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[Comment] Filtered hopes and full-spectrum realities

Given the time constraints in clinical care and research, few clinicians would invest time in writing a case report on a failed treatment approach. This publication bias explains why we should be inherently skeptical of surprising or counterintuitive medical results suggested by a case report or even a case series. Nevertheless, these same case reports can also be seeds of innovation, triggering exciting bedside to bench reverse translation. In 2017, Ott and colleagues published a case series in which they used processed faecal donations from healthy volunteers to treat recurrent Clostridioides difficile infections.

[Comment] Prioritising phosphatidylethanol to aid classification and treatment of steatotic liver disease

In 2023, a multinational consortium of liver experts introduced a revised nomenclature for steatotic liver disease.1 Steatotic liver disease was divided into metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), which was previously known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and alcohol-related liver disease (ALD). A key gap in the old nomenclature was how to categorise patients whose clinical profile combined steatosis, metabolic risk factors, and ongoing alcohol consumption. In the updated framework, individuals who meet MASLD criteria and consume alcohol within the range of 140–350 g per week for women and 210–420 g per week for men are placed in a new hybrid category: metabolic dysfunction and ALD (MetALD).

[Editorial] Foodborne pathogen surveillance cut by the CDC

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have quietly scaled back the USA's most robust tracking system for foodborne illness. The Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (or FoodNet) had monitored eight disease-causing pathogens across ten states for nearly three decades; this has now been slashed to just two bugs—salmonella and Escherichia coli. According to CDC spokespeople, the change will allow them to better prioritise and steward resources, with the two chosen pathogens among the top contributors to foodborne illness, hospitalisation, and death.

[Editorial] Childhood obesity tops underweight, says UNICEF

For the first time in recorded history, children are more likely to be obese than underweight. UNICEF's new child nutrition report shows the prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents aged 5–19 years rising in 2025 to 9·4%, surpassing the 9·2% of children with underweight. The crossover corresponds with a shift in childhood food environments, the report explains: unhealthy food and drink is ever cheaper, more convenient, and aggressively marketed in all the right (wrong) places—at schools and corner shops, as well as online.

[Policy Review] Artificial Intelligence for Response Assessment in Pediatric Neuro-Oncology (AI-RAPNO), part 2: challenges, opportunities, and recommendations for clinical translation

The Response Assessment in Pediatric Neuro-Oncology (RAPNO) criteria provide an important framework for evaluating treatment efficacy and tumour progression in clinical studies of paediatric brain tumours. As artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly transforms clinical practice, integrating AI into the RAPNO framework presents a unique opportunity to enhance quantitative, data-driven approaches for response assessment. However, successful clinical implementation faces challenges, including variability in imaging protocols, scarce annotated datasets, and regulatory and ethical considerations.

[Policy Review] Artificial Intelligence for Response Assessment in Pediatric Neuro-Oncology (AI-RAPNO), part 1: review of the current state of the art

Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to enable more precise, efficient, and reproducible interpretation of medical imaging data to improve patient care in paediatric neuro-oncology. Paediatric brain tumours present distinct histopathological, molecular, and clinical challenges that require tailored AI solutions. Recent advances have led to paediatric-specific AI tools for tumour segmentation, treatment response evaluation, recurrence prediction, toxicity assessment, and integrative multimodal analysis.

[Policy Review] Measurable residual disease-guided interventions in patients with acute myeloid leukaemia undergoing allogeneic haematopoietic cell transplantation: best practice recommendations from the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation Practice Harmonisation and Guidelines Committee

Measurable residual disease (MRD) is a key predictor of relapse, the primary cause of treatment failure after allogeneic haematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) in acute myeloid leukaemia. This Policy Review, based on guidance from the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, provides practical recommendations for incorporating MRD assessment into clinical decision making during the transplantation process, the application of which remains challenging in acute myeloid leukaemia due to technical limitations and the limited availability of standardised, evidence-based approaches.

[Review] Tumour-infiltrating lymphocyte therapy comes of age in the era of genetic engineering

Advances in cancer immunotherapy from immune checkpoint modulation to adoptive cell transfer of tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) have greatly improved outcomes for patients with advanced cancers, particularly metastatic melanoma. The approval of TIL therapy in 2024 following two independent landmark clinical trials has established this approach as a viable treatment option, with response rates of up to 50% in treatment-resistant melanoma. Genetic engineering offers new opportunities to further improve TIL efficacy and durability, including viral vector-mediated overexpression of cytokines or chimeric receptors, and non-viral genome editing techniques such as CRISPR-Cas9 to delete inhibitory genes such as PD-1 and CISH.

[Articles] Physical examinations and whole-body imaging versus physical examinations alone during follow-up after radical surgery of stage IIB–C and III cutaneous malignant melanoma (TRIM): an interim analysis of a multicentre, randomised, phase 3 trial in Sweden

This interim analysis indicated that there is no benefit from imaging in the follow-up programme for individuals with high-risk cutaneous malignant melanoma. However, only a few participants have completed the follow-up time of 5 years, and the numerical difference between the study groups in distant metastasis-free survival motivates us to continue the study according to protocol.

[Articles] Abemaciclib plus abiraterone in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CYCLONE 2): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial

Dual inhibition of CDK4 and CDK6 and the androgen receptor pathway with abemaciclib plus abiraterone did not improve radiographic progression-free survival compared with abiraterone alone in the CYCLONE 2 study population with mCRPC. Safety of the combination was consistent with the previously reported safety of the individual drugs. Additional research is required to identify effective combination therapies for patients with mCRPC, especially in those presenting with adverse prognostic characteristics.

[Articles] Long-term overall survival with dual CTLA-4 and PD-L1 or PD-1 blockade and biomarker-based subgroup analyses in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: a systematic review and reconstructed individual patient data meta-analysis

Compared with single PD-L1 or PD-1 inhibition, dual immune checkpoint blockade with CTLA-4 and PD-L1 or PD-1 inhibitors was associated with improved overall survival in patients with advanced NSCLC and PD-L1 TPS less than 1% and in those with STK11 mutations, but not in the overall population. Prospective validation of these results in clinical trials is warranted.

[Articles] Clinical potential of whole-genome data linked to mortality statistics in patients with breast cancer in the UK: a retrospective analysis

We show that breast cancer genomes are rich in predictive and prognostic value. We propose a two-step model for effective clinical application. First, the identification of candidates for targeted therapies or clinical trials using highly individualised genomic markers. Second, for patients without such features, the implementation of enhanced prognostication using genomic features alongside existing clinical decision-making factors.

[Perspectives] Abdominal shielding not recommended for diagnostic imaging with ionising radiation during pregnancy

In part due to its rare occurrence, cancer during pregnancy poses unique challenges that require careful consideration of both maternal and fetal health. For the best possible outcome for both mother and child, management during pregnancy should closely follow established guidelines.1 Oncological staging is necessary to identify optimal personalised treatment plans for each patient, and should be performed in the same manner as for patients who are not pregnant. However, selecting appropriate imaging methods, especially among those that use ionising radiation, requires a careful balance between maternal benefits and fetal risks.

[Perspectives] Subcutaneous immunotherapy—a wolf in sheep's clothing?

Over the past decade, subcutaneous formulations of anticancer drugs—originally administered intravenously—have been increasingly developed and subsequently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This new route of administration benefits patients with increased convenience. In this essay, we describe and discuss the growing adoption of subcutaneous formulations and also consider the potential future economic effects, particularly in relation to immunotherapy.

[News] British Columbia's proposed law to combat deceptive practices promoting vaping products

On Oct 8, 2025, a new law was introduced in British Columbia, Canada, that, if passed, will take action against e-cigarette (vape)manufacturing companies that cause harm to the public through deceptive promotion of vaping products. It is reportedly the first law in Canada that intends to recover health-care costs from companies involved in misleading activities to sell vaping products.