Announcements

Welcome message from the Chair:

The DNA Damage Response (DDR) represents one of the most vibrant and rapidly evolving fields in cancer research. What began as fundamental inquiries into the mechanisms of genomic stability has transformed into a robust pipeline of therapeutic strategies, from PARP inhibitors to emerging immunotherapy agents. Today, the study of DDR pathways sits at a fascinating intersection: it is central to our understanding of tumor suppression, a key determinant of response to conventional therapies, and a rich source of novel drug targets.

Over the next 3 hours, we will explore the full spectrum of this field. Our program connects the molecular architecture of repair complexes with the translational challenges of overcoming therapeutic resistance. We will delve into the complexities of synthetic lethality, the interplay between DDR deficiencies and the tumor microenvironment, and the promise of combining DDR inhibitors with immunotherapies.

Date: 1 June 2026 at 2:00 p.m. CEST | 8:00 a.m. EDT | 8:00 p.m. CST Asia
Webinar ID: 847 6925 5911
Landing page: https://sciforum.net/event/Cancers-13?subscribe

Register now for free!

Program

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join the webinar. Registrations with academic institutional email addresses will be prioritized.

Unable to attend? Register and we will let you know when the recording is available to watch.

Webinar Chair and Keynote Speakers:

• Guo-Min Li, Institute for Cancer Research, Chinese Institutes for Medical Research, Beijing, China;
• Ting Liu, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China;
• Vincenzo Costanzo, University of Milan, Milan, Italy;
• Zhongsheng You, Chinese Institutes for Medical Research, Beijing, China.

We are pleased to announce that the 1st International Online Conference on Tomography (IOCTG2026) will be held online from 10 to 11 September 2026. The Conference will be organized by MDPI’s journal Tomography (ISSN: 2379-139X, Impact Factor: 2.2, CiteScore: 3.5).

Upon receiving requests from a few authors to extend the submission deadline, now our abstract submission deadline has been extended to 10 June.

Submit your abstract here: https://sciforum.net/user/submission/create/1415.

Conference Chair:

• Prof. Dr. Emilio Quaia, Department of Radiology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.

Session topics:

S1. Neuroradiology advancements in the recent scientific literature (functional, perfusion, spectroscopy, and AI);

• Session Chair: Prof. Dr. Hui-Kuo G. Shu, Emory University, USA.

S2. Gastro-abdominal radiology: the importance of diagnostic confidence;

• Session Chair: Dr. Alessandro Posa, “A. Gemelli” University Hospital Foundation, Italy.

S3. Thoracic Radiology: development in functional and morphologic imaging;

• Session Chair: Prof. Dr. Mariano Scaglione, University of Sassari (UNISS), Italy.

S4. Cardiac Imaging: the fusion of morphology, function, and mapping;

• Session Chair: Prof. Alessia Pepe, University of Padua, Italy.

S5. AI: the relevant topics in the recent literature.

• Session Chair: Dr. Eugenio Vocaturo, NANOTEC National Research Council, Rende (CS), Italy.

Conference awards:
The Best Oral Presentation Award will be given to the oral presentation judged to make the most significant contribution to the conference.

The Best Poster Award will be given to the most interesting and significant poster presented at the conference.

Guidance for authors:
Participants in this conference are cordially invited to contribute a full manuscript to the Special Issue of Tomography, with a 20% discount on the publication fee.

Register for free before 7 September 2026.

For more detailed information, please visit https://sciforum.net/event/IOCTG2026. For any enquiries regarding the event, please contact ioctg2026@mdpi.com.

We look forward to seeing you at IOCTG2026.

Editor's Choice Articles are selected based on suggestions from Cancers’ Academic Editors worldwide. The Editors select a small number of recently published articles that they consider particularly interesting to our readers or important in their respective fields of research. You are welcome to read the Editor's Choice Articles and Special Issues related to Cancer Drug Development, a curated list of high-quality articles from 2025 in Cancers (ISSN: 2072-6694). The full list of Editor's Choice Articles can be viewed via the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/cancers/editors_choice.

The list of relevant papers can be seen below:

“The Role of Canine Models of Human Cancer: Overcoming Drug Resistance Through a Transdisciplinary “One Health, One Medicine” Approach”
by Sara Gargiulo, Lidovina Vecchiarelli, Eleonora Pagni and Matteo Gramanzini
Cancers 2025, 17(12), 2025; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17122025
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/17/12/2025

“Regulators of Cancer Progression: Succinylation”
by Jie Gao and Wei Yu
Cancers 2025, 17(16), 2652; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17162652
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/17/16/2652

“Engineered Bifidobacterium Strains Colonization at Tumor Sites: A Novel Approach to the Delivery of Cancer Treatments”
by Rhea Amonkar, Ashley Ann Uy, Pablo Ramirez, Harina Patel, Jae Jin Jeong, Nicole Oyinade Shoyele, Vidhi Vaghela and Ashakumary Lakshmikuttyamma
Cancers 2025, 17(15), 2487; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17152487
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/17/15/2487

“Toxicity Profiles of Antibody–Drug Conjugates: Synthesis and Graphical Insights to Optimize Patient-Centered Treatment Strategies for HER2-Negative Metastatic Breast Cancer”
by Bérénice Collineau, Anthony Gonçalves, Marie Domon, Damien Bruyat, François Bertucci and Alexandre de Nonneville
Cancers 2025, 17(14), 2307; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17142307
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/17/14/2307

“Deciphering Nicotine-Driven Oncogenesis in Head and Neck Cancer: Integrative Transcriptomics and Drug Repurposing Insights”
by Guo-Rung You, Daniel Yu Chang, Hung-Han Huang, Yin-Ju Chen, Joseph T. Chang and Ann-Joy Cheng
Cancers 2025, 17(9), 1430; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17091430
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/17/9/1430

Special Issues:

“Recent Updates and Future Perspectives on Anti-Cancer Agents”
Guest Editor: Dr. Santosh Kumar Singh
Submission deadline: 15 August 2026

“Novel Drugs for Treating Gynecologic Cancers: 2nd Edition”
Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Tadahiro Shoji and Prof. Dr. Tadahiro Shoji
Submission deadline: 20 August 2026

“Development of Biomarkers and Antineoplastic Drugs in Solid Tumors”
Guest Editors: Dr. Rosa Falcone, Dr. Sofia Verkhovskaia and Dr. Michela Roberto
Submission deadline: 31 October 2026

“In Vitro and In Vivo Pharmacology for Glioma Drug Discovery”
Guest Editor: Dr. Anna Bielecka-Wajdman
Submission deadline: 30 November 2026

You are invited to view and submit relevant papers to the journal via the following link:

https://www.mdpi.com/journal/cancers.

Cancers Editorial Office

Editor’s Choice Articles are selected based on suggestions from Cancers’ global team of Academic Editors. The Editors select a small number of recently published articles that they consider particularly interesting to our readers or important in their respective fields of research. You are invited to read the 2025 Editor’s Choice Articles, a curated list of high-quality articles from Cancers (ISSN: 2072-6694), and explore Special Issues related to cancer therapy. The full list of Editor’s Choice Articles can be viewed on the following website: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/cancers/editors_choice.

The list of relevant papers can be seen below:

“Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibition in Prostate Cancer: Past, Present, and Future”
by Matthew Siskin, Minas P. Economides and David R. Wise
Cancers 2025, 17(5), 774; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17050774
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/17/5/774

“Prognostic Value of PLR, SIRI, PIV, SII, and NLR in Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer: Can Inflammatory Factors Influence Pathogenesis and Outcomes?”
by Francesco Pio Bizzarri, Marco Campetella, Pierluigi Russo, Giuseppe Palermo, Seyed Koosha Moosavi, Francesco Rossi, Lorenzo D’Amico, Antonio Cretì, Filippo Gavi, Enrico Panio et al.
Cancers 2025, 17(13), 2189; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17132189
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/17/13/2189

“Optimizing Osimertinib for NSCLC: Targeting Resistance and Exploring Combination Therapeutics”
by Yan-You Liao, Chia-Luen Tsai and Hsiang-Po Huang
Cancers 2025, 17(3), 459; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17030459
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/17/3/459

“Denosumab vs. Zoledronic Acid for Metastatic Bone Disease: A Comprehensive Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials“
by Benjamin G. Wajda, Leah E. Ferrie, Annalise G. Abbott, Golpira Elmi Assadzadeh, Michael J. Monument and Joseph K. Kendal
Cancers 2025, 17(3), 388; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17030388
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/17/3/388

“Anti-EGFR Therapy in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: Identifying, Tracking, and Overcoming Resistance”
by Luís Felipe Leite, Mariana Macambira Noronha, Junior Samuel Alonso de Menezes, Lucas Diniz da Conceição, Luiz F. Costa Almeida, Anelise Poluboiarinov Cappellaro, Marcos Belotto, Tiago Biachi de Castria, Renata D’Alpino Peixoto and Thais Baccili Cury Megid
Cancers 2025, 17(17), 2804; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17172804
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/17/17/2804

“Adrenal Mass Evaluation: Suspicious Radiological Signs of Malignancy”
by Giulia Grazzini, Silvia Pradella, Federica De Litteris, Antonio Galluzzo, Matilde Anichini, Francesca Treballi, Eleonora Bicci and Vittorio Miele
Cancers 2025, 17(5), 849; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17050849
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/17/5/849

“Next-Generation Immunotherapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Mechanisms of Resistance and Novel Treatment Approaches”
by Shabnam Eghbali and Thatcher Ross Heumann
Cancers 2025, 17(2), 236; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17020236
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/17/2/236

“AI and Polyp Detection During Colonoscopy”
by Marco Spadaccini, Maddalena Menini, Davide Massimi, Tommy Rizkala, Roberto De Sire, Ludovico Alfarone, Antonio Capogreco, Matteo Colombo, Roberta Maselli, Ludovico Alfarone et al.
Cancers 2025, 17(5), 797; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17050797
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/17/5/797

Special Issues:

“Proton Therapy of Cancer Treatment”
Guest Editors: Dr. Minglei Kang, Dr. Benjamin Durkee and Dr. Kuo Men
Submission deadline: 1 June 2026

“Advances in Soft Tissue and Bone Sarcoma (2nd Edition)”
Guest Editor: Dr. Catrin Sian Rutland
Submission deadline: 25 June 2026

“New Challenges for Gastric Cancer—Gut Microbiota, Post-eradication and Chemotherapy”
Guest Editors: Dr. Kazunari Murakami and Dr. Kazuhiro Mizukami
Submission deadline: 30 June 2026

“Novel Treatments for Ocular and Periocular Cancers”
Guest Editor: Dr. Vidhya R. Rao
Submission deadline: 30 June 2026

You are invited to read and submit relevant papers to the journal Cancers using the following link:
https://www.mdpi.com/journal/cancers.

Cancers Editorial Office

Conference: European Hematology Association 2026 Congress
Date: 11–14 June 2026
Location: Stockholm, Sweden

We are pleased to announce that MDPI will be featured in the upcoming European Hematology Association 2026 Congress (EHA 2026). The EHA 2026 is organized by the European Hematology Association, intended for the global hematology community to share the latest clinical and research updates in the subject of hematology. The conference brings together hematologists, researchers, and healthcare professionals to discuss advancements in blood disorders and treatments.

Topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Advancing innovation and scientific discovery across basic, translational, and clinical hematology;
• Enhancing diagnostics, treatment strategies, and evidence-based hematology practice;
• Strengthening collaboration, education, patient communication, and professional development within the hematology community.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Thalassemia Reports;
• Hematology Reports;
• Hemato;
• Transplantology;
• Journal of Clinical Medicine (JCM);
• Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease (JCDD);
• Medicina;
• Current Oncology;
• Lymphatics;
• Clinics and Practice;
• Cancers;
• Children;
• Neurology International;
• Surgical Techniques Development;
• Therapeutics.

If you are attending this conference, please feel free to start an online conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person at booth H2.04 and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following website: https://ehaweb.org/connect-network/eha2026-congress.

We are delighted to share some editor’s choice articles related to Cancer Survivorship and Quality of Life that were published in Cancers (ISSN: 2072-6694) in 2025. In addition, some Special Issues on this topic are open for submission. The following is a list of articles and Special Issues that we believe will interest you.

“Assessing the Impact of Nutritional Status on the Quality of Life in Head and Neck Cancer Patients—The Need for Comprehensive Digital Tools”
by Rodica Anghel, Liviu Bîlteanu, Antonia-Ruxandra Folea, Șerban-Andrei Marinescu, Aurelia-Magdalena Pisoschi, Mihai-Florin Alexandrescu, Andreea-Ionela Dumachi, Laurentia-Nicoleta Galeș, Oana Gabriela Trifănescu, Anca-Florina Zgură et al.
Cancers 2025, 17(7), 1128; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17071128
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/17/7/1128

“Impact of e-Health Interventions on Mental Health and Quality of Life in Breast Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials”
by Alexandros Mitsis, Panagiotis Filis, Georgia Karanasiou, Eleni I. Georga, Davide Mauri, Katerina K. Naka, Anastasia Constantinidou, Kalliopi Keramida, Dorothea Tsekoura, Ketti Mazzocco et al.
Cancers 2025, 17(11), 1780; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17111780
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/17/11/1780

“Predicting Cardiovascular Risk in Patients with Prostate Cancer Receiving Abiraterone or Enzalutamide by Using Machine Learning”
by Dong-Yi Chen, Chun-Chi Chen, Ming-Lung Tsai, Chieh-Yu Chang, Ming-Jer Hsieh, Tien-Hsing Chen, Po-Jung Su, Pao-Hsien Chu, I-Chang Hsieh, See-Tong Pang et al.
Cancers 2025, 17(15), 2414; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17152414
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/17/15/2414
 
“CO₂ Laser Therapy for Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause in Women with Breast Cancer: A Randomized, Sham-Controlled Trial”
by Sireen Jaber, Gabriel Levin, Maya Ram-Weiner and Ahinoam Lev-Sagie
Cancers 2025, 17(7), 1241; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17071241
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/17/7/1241

“Roadmap for HCC Surveillance and Management in the Asia Pacific”
by Masatoshi Kudo, Bui Thi Oanh, Chien-Jen Chen, Do Thi Ngat, Jacob George, Do Young Kim, Luckxawan Pimsawadi, Pisit Tangkijvanich, Raoh-Fang Pwu, Rosmawati Mohamed et al.
Cancers 2025, 17(12), 1928; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17121928
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/17/12/1928
 
“Exploring the Role of Practical and Emotional Death Preparation in Reducing Emotional Distress Among Family Caregivers of Terminally Ill Cancer Patients: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study”
by Boram Kim, Jaemin Kim, Hong Yup Ahn, Sunyoung Park, In Cheol Hwang and So-Jung Park
Cancers 2025, 17(8), 1380; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17081380
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/17/8/1380

“The Cost of Breast Cancer: Economic and Social Perspective”
by Izabela Gąska, Aleksandra Czerw, Monika Pajewska, Olga Partyka, Andrzej Deptała, Anna Badowska-Kozakiewicz, Michał Budzik, Katarzyna Sygit, Paulina Wojtyła-Buciora, Jarosław Drobnik et al.
Cancers 2025, 17(18), 3012; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17183012
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/17/18/3012

Special Issues:

“Advanced Strategies in the Care of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients (2nd Edition)”
Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Matteo Donadon and Prof. Dr. Guido Torzilli
Submission deadline: 31 October 2026

“Innovative and Personalized Approaches to Improve Patient Outcomes in Gynecological Oncology”
Guest Editors: Dr. Anke Smits and Dr. James Dilley
Submission deadline: 31 December 2026

“Advances in Cancer Survival Analysis”
Guest Editor: Prof. Dr. Tianhui (Thomas) Chen, Prof. Dr. Jianguang Ji and Prof. Dr. Jun Lyu
Submission deadline: 31 December 2026

“Advances in Supportive Care in Radiation Oncology”
Guest Editor: Dr. Lukas Käsmann
Submission deadline: 30 April 2027

Editor’s Choice Articles are selected based on suggestions from Cancers’ Academic Editors worldwide. The Editors select a small number of recently published articles that they consider particularly interesting to our readers or important in their respective fields of research. You are welcome to read the Editor's Choice Articles and Speclal Issues related to tumor microenvironment, a curated list of high-quality articles from 2025 Cancers (ISSN: 2072-6694).

The list of relevant papers can be seen below:

“Immune Cell Interplay in the Fight Against GBM”
by Nico Vallieri and Angeliki Datsi
Cancers 2025, 17(5), 817; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17050817
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/17/5/817

“Targeting the Tumor Immune Microenvironment in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: The Promise of Polyphenols”
by Aaron L. Hilliard, Tanya D. Russell, Patricia Mendonca and Karam F. A. Soliman
Cancers 2025, 17(17), 2794; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17172794
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/17/17/2794

“Solid Pseudopapillary Neoplasm of the Pancreas: A Comprehensive Review Focusing on the Role of Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Radiofrequency Ablation as an Alternative Treatment”
by Tawfik Khoury, Moaad Farraj, Wisam Sbeit, Andrea Lisotti and Bertrand Napoléon
Cancers 2025, 17(13), 2240; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17132240
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/17/13/2240

“The Immunomodulatory Role of Galectin-1 in the Tumour Microenvironment and Strategies for Therapeutic Applications”
by Alice Griffiths, Palita Udomjarumanee, Andrei-Stefan Georgescu, Muruj Barri, Dmitry A. Zinovkin and Md Zahidul I. Pranjol
Cancers 2025, 17(11), 1888; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17111888
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/17/11/1888

“Efficacy and Safety of Nivolumab Plus Ipilimumab for Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma in Patients 75 Years and Older: Multicenter Retrospective Study”
by Shimpei Yamashita, Shuzo Hamamoto, Junya Furukawa, Kazutoshi Fujita, Masayuki Takahashi, Makito Miyake, Noriyuki Ito, Hideto Iwamoto, Yasuo Kohjimoto and Isao Hara
Cancers 2025, 17(3), 474; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17030474
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/17/3/474

Special Issues:

“Decoding the Dynamic Matrix Complexity in Cancer” Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Nikos Karamanos, Prof. Dr. Zoi Piperigkou and Prof. Dr. Luisa Bracci Submission deadline: 31 May 2026	“Epigenetic and Metabolic Alterations in the Tumor Microenvironment: 2nd Edition” Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Ciro Isidoro and Prof. Dr. Danny N. Dhanasekaran Submission deadline: 26 June 2026
“Decoding and Remodeling the Suppressive Tumor Immune Microenvironment in Head and Neck Cancer” Guest Editors: Dr. Andrew G. Sikora and Dr. Jennifer L. Anderson Submission deadline: 20 June 2026	“Extracellular Vesicles in Cancer Progression” Guest Editor: Dr. Susana García-Silva Submission deadline: 10 June 2026

You are invited to view and submit relevant papers to the journal Cancers at the following link:

https://www.mdpi.com/journal/cancers.

Cancers Editorial Office

May is Bladder Cancer Awareness Month, a time when organizations and individuals around the world come together to raise awareness and show support for research into bladder cancers. On this occasion, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to all the researchers who are working tirelessly to combat this disease. We also want to highlight some of the high‑quality, innovative research on bladder cancer that has been published across MDPI’s oncology journal cluster, including Cancers, Current Oncology, Onco, Targets and Precision Oncology. We hope that sharing these findings will provide valuable insights for everyone interested in this important field.

“Prognostic Value of PLR, SIRI, PIV, SII, and NLR in Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer: Can Inflammatory Factors Influence Pathogenesis and Outcomes?”
by Francesco Pio Bizzarri, Marco Campetella, Pierluigi Russo, Giuseppe Palermo, Seyed Koosha Moosavi, Francesco Rossi, Lorenzo D’Amico, Antonio Cretì, Filippo Gavi, Enrico Panio et al.
Cancers 2025, 17(13), 2189; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17132189 

“Novel Urinary Biomarkers for the Detection of Bladder Cancer”
by Matthijs Oyaert, Charles Van Praet, Charlotte Delrue and Marijn M. Speeckaert
Cancers 2025, 17(8), 1283; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17081283

“Urinary Biomarkers in Bladder Cancer: FDA-Approved Tests and Emerging Tools for Diagnosis and Surveillance”
by Zhenyun Yang, Fengyu Song and Jin Zhong
Cancers 2025, 17(21), 3425; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17213425 

“Squamous Cell Bladder Cancer: A Rare Histological Variant with a Demand for Modern Cancer Therapeutics”
by Scott D. Bell, Anthony E. Quinn, Alfred Bajo, Trenton G. Mayberry, Braydon C. Cowan, Austin J. Marrah, Mark R. Wakefield and Yujiang Fang
Cancers 2025, 17(2), 169; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17020169

“Circulating Tumor DNA in Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer: Implications for Prognosis and Treatment Personalization”
by Stamatios Katsimperis, Lazaros Tzelves, Georgios Feretzakis, Themistoklis Bellos, Ioannis Tsikopoulos, Nikolaos Kostakopoulos and Andreas Skolarikos
Cancers 2025, 17(12), 1908; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17121908

“Crizotinib Inhibits Viability, Migration, and Invasion by Suppressing the c-Met/PI3K/Akt Pathway in the Three-Dimensional Bladder Cancer Spheroid Model”
by Byeongdo Song, Danhyo Kim, Jin-Nyoung Ho, Van-Hung Le and Sangchul Lee
Curr. Oncol. 2025, 32(4), 236; https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol32040236

“Mechanistic Insights and Future Directions for Enfortumab Vedotin in Urothelial Carcinoma: Highlights from the 10th Annual Leo & Anne Albert Institute for Bladder Cancer Care and Research Symposium”
by Catherine C. Fahey, Sean Clark-Garvey, Sima Porten, Ashish M. Kamat, Thomas W. Flaig, John A. Taylor, William Y. Kim and Matthew I. Milowsky
Curr. Oncol. 2025, 32(5), 278; https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol32050278

“Prognostic Factors and Treatment Outcomes in Gallbladder Cancer Patients Undergoing Curative Surgery: A Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study”
by Bowen Xu, Yanjiang Yin, Jianping Chang, Zhiyu Li, Xinyu Bi, Jianqiang Cai and Xiao Chen
Curr. Oncol. 2025, 32(6), 328; https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol32060328

“Prognostic Utility of Combining VI-RADS Scores and CYFRA 21-1 Levels in Bladder Cancer: A Retrospective Single-Center Study”
by Shunsuke Ikuma, Jun Akatsuka, Godai Kaneko, Hayato Takeda, Yuki Endo, Go Kimura and Yukihiro Kondo
Curr. Oncol. 2025, 32(8), 415; https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol32080415

“Transcription Factors as Drivers of Gallbladder Cancer: Mechanisms, Dysregulation, and Therapeutic Prospects”
by Sunanda Kulshrestha, Sabuj Samaddar, Anshika Singh, Kunal Yadav, Deepanshu Aul, Tulika Singh, Sonika Kumari Sharma and Samarendra Kumar Singh
Onco 2025, 5(4), 49; https://doi.org/10.3390/onco5040049

“Advancing Bladder Cancer Biomarker Discovery: Integrating Mass Spectrometry and Molecular Imaging”
by Vadanasundari Vedarethinam
Onco 2025, 5(2), 13; https://doi.org/10.3390/onco5020013

Cancers (ISSN: 2072-6694) is pleased to announce the following 23 researchers, who have been added to our group of 2025–2026 Early Career Editorial Board Members. Please join us in congratulating them on their new roles in the Cancers community!

We had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Eman A. Toraih, the corresponding author of the Editor’s Choice Article in Cancers (ISSN: 2072-6694). Dr. Toraih is a physician–scientist and biostatistician with dual faculty appointments at SUNY Upstate Medical University and Suez Canal University, Egypt. Below, she shares her insights into her academic journey, research focus, and the motivation behind this landmark study.

“Survival Benefits of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists in Patients with Neuroendocrine Neoplasms: A Large-Scale Propensity-Matched Cohort Study”
by Manal S. Fawzy, Awwad Alenezy, Jessan A. Jishu, Issa Khan, Ahmad Dessouky, Ahmed Abdelmaksoud, Kristen E. Limbach and Eman A. Toraih
Cancers 2025, 17(9), 1593; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17091593
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/17/9/1593

The following is an interview with Dr. Eman A. Toraih:

1. Could you briefly introduce yourself and describe your main research focus?

I am a physician–scientist and biostatistician with dual faculty appointments at SUNY Upstate Medical University and Suez Canal University. My work focuses on real-world evidence generation, biomarker discovery, and the intersection of metabolic health and cancer outcomes. In recent years, I have concentrated on leveraging large federated clinical databases—particularly TriNetX—to address clinically relevant questions that randomized trials often cannot capture, including heterogeneous populations, long-term outcomes, and drug repurposing. My goal is to bridge population-level data with actionable insights for individual patient care.

2. What inspired you to pursue this particular area of cancer research?

Neuroendocrine neoplasms remain relatively understudied despite their rising incidence and limited therapeutic options, particularly in advanced disease. At the same time, GLP-1 receptor agonists were rapidly transforming metabolic medicine beyond glycemic control. The observation that GLP-1 receptors are expressed in certain neuroendocrine tumors—combined with emerging preclinical signals—highlighted a clear gap: no large-scale clinical study had evaluated outcomes in NEN patients receiving these agents. That intersection between metabolic therapeutics and oncology presented a question that was both scientifically compelling and clinically relevant.

3. Was there a personal or professional turning point in your research career?

Several moments shaped my career, but a defining turning point was gaining access to large, federated real-world databases. Early in my training, research was often limited by single-institution data, small sample sizes, and resource constraints—especially for rare diseases. Working with platforms like TriNetX, which aggregate de-identified data across multiple healthcare systems, fundamentally changed my perspective. It enabled the study of diverse patient populations at a scale that reflects real clinical practice rather than the narrow scope of traditional studies. This experience shifted my focus from what is feasible within one center to what is meaningful across populations, and it reinforced the value of carefully designed observational research in answering clinically relevant questions.

4. In your own words, what are the key findings or main messages of your Editor's Choice Article?

The central finding is that among adult patients with neuroendocrine neoplasms who also had diabetes or obesity, those who received GLP-1 receptor agonists after their NEN diagnosis experienced substantially better survival compared to matched patients who did not receive these agents. After 1:1 propensity score matching across 3,043 patients per cohort, all-cause mortality occurred in 11.7% of GLP-1Ra users versus 24.7% of non-users—a 44.3% relative reduction in mortality risk, with a hazard ratio of 0.56 (95% CI: 0.49–0.63).  This benefit was consistent across sex, age groups, tumor grade—whether well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors or poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas—and across the three primary sites examined: gastrointestinal, pancreatic, and lung. Lung NENs showed the most pronounced benefit (HR = 0.42). Among individual agents, tirzepatide demonstrated the strongest survival association (HR = 0.16), followed by semaglutide (HR = 0.27) and dulaglutide (HR = 0.52), while liraglutide and exenatide did not reach statistical significance.  The key message is not that GLP-1Ra should immediately replace established NEN therapies, but that this drug class—which millions of patients already receive—may offer meaningful adjunctive oncologic benefits and warrants rigorous prospective evaluation.

5. What current developments in your area of expertise are most exciting to you?

Three developments are particularly compelling. First, the recognition that metabolic pathways are central—not peripheral—to cancer biology. Second, the emergence of dual and triple receptor agonists, such as tirzepatide, which introduce new mechanistic possibilities and may explain differential effects observed across agents. Third, the integration of artificial intelligence into clinical research workflows. When used appropriately, AI can accelerate hypothesis generation and pattern recognition in large-scale datasets without replacing rigorous statistical reasoning.

6. What were the biggest challenges you encountered during this study, and how did you overcome them?

The primary challenge was confounding. Patients receiving GLP-1RAs represent a selected population with differences in survival, access to care, and follow-up. We addressed this using comprehensive propensity score matching across demographics, comorbidities, procedures, and medications. However, we explicitly acknowledge that residual confounding and immortal time bias cannot be fully eliminated. A second limitation was data granularity. Key variables such as tumor stage and dosing were limited in TriNetX. These limitations informed both our interpretation and our call for prospective trials.

7. How do you see this research evolving or influencing future studies in the field?

This study should be viewed as hypothesis-generating. The next step is prospective randomized trials stratified by tumor type, grade, and specific GLP-1RA agent to establish causality. In parallel, translational studies examining GLP-1 receptor expression across tumor subtypes could help identify patients most likely to benefit. More broadly, this work contributes to a growing body of literature exploring the role of metabolic therapies in oncology and supports a move toward more integrated, cross-disciplinary approaches.

8. What advice would you give to early career researchers who aim to publish impactful work in oncology?

Start with a meaningful clinical question, not with a dataset. The strongest research is driven by genuine uncertainty. Develop a deep understanding of your methods, particularly when working with real-world data. Knowing when an approach is appropriate is as important as knowing how to apply it. Choose journals strategically based on audience, not just metrics. And write clearly, complex analyses lose value if they are not communicated effectively.

9. Why did you choose Cancers for this publication, and how was your experience with the journal?

Cancers was an appropriate platform given its broad, clinically engaged, and international readership. This is particularly important for neuroendocrine neoplasms, which span multiple subspecialties. The editorial and peer-review process was efficient and constructive. Reviewers engaged thoughtfully with methodological considerations, particularly around propensity matching and bias, which strengthened the final manuscript. The Editor’s Choice recognition is appreciated and helps extend the visibility of findings that may inform future clinical research.