid cancer, with a focus on its influence on image quality and diagnostic accuracy.

Randomized trials are very challenging to perform in rare cancers such as gastro-enteropancreatic neuroendocrine carcinomas. We hypothesized that the randomized BEVANEC trial of FOLFIRI + /- bevacizumab could have been designed with an external control arm (ECA) and led to similar results.

Various locoregional treatments exist for PET-CT-detected pelvic nodal oligorecurrences in patients with prostate cancer. We aimed to assess whether elective nodal radiotherapy (ENRT) to the pelvis would be superior to metastasis-directed therapy (MDT).

This study aimed to compare the pregnancy outcomes of letrozole (LE)-induced ovulation and hormone replacement treatment (HRT) in endometrial preparation for frozen embryo transfer (FET) in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Localised squamous cell carcinoma of the anus is treated with radical chemoradiotherapy. Cure rates are high, but treatment can result in substantial acute and long-term morbidity. We aimed to assess whether lower dose chemoradiotherapy maintains high local control rates in patients with early-stage disease, with the secondary aim of reducing toxicity.

In updated analyses from the phase III POSEIDON study, after a median follow-up of >5 years, tremelimumab plus durvalumab and chemotherapy (T + D + CT) showed durable long-term overall survival (OS) benefit versus CT alone in first-line metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (mNSCLC). In this article, we report the associations of tumor mutational burden (TMB) with outcomes of D with or without T in combination with CT versus CT alone.

Several retrospective studies have demonstrated an association between genome-wide DNA methylation status (GWMS) and clinical outcomes after treatment with anti-epidermal growth factor receptor antibody in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). This biomarker study evaluated the association of GWMS with clinical outcomes in mCRC patients who were enrolled in a randomized phase II DEEPER trial of comparing modified (m)-FOLFOXIRI plus bevacizumab (Bev) and m-FOLFOXIRI plus cetuximab (Cet) as first-line treatment.

Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) have shown progression-free survival (PFS) benefits of metastasis-directed therapy (MDT) without androgen deprivation therapy for oligometastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer (omCSPC). Most patients with bone metastatic (BM) omCSPC recur with additional bone disease after MDT. We hypothesized the BM-targeting alpha-emitter radium-223 dichloride (Ra223) could target subclinical bone disease and delay progression.

In men with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC), prostate-specific antigen (PSA) decline after treatment has been associated with improved survival. However, the data on PSA decline are limited in men with mHSPC after treatment with enzalutamide plus androgen deprivation therapy (ADT).

In the phase III CASPIAN study, first-line durvalumab plus platinum-etoposide (EP) improved survival compared with EP in patients with extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer. We report an exploratory analysis of patient-reported adverse events (AEs).