About one quarter of patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) may be treated and derive a benefit with the current standard chemotherapy. To better understand why some tumors resist chemotherapy and identify better ways to treat those cancers, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have conducted a detailed molecular analysis of MIBC tumors. The results offer potential new ways to identify which patients will benefit from chemotherapy and reveal possible new treatment strategies.

Scientists at UCSF have found that endometriosis — a painful chronic disease affecting 10% of women that often goes undiagnosed — often occurs alongside conditions like cancer, Crohn's disease, and migraine.

The research could improve how endometriosis is diagnosed and, ultimately, how it is treated; and it paints the sharpest portrait yet of a condition that is as mysterious as it is prevalent.

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.