Publications by authors named "Anna Viola"
Inter-Rater Disagreements in Applying the Montreal Classification for Crohn's Disease: The Five-Nations Survey Study.
United European Gastroenterol J
January 2025
Background: The Montreal classification has been widely used in Crohn's disease since 2005 to categorize patients by the age of onset (A), disease location (L), behavior (B), and upper gastrointestinal tract and perianal involvement. With evolving management paradigms in Crohn's disease, we aimed to assess the performance of gastroenterologists in applying the Montreal classification.
Methods: An online survey was conducted among participants at an international educational conference on inflammatory bowel diseases.
Article Synopsis
- - The paper discusses recurrent pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA) with leptomeningeal dissemination, emphasizing the difficult management of such cases and the potential benefits of radiotherapy for symptom relief and extending life.
- - A specific case is described of a 27-year-old woman with recurrent anaplastic PXA who, after multiple treatments and disease progressions, benefited from radiotherapy to the spinal axis, achieving clinical stability.
- - This case highlights the significance of considering palliative radiotherapy as a strategy to enhance quality of life and possibly prolong survival for patients with challenging PXA conditions.
Background And Aim: Suboptimal disease control (SDC) and its contributing factors in IBD according to STRIDE-II criteria is unclear. IBD-PODCAST was a non-interventional, international, multicenter real-world study to assess this.
Methods: Data from the Italian IBD cohort (N=220) are presented here.
Background/aim: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of lattice radiotherapy (LRT) for large, inoperable breast cancers.
Patients And Methods: In this prospective study, patients who underwent LRT for breast tumors that were ulcerating/fungating/extensively eroding the chest wall, and were ineligible/unwilling for surgery, were enrolled from May 2021 to Nov 2023. Baseline Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) status, pre- and post-LRT numerical rating scale (NRS), and post-LRT changes in quality of life (QoL) were recorded.
Article Synopsis
- Glioblastomas are aggressive brain tumors that disrupt the glymphatic system, which affects how the brain drains waste and could influence disease severity.
- Research highlighted significant changes in lymphatic outflow and cerebrospinal fluid drainage in glioblastoma patients, suggesting the glymphatic system plays a critical role in managing these tumors.
- The study emphasizes the need for future research to understand the molecular mechanisms behind these changes and to improve treatment strategies, including drug delivery and immunotherapy.
Purpose: This systematic review aims to investigate the role of nuclear imaging techniques in detecting incidentalomas and their impact on patient management.
Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive literature search was conducted from February to May 2022. Studies in English involving patients undergoing nuclear medicine studies with incidental tumor findings were included.
Introduction: Patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) receiving immunosuppressive drugs are at substantial risk of colectomy. We aimed to assess the risk of postoperative complications of tofacitinib exposure before colectomy in comparison with biologics.
Methods: A multicenter, retrospective, observational study was conducted in patients with UC who underwent total colectomy for medically refractory disease, exposed to tofacitinib or a biologic before surgery.
Article Synopsis
- A study examined the psychological factors affecting 84 patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), focusing on issues like anxiety, depression, and quality of life.
- Findings revealed low to moderate health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and anxiety levels, with women reporting worse outcomes than men.
- The research highlighted the need for integrated psychological treatment strategies in managing chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, emphasizing the influence of coping styles and defense mechanisms on mental health.
Aim: Radiation-induced oral mucositis (RIOM) is the most frequent side effect in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients treated with curative radiotherapy (RT). A standardized strategy for preventing and treating RIOM has not been defined. Aim of this study was to perform a real-life survey on RIOM management among Italian RT centers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Real-world evidence is needed to determine the value of tofacitinib (TOFA) for the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC).
Aim: To assess the safety and effectiveness of TOFA in clinical practice.
Methods: TOFA-UC is a multicenter, observational study performed among the Sicilian Network for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (SN-IBD).
Background And Aims: Older patients with ulcerative colitis treated with tofacitinib are at risk for major cardiovascular events, thromboembolism, herpes zoster, and malignancies and, accordingly, its use is limited by the regulatory authorities. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the occurrence of adverse events and potential preventive measures.
Methods: We retrospectively evaluated patients treated with tofacitinib, divided into two groups according to comorbidities and age.
Background/aim: This study aimed to assess whether the patient's abdominal adiposity affects the performance of the Exactrac imaging system compared to the cone beam computed tomography (CBCT)-based setup, which was used as the reference positioning for the image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) delivery to patients with localized prostate cancer.
Patients And Methods: The daily positionings of patients with localized prostate cancer undergoing definitive or adjuvant/salvage radiotherapy (RT) were analyzed. The abdominal fat areas and pelvic incidence angle were determined on the CT simulation for each patient.
With the introduction of more and more monoclonal antibodies selectively targeting various mediators of the immune system, together with Janus-Kinase (JAK)-inhibitors with variable affinities towards different JAK subtypes, the available therapeutic options for the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) have undergone an acceleration in the last five years. On the other hand, the prevalence of IBD patients over 65-years-old is steadily increasing, and, with this, there is a large population of patients that presents more comorbidities, polypharmacy, and, more frequently, frailty compared to younger patients, exposing them to potentially major risks for adverse events deriving from newer therapies, e.g.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Hand acrometastases are rare, and it's hard for doctors to agree on how to treat them, but new methods like stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) are looking promising.
- A patient with lung cancer had a painful hand issue treated with SBRT, which involved giving a specific dose of radiation over five days.
- The treatment was successful, as the pain and the problem in the hand disappeared, and there weren't any serious side effects, suggesting SBRT might be a good option for this type of cancer problem.
Background: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), including ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD), are chronic and disabling diseases that affect patient health-related quality of life (HRQoL). IBD patients are frequently exposed to high levels of stress and psychological distress. Biological drugs have been proven to reduce inflammation, hospitalization, and most of the complications that characterize IBDs; their potential contribution to patients' HRQoL remains to be explored.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- MIS-C is a serious condition in children linked to COVID-19 that leads to an overactive immune response.
- A study analyzed 40 MIS-C patients, finding that they had high inflammatory markers and altered immune cell types during different phases of the disease.
- Understanding the immune changes in MIS-C could guide better treatments for diseases caused by immune system dysfunction.
Purpose: To investigate the ability of radiotherapy (RT) to prolong progression-free survival (PFS) and to report treatment-related toxicities among oligoprogressive metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma (mMCC) patients on avelumab.
Methods: We retrospectively collected clinical data on mMCC patients who underwent radiotherapy for limited progression on avelumab. Patients were categorized as primary or secondary immune refractory depending on the time of onset of resistance to immunotherapy (at the first or subsequent follow-up visits after avelumab initiation).
Background And Aim: Postoperative recurrence (POR) following ileocolonic resection is a major concern in patients with Crohn's disease (CD). The role of ustekinumab (UST) in this setting is poorly known.
Methods: All consecutive CD patients with a baseline colonoscopy at 6-12 months from ileocolonic resection showing POR (Rutgeerts score ≥ i2) who were treated with UST after the baseline colonoscopy and with an available post-treatment endoscopy, were extracted from the cohort of the Sicilian Network for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (SN-IBD).
Article Synopsis
- New treatments for ulcerative colitis (UC) exist, but there's still a lack of clear predictors for poor outcomes in patients, prompting an evaluation of factors linked to chronic active disease.
- A study of 345 UC patients, followed for an average of over 6.5 years, found that those with extensive colitis at diagnosis had higher rates of chronic active disease and surgeries later on.
- Key findings revealed that non-adherence to treatment was the only significant predictor of chronic active disease, emphasizing the importance of patient compliance and monitoring in managing UC effectively.
Objective: The aim of this work is to define a methodological strategy for the minimally invasive tubular retractor (MITR) parafascicular transulcal approach (PTA) for the management of brain tumors sited in eloquent areas.
Methods: An observational prospective study was designed to evaluate the benefits of PTA associated with MITRs, tractography and intraoperative cortical stimulation. They study was conducted from June 2018 to June 2021.
Comparison of two strategies for the management of postoperative recurrence in Crohn's disease patients with one clinical risk factor: A multicentre IG-IBD study.
United European Gastroenterol J
April 2023
Article Synopsis
- The study examines the management of postoperative recurrence (POR) in Crohn's disease (CD) patients after surgery, focusing on whether early immunosuppression is necessary for those with just one risk factor.
- The research involved comparing two groups: one receiving immediate immunosuppression after surgery and another guided by endoscopy, measuring endoscopic and clinical recurrence rates.
- Results showed no significant differences in recurrence rates between the two groups, indicating immediate immunoprophylaxis may not be beneficial, suggesting the need for further prospective studies.
Article Synopsis
- Palliative care is a special type of medical help that aims to make seriously ill patients feel better during their sickness.
- In a research project, a lot of articles were looked at about palliative care for brain cancer patients in ICUs, but only 15 were chosen to include in the study.
- The study found that palliative care for these patients is very important but not used enough, and more research is needed to improve care and communication about end-of-life issues.
Article Synopsis
- The WHO's fifth edition classification of CNS tumors introduces advancements in diagnosing tumors like gliomas.
- Radiomics has rapidly evolved, enabling correlations between tumor imaging and molecular characteristics, particularly focusing on glioblastoma.
- Current findings suggest radiomics holds promise for enhancing patient management and timely diagnosis, especially for patients with limited treatment options, but further research is needed to align it with the latest molecular guidelines.