Technological advances in radiation oncology are oriented towards improving treatment precision and tumor control. Among these advances, magnetic-resonance-image-guided radiation therapy (MRgRT) stands out, with technological advances to deliver targeted treatments adapted to a tumor’s anatomy on the day while minimizing incidental exposure to organs at risk, offering an unprecedented therapeutic advantage compared to X-ray-based IGRT delivery systems. This new technology changes the traditional workflow in radiation oncology and requires an evolution in team coordination to administer more precise treatments. Once implemented, it paves the way for newer indication for radiation therapy to safely deliver higher doses than ever before, with better preservation of healthy tissues to optimize patient outcomes. In this narrative review, we assess the technical aspects of the novel linear accelerators that can deliver MRgRT and summarize the available published experience to date, focusing on oncological results and future challenges.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common malignancy and the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, responsible for approximately 900000 deaths annually. Inflammation and malnutrition significantly influence patients' responses to treatment. Markers such as serum albumin concentration, the prognostic nutritional index, nutritional risk index (NRI), geriatric NRI, and the systemic immune-inflammation index enable the early identification of high-risk patients, facilitating timely interventions that can improve survival and reduce morbidity. A comprehensive understanding and application of these markers allow for better risk stratification in CRC patients, optimizing their management and outcomes.

The treatment landscape for metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer continues to evolve, with systemic treatment being the mainstay of current treatment. Prognostic and predictive factors such as tumour volume and disease presentation have been studied to assess responses to different treatments. Intensification and de-escalation strategies arouse great interest, so several trials are being developed to further personalize the therapy in these populations. Is there an optimal sequence and a possible option to de-intensify treatment in selected patients with a favourable profile? This and other goals will be the subject of this review.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a neoplasm with a high prevalence worldwide, with a multimodal treatment that includes a combination of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery in locally advanced stages with acceptable pathological complete response (pCR) rates, this has improved with the introduction of total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) reaching pCR rates up to 37% in compare with classic neoadjuvant treatment (NAT) where pCR rates of around 20–25% are achieved. However, the patient population that benefits most from this therapy has not been determined, and there is a lack of biomarkers that can predict the course of the disease. Multiple biomarkers have been studied, ranging from hematological and molecular markers by imaging technique and combinations of them, with contradictory results that prevent their use in routine clinical practice. In this review, we evaluate the most robust prognostic biomarkers to be used in clinical practice, highlighting their advantages and disadvantages and emphasizing biomarker combinations and their predictive value.

In this editorial we comment on the article by Pavlidis et al , published in the recent issue of the World Journal of Oncology . We focus on the recent contributions in the management of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma, highlighting the importance of surgery and radiotherapy as first line therapies in its management and the introduction of new systemic therapies beyond chemotherapy, focused on molecular alterations, an essential step in the diagnosis and included in clinical guidelines for the selection of the ideal treatment. In contrast to other neoplasms, immunotherapy, is still beginning in studies of this pathology with encouraging results. Therefore, multimodal management of the pathology together with new drugs seems to be the logical step to increase the survival of this neoplasm.