An Overview of Advances in Rare Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment

Abstract

Cancer stands as the leading global cause of mortality, with rare cancer comprising 230 distinct subtypes characterized by infrequent incidence. Despite the inherent challenges in addressing the diagnosis and treatment of rare cancers due to their low occurrence rates, several biomedical breakthroughs have led to significant advancement in both areas. This review provides a comprehensive overview of state-of-the-art diagnostic techniques that encompass new-generation sequencing and multi-omics, coupled with the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning, that have revolutionized rare cancer diagnosis. In addition, this review highlights the latest innovations in rare cancer therapeutic options, comprising immunotherapy, targeted therapy, transplantation, and drug combination therapy, that have undergone clinical trials and significantly contribute to the tumor remission and overall survival of rare cancer patients. In this review, we summarize recent breakthroughs and insights in the understanding of rare cancer pathophysiology, diagnosis, and therapeutic modalities, as well as the challenges faced in the development of rare cancer diagnosis data interpretation and drug development.

Keywords: rare cancer diagnosis; rare cancer treatment; rare cancers.

Figure 1

Procedure flow of modern diagnosis of rare cancers. Conventional diagnosis will be performed at first and inconclusive result will lead to more intricate diagnosis such as genome sequencing and RNA-sequencing which data can be used for omics analysis if needed. All data from previous diagnosis and research will be analyzed further to determine linked data and correlations in functional studies. These studies will provide a large amount of data which can be used in integrated analysis to improve diagnosis methods and prognosis.

Figure 2

Mechanism of albumin-bound paclitaxel-encapsulated liposome delivery system. Paclitaxel is bound with albumin and encapsulated within liposome. Liposome is internalized by tumor cells by endocytosis. Liposome can release paclitaxel after the endosome lysis. The paclitaxel is released into the cytoplasm, stabilizing microtubules and inhibiting mitosis.