Current Cancer Therapy Reviews - Volume 21, Issue 5, 2025

The consumption of tobacco and alcohol has been correlated with the development of oral cancer, impacting various areas such as the mouth, lips, tongue, cheeks, and throat. This condition is marked by irregular cell proliferation involving intricate genetic and epigenetic alterations that drive tumorigenesis. Traditional treatments face limitations, necessitating a comprehensive multidisciplinary strategy. Novel Drug Delivery Systems (NDDS) offer groundbreaking therapeutic possibilities in addressing this complex health challenge.

This review emphasizes the use of NDDS in the treatment of oral cancer.

The review entailed a comprehensive exploration of scientific databases and pertinent publications, encompassing studies conducted up to Specify date/month/year sourced from PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. The search terms incorporated “oral cancer”, “novel drug delivery system”, “chemotherapy”, “nanotechnology”, and “conventional therapy”. Selected studies were rigorously assessed for methodological robustness and the importance of their findings.

NDDS serves an important role in targeted medication delivery by increasing drug bioavailability and reducing adverse effects. By addressing challenges such as low drug solubility, NDDS enables sustained release, thereby supporting long-term therapeutic outcomes. Its versatility extends to the encapsulation of various anticancer agents, offering a potential option for oral cancer treatment that is both efficacious and well-tolerated. This novel technique has the potential to transform treatment approaches, improving the efficacy and tolerability of oral cancer drugs.

In oral cancer treatment, a spectrum of drug delivery systems is employed, encompassing conventional methods like oral and intravenous administration alongside innovative approaches such as vesicular systems, polymeric systems, and targeted strategies. Recent breakthroughs in oral cancer therapy, including immunotherapy (checkpoint inhibitors, CAR-T cell therapy) and gene therapy (siRNA, miRNA, CRISPR-Cas9), offer exciting prospects. These advancements hold the potential for enhanced therapeutic efficacy, minimized side effects, and personalized treatment options.

In recent years, cancer has become a noncommunicable disease with a high mortality in the world, constituting the second cause of death. Although it has a predominance of genetic abnormalities, molecular studies have shown that epigenetic alterations share a leading role in its development. Among the epigenetic drugs that inhibit deacetylases, valproic acid (VPA) is a branched short-chain fatty acid that has been in clinical use for over 50 years. The potentialities of this drug that justify its use in antineoplastic therapy have been described recently. This drug offers the possibility of reversing some malignant characteristics of cancer cells, and it can be used in small, minimally toxic doses at low cost.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of valproic acid as an antineoplastic treatment in animal models.

A systematic review was conducted following the Prisma guidelines. Pubmed and Scopus were consulted for original articles that had evaluated the antineoplastic effect of VPA in vivo in the last 10 years. Results are presented in tables and graphs.

A total of 41 specific articles on the topic were selected. Few preclinical in vivo studies demonstrated the antineoplastic effects of VPA. Prostatic and hepatocellular carcinoma were the most common cancers in the consulted reports. Combination therapies using VPA with cytotoxic agents prevailed in this research, demonstrating a synergistic effect in reducing tumour volume.

VPA has an antineoplastic effect, and combination therapies show better results than monotherapies. However, more studies are required to confirm the usefulness of VPA as an adjuvant in the treatment of cancer.

It is necessary to investigate the targets and pathways on which soy isoflavones act as radiosensitizers for their future use and their potential therapeutic effects.

This systematic review aims to discuss and highlight future perspectives on the radiosensitizing effects of soy isoflavones against cancer cells.

We thoroughly searched multiple databases, such as PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Scopus. We aimed to find studies investigating the effectiveness of soy isoflavones in increasing the sensitivity of different types of cancer to radiation treatment. We extracted data according to the study's aim, and the studies' outcomes were reviewed.

The radiosensitizing effects of soy isoflavones are related to the accumulation of intracellular Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), reducing Glutathione (GSH), Nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2 (Nrf2) and Heme Oxygenase-1 (HO-1). They also induce cancer cell apoptosis through inhibited Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1/redox factor-1 (APE1/Ref-1) and HIF-1α, upregulation of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARP) and improve cytochrome c, upregulation Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), inhibited B-cell lymphoma-extra-large (Bcl-xL) and activation of caspase-3 and -8. Moreover, by inhibiting p21, increased phosphorylation of p53 and PARP-1-dependent ATP depletion caused DNA damage and impaired DNA repair. Soy isoflavones also arrest the cell cycle by interfering with the G2/M checkpoint.

In vivo and in vitro studies indicated that soy isoflavones enhanced radiotherapy effects on cancer cells with protective effects on healthy cells. Also, clinical studies reported safe and satisfactory properties of soy isoflavones along with radiotherapy in cancer treatment.

Despite the advancements in oncology, the prevalence of treatment-related complications remains high throughout the course of cancer treatment. Extensive research has indicated that yoga can have a positive influence on both physical and mental energy, potentially alleviating the severity of these complications.

The objective of this systematic review was to investigate the efficacy of yoga interventions in managing treatment-related complications among cancer patients.

A systematic search of electronic databases, including MEDLINE, ScienceDirect, Cochrane Library, and Scopus, was conducted from 2000 to 2020. The search focused on randomized controlled trials that compared yoga interventions with other interventions for the management of cancer treatment-related complications. Female cancer patients participating in yoga interventions of any style and duration were included. The primary outcome measure of interest was the change in treatment-related complications from pre- to post-yoga intervention.

A total of 20 randomized controlled trials were identified, encompassing a sample size of 1349 cancer patients. These trials incorporated six different styles of yoga to manage treatment-related complications. The reviewed studies consistently demonstrated significant short-term improvements in anxiety, depression, emotional function, and fatigue levels. Furthermore, regular practice of yoga exhibited positive impacts on cognition, pain management, nausea, vomiting, swelling, and shoulder strength improvement.

The findings from the included studies strongly suggest that yoga, in its various forms, durations, and interventions, is equally effective in managing cancer treatment-related complications. Consequently, the integration of yoga into cancer treatment protocols has the potential to enhance the overall quality of life for patients with cancer.

Brain tumor incidence is on the rise each year, with more than 130 identified types. Precise segmentation models play a vital role in the diagnosis and treatment of brain tumors. This study specifically investigates the utilization of diffusion-based denoising techniques and thresholding methods for segmenting brain tumors from MRI images.

The objective of this study is to examine and compare the efficacy of the Perona-malik and Weickert diffusion techniques in denoising brain MRI images. Additionally, the study aims to assess their performance in threshold-based segmentation of brain tumors. Moreover, it also aims to evaluate the compatibility, benefits, and limitations of the Perona-Malik and Weickert diffusion methods in the denoising of brain MRI images and the effect of denoising on segmentation.

In this study, the Perona-Malik and Weickert diffusion methods are employed to denoise brain MRI images. The denoised images are then subjected to thresholding using both binary and fuzzy approaches, utilizing a triangular membership function. The performance of the diffusion techniques is evaluated using metrics, such as Mean Square Error and Peak Signal to Noise Ratio. Additionally, segmentation models are assessed using metrics such as Dice Similarity Coefficient, Jaccard Similarity Coefficient, and Structural Similarity Measurement Index.

The Perona-Malik and Weickert diffusion methods exhibit compatibility with various types of noise, each having its own set of advantages and limitations. The Weickert diffusion method excels in preserving image structure and texture during thresholding.

The study provides evidence for the effectiveness of diffusion-based denoising techniques in segmenting brain tumors from MRI images. Specifically, the Weickert diffusion method outperforms in preserving essential image characteristics during thresholding. Additionally, fuzzy thresholding proves to be more successful in accurately segmenting brain tumors. These findings contribute to the advancement of precise models for brain tumor segmentation, ultimately enhancing the diagnosis and treatment of these tumors.

Oral contraceptives (OCs) are widely used to prevent pregnancy, particularly among reproductive-age women. Although undesired physiological consequences, such as increased susceptibility to cancer, have been suggested, the exact molecular mechanism is not well elucidated. Thereby, the current study aimed to assess the effects of OCs on the inflammatory markers and BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene-specific DNA methylation in the serum of OCs-exposed women.

The current cross-sectional study involved 70 adult women, 35 of whom had used oral contraceptive pills (OCP, 0.03 mg ethinyl estradiol, and 0.15 mg levonorgestrel) to prevent pregnancy, and 35 of whom had used condoms. The promoter methylation status of the two mentioned tumor suppressor genes was assessed by methylation-specific PCR. Moreover, serum levels of IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-α were evaluated using the ELISA method.

The findings revealed a significant difference in cytokines between groups (p <0.001). However, no significant differences were revealed regarding TNF-α between the two groups. Additionally, the frequency of promoter hypermethylation of BRCA1 and BRCA2 in OCP users was significantly higher (p <0.05).

The current findings suggested that OCP usage could increase serum levels of inflammatory markers and promote the hypermethylation of two suppressor genes. Hence, further studies are encouraged to reveal the association between OCP usage and cancer through hypermethylation of BRCA1 and BRCA2 and induction of inflammation.