Critical reviews in oncology/hematology最新文献

{"title":"Neoadjuvant PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors plus chemotherapy in locally advanced gastric cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis","authors":"Zhenshun Li ,&nbsp;Aqiang Fan ,&nbsp;Jinqiang Liu ,&nbsp;Wanli Yang ,&nbsp;Lili Duan ,&nbsp;Liaoran Niu ,&nbsp;Chenyang Wang ,&nbsp;Xi Chen ,&nbsp;Yu Han ,&nbsp;Liu Hong","doi":"10.1016/j.critrevonc.2026.105166","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.critrevonc.2026.105166","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy (nICT) has emerged as a promising perioperative strategy for locally advanced gastric and gastroesophageal junction cancer (LAGC/EGJC), yet its survival benefit beyond pathological response and optimal patient selection remain uncertain. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and biomarker stratification of nICT compared with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (nCT). PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were searched through August 30, 2025. Comparative studies of nICT versus nCT and single-arm nICT cohorts were included. Overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were primary outcomes. Fifteen comparative studies and thirty-four single-arm or biomarker datasets were included. Compared with nCT, nICT significantly improved OS (HR = 0.80, 95 % CI 0.70–0.92) and RFS (HR = 0.78, 95 % CI 0.69–0.87), and achieved higher pathological complete response, major pathological response, and R0 resection rates. Although treatment-related adverse events were more frequent with nICT, postoperative recovery and complication rates were comparable. Single-arm analyses showed pooled pathological complete and major pathological response rates of approximately 20 % and 43 %, with encouraging 2-year OS and RFS. Biomarker analyses demonstrated enrichment of pathological response in patients with PD-L1 CPS ≥ 1/≥ 5 and dMMR/MSI-H, whereas tumor mutational burden and Epstein–Barr virus status showed inconsistent discriminatory value. Meta-regression revealed no significant effect modification. Overall, nICT provides pathological and early survival improvement without compromising perioperative safety, supporting its integration into perioperative strategies for LAGC/EGJC.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11358,"journal":{"name":"Critical reviews in oncology/hematology","volume":"220 ","pages":"Article 105166"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146100674","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"FASN at the crossroads of tumor metabolism, immune evasion, and therapy resistance: Mechanistic insights and therapeutic opportunities","authors":"Xuefeng Jiang ,&nbsp;Guotao Fang ,&nbsp;Wen Li ,&nbsp;Yusheng Liu ,&nbsp;Gang Chen ,&nbsp;Silvio E. Perea ,&nbsp;Yasser Perera ,&nbsp;Rong Ma ,&nbsp;Xiaofei Hu ,&nbsp;Xinan Long","doi":"10.1016/j.critrevonc.2026.105155","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.critrevonc.2026.105155","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fatty acid synthase (FASN), the key enzyme driving de novo lipogenesis, has emerged as a central metabolic hub in cancer, linking aberrant lipid synthesis to tumor progression, immune escape, and therapy resistance. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the regulatory landscape and oncogenic functions of FASN, highlighting its modulation at transcriptional, post-transcriptional, and post-translational levels. We discuss how FASN-driven lipid remodeling supports tumor proliferation, disrupts antigen presentation, alters immune cell metabolism, and suppresses ferroptosis, thereby enabling resistance to chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, and immune checkpoint inhibitors. Emerging therapeutic strategies—including direct FASN inhibition, targeting upstream regulators, and rational metabolic–immune–ferroptosis combinatorial regimens—are explored in the context of precision oncology. Given the metabolic plasticity of cancer cells and the heterogeneous response of the tumor immune microenvironment, future advances will rely on dynamic biomarker-guided therapy and spatiotemporal profiling of FASN activity. Together, these insights position FASN not merely as a metabolic enzyme but as a versatile therapeutic axis at the intersection of cancer metabolism, immunity, and resistance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11358,"journal":{"name":"Critical reviews in oncology/hematology","volume":"220 ","pages":"Article 105155"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146077216","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of mechanical property alterations on cancer cell motility and metastasis","authors":"Polina Belousova ,&nbsp;Sangwoo Kwon ,&nbsp;Min-Hyung Jung ,&nbsp;Kyung Sook Kim","doi":"10.1016/j.critrevonc.2026.105165","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.critrevonc.2026.105165","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Extensive research has highlighted the pivotal roles of extracellular matrix (ECM) mechanics and actin cytoskeleton dynamics in regulating cancer progression and metastasis. Mechanical cues from the ECM govern cell motility, proliferation, and invasiveness through mechanotransduction pathways that translate physical stimuli into biochemical signals. A central downstream response is the reorganization of actin filaments, which controls cell shape, force generation, and migration.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This review aims to clarify how ECM stiffness and cellular mechanical properties jointly shape cancer cell behavior, with particular emphasis on motility and mechanotransduction.</div></div><div><h3>Content</h3><div>As tumors progress, a “mechanical paradox” emerges, namely the ECM becomes progressively stiffer, while cancer cells often display reduced stiffness compared with their normal counterparts. Recent studies reinterpret this phenomenon as a form of dynamic reciprocity, in which cancer cells actively remodel their surrounding ECM through bidirectional mechanical feedback loops. These concurrent but opposing mechanical alterations have been linked to metastatic potential, yet their combined impact on the dynamic properties of cancer cells remains poorly understood. This review synthesizes current findings on the influence of ECM stiffness, cellular elasticity, and cytoskeletal remodeling on cancer cell motility and mechanotransduction.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>By integrating insights into ECM mechanics and cellular elasticity, this review highlights how reciprocal mechanical interactions between cancer cells and their microenvironment contribute to metastatic progression. Understanding this interplay will be crucial for developing more accurate mechanobiological models and identifying new mechanotherapeutic strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11358,"journal":{"name":"Critical reviews in oncology/hematology","volume":"220 ","pages":"Article 105165"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146109112","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hallmarks of cancer in canine mammary tumors: Insights into a potential model for human triple-negative breast cancer","authors":"Tiago Ferreira ,&nbsp;Francisca Dias ,&nbsp;Adelina Gama ,&nbsp;João F. Mano ,&nbsp;Paula A. Oliveira ,&nbsp;Rui Medeiros","doi":"10.1016/j.critrevonc.2026.105184","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.critrevonc.2026.105184","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Human breast cancer (HBC) is a complex disease with several molecular subtypes, posing challenges in diagnosis and treatment. Among these subtypes, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is particularly challenging due to the lack of targeted therapies and generally has a poorer prognosis than other molecular subtypes. Canine mammary carcinomas (CMCs) have been proposed as a spontaneous model of HBC and a suitable model for molecular subtypes. Notably, dogs exhibited a high prevalence of triple-negative subtypes compared to humans. This review explores the parallels between HBC and CMCs, with a special emphasis on triple-negative phenotype, through the lens of cancer hallmarks. Several similarities have been found between both species; however, challenges remain in understanding the full spectrum of cancer hallmarks in dogs and translating findings into effective therapies. The convergence of insights from the hallmarks of cancer and the unique attributes of CMCs model drives us toward future personalized medicine, offering new avenues for research in the field of comparative oncology.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11358,"journal":{"name":"Critical reviews in oncology/hematology","volume":"220 ","pages":"Article 105184"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146138223","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Recent advances in systemic treatment for HER2-negative breast cancer with brain metastases","authors":"Chunfang Hao ,&nbsp;Jie Zhang ,&nbsp;Yuehong Zhu","doi":"10.1016/j.critrevonc.2026.105156","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.critrevonc.2026.105156","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) -negative breast cancer brain metastases (BCBM) and leptomeningeal disease (LMD) pose significant clinical challenges due to limited treatment options and poor prognosis. Unlike HER2-positive BCBM, which has established therapeutic protocols, HER2-negative BCBM and LMD lacks standardized approaches. Recent advances have introduced novel systemic therapies targeting diverse pathways, including cell cycle regulation, DNA repair, immune modulation, vascular suppression, and leptomeningeal penetration, with emerging data supporting activity in LMD. Cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 (CDK4/6) inhibitors show promise in hormone receptor-positive subsets, particularly when combined with radiotherapy. Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), such as trastuzumab deruxtecan and sacituzumab govitecan, demonstrate enhanced central nervous system penetration and tumor-specific cytotoxicity, improving outcomes in both stable and active brain metastases. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors also exhibit potential, though their efficacy varies by molecular subtype. Additionally, intrathecal therapies have become a cornerstone for LMD management, bypassing the blood-CSF barrier. Emerging therapies like selective estrogen receptor degraders (SERDs) and kinase inhibitors address resistance mechanisms, offering new avenues for personalized treatment. This review underscores the need for survival-prolonging, quality-of-life-preserving strategies with optimized safety profiles, highlighting the evolving landscape of HER2-negative BCBM and LMD management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11358,"journal":{"name":"Critical reviews in oncology/hematology","volume":"220 ","pages":"Article 105156"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146088416","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Trastuzumab deruxtecan in non-breast solid tumors: Expanding indications, efficacy, and future directions","authors":"A. Ghidini ,&nbsp;R. Bukovec ,&nbsp;L. Roncari ,&nbsp;L. Dottorini ,&nbsp;F. Petrelli","doi":"10.1016/j.critrevonc.2026.105158","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.critrevonc.2026.105158","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>HER2 alterations occur across multiple malignancies beyond breast cancer, including gastric, non-small-cell lung, colorectal, gynecologic, salivary gland, biliary tract, and urothelial cancers. Trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd), a next-generation antibody–drug conjugate, has transformed outcomes through its high drug-to-antibody ratio, potent topoisomerase I inhibitor payload, and membrane-permeable design enabling a bystander effect.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We reviewed clinical and translational evidence for T-DXd in non-breast solid tumors, focusing on efficacy, safety, biomarkers, and resistance mechanisms. Key data were derived from the DESTINY trial program, basket studies, and recent regulatory submissions.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Across tumor types, T-DXd has demonstrated clinically meaningful response rates: ∼55 % in HER2-mutant NSCLC, 42–51 % in gastric cancer, 37–45 % in colorectal cancer, 57 % in endometrial cancer, and ∼60 % in salivary duct carcinoma. Durable responses have also been observed in biliary and urothelial cancers. The most frequent adverse events are gastrointestinal and hematologic, while interstitial lung disease remains the most significant toxicity, occurring in ∼10–15 % of patients, with rare fatal cases. Predictive biomarkers vary by histology: HER2 mutation is most relevant in NSCLC, whereas amplification and overexpression define benefit in gastrointestinal and gynecologic malignancies. Resistance mechanisms include HER2 downregulation, bypass signaling activation, and impaired payload release.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>T-DXd has emerged as a transformative therapy across HER2-driven malignancies, leading to histology-specific and tissue-agnostic approvals. Vigilant ILD monitoring is essential, and further research is warranted to refine biomarkers, address resistance, and explore rational drug combinations. T-DXd exemplifies the paradigm shift of antibody–drug conjugates toward pan-cancer precision oncology.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11358,"journal":{"name":"Critical reviews in oncology/hematology","volume":"220 ","pages":"Article 105158"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146088427","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Molecular heterogeneity of Glioblastoma-associated microglia and macrophages and myeloid-derived suppressor cells: Insights from single-cell omics and therapeutic implications","authors":"Saurav Kumar ,&nbsp;Sandeepkumar Sriramanujam ,&nbsp;Tae Gyu Oh ,&nbsp;Priya Balasubramanian ,&nbsp;Dinesh Thotala ,&nbsp;Sree Deepthi Muthukrishnan","doi":"10.1016/j.critrevonc.2026.105190","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.critrevonc.2026.105190","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Glioblastoma (GBM) is characterized by a highly immunosuppressive microenvironment that is enriched with myeloid cell populations. Historically, these myeloid cells, particularly GBM-associated microglia/macrophages (GAMs) and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), were considered as pro-tumorigenic due to limitations in genomic technologies. However, advances in single-cell and spatial omics have revolutionized our understanding of the GBM immune landscape, uncovering extensive heterogeneity within the myeloid compartment. Studies utilizing murine models and patient-derived samples have demonstrated that GAMs and MDSCs exist along a spectrum of activation states, with both tumor-promoting and tumor-suppressive roles. These findings challenge the conventional view of myeloid cells in GBM and highlight their dynamic and context-dependent functions. This review summarizes key findings from single-cell and spatial-omics studies utilizing human GBM patient samples and highlighting the discovery of novel myeloid cell subsets, immunomodulatory programs, and tumor-niche specific myeloid subpopulations that have reshaped our understanding of the GBM immune landscape. We discuss how specific subpopulations interact with other cellular components of the tumor microenvironment to support tumor invasion, drive immunosuppression, and contribute to therapeutic resistance. Finally, we discuss therapeutic strategies informed by these insights, including subset-directed myeloid reprogramming, stimulating innate immune signaling and phagocytosis, and rational combinations of myeloid-targeted agents with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell and other immune therapies to improve clinical outcomes in GBM.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11358,"journal":{"name":"Critical reviews in oncology/hematology","volume":"220 ","pages":"Article 105190"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146144914","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bridging the translational gap in HNSCC immunotherapy: From resistance mechanisms to high-fidelity preclinical models","authors":"Shasha Shen ,&nbsp;Juan Li ,&nbsp;Xue Cui ,&nbsp;Guangyong Feng ,&nbsp;Zhaohui Liu ,&nbsp;Xiaoxia Gou","doi":"10.1016/j.critrevonc.2026.105193","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.critrevonc.2026.105193","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remains a therapeutic challenge, with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) benefiting only a minority of patients. This review addresses the translational gap between promising preclinical results and suboptimal clinical outcomes. We critically analyze biological resistance drivers, including the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, TGF-β-mediated exclusion, hypoxia-driven metabolic checkpoints (e.g., adenosine signaling), and the distinct immune landscapes of HPV-positive versus HPV-negative disease. We argue that conventional models, such as 2D cell lines, syngeneic mice, and standard immunodeficient xenografts, inadequately recapitulate these human-specific mechanisms and stromal complexities. Consequently, we advocate for a paradigm shift toward high-fidelity platforms, specifically Air-Liquid Interface (ALI) autologous patient-derived organoids (PDOs) and humanized mouse models. While acknowledging technical challenges like establishment efficiency and time-to-answer constraints, we propose that integrating these avatars into biomarker-driven co-clinical trials is essential. Ultimately, integrating these high-fidelity avatars into co-clinical trials will enable precise <strong>patient stratification</strong> and the rational design of <strong>biomarker-driven trials</strong>, moving HNSCC therapy from empirical selection to data-driven clinical decision-making. Furthermore, standardizing these high-fidelity protocols to meet clinical turnaround times is the next frontier for ensuring their practical implementation in routine precision oncology for HNSCC.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11358,"journal":{"name":"Critical reviews in oncology/hematology","volume":"220 ","pages":"Article 105193"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146144957","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Artificial intelligence and multi-omics convergence in breast cancer: Revolutionizing diagnosis, prognostication, and precision oncology","authors":"Bitao Jiang ,&nbsp;Yuefei Wu ,&nbsp;Xiao Chen ,&nbsp;Chunyan Jian ,&nbsp;Wenjuan Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.critrevonc.2026.105160","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.critrevonc.2026.105160","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Breast cancer (BC) is a highly heterogeneous malignancy and remains a major cause of cancer-related mortality among women worldwide. Advances in multi-omics profiling spanning genomics, transcriptomics, epigenomics, proteomics, and metabolomics have enabled finer subtype stratification and more comprehensive characterisation of tumour biology, thereby accelerating the discovery of diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers and actionable therapeutic targets. Nonetheless, translating multi-layer molecular signals into clinically robust decision support remains challenging because of the high dimensionality and heterogeneity of omics data, cross-cohort and cross-platform variability, and the fragmentation inherent to single-modality analyses. This review summarises how multi-omics studies have refined BC subtype definitions and advanced biomarker and target identification, and then synthesises recent progress in artificial intelligence, particularly deep learning, for integrating multi-omics with imaging, pathology, and clinical variables to improve diagnosis, risk stratification, prognosis prediction, and treatment response assessment. We critically examine representative multimodal integration frameworks and emerging deep learning architectures that learn both shared and modality-specific representations, which in many settings enable more accurate patient-level prediction than unimodal baselines. We further delineate key barriers to clinical translation, including cross-centre heterogeneity and inconsistent endpoint definitions, structural missingness of modalities in real-world workflows, inadequate cross-platform normalisation, limited interpretability and auditability, and a lack of prospective validation. Finally, we propose realistic next steps, including standardised and auditable preprocessing pipelines, missingness-aware fusion strategies, explainable and uncertainty-aware modelling, privacy-preserving multi-centre learning, and prospective, workflow-based evaluation. Collectively, these perspectives provide a roadmap for advancing multimodal AI–multi-omics integration toward reliable clinical deployment in BC management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11358,"journal":{"name":"Critical reviews in oncology/hematology","volume":"220 ","pages":"Article 105160"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146077219","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hydrogel-based drug delivery systems for localised treatment of peritoneal metastasis: A systematic and ideal framework review","authors":"Imanthi Silva ,&nbsp;Nour Khalil ,&nbsp;Chun Lun Frank Fan ,&nbsp;Yidian Emma Wang ,&nbsp;Becky Leveridge ,&nbsp;Giovanni Carlo Miceli ,&nbsp;Aaron Lee ,&nbsp;Josef Goding ,&nbsp;Rylie A. Green ,&nbsp;Piers R. Boshier","doi":"10.1016/j.critrevonc.2026.105175","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.critrevonc.2026.105175","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The peritoneum, a membranous structure that lines the abdominal cavity, is one of the most common sites to which gastric, colorectal and ovarian cancer metastasise. The presence of peritoneal metastasis is associated with poor prognosis primarily due to the ineffectiveness of systemic therapies against this condition. Direct delivery of chemotherapy to the peritoneal cavity has been proposed as an alternative treatment, although its efficacy is limited by low drug retention. Hydrogel-based delivery solutions have the potential to augment the capabilities of intraperitoneal administration by facilitating sustained therapeutic drug concentrations via extended release. This systematic review provides a comprehensive overview of 39 preclinical studies that show improvements in therapeutic efficacy over carrier-free delivery. Synthetic hydrogels were generally favoured over hydrogels prepared from biomolecules and were largely used to administer small molecule anti-neoplastic agents over immunotherapies. An IDEAL framework analysis highlighted that whilst there is growing research interest, there has been limited clinical translation. Based on a critical analysis of the existing literature, this review offers recommendations and guidelines towards the translation of hydrogel-based drug delivery systems for the treatment of peritoneal metastasis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11358,"journal":{"name":"Critical reviews in oncology/hematology","volume":"220 ","pages":"Article 105175"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146121410","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}