Single-Agent Trabectedin Versus Physician's Choice Chemotherapy in Patients With Recurrent Ovarian Cancer With -Mutated and/or BRCAness Phenotype: A Randomized Phase III Trial.

Purpose: Literature evidence suggests that trabectedin monotherapy is effective in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer (OC) presenting mutation and/or BRCAness phenotype.

Methods: A prospective, open-label, randomized phase III MITO-23 trial evaluated the activity and safety of trabectedin 1.3 mg/m given once every 3 weeks (arm A) in mutation carriers or patients with BRCAness phenotype (ie, patients who responded to ≥two previous platinum-based treatments) with recurrent OC, primary peritoneal carcinoma, or fallopian tube cancer in comparison with physician's choice chemotherapy in the control arm (arm B; pegylated liposomal doxorubicin, topotecan, gemcitabine, once-weekly paclitaxel, or carboplatin).

Consensus statements and treatment algorithm to guide clinicians in the selection of maintenance therapy for patients with newly diagnosed, advanced ovarian carcinoma: Results of a Delphi study.

Introduction: Standard treatment of newly diagnosed, advanced ovarian carcinoma (OC) consists of cytoreductive surgery followed by platinum-based chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab. Maintenance therapy with PARP inhibitors and olaparib-bevacizumab has recently shown to significantly improve progression-free survival in the first-line setting. Some practical aspects of maintenance therapy, however, are still poorly defined.

Neoadjuvant systemic treatment in breast cancer surgery: is it always worth it?

Background: Surgeons perspective of breast cancer (BC) treatment has deeply changed in recent time. We investigated survival outcomes of BC patients who underwent Neoadjuvant systemic treatment (NAT) before surgery and to assess the role of NAT in determining possible prognosis.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed a total of 2372 BC patients consecutively enrolled in our prospective institutional database.

Impact of psychosocial, behavioral and lifestyle factors on subjective cognitive complaints and perceived quality of life in a large cohort of Italian breast cancer patients.

The impact of psychosocial and behavioral factors on Cancer Related Cognitive Impairment manifestations is still under debate. Study's purpose is to determine the prevalence rate of cancer related cognitive impairment in a cohort of Italian breast cancer patients and to evaluate the implication of specific behavioral factors. For these purposes, a total of 233 women (106 breast cancer patients and 127 age-matched controls without oncological diagnosis) completed a questionnaire investigating cognitive functionality (FACT-Cog v3.

Comparison between male and female breast cancer survival using propensity score matching analysis.

Male breast cancer (MBC) is a rare disease. The few studies on MBC reported conflicting data regarding survival outcomes compared to women. This study has two objectives: to describe the characteristics of a single-cohort of MBC and to compare overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) between men and women using the propensity score matching (PSM) analysis.

Direct comparison of three different mathematical models in two independent datasets of EUSOMA certified centers to predict recurrence and survival in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer: impact on clinical practice.

Purpose: Prediction algorithms estimating survival rates for breast cancer (BC) based upon risk factors and treatment could give a help to the clinicians during multidisciplinary meetings. The aim of this study was to evaluate accuracy and clinical utility of three different scores: the Clinical Treatment Score Post-5 Years (CTS5), the PREDICT Score, and the Nottingham Prognostic Index (NPI).

Methods: This is a retrospective cohort analysis conducted on prospectively recorded databases of two EUSOMA certified centers (Breast Unit of Trieste Academic Hospital and of Cremona Hospital, Italy).

The Extracellular Matrix Influences Ovarian Carcinoma Cells' Sensitivity to Cisplatinum: A First Step towards Personalized Medicine.

The development of personalized therapies for ovarian carcinoma patients is still hampered by several limitations, mainly the difficulty of predicting patients' responses to chemotherapy in tumor cells isolated from peritoneal fluids. The main reason for the low predictive power of in vitro assays is related to the modification of the cancer cells' phenotype induced by the culture conditions, which results in changes to the activation state and drug sensitivity of tumor cells compared to their in vivo properties. We have defined the optimal culture conditions to set up a prognostic test to predict high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) patients' responses to platinum chemotherapy.

Adjuvant trastuzumab cardiotoxicity in patients over 60 years of age with early breast cancer: a multicenter cohort analysis.

Background: Adjuvant Trastuzumab with chemotherapy is the gold standard for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive early breast cancer (HER2+ EBC). Older patients have been largely under-represented in clinical trials, and few data on Trastuzumab cardiotoxicity have been reported in this subgroup.

Patients And Methods: Four hundred and ninety-nine consecutive HER2+ EBC patients were treated with adjuvant trastuzumab and chemotherapy (aTrastC) at 10 Italian institutions.

An induction dose of epoetin alpha of 40 000 IU daily for three consecutive days increases and maintains hemoglobin levels in anemic cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Background: This pilot study was conducted to evaluate the feasibility, activity, and safety of an induction dose of epoetin alpha in cancer patients with moderate or severe anemia who were receiving chemotherapy.

Patients And Methods: Thirty patients with solid tumors and hemoglobin (Hb) levels <11.0 g/dl were enrolled.

Tamoxifen alone versus adjuvant tamoxifen for operable breast cancer of the elderly: long-term results of the phase III randomized controlled multicenter GRETA trial.

Background: To evaluate the efficacy of tamoxifen as primary treatment in women aged over 70 years with operable breast cancer versus surgery followed by adjuvant tamoxifen.

Patients And Methods: Patients randomly received tamoxifen alone (160 mg day 1, then 20 mg/day) for 5 years or surgery followed by tamoxifen (20 mg/day) for 5 years. Overall survival was the main study end point; secondary objectives included breast cancer survival and local control of the disease.

A phase II study of cisplatin and vinorelbine in patients with metastatic breast cancer.

Background: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the combination of cisplatin and vinorelbine in metastatic breast cancer.

Patients And Methods: Cisplatin (80 mg/m(2) day 1) and vinorelbine (25 mg/m(2) days 1 and 8) were administrated every 3 weeks to 52 patients (mean age 57 years; range 35-75 years) with metastatic breast cancer. Thirty-two patients were previously untreated for metastatic disease.

[Gastroprotection in cancer patients: rational approach, pharmacologic role of antisecretory agents and eventual ulterior prospectives in oncology].

In view of the large number of cancer patients treated with FANS and/or corticosteroids for long periods of time. Authors discuss how the use of antisecretory drugs for gastroprotection has become common practice in spite of the lack of clear scientific evidence. The paper analyses the principal mechanisms of gastrotoxicity of FANS, essentially associated with the inhibition of prostaglandins and consequent reduction of the secretion of mucous and bicarbonate.

[Effectiveness of sequential administration of G-CSF and GM-CSF after antineoplastic chemotherapy in patients with advanced tumors: results of a randomized trial].

Recent in vitro data have shown that growth factors are more effective when used in combination. This synergy between cytokines, when translated in a clinical setting, should permit a reduction of dosage, and therefore of toxicity. We sought to determine whether the sequential administration of low doses of G-CSF followed by low doses of GM-CSF could be effective both in protecting from neutropenia, and in reducing side effects.

The combination of metoclopramide, methylprednisolone and ondansetron against antiblastic-delayed emesis: a randomised phase II study.

The aim of the study was to verify whether the combination of an antiserotoninergic, metoclopramide, and a steroid could improve the complete control (CC) of delayed emesis, a contraversial issue, 105 patients undergoing highly-emetogenic chemotherapy, receiving Ondansetron (O) 8 mg + Dexamethasone 20 mg i.v. for the prevention of acute emesis, were randomly treated p.

Role of vaginal surgery in the 1st stage endometrial cancer. Experience of the Florence School.

The role of vaginal surgery in first stage endometrial carcinoma is reviewed. Out of total of 231 patients with endometrial cancer, observed at the Gynecologic Clinic of Florence from 1977 to 1981, 187 were at Stage I and 180 of them were submitted to surgery. During the period 1977-1979, the treatment protocol recommended vaginal hysterectomy; since 1980 abdominal surgery has prevailed.

[Yersinia enterocolitica: biotypes and serotypes isolated from horticultural products].

A survey has been carried out for the presence of Yersinia enterocolitica (Y.e.) in horticultural products.

[First isolation of Yersinia enterocolitica in several horticultural products intended usually to be consumed fresh].

A survey has been carried out for the presence of Yersinia enterocolitica in horticultural products. 60 samples of these vegetables have been examined among the families of Compositae (lettuce, prickly lettuce, cabbage lettuce, common chicory), Ombrelliferae (curly parsley, carrot, celery, fennel) and Crociferae (garden cabbage). This is the first isolation of Y.