Vitamin D, acute respiratory infections, and Covid-19: The curse of small-size randomised trials. A critical review with meta-analysis of randomised trials.

Background: Randomised trials conducted from 2006 to 2021 indicated that vitamin D supplementation (VDS) was able to prevent severe COVID-19 and acute respiratory infections (ARI). However, larger randomised trials published in 2022 did not confirm the health benefits of VDS in COVID-19 patients.

Objective: To examine through a systematic review with meta-analysis the characteristics of randomised trials on VDS to COVID-19 patients and admission to intensive care unit (ICU), and of randomised trials on VDS for the prevention of ARI.

Upgrading your best chances: postdiagnosis smoking cessation boosts life expectancy of patients with cancer - a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BackgroundTobacco use is linked to increased cancer risk, and people who smoke represent a large proportion of newly diagnosed patients with cancer. The fact that smoking cessation at the time of diagnosis can improve the patient's life expectancy is still not broadly understood. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to quantify the survival benefits obtainable by quitting smoking on diagnosis.

Methodological issues in radiomics: impact on accuracy of MRI for predicting response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer.

Aim: To investigate whether methodological aspects may influence the performance of MRI-radiomic models to predict response to neoadjuvant treatment (NAT) in breast cancer (BC) patients.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a systematic review until March 2023. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed to combine the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) values.

Effect of Distress, Anxiety, and Depressive Symptoms on SARS-CoV-2 mRNA BNT162b2 Vaccine Efficacy in Cancer Patients.

Background/objectives: Our previous study of 291 cancer patients, we showed that 20% did not respond to two doses of COVID-19 vaccine administered six weeks apart.

Methods: Here, we investigated if psychological factors (distress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms) affected antibody response and markers of vaccine activation (D-dimer) after 6 months from initial vaccination.

Results: Overall, 31 subjects (14.

Metastasis-directed stereotactic radiotherapy and systemic treatment continuation for patients with oligoprogressive metastatic breast cancer.

Background: About 15-20 % of patients with metastatic breast cancer (mBC) can experience oligoprogressive disease (OPD) in ≤ 5 sites of disease. Patients with OPD may benefit from metastasis-directed stereotactic radiotherapy (SBRT) to all sites of cancer progression while maintaining the same systemic treatment, aiming to prolong the time to next systemic treatment (NEST). This study aims to assess the outcomes provided by this multimodal strategy.

An international survey on the knowledge, attitudes and clinical patterns of use of medical cannabis for cancer care: The TASMAN study.

Background: Medical cannabis (MC) has gained traction in oncology for managing cancer-related symptoms, but its integration faces challenges due to limited evidence, inconsistent guidelines, and varied legal frameworks.

Methods: The TASMAN study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of oncologists and palliative care providers globally regarding MC use in cancer care. A survey of healthcare providers from diverse regions and income levels was conducted.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Delay of Melanoma Diagnosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Introduction: Several studies have described how the restrictive measures due to COVID-19 have delayed melanoma diagnoses, resulting in an increased rate of more severe cases. Summarizing the sparse results in this context might help to understand the real impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on melanoma. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate how the clinical and prognostic factors of new melanoma diagnoses changed after COVID-19.

Evaluation of a training course for general practitioners within the melanoma multimedia education programme of the Italian Melanoma Intergroup: a study protocol.

The text discusses the role of general practitioners (GPs) in the prevention and early diagnosis of melanoma, a type of skin cancer. It highlights the need for GPs to be able to recognize suspicious skin lesions and refer patients to specialist dermatology centers. However, many GPs lack comprehensive training in diagnosing melanoma.

Comparative diagnostic efficacy of abbreviated and full protocol breast MRI: a systematic review and a meta-analysis.

Objectives: This meta-analysis compares the efficacy, limitations, and clinical implications of abbreviated breast MRI (AB-MRI) and full protocol MRI (FP-MRI), focusing on diagnostic accuracy across diverse populations. It extends previous analyses by including studies conducted after 2019 in both screening and diagnostic contexts.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review (November 2019 to December 2022), using a bivariate model to calculate summary estimates of sensitivity and specificity.

A Transcriptomic Analysis of Laryngeal Dysplasia.

This article describes how the transcriptional alterations of the innate immune system divide dysplasias into aggressive forms that, despite the treatment, relapse quickly and more easily, and others where the progression is slow and more treatable. It elaborates on how the immune system can change the extracellular matrix, favoring neoplastic progression, and how infections can enhance disease progression by increasing epithelial damage due to the loss of surface immunoglobulin and amplifying the inflammatory response. We investigated whether these dysregulated genes were linked to disease progression, delay, or recovery.

Low dose TamOxifen and LifestylE changes for bReast cANcer prevention (TOLERANT study): Study protocol of a randomized phase II biomarker trial in women at increased risk for breast cancer.

Background: Breast Cancer (BC) prevention strategies range from lifestyle changes such as increasing physical activity and reducing body weight to preventive drugs like tamoxifen, known to reduce BC incidence in high-risk women. Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) is related to BC risk due to its ability to bind circulating estradiol at high affinity and to regulate estradiol action. A study protocol is presented based on the assessment of the effect of different interventions such as tamoxifen at 10 mg every other day (LDT), intermittent caloric restriction (ICR) two days per week, lifestyle intervention (LI, step counter use) and their combination on the modulation of SHBG and several other biomarkers associated to BC.

Drug and biomarker tissue levels in a randomized presurgical trial on exemestane alternative schedules.

The drug's activity at the target tissue could help to define the minimal effective dose to promote cancer preventive therapy. Here we present exemestane and sex hormone concentrations within breast tissue from a presurgical study of alternative exemestane schedules. Postmenopausal women candidates for breast surgery for estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer were randomly assigned to exemestane 25 mg once daily (QD), 25 mg 3 times/week (TIW), or 25 mg per week (QW) for 4-6 weeks before surgery.

Interstitial lung disease in patients enrolled in early-phase clinical trials: the ILDE study.

Background: Interstitial lung disease (ILD) encompasses a heterogeneous group of disorders sharing pathophysiological inflammatory mechanisms, leading to parenchymal distortions. The prevalence of ILD with new cancer drugs is underreported: the identification of potential determinants is priority.

Materials And Methods: ILDE is a retrospective study aimed at describing the clinical course and potential determinants of ILD in patients receiving experimental treatments.

Image-Guided Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy on Detectable Prostate Bed Recurrence after Prostatectomy in RT-Naïve Patients.

Unlabelled: Purpose or Objective-The aim of the study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of SBRT on detectable prostate bed recurrence in RT-naïve prostate cancer patients.

Materials And Methods: Eighty-six patients who underwent SBRT for macroscopic bed recurrence after prostatectomy were retrospectively included. Patients were treated based on mpMRI or choline/PSMA PET.

A Mediation Analysis of Obesity and Adiponectin Association with Postmenopausal Breast Cancer Risk: A Nested Cohort Study in the International Breast Cancer Intervention Study II (IBIS-II) Prevention Trial.

Obesity is a risk factor for postmenopausal breast cancer (BC), and evidence suggests a role for adiponectin in the relationship between obesity and BC. We investigated whether adiponectin or other biomarkers mediate the effect of body mass index (BMI) on postmenopausal BC risk in a cohort study nested in the IBIS-II Prevention Trial. We measured adiponectin, leptin, IGF-I, IGFBP-1, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, glycemia, insulin, HOMA-IR index, and SHBG in baseline and 12-month serum samples from 123 cases and 302 matched controls in the placebo arm of the IBIS-II Prevention trial.

Effect of age on safety and efficacy of novel cancer drugs investigated in early-phase clinical trials.

Background: Elderly patients are underrepresented in clinical trials, particularly in early-phase studies. Our study assessed the safety and efficacy of novel anti-cancer treatments investigated in early-phase clinical trials, comparing outcomes between younger and elderly patients.

Methods: This retrospective study analyzed data from patients enrolled in phase I/II trials at our center between January 2014 and April 2021.

Circulating tumor DNA-based assessment of molecular residual disease in non-metastatic melanoma.

In patients with resected non-metastatic melanoma, the liquid biopsy for the assessment of molecular residual disease (MRD) by circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) represents a promising tool to stratify the risk and to monitor tumour evolution. However, its validation requires the demonstration of analytical validity, clinical validity and utility. Indeed, the development of sensitive and specific assays can optimize prognostication and eventually help clinicians to modulate adjuvant treatments, in order to improve clinical outcomes.

Delphi consensus on stereotactic ablative radiotherapy for oligometastatic and oligoprogressive renal cell carcinoma-a European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology study endorsed by the European Association of Urology.

The purpose of this European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO) project, endorsed by the European Association of Urology, is to explore expert opinion on the management of patients with oligometastatic and oligoprogressive renal cell carcinoma by means of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) on extracranial metastases, with the aim of developing consensus recommendations for patient selection, treatment doses, and concurrent systemic therapy. A questionnaire on SABR in oligometastatic renal cell carcinoma was prepared by a core group and reviewed by a panel of ten prominent experts in the field. The Delphi consensus methodology was applied, sending three rounds of questionnaires to clinicians identified as key opinion leaders in the field.

CDH1 Genotype Exploration in Women With Hereditary Lobular Breast Cancer Phenotype.

Importance: Pathogenic or likely pathogenic (P/LP) germline CDH1 variants are associated with risk for diffuse gastric cancer and lobular breast cancer (LBC) in the so-called hereditary diffuse gastric cancer (HDGC) syndrome. However, in some circumstances, LBC can be the first manifestation of this syndrome in the absence of diffuse gastric cancer manifestation.

Objectives: To evaluate the frequency of germline CDH1 variants in women with the hereditary LBC (HLBC) phenotype, somatic CDH1 gene inactivation in germline CDH1 variant carriers' tumor samples, and the association of genetic profiles with clinical-pathological data and survival.