Cytoreductive surgery followed by hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy applications in upper and lower gastrointestinal cancer, a review.

Peritoneal metastases (PM) are the spread of tumor forms into the peritoneum as metastases from another organ. PM is a frequent condition in metastatic gastrointestinal cancer (colorectal, gastric, pancreatic, appendiceal, and cholangiocarcinoma); their presence confers a poor prognosis, reducing patient survival. The standard treatment consists of systemic chemotherapy according to current guidelines.

Resectable gastric cancer: should we apply a tailored surgical strategy according to microsatellite status?

Background: High microsatellite instability (MSI) represents a small subgroup of gastric cancer (GC) with favorable prognostic and predictive significance. This study aimed to investigate locoregional lymph node (LN) involvement, overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and the interplay between molecular subtypes and histologic profiles regarding survival outcomes in MSI GC vs microsatellite stability (MSS) GC.

Methods: This study included 72 patients with GC who underwent surgery with or without chemotherapy from 2017 to 2023.

Management of overlapping immune-related myocarditis, myositis, and myasthenia in a young patient with advanced NSCLC: a case report.

Immunotherapy is increasingly used in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), offering a significant anti-tumor response, as well as causing rising immune-related adverse effects. The incidence of immune checkpoint inhibitor-induced myocarditis-myositis-myasthenia gravis is increasing and particularly concerning due to its high mortality rate. Prompt recognition, diagnosis, and management are crucial.

Sjögren syndrome induced by anti PDL-1 treatment for TNBC: case report and review of literature.

Background: Rheumatological toxicity associated with immunotherapy, particularly Sjögren's syndrome (SjS), has been observed with variable incidence in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Although SjS is a well-known autoimmune disease, its occurrence as an immune-related adverse event (irAE) during cancer treatment is less well understood. Current literature documents a range of incidence rates and clinical manifestations of SjS in patients undergoing ICI therapy, highlighting the need for early diagnosis and multidisciplinary management.

Sidedness and Molecular Pattern in Defining the Risk of Lymph Node Metastasis in Nonmetastatic Colorectal Cancer: Single-Center Retrospective Study.

: Lymphadenectomy plays a central role in the treatment of localized colon cancer. While in left colon cancer the D3 lymphadenectomy/CME is considered the standard of care, lymphatic stations to be removed in right colon cancer are still a matter of discussion. The individuation of LNM risk factors could help in choosing the lymphadenectomy in right-sided tumors.

Leptomeningeal Carcinomatosis in Early Gastric Cancer: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Leptomeningeal carcinomatosis (LC) is a rare site of metastasis in solid tumors, and it is associated with poor prognosis due to disabling symptoms and a scarcity of treatment options. This condition is an uncommon entity in gastric cancer (GC). We present a case of primary LC manifestation in a patient with an incidental diagnosis of localized node-negative GC.

Datopotamab deruxtecan: A novel antibody drug conjugate for triple-negative breast cancer.

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) represents the breast cancer subtype with least favorable outcome because of the lack of effective treatment options and its molecular features. Recently, ADCs have dramatically changed the breast cancer treatment landscape; the anti-TROP2 ADC Sacituzumab Govitecan has been approved for treatment of previously treated, metastatic TNBC patients. The novel ADC Datopotecan-deruxtecan (Dato-DXd) has recently shown encouraging results for TNBC.

Is CT Radiomics Superior to Morphological Evaluation for pN0 Characterization? A Pilot Study in Colon Cancer.

The aim of this study was to compare CT radiomics and morphological features when assessing benign lymph nodes (LNs) in colon cancer (CC). This retrospective study included 100 CC patients (test cohort) who underwent a preoperative CT examination and were diagnosed as pN0 after surgery. Regional LNs were scored with a morphological Likert scale (NODE-SCORE) and divided into two groups: low likelihood (LLM: 0-2 points) and high likelihood (HLM: 3-7 points) of malignancy.

Retrospective Correlation between First Drug Treatment Duration and Survival Outcomes in Sequential Treatment with Regorafenib and Trifluridine/Tipiracil in Refractory Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: A Real-World Subgroup Analysis.

: Patients with refractory metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) rarely receive third-line or further treatment. In this context, regorafenib (R) and trifluridine/tipiracil (T) are two important novel therapeutic choices with statistically significant increases in overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and disease control, with different toxicity profiles. This study is a subgroup analysis of our larger retrospective study, already published, whose objective was to assess the outcomes of patients when R and T were given sequentially.

Management of radiation-induced oral mucositis in head and neck cancer patients: a real-life survey among 25 Italian radiation oncology centers.

Aim: Radiation-induced oral mucositis (RIOM) is the most frequent side effect in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients treated with curative radiotherapy (RT). A standardized strategy for preventing and treating RIOM has not been defined. Aim of this study was to perform a real-life survey on RIOM management among Italian RT centers.

Treatment Settings and Outcomes with Regorafenib and Trifluridine/Tipiracil at Third-Line Treatment and beyond in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: A Real-World Multicenter Retrospective Study.

Background: Patients with refractory mCRC rarely undergo third-line or subsequent treatment. This strategy could negatively impact their survival. In this setting, regorafenib (R) and trifluridine/tipiracil (T) are two key new treatment options with statistically significant improvements in overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and disease control with different tolerance profiles.

The management of oligometastatic disease in colorectal cancer: Present strategies and future perspectives.

Oligometastatic disease has been described as an intermediate clinical state between localized cancer and systemically metastasized disease. Recent clinical studies have shown prolonged survival when aggressive locoregional approaches are added to systemic therapies in patients with oligometastases. The aim of this review is to outline the newest options to treat oligometastatic colorectal cancer (CRC), also considering its molecular patterns.

The role of CXCL12 axis in pancreatic cancer: New biomarkers and potential targets.

Introduction: Chemokines are small, secreted peptides involved in the mediation of the immune cell recruitment. Chemokines have been implicated in several diseases including autoimmune diseases, viral infections and also played a critical role in the genesis and development of several malignant tumors. CXCL12 is a homeostatic CXC chemokine involved in the process of proliferation, and tumor spread.

Capecitabine and Temozolomide (CAPTEM) in Advanced Neuroendocrine Neoplasms (NENs): A Systematic Review and Pooled Analysis.

Background: Retrospective studies and single center experiences suggest a role of capecitabine combined with temozolomide (CAPTEM) in neuroendocrine tumors (NENs).

Methods: We performed a systematic review to assess the efficacy and safety of CAPTEM in patients affected with NENs, with the aim to better clarify the role of this regimen in the therapeutic algorithm of NENs.

Results: A total of 42 articles and 1818 patients were included in our review.

Electrochemotherapy for solid tumors: literature review and presentation of a novel endoscopic approach.

Background: Electrochemotherapy (ECT) is a minimally invasive and safe treatment gaining positive and long-lasting antitumoral results that are receiving the attention of the scientific community. It is a local treatment that combines the use of electroporation and the administration of cytotoxic drugs to induce cell death in the target tissue. ECT is largely used for the treatment of cutaneous and subcutaneous lesions, and good results have been reported for the treatment of deep visceral tumors.

The Challenge of ICIs Resistance in Solid Tumours: Could Microbiota and Its Diversity Be Our Secret Weapon?

The human microbiota and its functional interaction with the human body were recently returned to the spotlight of the scientific community. In light of the extensive implementation of newer and increasingly precise genome sequencing technologies, bioinformatics, and culturomic, we now have an extraordinary ability to study the microorganisms that live within the human body. Most of the recent studies only focused on the interaction between the intestinal microbiota and one other factor.

Hepatocellular Carcinoma Drug-Eluting Bead Transarterial Chemoembolization (DEB-TACE): Outcome Analysis Using a Model Based On Pre-Treatment CT Texture Features.

(1) Introduction and Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate the prognostic value, in terms of response and survival, of CT-based radiomics features for patients with HCC undergoing drug-eluting beads transarterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE). (2) Materials and Methods: Pre-treatment CT examinations of 50 patients with HCC, treated with DEB-TACE were manually segmented to obtain the tumor volumetric region of interest, extracting radiomics features with TexRAD. Response to therapy evaluation was performed basing on post-procedural CT examination compared to pre-procedural CT, using modified RECIST criteria for HCC.

CT based radiomic approach on first line pembrolizumab in lung cancer.

Clinical evaluation poorly predicts outcomes in lung cancer treated with immunotherapy. The aim of the study is to assess whether CT-derived texture parameters can predict overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with first line Pembrolizumab. Twenty-one patients with NSLC were prospectively enrolled; they underwent contrast enhanced CT (CECT) at baseline and during Pembrolizumab treatment.

Drug-Drug Interactions and Pharmacogenomic Evaluation in Colorectal Cancer Patients: The New Drug-PIN System Comprehensive Approach.

Drug-drug interactions (DDIs) can affect both treatment efficacy and toxicity. We used Drug-PIN (Personalized Interactions Network) software in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients to evaluate drug-drug-gene interactions (DDGIs), defined as the combination of DDIs and individual genetic polymorphisms. Inclusion criteria were: (i) stage II-IV CRC; (ii) ECOG PS (Performance status sec.

Combination Therapy of High-Dose Rabeprazole Plus Metronomic Capecitabine in Advanced Gastro-Intestinal Cancer: A Randomized Phase II Trial.

Background: In recent years, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) have been investigated at high-dose to modulate tumor microenvironment acidification thus restoring chemotherapeutic sensitivity. This is the first trial to study activity and safety of repurposing high dose rabeprazole combined with metronomic capecitabine (mCAP).

Methods: A phase II study in which patients with gastrointestinal cancer, refractory to standard treatments, who had a life expectancy >3 months, were blind randomized 1:1 to mCAP, 1500 mg/daily, continuously with or without rabeprazole 1.

Evaluation of Prognostic Factors for Survival in Transverse Colon Cancer.

Although most of the analyses included transverse colon cancers (TCC) among right colon cancer (RCC), it is not completely clear if they present total similarities with RCC or if they have their specific features. Therefore, we present an observational study to evaluate clinicopathological characteristics and survival data of patients with TCC. We retrospectively reviewed 450 RCC, of whom 97 stages I-IV TCC were included in this multicenter study; clinicopathological and molecular parameters were analyzed to identify prognostic factors for disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS).