DeCure's autonomous Cancer AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for penis carcinoma in situ — screening already-approved drugs against its 5-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease modulePenis carcinoma in situ maps to a 5-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 penis carcinoma in situ 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
NRAS proto-oncogene, GTPase (NRAS) — NRAS 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 gdpdrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 6ZIO · 1.55 Å · ligand GUANOSINE-5'-DIPHOSPHATE (GDP). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
In a retrospective analysis of 219 patients diagnosed with penile carcinoma, 65% of those with no palpable nodes at initial diagnosis survived for six or more years. Among patients with palpable nodes, 28% survived for three to five years and 15% for six or more years. Ten per cent of patients died of a second primary tumour. That study, from 1982, predates modern organ-sparing approaches.
A later series of 60 patients treated with penile sparing surgery for localised carcinoma in situ and T1 squamous cell carcinoma reported adequate follow-up in 28 patients with carcinoma in situ and 28 with T1 disease. The overall recurrence rate was 21.4%, equal for both groups. Mean time to recurrence was 4.28 years, and more than 25% of recurrences appeared after five years. No patient with carcinoma in situ showed invasion or metastasis. Two patients with T1 disease presented with metastasis and three had late metastasis. The authors concluded that penile sparing surgery is safe for local control in appropriate patients, but that late recurrences are significant and require long-term follow-up.
A comparison of 44 patients treated between 1969 and 1990 with 101 patients treated after supraregional centralisation of services (2002–2006) found no significant change in tumour stage or grade. There was a significant increase in penis-preserving and nodal surgery, and a fall in mortality. Improved survival was greatest in patients with poorly-differentiated disease, who may have benefited from aggressive nodal surgery. The authors attributed the improved outcomes to centralisation.
What remains missing is prospective data on drug-based treatment for carcinoma in situ of the penis. No abstract in this set reports a trial of any topical or systemic drug for this condition. The evidence base for non-surgical management is absent, and no randomised comparisons of medical versus surgical approaches exist. Funding for such trials, clear patient stratification by histology and HPV status, and standardised long-term follow-up protocols are all 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.
Cancer · 1982 · 168 citations
Carcinoma of the penis. Analysis of 219 cases
AbstractCarcinoma of the penis is rare in this country. A total of 219 patients diagnosed to have carcinoma of the penis were analyzed retrospectively. The primary penile lesion was treated by partial amputation in 160 patients. Forty-two patients had inguinal node dissection. Forty-six patients received radiation therapy to the inguinal region. Sixty-five per cent of the patients with no palpable nodes at initial diagnosis survived for six or more years. Twenty-eight per cent of the patients with palpable nodes survived for three to five years, and 15% for six or more years. Ten per cent of the patients died of a second primary tumor.
Long-Term Outcome of Excisional Organ Sparing Surgery for Carcinoma of the Penis
AbstractPURPOSE: We present our experience with penile sparing surgery for localized carcinoma in situ and T1 penile squamous cell carcinoma. We report outcomes and recommendations for a penile sparing approach. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 60 patients underwent penile sparing surgery for penile squamous cell carcinoma since 1995. Four patients without recurrence had less than 6 months of followup and were excluded from study. Data included disease stage, cellular differentiation, tumor site, penile sparing surgery type and recurrence information. RESULTS: Followup was adequate in 28 patients with carcinoma in situ and in 28 with T1 disease. The overall recurrence rate was 21.4% with equal recurrences of carcinoma in situ and T1 tumors (each 21.4%). Mean ± SD time to recurrence was 4.28 ± 2.81 years (range 0.5 to 11). More than 25% of recurrences developed after 5 years. Mean followup in censored patients was 5.47 ± 3.88 years (maximum 16). There was no difference in time to recurrence after carcinoma in situ and T1 tumors (p = 0.738). T1 tumors on the glans carried a slightly higher risk of recurrence (p = 0.049). At 5 years 13.8% of patients at risk had late recurrence with a mean time to recurrence of 7.25 ± 2.62 years. No patients with carcinoma in situ showed invasion or metastasis. Two patients with T1 disease presented with metastasis and 3 had late metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: Penile sparing surgery is a safe option for local control for appropriate carcinoma in situ and T1 squamous cell carcinoma of the penis. Carcinoma in situ recurrence may be re-treated with penile sparing surgery. T1 tumors that recur require more aggressive resection. Our data show significant late recurrences in patients and the need for long-term followup.
Annals of The Royal College of Surgeons of England · 2009 · 45 citations · open access
The impact of Improving Outcomes Guidance on the management and outcomes of patients with carcinoma of the penis
AbstractINTRODUCTION: The Improving Outcomes Guidance (IOG) for patients with carcinoma of the penis states that treatment should be provided supraregionally to populations of 4 million or greater who treat over 25 cases of penis cancer each year. This study assesses the impact of this guidance on the management and outcomes of patients with the disease in our region. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively compared the records of 44 patients with carcinoma of the penis treated in our institution between 1969 and 1990 with 101 patients treated between 2002 and 2006, i.e. after supraregional centralisation of the service. RESULTS: There was no significant change in the stage or grade of the tumours. However, the results show that, in modern times, there was a significant increase in the amount of penis-preserving and nodal surgery as well as a fall in mortality. The improved survival is greatest in patients with poorly-differentiated disease who may, therefore, have benefited from aggressive nodal surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The centralisation of surgery for carcinoma of the penis results in improved outcomes both in terms of penis preservation and improved survival and this supports the IOG guidance.
Oncourology (Russian Society of Oncourologists) · 2020 · 1 citations · open access
Factors of prognosis in cancer of the penis
AbstractCarcinoma of the penis is a rare tumor. With adequate treatment of patients having no late metastases, 5-year survival is as high as 91.6%; 1-year relapse-free survival is 45.9%. Multivariance analysis shows that regional lymph nodal involvement is the only significant poor predictor in penile carcinoma, which reduces 5-year survival rates from 94.4 to 73.9%. Univariance analysis indicates that the partial effect of therapy, the endophytic form of primary tumor growth, a recurrence occurring after achievement of a complete therapeutic effect exert a significant negative action on survival. An insignificant survival reduction is observed in groups of patients less than 30 and more than 60 years with a neoplasm > 4 cm of high T stage being located on the glans et corpus penis.
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.
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