Approaches for the preparation and evaluation of hydrophilic polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate microplastic particles suited for toxicological effect studies.

When performing effect studies to investigate the impact of microplastic (MP) on cell lines, algae, or daphnia, it is advantageous if such experiments can be performed without the use of surfactants. The need for surfactants arises from the fact that finely milled pristine MP particles generally are hydrophobic. Methods for the preparation of larger amounts of hydrophilic and hence artificially aged MP particles and approaches for their characterization are of high importance.

Adjuvant immunotherapy in patients with resected gastric and oesophagogastric junction cancer following preoperative chemotherapy with high risk for recurrence (ypN+ and/or R1): European Organisation of Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) 1707 VESTIGE study.

Background: Patients with gastro-oesophageal adenocarcinoma with tumour-positive lymph nodes (ypN+) or positive surgical margins (R1) following neoadjuvant chemotherapy and resection are at high risk of recurrence. Adjuvant nivolumab is effective in oesophageal/oesophagogastric junction cancer and residual pathological disease following chemoradiation and surgery. Immune checkpoint inhibition has shown efficacy in advanced gastro-oesophageal cancer.

The Role of Liquid Biopsy in Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms.

Neuroendocrine neoplasms incidence has been increasing, arising the need for precise and early diagnostic tools. Liquid biopsy (LB) offers a less invasive alternative to tissue biopsy, providing real-time molecular information from circulating tumour components in body fluids. The aim of this review is to analyse the current evidence concerning LB in NENs and its role in clinical practice.

Comparison of Khorana vs. ONKOTEV predictive score to individualize anticoagulant prophylaxis in outpatients with cancer.

Background: Based on the Khorana score, guidelines recommend anticoagulation for primary prophylaxis (PP) in outpatients with cancer with an intermediate-to-high risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). ONKOTEV score has been prospectively externally validated as novel risk assessment model (RAM) with good discriminatory performances but no direct comparisons with Khorana Score are available.

Methods: Using the ONKOTEV validation dataset (n = 425), we applied generalized decision curve analysis (gDCA) which integrates the principles of evidence-based medicine with treatment effects, model accuracy and patient preferences (weighted as the relative value [RV] of avoiding VTE versus major bleeding [MB]).

Unfavorable carcinoma of unknown primary with a gastrointestinal profile: a retrospective study.

Background: Carcinoma of unknown primary (CUP) with a gastrointestinal profile is categorized by the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) guidelines into favorable and unfavorable subsets. Favorable CUPs benefit from site-specific chemotherapy (CT), while the optimal treatment for unfavorable CUPs is still undefined.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a single-center retrospective study to describe outcomes of patients with CUP with a gastrointestinal profile referred to our center from January 2000 to August 2023.

Circulating tumor DNA in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer treated with multimodal treatment.

Background: The management of locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) relies on a multimodal approach. Neither instrumental work-up nor molecular biomarkers are currently available to identify a risk-adapted strategy.

Objectives: We aim to investigate the role of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and its clearance at different timepoints during chemo-radiotherapy (CRT) and correlate them with clinical outcomes.

Textbook outcome as indicator of surgical quality in a single Western center: results from 300 consecutive gastrectomies.

Textbook outcome (TO) has been proposed as a tool to evaluate surgical quality. Textbook oncological outcome (TOO) adds chemotherapeutic compliance to TO. This study was conducted to analyze the TO and TOO of patients with gastric adenocarcinoma who underwent surgery at our center.

Cabozantinib in neuroendocrine tumors: tackling drug activity and resistance mechanisms.

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are highly vascularized malignancies in which angiogenesis may entail cell proliferation and survival. Among the emerging compounds with antivascular properties, cabozantinib (CAB) appeared promising. We analyzed the antitumor activity of CAB against NETs utilizing in vitro and in vivo models.

Promising targetable biomarkers in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours.

Introduction: In the treatment scenario of PanNETs-targeted therapies are desired but limited, as rarity and heterogeneity on PanNETs pose limitations to their development.

Areas Covered: We performed a literature review searching for promising druggable biomarkers and potential treatments to be implemented in the next future. We focused on treatments which have already reached clinical experimentation, although in early phases.

Differences in Physico-Chemical Properties and Immunological Response in Nanosimilar Complex Drugs: The Case of Liposomal Doxorubicin.

This study aims to highlight the impact of physicochemical properties on the behaviour of nanopharmaceuticals and how much carrier structure and physiochemical characteristics weigh on the effects of a formulation. For this purpose, two commercially available nanosimilar formulations of Doxil and their respective carriers were compared as a case study. Although the two formulations were "similar", we detected different toxicological effects (profiles) in terms of in vitro toxicity and immunological responses at the level of cytokines release and complement activation (iC3b fragment), that could be correlated with the differences in the physicochemical properties of the formulations.

Efficacy and safety of systemic chemotherapy for radically resectable esophago-gastric adenocarcinoma in older patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: A significant proportion of locally-advanced esophago-gastric adenocarcinoma (EGA) is diagnosed in patients ≥70 years old (y.o.) who are commonly underrepresented in clinical trials.

International pharmacy survey of peripheral vasopressor infusions in critical care (INFUSE).

Purpose: The primary objective was to determine the proportion of hospitals that administered norepinephrine peripheral vasopressor infusions (PVIs) in critically ill adult patients. Secondary objectives were to describe how norepinephrine is used such as the maximum duration, infusion rate and concentration, and to determine the most common first-line PVI used by country.

Materials And Methods: An international multi-centre cross-sectional survey study was conducted in adult intensive care units in Australia, US, UK, Canada, and Saudi Arabia.

Multimodal treatment for resectable neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix.

Non-metastatic neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix (NECC) is a rare and aggressive disease. Lacking prospective studies, the optimal multimodal treatment approach has not yet been clearly defined. This study aims to assess the clinical outcomes of patients with non-metastatic NECC treated with surgery and (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy, according to pathologic prognostic factors and multimodal treatments received.

Role of microsatellite instability and HER2 positivity in locally advanced esophago-gastric cancer patients treated with peri-operative chemotherapy.

Purpose: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) significantly improved the prognosis of patients with locally advanced gastric cancer (LAGC). Several biomarkers, including HER2 and MMR/MSI are crucial for treatment decisions in the advanced stage but, currently, no biomarkers can guide the choice of NAC in clinical practice. Our aim was to evaluate the role of MSI and HER2 status on clinical outcomes.

Observational Study on Antibody Response to COVID-19 Vaccines in PAtients with Gastro-Entero-PanCreatic Cancers and NeuroendocrIne NeoplAsms on Systemic TreatmEnts (VACCINATE).

The coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic dramatically impacted oncological patients' care. Since the introduction of vaccines and the demonstration of their benefit on frail patients, COVID-19 vaccinations were indicated to also be beneficial to oncological population. However, data about the impact of anticancer-treatments and the timing between vaccinations and systemic therapy delivery were not available.

Validation of the ONKOTEV Risk Prediction Model for Venous Thromboembolism in Outpatients With Cancer.

Importance: The assessment of the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) among outpatients with cancer represents an unsolved topic. Current international guidelines recommend primary prophylaxis for patients at intermediate to high risk of VTE, indicated by a Khorana score of 2 or more. A previous prospective study developed the ONKOTEV score, a 4-variable risk assessment model (RAM) consisting of a Khorana score of more than 2, metastatic disease, vascular or lymphatic compression, and previous VTE event.

Nodal Merkel Cell Carcinoma with Unknown Primary Site and No Distant Metastasis: A Single-Center Series.

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a very rare and aggressive neuroendocrine carcinoma originating from Merkel cells, typically with a skin nodule; however, it exceptionally presents with only a basin lymph node localization, with neither a cutaneous primary site nor distant metastases. From 1996 to 2020, among patients with histologically confirmed MCC managed at a neuroendocrine neoplasm-referral center, we selected those with an exclusive nodal basin, no distant metastasis, and an unknown primary site defined by cross-sectional and physical examination. A total of 55 out of 310 patients fulfilled the selection criteria.

Addressing the Role of Angiogenesis in Patients with Advanced Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors Treated with Everolimus: A Biological Prospective Analysis of Soluble Biomarkers and Clinical Outcomes.

Background: The success of targeted therapies in the treatment of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors has emphasized the strategy of targeting angiogenesis and the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. However, the major challenge in the targeted era remains the early identification of resistant tumors especially when the efficacy is rarely associated to a clear tumor shrinkage at by imaging assessment.

Methods: In this prospective study (NCT02305810) we investigated the predictive and prognostic role of soluble biomarkers of angiogenesis turnover (VEGF, bFGF, VEGFR2, TSP-1) circulating endothelial cells and progenitors, in 43 patients with metastatic panNET receiving everolimus.

Characterization of microparticles derived from waste plastics and their bio-interaction with human lung A549 cells.

Microplastics (MPs) represent a worldwide emerging relevant concern toward human and environmental health due to their intentional or unintentional release. Human exposure to MPs by inhalation is predicted to be among the most hazardous. MPs include both engineered, or primary MPs, and secondary MPs, materials obtained by fragmentation from any plastic good.

Detection and formation mechanisms of secondary nanoplastic released from drinking water bottles.

Since nanoplastics are currently considered potentially hazardous to the environment and human health, reliability of studies on nanoplastic exposure becomes crucial. However, analytical challenges limit our understanding of their formation and detection, thus hampering their biological interactions assessment. Here we provide a combined approach to quantitatively and qualitatively detect the release of nanoplastics in water matrix and, in particular, to measure direct exposure of consumers by simulated use of drinking water plastic bottles.

A randomized phase III study of fractionated docetaxel, oxaliplatin, capecitabine (low-tox) vs epirubicin, oxaliplatin and capecitabine (eox) in patients with locally advanced unresectable or metastatic gastric cancer: the lega trial.

Background: EOX (epirubicin, oxaliplatin, and capecitabine) is one of the standard regimens for metastatic or locally advanced gastric cancer (GC). A new combination based on fractional docetaxel (low-TOX) has been developed in an attempt to increase the efficacy of EOX and reduce the heavy toxicity of classical docetaxel regimens.

Methods: Overall, 169 previously untreated GC patients were randomized between EOX (arm A) and low-TOX (arm B).