AIM To determine whether immunohistochemical B7-H3 expression is associated with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-derived tumour volume, peritumoral brain oedema volume, and oedema index in adult gliomas. METHODS This retrospective radiopathological correlation study included 99 consecutive patients with histopathologically confirmed intracranial gliomas surgically treated between 2013 and 2021. B7-H3 expression (clone RBT-B7H3, Bio SB, USA) was evaluated using staining intensity, percentage of positive tumour cells, and a composite immunoreactive score (IRS). Tumour volume (TV), peritumoral brain oedema volume (PTBE), and oedema index (EI) were calculated from orthogonal MRI measurements. Spearman correlation and crude and adjusted linear regression were used. Adjusted models included age, sex, tumour grade, and Ki-67. RESULTS Median TV was 29.31 cm3 (IQR 12.17-49.12), median PTBE was 84.51 cm3 (IQR 47.59-178.18), and median EI was 4.56 (IQR 3.83-5.00). B7-H3 IRS correlated strongly with TV (r = 0.921, p < 0.001) and PTBE (r = 0.920, p < 0.001), but not with EI (r = -0.105, p = 0.299). After adjustment, B7-H3 IRS remained associated with ln(TV) (beta = 0.228, 95% CI 0.190-0.265, p < 0.001) and ln(PTBE) (beta = 0.178, 95% CI 0.152-0.204, p < 0.001), but not with EI (beta = 0.001, 95% CI -0.083 to 0.084, p = 0.990). CONCLUSION B7-H3 expression is independently associated with MRI-derived tumour volume and peritumoral brain oedema volume in adult gliomas, but not with oedema index, supporting its relationship with absolute MRI-visible lesion burden.

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is central to precision oncology in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), although its predictive value and the need for molecular confirmation differ across biomarkers. This narrative review aimed to summarize the clinical utility, validated assays, scoring systems, diagnostic performance, and testing algorithms for predictive IHC biomarkers in NSCLC. Recent guidelines, regulatory documents, and selected analytical and clinical studies were reviewed for programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK), ROS proto-oncogene 1 receptor tyrosine kinase (ROS1), mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor receptor (c-Met), B-Raf proto-oncogene serine/threonine kinase V600E (BRAF V600E), pan-tropomyosin receptor kinase (pan-TRK), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). PD-L1 and ALK are established IHC-based predictive assays, although PD-L1 interpretation remains assay-, platform-, and cutoff-specific. VENTANA ALK D5F3 and VENTANA MET SP44 RxDx are clinically validated companion diagnostics, whereas HER2 IHC score 3+ may support eligibility for trastuzumab deruxtecan in the tumor-agnostic setting. ROS1, BRAF V600E, pan-TRK, and non-companion-diagnostic c-Met or HER2 assays are best used for screening or triage and generally require molecular confirmation. EGFR mutation-specific IHC is not recommended because of insufficient diagnostic performance. Overall, IHC enables rapid, tissue-sparing biomarker assessment but should be integrated with broad genomic and transcriptomic next-generation sequencing (NGS), particularly when alteration-specific findings are negative, equivocal, or discordant.

OBJECTIVE To investigate reported paper mill involvement among retracted systematic reviews and meta-analyses (SR/MAs), and to compare retracted SR/MAs with and without reported paper mill involvement with respect to temporal patterns, disciplinary profile, country recorded in the database, and retraction characteristics. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING Cross-sectional study based on the Retraction Watch database. Records were screened to identify retracted SR/MAs. Reported paper mill involvement was assigned only when explicitly stated in the Retraction Watch record or associated retraction information; fake peer review was coded separately. Group comparisons used the Pearson chi-square and Mann-Whitney U tests. Associations with reported paper mill involvement were estimated using univariable Poisson regression with robust variance and reported as prevalence ratios (PRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). These analyses were treated as exploratory, non-inferential internal contrasts within the dataset of already retracted SR/MAs. RESULTS Among 69,163 retracted publications in the Retraction Watch dataset, 1,071 (1.5%) were identified as retracted SR/MAs. Of those, 191 (17.8%) were paper mill-associated and 880 (82.2%) were not. In the database country field, China was recorded for 732/1,071 retracted SR/MAs (68.3%) and 177/191 SR/MAs with reported paper mill involvement (92.7%). The annual number of paper mill-associated SR/MAs peaked in 2023 (n=152). Within this restricted dataset, paper mill-associated SR/MAs had a longer median time to retraction (511 vs 459 days; p=0.024), more frequent results-related concerns (89.0% vs 30.0%), data issues (53.4% vs 17.5%), referencing concerns (53.9% vs 13.6%), and ethical concerns (8.9% vs 2.6%) (all p<0.001), and less frequent multi-country authorship (8.9% vs 17.6%; p=0.004). In univariable Poisson regression analyses restricted to retracted SR/MAs, larger observed proportions of reported paper mill involvement were seen among records linked to China in the database country field (PR 5.86, 95% CI 3.45-9.93), more recent publication years (PR 1.20 per 1-year increase, 95% CI 1.16-1.23), the medical broad domain (PR 3.66, 95% CI 1.66-8.08), and records with results-related concerns (PR 11.88, 95% CI 7.68-18.39). These PRs should not be interpreted as likelihoods, risks, or rates beyond the analyzed Retraction Watch subset. CONCLUSION In this Retraction Watch-based analysis, reported paper mill involvement was identified in 191/1,071 retracted SR/MAs (17.8%). These records were most often linked to China in the database country field (177/191; 92.7%) and clustered in recent years, particularly 2023. These findings should be interpreted as descriptive patterns within detected and retracted records, not as country-level rates, comparative performance indicators, or estimates of the true prevalence of paper mill activity.

Abstract Hemorrhagic cystitis (HC) in children is most associated with infection or treatment-related toxicity, whereas other cases remain uncommon. We report a 5-year-old boy presenting with recurrent painless gross hematuria in whom a structured, stepwise evaluation excluded glomerular, infectious, structural, and systemic causes. Cystoscopy revealed diffuse mucosal inflammation with focal hemorrhagic changes involving the bladder neck and posterior wall, consistent with noninfectious HC. In the absence of an identifiable etiology and with persistent symptoms, management was directed toward restoring urothelial barrier integrity using intravesical hyaluronic acid (HA). The clinical response was rapid, with resolution of gross hematuria after the first instillation, followed by sustained remission and progressive endoscopic improvement. The treatment was well tolerated, and the patient remained disease-free at 12 months of follow-up. This case highlights the diagnostic complexity of unexplained hematuria in children and supports a potential role of urothelial barrier dysfunction in the pathogenesis of noninfectious HC.

PURPOSE Early distinction between perforated and non-perforated acute appendicitis (AA) in children remains challenging. Conventional inflammatory markers have limited accuracy, highlighting the potential value of composite inflammatory indices. METHODS Pediatric patients were categorized as having non-perforated or perforated appendicitis based on intraoperative findings and histopathologic confirmation. Laboratory data obtained on hospital admission included C-reactive protein (CRP), white blood cell count, and differential leukocyte percentages. RESULTS The subjects of this retrospective study were 338 pediatric patients, 48 (14.2%) of whom had perforated AA. The CRP to lymphocyte ratio (CRP/LR) was significantly higher in the patients with perforated AA (p < 0.001). ROC analysis demonstrated good discriminative performance of CRP/LR for predicting appendiceal perforation, with an area under the curve of 0.84 (95% CI 0.78-0.90). A CRP/LR cut-off value of ≥ 7.2 yielded a sensitivity of 83.3% and a specificity of 78.6%. After adjustment for age, symptom duration, and body temperature on admission, CRP/LR remained an independent predictor of appendiceal perforation in the multivariate regression analysis. CONCLUSION The CRP/LR showed good diagnostic performance in differentiating perforated from non-perforated AA and may serve as a simple, readily available tool for early risk stratification in pediatric patients.

This response to the letter expands the discussion on the evolving demands of peer review for systematic reviews and meta-analyses. We emphasize that the main concern surrounding artificial intelligence is not its limited and disclosed use for language support, but undisclosed application and insufficient human verification, which may compromise citation accuracy, interpretation, and overall trustworthiness. We also argue that similarity reports should be interpreted contextually, particularly in evidence syntheses where standardized methodological language is unavoidable, and that low similarity does not necessarily exclude manuscript manipulation. Finally, we highlight reference verification as a central research-integrity challenge that should not rest on peer reviewers alone. Preserving the credibility of evidence synthesis requires shared responsibility across authors, reviewers, editors, and publishers.

Abstract Congenital intrinsic obstruction at or near the duodenojejunal junction is exceptionally rare and most commonly results from incomplete embryonic recanalization, leading to the formation of a mucosal web. We report a 7-day-old term male neonate (birth weight 3350 g) who presented with persistent feeding intolerance and intermittent bilious vomiting since birth. Abdominal radiography showed marked dilation of the stomach and duodenum with distal bowel gas. An upper gastrointestinal contrast study revealed a conical narrowing at the duodenojejunal junction. Surgical exploration revealed a mucosal web located immediately distal to the duodenojejunal junction. Given the marked luminal disparity, simple web excision was deemed inadequate, and segmental resection with primary end-to-end jejunojejunal anastomosis was performed. Postoperative recovery was uneventful. Proximal jejunal webs near the duodenojejunal junction are rare but surgically correctable causes of neonatal bilious vomiting and should be considered in the differential diagnosis.

BACKGROUND Hyponatremia is a common postoperative electrolyte disturbance in neurosurgical patients and may present with nonspecific neurocognitive symptoms that overlap with intracranial complications. Carbamazepine (CBZ), frequently used for seizure prophylaxis and pain syndromes, is a recognized cause of drug-induced hyponatremia with a syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH)-like profile. CASE SUMMARY A 62-year-old woman underwent elective left supraorbital craniotomy and microsurgical resection of a left anterior skull-base meningioma. Postoperatively, CBZ 400 mg was initiated twice daily for antiseizure prophylaxis. On postoperative day (POD) 2, she developed somnolence and cognitive slowing with serum sodium 131 mmol/L, which progressed to 123 mmol/L (POD 3) and 119 mmol/L (POD 7) despite isotonic saline and increased dietary sodium. Hypertonic saline (3% NaCl) was introduced with partial correction. Evaluation confirmed hypotonic hyponatremia (serum osmolality 254 mOsm/kg) with inappropriately concentrated urine (urine osmolality 560 mOsm/kg) and elevated urine sodium (68 mmol/L) in a clinically euvolemic patient; thyroid and adrenal functions were normal. Given the temporal association and SIADH-like pathophysiology, CBZ-induced hyponatremia was considered the most likely etiology. CBZ was discontinued and replaced with levetiracetam (titrated to 500 mg twice daily), followed by clinical improvement and steady sodium normalization (132 mmol/L at discharge; 136 mmol/L by POD 19), remaining normal at three-month follow-up. We searched PubMed and Google Scholar to for relevant literature review. CONCLUSION This case highlights CBZ as a potentially reversible cause of significant postoperative hyponatremia after meningioma surgery. Early sodium monitoring after CBZ initiation and prompt substitution with alternative antiseizure therapy should be considered when euvolemic hypotonic hyponatremia develops in the postoperative period.

Immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) has become a transformative pillar in cancer treatment, offering significant improvements in survival and reducing treatment-related side effects compared to traditional therapies. In gynecologic cancers, ICIs have transformed the treatment of endometrial (EC) and cervical cancers, whereas they have not demonstrated clinical benefit in ovarian cancer. This review examines the current state of ICI advancements in EC. Given the unique immunological characteristics of EC, a comprehensive understanding of advancements is crucial for optimizing decision-making and patient outcomes. While ICIs have demonstrated robust and durable efficacy in dMMR/MSI-H EC, the magnitude of benefit in pMMR disease remains modest. Additionally, we examine promising future directions, including personalized immunotherapy approaches and novel combination therapies (e.g. antibody-drug conjugates, PARP inhibitors, antiangiogenic drugs).

A commercial biorepository of tumor samples with associated clinical data is crucial for discovering and validating biomarkers and advancing all stages of cancer research. Although oncogenic fusions are highly specific and attractive drug targets, the progress is limited by their diversity and low (1-4%) prevalence in solid tumors, outside prostate adenocarcinoma (>30% with a characteristic TMPRSS2::ERG fusion). Systematic, cost effective evaluation of banked tumor samples for the oncogenic fusions could accelerate such research efforts. We examined formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor samples from a commercial biorepository (Reference Medicine, Phoenix, AZ) using a workflow which included expert pathology review, whole slide scanning, construction of multi-tumor tissue microarrays (TMA) immunohistochemistry (IHC) and genomic profiling with commercially available next generation sequencing (NGS) panels. More than 500 tumors were reviewed by board-certified pathologists; selected cases were then cored for TMAs. Immunohistochemistry for ALK and ROS1 proteins' expression were performed on TMAs. IHC for ALK and ROS1 identified two positive cases, one for ROS1 and one for ALK. Thirty eight tumors underwent NGS and both IHC-positive cases were confirmed to harbor gene fusions (EML4::ALK and EZR::ROS1, respectively). All other cases were fusion-negative, concordant with the IHC result. Properly characterized tissue samples are essential for image analysis, biomarker detection and genomic profiling. Rigorous pathologic review helps avoid archiving of poorly preserved samples. IHC screening of TMAs provides a cost-effective approach for identification of fusion events, particularly in non-small cell lung carcinomas, while preserving material for multiple downstream applications. Zoran Gatalica, Inga Rose, Semir Vranic. Detection of fusion oncogenes in routinely collected biorepository samples [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference in Cancer Research: Fusion-Positive Cancer: From Discovery to Therapy; 2026 Jan 13-15; Philadelphia PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2026;86(1_Suppl):Abstract nr A005.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains the leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide; however, precision oncology has fundamentally transformed its treatment landscape. In 2025, seven approvals by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) further accelerated biomarker-driven care across critical molecular subsets. These include MET-directed and trophoblast cell-surface antigen-2 (TROP-2) antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), expanded strategies targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), notably those addressing exon 20 insertion mutations, a ROS proto-oncogene 1 (ROS1) inhibitor, and various human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) options that encompass both tumor-agnostic and mutation-selected approaches. These advancements underscore the necessity for integrated diagnostics-such as next-generation sequencing (NGS), fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and immunohistochemistry (IHC)-while also emphasizing ongoing challenges in biomarker selection, therapeutic sequencing, and equitable global implementation.