The role of FDG PET assessment in patients with advanced breast cancer treated with cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors in the second-line setting.

Background: Cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 (CDK4/6) inhibitors have demonstrated a survival benefit in the second-line treatment of patients with hormone receptor-positive human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative advanced breast cancer. However, identifying prognostic biomarkers remains a challenge. Thus, we aimed to assess the prognostic value of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography (FDG-PET-CT) performed before CDK4/6 inhibitors initiation.

Addressing COVID-19 Screening Delays: The Impact of HPV Self-Sampling on Non-Attenders in a Cervical Cancer Screening Program.

: Self-sampling is recognized as a viable alternative to clinician-sampling for HPV primary screening. This study aimed to assess, within an Italian organized cervical cancer screening program, the acceptance and ease of use of self-sampling and the adherence to follow-up. The prevalences of HPV infection, cervical dysplasia, and cancer were contextually evaluated.

Imaging PD-L1 in the brain-Journey from the lab to the clinic.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPIs) have proven to restore adaptive anti-tumor immunity in many cancers; however, no noteworthy therapeutic schedule has been established for patients with glioblastoma (GBM). High programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression is associated with immunosuppressive and aggressive phenotypes in GBM. Presently, there is no standardized protocol for assessing PD-L1 expression levels to select patients and monitor their response to ICPI therapy.

Biochemical control in intermediate- and high-risk prostate cancer after EBRT with and without brachytherapy boost.

Purpose: External beam radiotherapy (EBRT) with or without brachytherapy boost (BTB) has not been compared in prospective studies using guideline-recommended radiation dose and recommended androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT). In this multicenter retrospective analysis, we compared modern-day EBRT with BTB in terms of biochemical control (BC) for intermediate-risk (IR) and high-risk (HR) prostate cancer.

Methods: Patients were treated for primary IR or HR prostate cancer during 1999-2019 at three high-volume centers.

Determinants of the level of circulating-tumor HPV16 DNA in patients with HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer at the time of diagnosis.

Circulating tumor HPV DNA (ctHPV16) assessed in liquid biopsy may be used as a marker of cancer in patients with HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer (HPV + OPC). Factors influencing the initial ctHPV16 quantity are not well recognized. In this study we aimed to establish what factors are related to the level of ctHPV16 at the time of diagnosis.

Percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation in the treatment of neurogenic detrusor overactivity in multiple sclerosis patients: a historically controlled study.

Background: Percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) is widely used in the treatment of neurogenic detrusor overactivity (NDO) in multiple sclerosis (MS); however, controlled studies are still lacking. To assess effectiveness of PTNS in MS patients with NDO unresponsive to pharmacological and behavioural therapies.

Methods: MS patients with NDO were enrolled.

The shed P2X7 receptor is an index of adverse clinical outcome in COVID-19 patients.

Introduction: The pathophysiology of the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is incompletely known. A robust inflammatory response caused by viral replication is a main cause of the acute lung and multiorgan injury observed in critical patients. Inflammasomes are likely players in COVID-19 pathogenesis.

Role of Portion Size in the Context of a Healthy, Balanced Diet: A Case Study of European Countries.

Over the past decades, a generalised increase in food portion sizes has probably contributed to the growing global obesity epidemic. Increasing awareness of appropriate portion sizes could contribute to reversing this trend through better control of calorie intake. In this study, a comparison of standard portion sizes in European countries for various food categories shows a wide variability of their importance for food, nutrient, and energy consumption according to government and institutional websites.

The Relationship between Histological Composition and Metabolic Profile in Breast Tumors and Peritumoral Tissue Determined with H HR-MAS NMR Spectroscopy.

Breast tumors constitute the complex entities composed of cancer cells and stromal components. The compositional heterogeneity should be taken into account in bulk tissue metabolomics studies. The aim of this work was to find the relation between the histological content and H HR-MAS (high-resolution magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance) metabolic profiles of the tissue samples excised from the breast tumors and the peritumoral areas in 39 patients diagnosed with invasive breast carcinoma.

Functional substitutions of amino acids that differ between GDF11 and GDF8 impact skeletal development and skeletal muscle.

Growth differentiation factor 11 (GDF11) and GDF8 (MSTN) are closely related TGF-β family proteins that interact with nearly identical signaling receptors and antagonists. However, GDF11 appears to activate SMAD2/3 more potently than GDF8 in vitro and in vivo. The ligands possess divergent structural properties, whereby substituting unique GDF11 amino acids into GDF8 enhanced the activity of the resulting chimeric GDF8.

Manual Physiotherapy Combined with Pelvic Floor Training in Women Suffering from Stress Urinary Incontinence and Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain: A Preliminary Study.

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) represents one of the most common subtypes of urinary incontinence (UI) reported by women. Studies have shown an association of SUI with nonspecific low back pain (NSLBP). The primary aim of the present study was to explore the long-term effects of a combined treatment of manual techniques and pelvic floor muscle (PFM) training in women suffering from SUI associated with NSLBP.

Efficiency of I radioisotope production from natural and enriched tellurium dioxide using Te(p,xn)I reaction.

Background: I Iodine (T[Formula: see text] = 4.18 d) is the only long-life positron emitter radioisotope of iodine that may be used for both imaging and therapy as well as for I dosimetry. Its physical characteristics permits taking advantages of the higher Positron Emission Tomography (PET) image quality, whereas the availability of new molecules to be targeted with I makes it a novel innovative radiotracer probe for a specific molecular targeting.

The application of F-FDG-PET/CT in gastric cancerstaging and factors affecting its sensitivity.

Objective: To evaluate the accuracy offluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (F-FDG PET/CT), to correctly determine initial tumor stage in treatment-naive gastric cancer patients and to analyze the factors influencing the risk of false negative results.

Subjects And Methods: The baseline F-FDG PET/CT scans of 111 previously untreated gastric cancer patients were retrospectively assessed. Sensitivity, specificity, positive (PPV) and negative prediction value (NPV) were evaluated.

Tandem autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation with sequential use of total marrow irradiation and high-dose melphalan in multiple myeloma.

The goal of this phase II trial was to evaluate safety and efficacy of a tandem autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (auto-HCT) using sequentially total marrow irradiation (TMI) at the dose of 12 Gy (4 Gy on days -3, -2, and -1) and melphalan 200 mg/m for patients with multiple myeloma (MM). TMI was performed using helical tomotherapy. Additional "boosts" (total 24 Gy) were applied for patients with active lesions as revealed by PET-FDG.

Radiomics and artificial Intelligence for PET imaging analysis.

In recent years, processing of the imaging signal derived from CT, MR or positron emission has proven to be able to predict outcome parameters in cancer patients. The processing techniques of the signal constitute the discipline of radiomics. The quantitative analysis of medical images outperform the information that can be obtained through traditional visual analysis.

Utilization of Complementary Alternative Medicine, Diet, and Exercise Among Women at High Risk for Developing Breast Cancer.

Women diagnosed as having a high risk for breast cancer (HR-BC) often seek different health behaviors (HBs) such as complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), diet, and exercise to improve their health and cancer outcome. Women already enrolled in a multimodality screening study for patients at HR-BC (gene mutation carrier or >20% cumulative lifetime risk) were given a questionnaire to evaluate their use of CAM therapies, diet, and exercise before and after a diagnosis of HR-BC. Patients were also asked to complete the Short-Form 36, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and Beck Depression Inventory.

Circulating HPV16 DNA may complement imaging assessment of early treatment efficacy in patients with HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer.

Background: Early detection of treatment failure may improve clinical outcome and overall survival in patients with head and neck cancer after first-line treatment. Circulating cell-free HPV16 DNA (cfHPV16 DNA) was evaluated as a possible complementary marker to radiological assessment of early response in patients with HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) after radiotherapy alone or combined with chemotherapy.

Methods: The study included 66 patients with HPV-related OPC receiving radical radiotherapy alone or in combination with chemotherapy.

Vertebral hydatid cyst infection. A case report.

Hydatidosis is a common parasitic zoonosis in Middle Eastern, African, and Mediterranean populations whit primarily and well known involve of liver and lungs, but some complications are extremely rare and underrated. Particularly Hydatid cystic disease of the skeletal is one of the rarest clinical manifestations and when occurs involve in almost 50% of cases the spine. This manifestation is extremely debilitating, hard to correctly identify and manage.

Autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of charlevoix-saguenay: Findings from MRI in two adult Italian siblings.

Autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay is a rare neurodegenerative disorder caused by homozygous mutations in gene. We present finding on MR imaging in 2 adult Italian siblings. According to the literature we have described same of typical MRI finding of autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay disease.

The Prognostic Value of Pretreatment Gallium-68 DOTATATE Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography in Irradiated Non-benign Meningioma.

Purpose Of The Study: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential value of gallium-68 (Ga-68)-DOTATATE positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in predicting the risk of progression in nonbenign meningioma after definite irradiation. We retrospectively reviewed our patients with meningiomas who had the highest risk of progression: WHO histological Grade II and III tumors and with macroscopic disease as identified in Ga-68-DOTATATE PET/CT.

Materials And Methods: Thirteen patients were included in this study.

Clinical Assessment of 5-Fluorouracil/Leucovorin, Nab-Paclitaxel, and Irinotecan (FOLFIRABRAX) in Untreated Patients with Gastrointestinal Cancer Using Genotype-Guided Dosing.

Purpose: 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU)/leucovorin, irinotecan, and nab-paclitaxel are all active agents in gastrointestinal cancers; the combination, FOLFIRABRAX, has not been previously evaluated. UDP Glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 (UGT1A1) clears SN-38, the active metabolite of irinotecan. polymorphism reduces UGT1A1 enzymatic activity and predisposes to toxicity.

Recurrent MALT lymphoma presenting as renal calyceal-pelvic rupture. What is the cause of this break?

Urinary collecting system rupture is an uncommon condition that usually occurs with symptoms of acute abdomen, secondary to peritoneal irritation by urine leaking. We report a case of a 49-year-old man admitted to our emergency department because of a worsening deep lower abdominal pain started 3 days before. The abdominal computed tomography revealed urine extravasation suggesting for urinoma.

Optimisation of [C]-choline synthesis.

The importance of [C]-choline as a PET/CT marker has been extensively described, although its production presents considerable technical difficulties. The main ones are short half-lives and the occurrence of dimethylformamide (DMF) as a residual solvent. While the losses resulting from the radionuclide decay can be minimised by shortening the duration of the process, the best solution for reducing the content of DMF is its elimination from the reaction environment.

18-Fluorodeoxy-Glucose Positron Emission Tomography- Computed Tomography (18-FDG-PET/CT) for Gross Tumor Volume (GTV) Delineation in Gastric Cancer Radiotherapy.

Purpose: Evaluation of the 18-fluorodeoxy-glucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography (18-FDGPET/ CT) for gross tumor volume (GTV) delineation in gastric cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy. Methods: In this study, 29 gastric cancer patients (17 unresectable and 7 inoperable) were initially enrolled for radical chemoradiotherapy (45Gy/25 fractions + chemotherapy based on 5 fluorouracil) or radiotherapy alone (45Gy/25 fractions) with planning based on the 18-FDG-PET/CT images. Five patients were excluded due to excess blood glucose levels (1), false-negative positron emission tomography (1) and distant metastases revealed by 18-FDG-PET/CT (3).