Ultrasound imaging has become an indispensable diagnostic tool across various medical fields. In recent years, there has been growing interest in the use of ultrasonography for the evaluation of skin lesions. However, scientific reports detailing the precise role of ultrasound in determining the morphology of malignant skin tumors still remain limited. Malignant skin lesions, particularly in the head and neck region—their most common location—pose significant challenges due to the complex anatomy of these areas. The primary treatment for non-melanoma skin cancers, including basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), is surgical excision. Mohs micrographic surgery is considered the gold standard due to its tissue-sparing approach and high cure rates. However, it is a time-consuming and resource-intensive procedure that is not always widely accessible. In contrast, standard surgical excision, while more widely available, often results in incomplete tumor removal, necessitating subsequent surgical radicalization or the use of adjuvant therapies. Routine ultrasound evaluation of both benign and malignant skin lesions could enhance early detection and facilitate timely treatment. However, the current body of evidence for the usage of skin ultrasound in presurgical evaluation is poor and lacks standardization. Given these challenges, in this review, we aim to highlight the potential value of preoperative skin ultrasonography in accurately assessing benign and malignant skin lesion dimensions and morphology.

The rising incidence of human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive tonsillar cancer, despite the availability of highly effective treatment modalities, presents an ongoing challenge in the area of disease surveillance. While routine clinical examinations, often supported by CT or even PET imaging, remain the standard approach for monitoring, they may lack sensitivity in detecting early or submucosal recurrences. Consequently, there is a growing need to integrate novel diagnostic tools—such as liquid biopsy—into routine follow-up strategies to enhance the accuracy of disease monitoring. The aim of this study is to provide a comprehensive overview of HPV-positive tonsillar cancer, encompassing its etiology, molecular pathogenesis, disease progression, diagnostic approaches, treatment strategies, and current surveillance practices. Special emphasis is placed on the emerging role of liquid biopsy in disease monitoring, particularly for assessing disease burden and enhancing early detection of local recurrence. The review encompassed studies from diverse sources, including experimental, observational, and clinical research published between 2000 and 2025. Data were collected through comprehensive literature searches using databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library with defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Emerging evidence supports the clinical utility of liquid biopsy—particularly circulating tumor (ct) HPV DNA detection—for monitoring HPV-positive tonsillar cancer. Studies report high specificity (87-100%) and sensitivity (72-100%) for recurrence detection, often identifying disease earlier than imaging. Commercial ctHPV DNA assays have demonstrated strong performance in distinguishing true recurrence from benign HPV presence. However, technical variability, lack of standardization, and reduced sensitivity for non-HPV16 genotypes remain key limitations. Therefore, this review aims to evaluate the clinical application of circulating HPV DNA as a surveillance tool in tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC), focusing on its diagnostic performance, current limitations, and integration into real-world practice.

Background: Despite advances in treatment, oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains associated with high recurrence and mortality rates. Traditional TNM staging, while foundational, may not fully capture tumor aggressiveness. This study aimed to identify clinical and histopathological predictors of survival to enhance risk stratification and guide treatment planning in OSCC patients. Methods: A retrospective study of 100 patients with confirmed OSCC treated surgically with curative intent between January 2019 and January 2024 was analyzed. Clinicopathologic variables—including tumor volume, angioinvasion, perineural invasion, lymphatic invasion, and nodal status—were evaluated. Disease-specific survival (DSS) was assessed using Kaplan–Meier estimates, Cox regression, and logistic regression models. Results: The cohort had a mean age of 62.1 years, with a 46% OS rate and 43% DSS at study end. Perineural invasion (44%) and lymphatic invasion (42%) were the most common invasive features. Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed significantly reduced DSS in patients with angioinvasion, perineural invasion, and pN+ status. Multivariate logistic regression identified perineural invasion (OR = 3.93, p = 0.0023) and pN+ status (OR = 2.74, p = 0.0284) as independent predictors of cancer-specific mortality. Tumor volume was significantly associated with lymphatic invasion but not directly with DSS. Conclusions: Perineural invasion, angioinvasion, lymph node involvement, and tumor volume are important prognostic markers in OSCC, offering critical information beyond TNM staging. Incorporating these features into risk assessment models could improve prognostic accuracy and inform more individualized treatment strategies for high-risk OSCC patients.

Background: Preoperative identification of extranodal extension (ENE) and cervical lymph node metastasis (LNM) in oropharyngeal cancer guides treatment escalation and de-escalation. Artificial intelligence (AI) and radiomics offer promise for nodal assessment, but clinical utility and reporting quality remain variable. Methods: This systematic review followed PRISMA guidelines. We systematically searched PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science for studies published between 2020–2025. Eleven eligible studies (4 core, 7 supportive) addressed ENE (n=2) or LNM prediction (n=2), with additional supportive studies on segmentation, lymphatic spread modeling, MRI radiomics, and outcomes modeling. Extracted variables included study characteristics, performance metrics, validation, calibration, and unit of analysis. Risk of bias was assessed using PROBAST; reporting quality was evaluated with TRIPOD. Due to heterogeneity and limited study numbers, no meta-analysis was performed; results were narratively synthesized. For ENE, we report study-level accuracy, decision-curve analysis (DCA), and per-1,000 management impact. Results: All core studies were CT-based. The task-specific deep-learning ENE model achieved AUC 0.86 with balanced operating points, while the generalist LVLM (Large Vision-Language Model) reached sensitivity 1.00 with specificity 0.34. DCA favored the DL model across thresholds 0.10–0.40, showing fewer unnecessary dissections per 1,000 patients than Treat-all or L(V)LM. For LNM, discrimination was high (AUC 0.865–0.919), calibration was reported, and one study included external validation, though threshold-level sensitivity/specificity were missing. External validation was reported in 25% of core studies, calibration in 50%; TRIPOD adherence was 74.5% overall, with frequent under-reporting of blinding and missing-data handling. Conclusions: AI and radiomics show promising potential for preoperative prediction of ENE and LNM in oropharyngeal cancer. Task-specific deep-learning models achieve balanced discrimination, while generalist LVLMs provide high recall at lower specificity. For LNM, encouraging performance is reported, but limited external validation and absent standardized thresholds still preclude clinical use. Broader validation and harmonized reporting are essential before translation into practice. Registration/Protocol: Not registered; methods followed PRISMA/TRIPOD/PROBAST guidance.

Background: Locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LANPC) is the predominant stage at diagnosis and is commonly treated with cisplatin-based chemoradiotherapy (CRT). Although this approach achieves excellent locoregional control, distant metastasis remains the leading cause of treatment failure. Immunotherapy with programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitors, supported by the immunogenicity of Epstein–Barr virus-associated disease, has emerged as a promising strategy. Objectives: To synthesize evidence from phase III trials on the efficacy and safety of PD-1 blockade combined with definitive chemoradiotherapy in LANPC. Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Data sources and methods: We systematically searched for phase III randomized controlled trials evaluating PD-1 blockade plus chemoradiotherapy versus chemoradiotherapy (with or without placebo) in previously untreated LANPC. Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were extracted for event-/failure-free survival (EFS/FFS), overall survival (OS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), and locoregional relapse-free survival (LRFS). Pooled effects were estimated with random-effects models, with heterogeneity assessed using I ² and prediction intervals. Safety outcomes were summarized descriptively. Results: Three trials including 1237 patients were identified. PD-1 blockade significantly improved EFS/FFS (HR 0.66, 95% CI: 0.49–0.89; I ² = 18.6%; prediction interval 0.46–0.96), with the greatest effect on DMFS (HR 0.61, 95% CI: 0.43–0.85; I ² = 0%). LRFS showed a nonsignificant trend toward benefit (HR 0.67, 95% CI: 0.41–1.11; I ² = 43.6%), though a clear advantage was evident in cisplatin-based regimens (HR 0.53, 95% CI: 0.34–0.82). OS data were immature (HR 0.94, 95% CI: 0.60–1.48; I ² = 0%). Rates of severe and fatal adverse events were comparable between groups. Conclusion: This first meta-analysis of phase III evidence demonstrates that PD-1 blockade combined with cisplatin-based chemoradiotherapy improves disease control in LANPC without added toxicity. Longer follow-up from ongoing studies is needed to establish the OS benefit and optimize treatment strategies. Trial registration: PROSPERO CRD-420251147756.

Current therapies for acute radiation syndrome (ARS) involve bone marrow transplantation (BMT), leading to graft-versus-host disease (GvHD). To address this challenge, we have developed a novel donor–recipient chimeric cell (DRCC) therapy to increase survival and prevent GvHD following total body irradiation (TBI)-induced hematopoietic injury without the need for immunosuppression. In this study, 20 Lewis rats were exposed to 7 Gy TBI to induce ARS, and we assessed the efficacy of various cellular therapies following systemic intraosseous administration. Twenty Lewis rats were randomly divided into four experimental groups ( n = 5/group): saline control, allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (alloBMT), DRCC, and alloBMT + DRCC. DRCC were created by polyethylene glycol-mediated fusion of bone marrow cells from 24 ACI (RT1a) and 24 Lewis (RT11) rat donors. Fusion feasibility was confirmed by flow cytometry and confocal microscopy. The impact of different therapies on post-irradiation peripheral blood cell recovery was evaluated through complete blood count, while GvHD signs were monitored clinically and histopathologically. The chimeric state of DRCC was confirmed. Post-alloBMT mortality was 60%, whereas DRCC and alloBMT + DRCC therapies achieved 100% survival. DRCC therapy also led to the highest white blood cell counts and minimal GvHD changes in kidney and skin samples, in contrast to alloBMT treatment. In this study, transplantation of DRCC promoted the recovery of peripheral blood cell populations after TBI without the development of GVHD. This study introduces a novel and promising DRCC-based bridging therapy for treating ARS and extending survival without GvHD.