Preoperative Pembrolizumab Plus Chemoradiotherapy (PPCT) for Locally Advanced Resectable ESCC: PALACE‑2 Phase 1/2 Results and Immune‑Microenvironment Insights

Preoperative Pembrolizumab Plus Chemoradiotherapy (PPCT) for Locally Advanced Resectable ESCC: PALACE‑2 Phase 1/2 Results and Immune‑Microenvironment Insights

PALACE‑2 reports that preoperative pembrolizumab combined with chemoradiotherapy produced a 43.2% pathologic complete response in resectable, locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, with acceptable short‑term survival and a high rate of grade ≥3 toxicities; IL‑6 emerged as a potential predictive and targetable mediator of response.
Checkpoint inhibition for frail patients: Durvalumab with carboplatin–etoposide shows tolerability and a 1‑year survival signal in poor‑performance‑status extensive‑stage SCLC (NEJ045A)

Checkpoint inhibition for frail patients: Durvalumab with carboplatin–etoposide shows tolerability and a 1‑year survival signal in poor‑performance‑status extensive‑stage SCLC (NEJ045A)

NEJ045A shows durvalumab plus carboplatin–etoposide is feasible in ES‑SCLC patients with PS2–3, with induction completion rates above thresholds and a 1‑year survival of 43.4% overall, supporting cautious use of chemo‑immunotherapy in selected frail patients.
Camrelizumab plus Rivoceranib Delivers Substantial Survival Gain over Sorafenib in First‑line Unresectable HCC: Final CARES‑310 Results

Camrelizumab plus Rivoceranib Delivers Substantial Survival Gain over Sorafenib in First‑line Unresectable HCC: Final CARES‑310 Results

Final CARES-310 analysis shows camrelizumab plus rivoceranib significantly improves overall survival versus sorafenib in first-line unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma, with increased but manageable toxicity. Results support the combination as an additional frontline option, especially where other immunotherapy regimens are unavailable.
Total Neoadjuvant Therapy Enables Organ Preservation Without Compromising Distant Control in pMMR/MSS Stage II–III Rectal Cancer: Insights from the NO-CUT Trial

Total Neoadjuvant Therapy Enables Organ Preservation Without Compromising Distant Control in pMMR/MSS Stage II–III Rectal Cancer: Insights from the NO-CUT Trial

The NO-CUT phase 2 trial shows that total neoadjuvant therapy (CAPOX-based TNT) followed by non-operative management for clinical complete responders achieved high 30‑month distant relapse‑free survival (95%) and enabled organ preservation in 26% of patients with pMMR/MSS stage II–III rectal cancer.
A Standardized RANO Resection Classification Links Supramaximal Surgery to Meaningful Survival Gains in IDH‑Mutant Grade 2 Glioma

A Standardized RANO Resection Classification Links Supramaximal Surgery to Meaningful Survival Gains in IDH‑Mutant Grade 2 Glioma

An international retrospective cohort (n=1,391) validates a four‑tier RANO classification of residual T2‑FLAIR volume: supramaximal resection confers the largest survival benefit, with graded, durable advantages for maximal versus submaximal resections across IDH‑mutant astrocytoma and oligodendroglioma.
Microbubble‑Enhanced Focused Ultrasound with Temozolomide Shows Feasibility and Promising Survival in High‑Grade Glioma — Phase 1/2 Multicentre Results

Microbubble‑Enhanced Focused Ultrasound with Temozolomide Shows Feasibility and Promising Survival in High‑Grade Glioma — Phase 1/2 Multicentre Results

A multicentre phase 1/2 trial reports that MRI‑guided microbubble‑enhanced transcranial focused ultrasound (MB‑FUS) can safely open the blood–brain barrier and be combined with standard adjuvant temozolomide in high‑grade glioma, with median overall survival 31.3 months and feasibility for non‑invasive plasma biomarker monitoring.
SMARCA4-altered Resectable and Advanced NSCLC: Neoadjuvant Immunochemotherapy Works for Squamous, But KRAS+STK11/KEAP1 Co-mutations Define an Immune‑Cold High‑Risk Subset

SMARCA4-altered Resectable and Advanced NSCLC: Neoadjuvant Immunochemotherapy Works for Squamous, But KRAS+STK11/KEAP1 Co-mutations Define an Immune‑Cold High‑Risk Subset

Two contemporary series show that SMARCA4‑altered NSCLC is molecularly and clinically heterogeneous: squamous tumors have high pathologic responses to neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy, while non‑squamous tumors—especially those with co‑occurring KRAS and STK11/KEAP1 alterations—are immune‑cold and have poor outcomes despite chemoimmunotherapy.
International Reference Values for Total Pancreatectomy Show Higher Perioperative Risk Than Pancreatoduodenectomy — Practical Benchmarks for Quality Control

International Reference Values for Total Pancreatectomy Show Higher Perioperative Risk Than Pancreatoduodenectomy — Practical Benchmarks for Quality Control

This multicenter study defines international perioperative reference values for total pancreatectomy (TP). Even low‑risk TP carries higher morbidity and mortality than pancreatoduodenectomy; outcomes worsen with vascular resection or conversion for high‑risk anastomosis.
Thyroid Cancer in Adolescents and Young Adults Is Surging Worldwide — But Deaths Aren’t: Strong Evidence of Overdiagnosis from a 185‑Country Analysis

Thyroid Cancer in Adolescents and Young Adults Is Surging Worldwide — But Deaths Aren’t: Strong Evidence of Overdiagnosis from a 185‑Country Analysis

A 185-country study shows large, sustained increases in thyroid cancer incidence among adolescents and young adults (15–39 years) since the 2000s while mortality remains low and stable — a pattern most consistent with widespread overdiagnosis and overtreatment.
High, Persistent Breast Cancer Mortality in Sub‑Saharan Africa: 7‑Year ABC‑DO Cohort Reveals Major Survival Gaps and Actionable Targets

High, Persistent Breast Cancer Mortality in Sub‑Saharan Africa: 7‑Year ABC‑DO Cohort Reveals Major Survival Gaps and Actionable Targets

A 7‑year follow-up of 2,153 women in the ABC‑DO cohort shows poor breast cancer survival in much of sub‑Saharan Africa, with 5‑year crude survival 40% and marked between-country and racial disparities; reaching WHO stage downstaging targets and improving treatment access could cut deaths by about a third.