DeCure's autonomous Cancer AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma — screening already-approved drugs against its 44-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleLaryngeal squamous cell carcinoma maps to a 44-gene Open Targets module — the target space DeCure's AI scientist screens approved drugs against.
DeCure.ai methodSignature reversal (LINCS) plus network proximity (STRING) rank already-approved drugs likely to perturb this module — the same engine that produces DeCure.ai's repurposing hypotheses.
Repurposing thesisScreening approved medicines against this disease module, then publishing the evidence for the strongest candidate. Known pharmacology and human exposure data make the first question sharper — they do not establish safety or efficacy in a new indication.
Research record
01
ResearchComing soon
Candidate research + dossier — target rationale, drug-repurposing thesis and evidence pack.proof: Published dossier + on-chain hash
02
ValidationComing soon
In-vitro biological validation at a contract research org (CRO).proof: CRO contract + in-vitro report
03
Peer review & paperComing soon
Peer-reviewed paper published open-access (preprint + journal).proof: DOI + open-access link + on-chain hash
Current lead
No approved-drug candidate for laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma is corroborated in the literature DeepSearch retrieved. Some conditions are managed with non-pharmacological care — a device, surgery or physical therapy — rather than a medicine; that may be the case here, or the literature we found may simply be too sparse yet to support a drug-repurposing angle.
Molecular view
mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1) — MAPK1 is one of the genes genetically linked to this disease in Open Targets — shown as context, not as a drug target we're pursuing: no approved-drug candidate for this disease is yet corroborated in the literature we found.
Loading structure…
helix sheet 2~{s}drag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 8AOJ · 1.12 Å · ligand 1-[(2~{S})-2-(5-methyl-3-pyridin-4-yl-1~{H}-pyrazol-4-yl)pyrrolidin-1-yl]propan-1-one (N8L). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
In a 2020 review of prognostic factors for laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma, the authors state that host, tumour, and treatment factors all influence an individual patient’s prognosis, but that current staging systems account only for tumour factors. They note that reliable, independent biomarkers that predict survival and response to treatment have yet to be established. A separate 2020 retrospective study of 210 patients treated at a county hospital in Houston, Texas, found that the majority presented with advanced disease (T4 in 43%, nodal metastases in 45%). Overall survival was 52% and disease-free survival was 63% for the entire cohort. Supraglottic subsite and nodal metastases were significantly associated with worse overall and disease-free survival. Race, ethnicity, and insurance status were not associated with worse oncologic outcomes. The authors concluded that tumour characteristics, not demographic variables, drove outcomes in this predominantly minority and underserved population.
A 2007 review describes combined modality treatment for locally advanced laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma, noting that cisplatin-based chemotherapy with concurrent radiation, with or without altered fractionation, has shown benefit in selected patients. The review states that organ-sparing approaches can avoid laryngectomy-associated quality-of-life decrements without sacrificing survival in potentially resectable patients. It adds that the addition of induction chemotherapy to concurrent chemoradiotherapy is a promising strategy that warrants further evaluation but has not become a standard of care, and that toxicity must be balanced against potential benefits on a case-by-case basis. A 2025 retrospective study compared 81 patients who received primary radiotherapy (RT) versus total laryngectomy followed by adjuvant radiotherapy (TL-PORT) for locally advanced laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Three-year overall survival was 81.6% in the RT group and 53.2% in the TL-PORT group (P = 0.00521). However, multivariate analysis showed no significant impact of treatment modality on overall survival or progression-free survival; chemotherapy administration emerged as a significant predictor of improved overall survival. The authors note that TL-PORT tended to include older and more advanced cases.
A 2000 review discusses the concept of early laryngeal cancer, defining it as a minimally invasive lesion confined to the lamina propria that does not invade muscle or cartilage but possesses a small potential for metastasis. The authors argue that early detection is the best chance to improve therapeutic results, and that the earliest non-invasive malignant lesion is an intraepithelial abnormality such as dysplasia or carcinoma in situ, though adjacent normal-appearing epithelium may already harbour genetic abnormalities. They caution that early cancer can be surprisingly extensive in surface area, sometimes presenting as a “carpet” or “superficial extending” carcinoma.
What remains missing are reliable biomarkers to predict survival and treatment response, prospective trials that adequately stratify patients by tumour subsite and nodal status, and studies that account for the variable functional outcomes and toxicity of combined modality regimens. The 2025 study’s small sample size and retrospective design limit its conclusions, and no trial has yet established induction chemotherapy as a standard of care. Funding for adequately powered, stratified trials that include underserved populations and measure both survival and quality of life is still lacking.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Prognostic factors in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma
AbstractBACKGROUND: The current treatment results of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma still remain modest. Various prognostic factors have been investigated and need to be included in the management decision making. METHODS: We reviewed the pertinent literature regarding host, tumor, and treatment factors as prognostic indicators that influence outcome in patients diagnosed with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma. RESULTS: Host, tumor, and treatment factors all have an important impact upon an individual patient's prognosis with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma, whereas staging systems only take into account tumor factors. There is much work yet to be done to establish reliable, independent biomarkers that predict survival and response to treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Optimal outcomes for an individual patient can be achieved when taking into account tumor, host, and treatment factors.
Demographic and Tumor Characteristic Impact on Laryngeal Cancer Outcomes in a Minority Underserved Patient Population
AbstractOBJECTIVE: Advanced laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma remains associated with approximately 50% mortality at 5 years. Delivery of multimodality treatment remains critical to maximizing survival for this disease, but achieving this at a national level remains a difficult undertaking, particularly in under- and uninsured patients as well as minority patients. We sought to evaluate laryngeal cancer treatment delivery and clinical outcomes in a predominantly minority and underserved cohort of largely under- and uninsured patients in a county hospital. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Tertiary care county hospital in Houston, Texas. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Patients (N = 210) with a new diagnosis of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma treated between 2005 and 2015 were included in a retrospective analysis of patient demographics, tumor and treatment characteristics, and oncologic outcomes. RESULTS: The majority of patients presented with advanced disease (T4 = 43%, N>0 = 45%). Treatment selection was compliant with National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines in 81% of cases, but 76% of patients who required adjuvant radiotherapy were unable to start it within 6 weeks postsurgery. Overall survival and disease-free survival were 52% and 63% for the entire cohort, respectively. Supraglottic subsite and nodal metastases were significantly associated with decreased overall survival and disease-free survival. Race/ethnicity and insurance status were not associated with worse oncologic outcomes. CONCLUSION: Under- and uninsured patients often present with advanced laryngeal cancer. Oncologic outcomes in this cohort of patients is similar to that of other published series. Moreover, tumor characteristics rather than demographic variables drive oncologic outcomes for the predominantly minority and underserved patients seeking care in our tertiary care county hospital.
Expert Review of Anticancer Therapy · 2007 · 20 citations
Combined modality treatment of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma
AbstractSquamous cell carcinoma of the larynx is a major public health concern; it causes substantial morbidity and mortality, and arises chiefly as a result of tobacco and alcohol consumption. Early stage disease is best treated with radiation or surgery alone, but for patients with more locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx, combined modality treatment has been shown to benefit selected patients, particularly when cisplatin-based chemotherapy and concurrent radiation therapy are employed, with or without altered fractionated radiation therapy. Substantial laryngectomy-associated quality-of-life decrements can be avoided in selected, potentially resectable patients with organ-sparing approaches, without sacrificing survival. Recently, trials have addressed the role of targeted systemic agents to the epidermal growth factor receptor, and other targets are under investigation. The addition of induction chemotherapy to concurrent chemoradiotherapy is a promising treatment strategy that warrants further evaluation, but has not yet emerged as a standard of care; the toxicity of such regimens must be balanced with the potential benefits on a case-by-case basis, and functional outcomes are often quite variable. Treatment planning, management and follow-up are complex, and thus should ideally be performed in a comprehensive, multidisciplinary fashion, in a center accustomed to a high volume of such cases. Future research directions are described herein.
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology · 1990 · 14 citations
Radiation therapy of laryngeal cancer: A twenty year experience
AbstractThis paper reviews a 20 year experience of radiation treatment of 286 laryngeal cancers and presents results with a minimum five year follow-up. All cases presented had glottic or supraglottic squamous cell carcinomas with no clinical evidence of nodal metastasis. A policy of primary radiotherapy with surgery for salvage of treatment failures, produced control of primary disease and prevention of metastases superior to most other regimes documented in the literature.
What Is the Earliest Non-Invasive Malignant Lesion of the Larynx?
AbstractAccessible online at: www.karger.com/journals/orl Cancer of the larynx constitutes 1–2% of all malignancies diagnosed annually worldwide and represents the most common head and neck malignancy in the United States, as recently reported by the National Cancer Data Base [1]. Survival in patients with laryngeal cancer is dependent on the stage and site of tumour and its phenotype. It is obviously difficult, or even impossible, to control faradvanced laryngeal cancer, and it is therefore essential to concentrate on the initial steps in tumour development in order to facilitate early detection and timely implementation of suitable therapy [2]. Neoplastic development in laryngeal epithelium, as with many other epithelial cancers, is a multistep process driven by accumulating multiple and specific genetic alterations, involving oncogenes and tumour suppressor genes [3, 4]. The first morphologically unequivocal recognizable step is represented by intraepithelial abnormalities, such as dysplasia and carcinoma in situ. However, adjacent apparently normal squamous epithelium may already harbour the initial genetic abnormalities leading to malignant transformation. Early detection appears to be the best and only chance to improve the therapeutic results of laryngeal cancer. Therefore, it is necessary to recognize the initial intraepithelial neoplastic lesions. What is the earliest non-invasive malignant lesion of the larynx? To answer this question, it may be best to begin by explaining what early cancer is. In our practice, we use the term ‘early cancer’ to mean a very precisely defined entity, namely, a minimally invasive pathologic and biologic entity which does not invade muscular or cartilaginous structures, but which nevertheless possesses a (small but real) potential for metastasizing. Of necessity, then, such an ‘early’ cancer is confined to the lamina propria and, as noted above, can be no more than a minimally invasive lesion [5]. In terms of the surface area of mucosa it may involve in a given patient, however, early cancer of the larynx may be a surprisingly extensive lesion, giving rise on occasion to a so-called ‘carpet’ or ‘superficial extending’carcinoma. The critical distinction which we would advocate, however, calls for restriction of the use of the diagnostic term ‘early cancer’ to lesions in this ‘middle ground’: lesions which extend further than a purely intraepithelial proliferation (which, by definition, would be delimited by a basement membrane), yet less extensive than those proliferations which reach into adjacent skeletal muscle or cartilage. As such, we do not believe that early cancers are either in situ or T2/T3 lesions [5].
Journal of Radiation and Cancer Research · 2025 · 0 citations · open access
Comparison of Survival and Recurrence Pattern of Primary Definitive Radiotherapy versus Total Laryngectomy Followed by Postoperative Adjuvant Radiotherapy in Locally Advanced Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma
AbstractA BSTRACT Introduction: Laryngeal cancer poses a significant global health burden, primarily due to squamous cell carcinoma. Locally advanced cases, constituting the majority, typically necessitate multimodality therapy involving surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. The selection of appropriate candidates for organ-sparing therapy remains a pivotal area of interest. This retrospective analysis aims to compare the outcomes between primary radiotherapy (RT) and total laryngectomy followed by adjuvant postoperative RT (TL-PORT) in managing locally advanced laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). Methods: Adults diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx in advanced stages, undergoing RT with curative intent, were included. Cases were divided into the RT and TL-PORT groups based on the treatment received. Electronic and paper records from December 2001 to October 2023 were reviewed. Planning computed tomography scans preceded RT treatment planning, with treatment administered using either three-dimensional conformal or intensity-modulated radiation therapy. Results: The study encompassed 81 predominantly male cases with a median age of 67 years. Three-year overall survival (OS) rates were 81.6% in the RT group and 53.2% in the TL-PORT group ( P = 0.00521). Although univariate analysis showed significantly better OS in the RT group, multivariate analysis demonstrated no significant impact of treatment modality on OS or PFS. Chemotherapy administration emerged as a significant predictor of improved OS. Conclusion: Comparisons with existing literature underscore similar outcomes, with debates persisting over treatment modalities for locally advanced LSCC. While RT demonstrated favorable OS trends, TL-PORT tended to include older and more advanced cases. Studies evaluating different treatment strategies highlight the complexity of decision-making, emphasizing the need for personalized approaches to LSCC management.
Disease module: DeepOracle (Open Targets). Structures: RDKit from PubChem SMILES. Literature: retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works (targeted per-candidate search), resolved on OpenAlex.
DeCure is a research and publication project, not medical advice and not a treatment. "DeCure for X" describes a research goal, not a claim that a cure exists. Backing a cure is a contribution to fund the research — it is not an investment, and confers no yield, royalty, equity or IP ownership. Papers are published open-access by the DeCure.ai DAO.
