Publications by authors named "Antonio Pazzola"
Background: MAURIS is an Italian multicenter, open-label, phase IIIb ongoing trial, aiming at evaluating the safety and effectiveness of atezolizumab + carboplatin/etoposide in patients with newly diagnosed, extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC). The primary objective is the safety evaluation.
Materials And Methods: Patients received atezolizumab + carboplatin/etoposide Q3W for 4-6 cycles in the induction phase, followed by atezolizumab maintenance Q3W.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates how specific genetic variations (SNPs) in the aromatase gene influence the effectiveness and side effects of aromatase inhibitors like letrozole in postmenopausal women with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer.
- The research involved 886 participants and found that while no SNPs were linked to disease-free survival, certain variations were associated with a higher risk of breast cancer metastasis and overall survival rates.
- The findings suggest that understanding these genetic variations could help personalize treatment strategies for patients undergoing therapy for ER+ early breast cancer.*
Lung cancer is one of the most common and lethal cancers worldwide. Numerous medications targeting specific molecular alterations in non-small cell lung cancer have been introduced in the last decade and have revolutionized the clinical management of the disease. Their use has brought to a parallel evolution of molecular testing techniques to identify alterations in druggable molecular targets within the genetic material of the tumors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Adjuvant chemotherapy is recommended in high-risk breast cancer. However, no universally accepted guidelines exist on pre-chemotherapy assessment. In particular, the number and frequency of medical visits vary according to each institution's policy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEffectiveness of a Psychosocial Care Quality Improvement Strategy to Address Quality of Life in Patients With Cancer: The HuCare2 Stepped-Wedge Cluster Randomized Trial.
JAMA Netw Open
October 2021
Article Synopsis
- A significant number of cancer patients miss out on vital psychosocial care, which is crucial for their overall well-being, and effective integration into healthcare practices is essential for improving patient outcomes.
- The study aimed to compare the effects of the Humanization in Cancer Care (HuCare) Quality Improvement Strategy against standard care on enhancing either emotional or social functions in patients' quality of life over a 3-month period.
- Conducted across multiple cancer centers in Italy, the trial included various interventions like clinician communication training and evidence-based recommendations, with results showing an enrollment of 762 patients and tracked improvements in psychosocial aspects of care.
Background: Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is a proinflammatory cytokine that is secreted by cells infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and it is widely recognized as a negative prognostic factor. The purpose of this study was to analyze the correlations between the olfactory scores determined by psychophysical tests and the serum levels of IL-6 in patients affected by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) METHODS: Patients underwent psychophysical olfactory assessment with Connecticut Chemosensory Clinical Research Center test and IL-6 plasma level determination within 10 days of the clinical onset of COVID-19.
Results: Seventy-four COVID-19 patients were included in this study.
Background: Despite conflicting results, considerable evidence suggests the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms in MTHFR, XRCC1 and OGG1 genes and, risk of developing breast cancer. Here a case-control study is reported, including 135 breat cancer patients and 112 healthy women, all representative of Northern Sardinian population.
Methods: Polymerase chain reaction/restriction fragment length polymorphism method was used to determine the genotypes of five polymorphisms: MTHFR C677T (rs1801133) and A1298C (rs1801131), XRCC1 Arg194Trp (rs1799782) and Arg399Gln (rs25487) and OGG1 Ser326Cys (rs1052133).
Background/aim: Brain metastases are an additional challenge in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) because most chemotherapy agents cannot cross the blood-brain barrier. Nivolumab has demonstrated efficacy in patients with advanced squamous NSCLC, but because patients with central nervous system (CNS) metastases are typically excluded from registration trials, 'field-practice' data are needed.
Patients And Methods: Patients in the Italian cohort of the Expanded Access Program (EAP) who had CNS metastases at baseline were analyzed.
Background: The Italian Renal Cell Cancer Early Access Program was an expanded access program that allowed access to nivolumab, for patients (pts) with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) prior to regulatory approval.
Methods: Pts with previously treated advanced or mRCC were eligible to receive nivolumab 3 mg/kg every 2 weeks. Pts included in the analysis had received ≥1 dose of nivolumab and were monitored for drug-related adverse events (drAEs) using CTCAE v.
Purpose: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a condition with significant clinical burden for patients and relevant economic impact. Limited evidence exists on the management costs of NSCLC patients, especially in the late phases of the disease. The main objective of this analysis was to evaluate the economic impact of clinical management of NSCLC patients in the Italian population.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Activation of oncogenes downstream the EGFR gene contributes to colorectal tumorigenesis and determines the sensitivity to anti-EGFR treatments. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of KRAS, BRAF, NRAS and PIK3CA mutations in a large collection of CRC patients from genetically-homogeneous Sardinian population.
Methods: A total of 1284 Sardinian patients with histologically-proven diagnosis of colorectal carcinoma (CRC) and presenting with metastatic disease were included into the study.
The presence of mutations in the KRAS gene is a predictor of a poor clinical response to EGFR-targeted agents in patients affected by colorectal cancer (CRC), but its significance as a global prognostic factor remains unclear. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of the KRAS mutational status on time to first metastasis (TTM) and overall survival (OS) in a cohort of Sardinian CRC patients. A total of 551 patients with metastatic CRC at the time of enrolment were included.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAssessment of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutational status has become crucial in recent years in the molecular classification of patients with lung cancer. The impact of the type and quantity of malignant cells of the neoplastic specimen on the quality of mutation analysis remains to be elucidated, and only empirical and sporadic data are available. The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of tissue type and content of neoplastic cells in the specimen on the quality of EGFR mutation analysis among patients with lung adenocarcinoma.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Maintenance therapy is associated with improved survival in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but few studies have compared active agents in this setting. AVAPERL evaluated the safety and efficacy of bevacizumab with or without pemetrexed as continuation maintenance treatment.
Patients And Methods: Patients with advanced nonsquamous NSCLC received first-line bevacizumab 7.
Purpose: To compare efficacy of pemetrexed versus pemetrexed plus carboplatin in pretreated patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Patients And Methods: Patients with advanced NSCLC, in progression during or after first-line platinum-based chemotherapy, were randomly assigned to receive pemetrexed (arm A) or pemetrexed plus carboplatin (arm B). Primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS).
Background: Sorafenib has proven efficacy in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). Interferon (IFN) has antiangiogenic activity that is thought to be both dose- and administration-schedule dependent.
Objective: To compare two different schedules of IFN combined with sorafenib.
Background: Role of KRAS, BRAF and PIK3CA mutations in pathogenesis of colorectal cancer (CRC) has been recently investigated worldwide. In this population-based study, we evaluated the incidence rates and distribution of such somatic mutations in genetically isolated population from Sardinia.
Methods: From April 2009 to July 2011, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues (N = 478) were prospectively collected from Sardinian CRC patients at clinics across the entire island.
Background: Complete surgical resection of gastric cancer is potentially curative, but long-term survival is poor.
Methods: Patients with histologically proven adenocarcinoma of the stomach of stages IB, II, IIIA and B, or IV (T4N2M0) and treated with potentially curative surgery were randomly assigned to follow-up alone or to intravenous treatment with four cycles (repeated every 21 days) of PELF (cisplatin [40 mg/m(2), on days 1 and 5], epirubicin [30 mg/m(2), days 1 and 5], L-leucovorin [100 mg/m(2), days 1-4], and 5-fluorouracil [300 mg/m(2), days 1-4] in a hospital setting. Frequencies and severity of adverse events were determined.