Publications by authors named "Elena Delmastro"

In order to understand the relation among ankle instability, peroneal disorders, and cavovarus deformity, it is mandatory to clarify the different stages of those disorders and also to put them into relation to each other. Finally, we need to take the patients compliance and expectations into consideration to define the individually right way of treatment.

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Background: Preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is the standard treatment for T3-4 rectal cancer. Here, we compared image-guided and intensity-modulated RT (IG-IMRT) with a simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) (instead of concomitant chemotherapy) versus CRT in a multi-centric randomized trial.

Methods: cT3-4 rectal cancer patients were randomly assigned to receive preoperative IG-IMRT 46 Gy/23 fractions plus capecitabine 825 mg/m² twice daily (CRT arm) or IG-IMRT 46 Gy/23 fractions with an SIB to the rectal tumor up to a total dose of 55.

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Background: The concept of dual mobility (DM) is currently approved as a valid option for reducing the risk of dislocation, with an incidence ranging from 0% to 4.6%. The principle is to achieve a high joint stability through a large diameter polyethylene (PE) liner, and to reduce cutting forces due to a "low-friction" head-liner coupling mechanism.

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Engineering T cells to express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) specific for antigens on hematological cancers has yielded remarkable clinical responses, but with solid tumors, benefit has been more limited. This may reflect lack of suitable target antigens, immune evasion mechanisms in malignant cells, and/or lack of T cell infiltration into tumors. An alternative approach, to circumvent these problems, is targeting the tumor vasculature rather than the malignant cells directly.

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The Authors report a case of a 46 years old man affected by severe acute respiratory syndrome caused by Novel Coronavirus 2019 and admitted to our hospital. The patient required continuous positive airway pressure therapy (CPAP) in the hospital ward and subsequently orotracheal intubation while in intensive care unit. The patient laid in lateral decubitus position for several hours every day while receiving CPAP therapy.

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CoViD-19 epidemic started in China in late December 2019, and soon spread, turning into a pandemic. All medical specialties have soon been involved in the management of CoViD-19 patients; the daily Orthopaedic activity has been affected profoundly by this dramatic health emergency. The present paper aims to summarize all the measures and changes that had to be made in order to avoid the healthcare system collapse in the most affected areas, and provides an operative flowchart.

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Purpose: REQUITE aimed to establish a resource for multi-national validation of models and biomarkers that predict risk of late toxicity following radiotherapy. The purpose of this article is to provide summary descriptive data.

Methods: An international, prospective cohort study recruited cancer patients in 26 hospitals in eight countries between April 2014 and March 2017.

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Background: To evaluate the outcome of patients treated with salvage radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy and to investigate the effects of independent predictors on survival.

Methods: From January 2000 to December 2015, 234 patients with biochemical/clinical recurrences after radical prostatectomy were submitted to salvage radiotherapy (SRT). One hundred and fifty-seven patients (67%) received three-dimensional (3D) conformal radiotherapy while 77 patients (33%) were treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) or IMRT/image-guided radiotherapy by tomotherapy.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study aimed to evaluate the factors affecting survival outcomes in prostate cancer patients who underwent external beam radiotherapy, focusing on cancer-specific survival (CSS), biochemical disease-free survival (BDFS), and clinical disease-free survival (CDFS).
  • - Over 1,000 patients were analyzed, with significant prognostic factors identified as the Gleason Score and initial PSA levels, along with others like positive lymph nodes and treatment preparation for those at higher risk.
  • - Findings corroborate existing research on prognostic factors while introducing the influence of rectal/bladder preparation on treatment outcomes, suggesting it may impact more than just treatment toxicity.
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Purpose: We focused the attention on radiation therapy practices about the gynecological malignancies in Piedmont, Liguria, and Valle d'Aosta to know the current treatment practice and to improve the quality of care.

Material And Methods: We proposed a cognitive survey to evaluate the standard practice patterns for gynecological cancer management, adopted from 2012 to 2014 by radiotherapy (RT) centers with a large amount of gynecological cancer cases. There were three topics: 1.

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Background: The aim of this paper was to report definitive outcome of prostate cancer patients treated with dose escalation during a period of 12.5 years.

Methods: From October 1999 to March 2012 we treated 1080 patients affected by prostate cancer, using External Beam Radiotherapy (EBRT).

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Unfortunately, erroneous author affiliations were published in the article "Tomotherapy PET-guided dose escalation – A dosimetric feasibility study for patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma". The correct list of author affiliations reads as follows: Angelo Maggio 1, Claudia Cutaia 1, Amalia Di Dia 1, Sara Bresciani 1, Anna Miranti 1, Matteo Poli 1, Elena Delmastro 2, Elisabetta Garibaldi 2, Pietro Gabriele 2 and Michele Stasi 1. 1: Medical Physics Department, Candiolo Cancer Institute – FPO, IRCCS, Turin, Italy.

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Background: Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare tumor in the adult. The main therapy is surgery but in some cases radiotherapy may be needed to control the disease locally.

Methods: A patient with a surgically removed bulky ACC and pathologic finding of a positive margin was treated at our center by adjuvant mitotane and radiotherapy using an intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)/image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) technique by tomotherapy.

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Background: The aim of this paper was to present our experience of dominant intraprostatic lesions (DIL) irradiation up to an EQD2 of 93,2 Gy with helical tomotherapy.

Methods: Between March 2012 and December 2014, 15 staged II-III patients with intermediate-high risk prostate cancer were enrolled in our protocol of DIL dose escalation by Tomotherapy. All patients were submitted to a multiparametric MRI (including DCE and DWI series), in order to visualize DILs.

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Chondrosarcomas are non-epithelial malignant, slow growing tumors that usually involve pelvis, ribs, and long bones of extremities, scapula and sternum. Median age at diagnosis for head and neck chondrosarcomas is in the fourth decade. The etiopathogenesis of chondrosarcomas remains unknown.

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In this paper we describe a case of extramammary Paget's disease associated with anal cancer, which was successfully treated by intensity-modulated radiotherapy using tomotherapy with a simultaneous integrated boost and daily image guidance. The main pitfall in this report is the relatively short follow-up (1 year), which means that the evaluated data is promising but not conclusive. Considering the rarity and wide extension of our patient's Paget's disease in the anogenital region, and the lack of literature reports about curative radiotherapy in this particular setting, this case report may be considered the first related to extensive extramammary Paget's disease treated by tomotherapy.

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Background: The aim of this work was to determine the technical feasibility and safety of extended-field radiotherapy (EF), performed by Helical TomoTherapy, in patients with positive pelvic and/or para-aortic nodes. Dosimetric data were collected and acute and sub-acute toxicities of the upper abdominal organs at risk (OAR) were evaluated.

Methods: Twenty-nine patients suitable for EF irradiation for local disease and/or nodal disease in the pelvic or para-aortic area were treated.

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Aims And Background: To report the survey about the main aspects on the use of radiotherapy for the treatment of rectal cancer in Piedmont and Liguria.

Methods And Study Design: Sixteen centers (11 from Piedmont and 5 from Liguria) received and answered by email a questionnaire data base about clinical and technical aspects of the treatment of rectal cancer. All data were incorporated in a single data base and analyzed.

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Introduction: Extra-adrenal paragangliomas are rare tumors arising from neuroendocrine cells. Sporadic and hereditary forms have been recognized. Among the latter, the PGL1 and PGL4 syndromes are associated with a high risk of multiple localizations.

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Aims And Background: Major salivary gland cancers are rare, with many histologic types and subtypes. The low incidence and heterogeneity of primary parotid carcinomas makes their outcome difficult to evaluate. Treatment remains primarily surgical, but optimal therapeutic regimens have yet to be fully realized.

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Aims And Background: Laryngeal cancer treatment options include radical surgery, "organ preservation surgery", radiotherapy and chemotherapy. There is no proven evidence of a significant increase in late toxicity with adjuvant radiotherapy after conservative surgery. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the toxicity, local-regional control and overall survival of adjuvant radiotherapy after conservative surgery.

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Aims And Background: A number of documents assess the need for quality assurance in radiotherapy, which must be constantly monitored and possibly improved. In this regard, a system that confirms the quality of a department has been suggested and quality indicators have been used to improve the quality of the service. The National Health Service (Istituto Superiore di Sanità) approved a National Research Project to increase the quality of radiotherapy.

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Aims And Background: Postoperative radiation is often given in cases of cervical chordoma because of the high incidence of local recurrence. The tumor mass usually surrounds the spinal cord and infiltrates vertebral bone. A combined technique using protons or electrons to boost the initial photon fields is generally applied.

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