🔬 Category

oncology

48 papers

Oncology is the dynamic field dedicated to understanding and treating cancer, a complex group of diseases where cells grow uncontrollably. This area of study spans everything from identifying genetic mutations that drive tumor formation to developing new therapies and improving patient care strategies. Because cancer research moves at a rapid pace, staying updated with the very latest findings is essential for both experts and the curious public.

At Gist.Science, we curate the most recent preprints in oncology directly from medRxiv, ensuring you have immediate access to cutting-edge research before it undergoes formal peer review. We process every new submission in this category, transforming dense scientific manuscripts into both plain-language overviews and detailed technical summaries. This dual approach makes critical discoveries accessible to everyone, regardless of their background in medicine or biology.

Below are the latest oncology papers added from medRxiv, complete with our simplified explanations and full technical breakdowns to help you navigate the latest breakthroughs in cancer science.

Tumor Resectability and Pathologic Response After Neoadjuvant Long-Course Chemoradiotherapy for Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer in a Resource-Limited Setting

In a retrospective study of locally advanced rectal cancer patients at Ethiopia's largest oncology center, neoadjuvant long-course chemoradiotherapy resulted in low tumor resectability and no pathologic complete responses, highlighting the critical need to reduce treatment delays and strengthen multidisciplinary and surgical capacity in resource-limited settings.

Halake, S. S., Bedada, H. F., Desalegn, T. M., Feyisa, T. B., Tsige, K. A., Woldetsadik, E. S., Kantelhardt, E. J.2026-03-27🔬 oncology

Enhanced expression of HLA-DR and CD69 on peripheral CD4+ T cells predicts better clinical outcomes in cutaneous melanoma

This study identifies that elevated expression of HLA-DR and CD69 on circulating CD4+ T cells serves as a robust prognostic and predictive biomarker for improved survival and response to immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with cutaneous melanoma.

Tomas, A., Maximino, J., Nunes, H., Salvador, R., Luis, R., Brito, C., Saraiva, D. P., Gouveia, E., Pereira, C., Goncalves, F., Farricha, V., Carvalho, E. L., Moura, C., Passos, M. J., Cristovao-Ferre (…)2026-03-26🔬 oncology

A Demographic Look at Cancer Treatment Behaviors during the COVID-19 Pandemic

This retrospective quantitative study analyzes 2020 CDC National Health Interview Survey data to demonstrate that the COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted cancer treatment and care in the U.S., with statistically significant disparities in treatment delays and changes observed across gender, age, race, education, and income demographics, thereby highlighting the urgent need for increased government funding to improve healthcare resilience for future pandemics.

Acosta Morales, J. M.2026-03-26🔬 oncology

Neoadjuvant Bevacizumab in Newly Diagnosed, Surgically Resectable Glioblastoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Survival and Functional Outcomes

This systematic review and meta-analysis concludes that while neoadjuvant bevacizumab does not significantly improve overall or progression-free survival in newly diagnosed, resectable glioblastoma, it may offer symptomatic and functional benefits, though current evidence is limited by small sample sizes and methodological heterogeneity.

Fahim, F., Tabasi Kakhki, F., Sadat Hosseini Khajouei, F., Valinejad qanati, A., Babazadeh, M., Tavanaei, R., Hajimohammadebrahim-Ketabforoush, M., Oveisi, S., Oraee-Yazdani, S., Zali, A.2026-03-25🔬 oncology

Discordance in pleural mesothelioma response classification and modelling of impact on clinical trials

This study demonstrates that the high rate of discordance in radiological response classification for pleural mesothelioma, driven largely by interpretation and measurement inconsistencies, significantly undermines statistical power and endpoint precision in clinical trials.

Cowell, G. W., Roche, J., Noble, C., Stobo, D. B., Papanastasiou, A., Kidd, A. C., Tsim, S., Blyth, K. G.2026-03-20🔬 oncology

Synthesizing multidimensional clinical profiles from published Kaplan-Meier images

The paper introduces MD-JoPiGo, a computational framework that reconstructs multidimensional clinical profiles and individual-level data from published one-dimensional Kaplan-Meier curves using maximum entropy and simulated annealing, thereby enabling the secondary analysis of historical randomized controlled trials to uncover intersectional treatment effects.

Zhu, Z., Shen, F., Qian, Y., Wang, J.2026-03-19🔬 oncology

Pregnancy Desire and Pregnancy Attempt: Why Words Matter in Reproductive Research -- A Nationwide cross-sectional Cohort Study

This nationwide cross-sectional study reveals that nearly half of women desiring pregnancy do not attempt conception, a disparity significantly more pronounced among breast cancer survivors due to factors such as younger age, nulliparity, single status, and ongoing endocrine therapy, highlighting the critical need to address both medical and psychosocial barriers in reproductive research.

KABIRIAN, R., Bas, R., Chabassier, A., Sebbag, C., Rousset-Jablonski, C., Bobrie, A., Coussy, F., Preau, M., Espie, M., Dumas, E., Reyal, F., Jacob, G., Jochum, F., Hamy Petit, A.-S.2026-03-19🔬 oncology

Cell-free RNA Signatures Derived from the Tumor Microenvironment Predict Outcomes of CAR-T Therapy in Large B Cell Lymphoma

This study demonstrates that pre-treatment plasma cell-free RNA signatures reflecting lymph node-like tumor microenvironment states can serve as minimally invasive, reliable predictors of durable response to CAR-T therapy in patients with large B-cell lymphoma.

Loy, C. J., Agun, G., Maurer, K., Vilaseca, A. B., Potapova, D., Jacobson, C., Ritz, J., De Vlaminck, I.2026-03-18🔬 oncology

WITHDRAWN: Parents' Experiences of Navigating Diagnostic Uncertainty in Children With Rare Diseases: A Narrative Inquiry

This narrative inquiry study explores the transformative experiences of Brazilian parents navigating prolonged diagnostic uncertainty for children with rare diseases, revealing how the pre-diagnostic period is characterized by disorientation, relentless advocacy, and identity reconstruction, thereby highlighting the urgent need for structured psychosocial support and more empathetic clinical communication.

Ferreira, C. S., Ribeiro, M. A.2026-03-16🔬 oncology

Transcriptomic Immune-related Signature Predictive of Chemoradiotherapy Response in Anal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

This study identifies a transcriptomic immune-related signature, characterized by CD8+ central memory T cell enrichment and tertiary lymphoid structures, that effectively predicts chemoradiotherapy response and survival outcomes in anal squamous cell carcinoma patients, while also revealing that high tumor mutational burden correlates with poorer prognosis despite its lack of association with treatment response.

Iseas, S., Golubicki, M., Lacunza, E., Prost, D., Bouchereau, S., Lahaie, C., Baba-Hamed, N., Raymond, E., Adam, J., Abba, M. C.2026-03-13🔬 oncology