Publications by authors named "F R Di Pietro"
Background: As an extended analysis of the COVID-DELAY study, we aimed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on diagnosis, staging, and survival outcomes among patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosis performed from 2019 to 2022.
Methods: All consecutive newly diagnosed CRC patients referred to 11 Italian Oncology Departments between March and December 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 were enrolled. Access rate, demographics, diagnostic-therapeutic temporal intervals, and first-line progression-free survival (PFS) and OS among metastatic patients were assessed.
Article Synopsis
- When patients with metastatic melanoma do not respond to PD-1 inhibitors, ipilimumab may be a viable second-line treatment option in the absence of clinical trials.
- A study of 44 patients who received ipilimumab showed significant differences in overall survival based on genetic mutations (BRAF, NRAS) and the presence of brain metastases, with wildtype patients having the best survival rate.
- The findings suggest that ipilimumab remains an effective therapy especially for those without brain metastases, highlighting the importance of genetic profile in treatment outcome.
Article Synopsis
- Immunotherapy using anti-PD-1 antibodies has improved outcomes for advanced melanoma patients, but resistance to treatment is common.
- This study analyzed the efficacy and safety of a weekly carboplatin plus paclitaxel (wCP) chemotherapy regimen in 30 patients who previously underwent anti-PD-1 treatment.
- Key findings showed a median progression-free survival of 3.25 months and overall survival of 7.69 months, with notable factors influencing outcomes including LDH levels and tumor characteristics.
Background: Stage III surgically resected melanoma is a disease at high risk of recurrence. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and the target therapy with BRAF and MEK inhibitors significantly changed the outcome of patients with metastatic melanoma and several studies have also shown their benefit in the adjuvant setting for the delay of recurrence in stage III melanoma patients. Hyperprogression disease was observed as a possible adverse response to immunotherapy in the metastatic setting, suggesting that some patients could face additional risk of progression with ICIs, although no consensus was found for the correct definition of this event.
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- The study evaluated the effectiveness of MRI sequences (T1-TSE, T2-TSE, and 3D FLAIR) with and without the Compressed-SENSE technique by measuring contrast, contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).
- A total of 142 MRI images were analyzed, with regions of interest marked by radiologists to assess differences in CNS structures (white matter, grey matter, cerebrospinal fluid).
- Results showed that while Compressed-SENSE improved image quality in specific T1-TSE sequences, it had mixed effects on contrast values in other sequences, ultimately demonstrating its potential for faster MRI scans without compromising essential diagnostic information.