Publications by authors named "Angelo Platania"
Introduction And Aim: Locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (LA-Hnscc) is a true therapeutical challenge in the modern era and the scientific community is trying to face this challenge with new therapeutical strategies, including combinations of monoclonal antibodies and radiation therapy. The aim of this study is to evaluate clinical outcomes in LA-Hnscc patients unfit to receive platinum-based chemotherapy, treated with concurrent simultaneous integrated boost-intensity modulated radiotherapy (Sib-Imrt) + cetuximab (Ctx) in daily clinical practice.
Methods: LA-Hnscc patients not included in other prospective studies treated in 4 Italian radiotherapy units (2 Messina, 1 Rome, and 1 Lecce) using Sib-Imrt and Ctx were included in this study.
Article Synopsis
- After the PACIFIC trial, the combination of concurrent chemo-radiotherapy followed by 1 year of durvalumab for unresectable NSCLC (non-small cell lung cancer) has become the standard treatment, particularly for patients with a PD-L1 score of ≥ 1%.
- New challenges have emerged in clinical practice, including how to treat patients with specific genetic mutations, manage disease recurrence after surgery, and address cases where patients progress during or after durvalumab therapy.
- A multidisciplinary approach is crucial for managing stage III NSCLC, emphasizing the need for tumor genotyping and re-biopsy for optimal treatment planning and distinguishing between curable and non-curable recurrences.
Purpose: To evaluate the role of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) delivered after external-beam fractionated irradiation in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with clinical stage III A, B.
Materials And Methods: All patients received three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) or intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) (60-66 Gy/30-33 fractions of 2 Gy/5 days a week) with or without concomitant chemotherapy. Within 60 days from the end of irradiation, a SBRT boost (12-22 Gy in 1-3 fractions) was delivered on the residual disease.
Old or very old oncological patients represent a heterogeneous and frail population due to concomitant comorbidities. Whether radiotherapy alone or in combination with novel cancer drugs may provide a clear benefit in this setting of patients is still a matter of debate. The aim of our review is to analyze the evaluation process and the different therapeutic possibilities in older cancer patients, focusing on the different and most disparate applications of radiotherapy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground/aim: To evaluate the impact of sarcopenia in muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) elderly patients submitted to curative radiotherapy.
Patients And Methods: Patients received radiotherapy between 2013 and 2018, and the skeletal muscle index was calculated to classify them as sarcopenic or non-sarcopenic. Primary endpoints were overall survival (OS), cancer specific survival (CSS), 90-day mortality and toxicity.
We present the case of a patient with vaginal mucosal melanoma who underwent complete remission after immunotherapy and '0-7-21' radiotherapy regimen (24 Gy/3 fractions/21 days). An 80-year-old woman had a biopsy of a voluminous vaginal lesion and received a histological diagnosis of melanoma with angiomatoid aspects. The patient underwent immunotherapy with pembrolizumab 2 mg/kg every 3 weeks and was sent to our attention for planning radiotherapy as the extent of the lesion did not make it susceptible to surgery.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAim: To evaluate clinical outcome in locally-advanced stage IV (M0) head and neck cancer patients treated using intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) with simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) in daily clinical practice.
Background: Despite SIB-IMRT has been reported as a feasible and effective advanced head and neck cancer treatment, there are few data about its concurrent use with systemic therapies.
Material And Methods: We reviewed 41 staged IV (M0) head and neck cancer patients treated in two radiotherapy units in the city of Messina (Italy) during the last six years, using intensity modulated techniques-SIB.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to survey Sicilian radiation oncology centers affiliated with AIRO to understand how radio-chemotherapy is integrated in both neoadjuvant and adjuvant settings, along with assessing surgical procedures and treatment toxicity.
- A questionnaire was distributed in late 2017 to gather data from 13 of the 17 radiation oncology centers in Sicily, covering treatment methodologies and outcomes from 2012 to 2016, which represented about 85% of the Sicilian population.
- Results showed that 784 patients were treated, primarily during the neoadjuvant phase (62%), with a median age of 67 years; most received single-agent chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy, while some faced cardiovascular issues, leading to 25
Aim: This study aimed to investigate the prognostic value of the axillary lymph node ratio (i.e. positive axillary nodes to nodes removed) in patients with breast cancer treated with conservative surgery and regional radiotherapy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To evaluate clinical results in elderly and frail patients with bladder cancer treated with curative conformal irradiation alone.
Methods: The records of ambulatory frail elderly patients, age >80 years, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) >5, with invasive bladder cancer, were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were irradiated with curative intent.
Aims: To quantify radiation treatments for bone metastases from breast cancer in three Sicilian provinces (Messina, Catania, Ragusa) with respect to the general population and the incidence and prevalence of breast cancer in this macro-area in a 8-year period.
Methods: All bone metastasis patients treated using radiotherapy in 8 radiation departments operating in the provinces of Messina, Catania and Ragusa were collected. Among these, metastases from breast carcinoma were analyzed according to year of irradiation.