The emerging role of Artificial Intelligence in proton therapy: A review.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has made a tremendous impact in the space of healthcare, and proton therapy is not an exception. Proton therapy has witnessed growing popularity in oncology over recent decades, and researchers are increasingly looking to develop AI and machine learning tools to aid in various steps of the treatment planning and delivery processes. This review delves into the emergent role of AI in proton therapy, evaluating its development, advantages, intended clinical contexts, and areas of application.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis exhibits sex differences in people with HIV.

Objectives: People with HIV are at increased risk for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). Although sex differences are documented in the general population, their role in the context of HIV is less understood.

Methods: This was a multicentre cohort study including people with HIV without viral hepatitis coinfection.

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.

Photon vs proton hypofractionation in prostate cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: High-level evidence on hypofractionated proton therapy (PT) for localized and locally advanced prostate cancer (PCa) patients is currently missing. The aim of this study is to provide a systematic literature review to compare the toxicity and effectiveness of curative radiotherapy with photon therapy (XRT) or PT in PCa.

Methods: PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library databases were systematically searched up to April 2022.

Can we predict pathology without surgery? Weighing the added value of multiparametric MRI and whole prostate radiomics in integrative machine learning models.

Objective: To test the ability of high-performance machine learning (ML) models employing clinical, radiological, and radiomic variables to improve non-invasive prediction of the pathological status of prostate cancer (PCa) in a large, single-institution cohort.

Methods: Patients who underwent multiparametric MRI and prostatectomy in our institution in 2015-2018 were considered; a total of 949 patients were included. Gradient-boosted decision tree models were separately trained using clinical features alone and in combination with radiological reporting and/or prostate radiomic features to predict pathological T, pathological N, ISUP score, and their change from preclinical assessment.

Oral Surgery and Osteoradionecrosis in Patients Undergoing Head and Neck Radiation Therapy: An Update of the Current Literature.

Osteoradionecrosis (ORN) is a serious long-term complication of head and neck radiotherapy (RT), which is often triggered by dental extractions. It results from avascular aseptic necrosis due to irradiated bone damage. ORN is challenging to treat and can lead to severe complications.

More than Five Decades of Proton Therapy: A Bibliometric Overview of the Scientific Literature.

Background: The therapeutic potential of proton therapy (PT) was first recognized in 1946 by Robert Wilson, and nowadays, over 100 proton centers are in operation worldwide, and more than 60 are under construction or planned. Bibliometric data can be used to perform a structured analysis of large amounts of scientific data to provide new insights, e.g.

Cyberknife Radiosurgery for Prostate Cancer after Abdominoperineal Resection (CYRANO): The Combined Computer Tomography and Electromagnetic Navigation Guided Transperineal Fiducial Markers Implantation Technique.

In this technical development report, we present the strategic placement of fiducial markers within the prostate under the guidance of computed tomography (CT) and electromagnetic navigation (EMN) for the delivery of ultra-hypofractionated cyberknife (CK) therapy in a patient with localized prostate cancer (PCa) who had previously undergone chemo-radiotherapy for rectal cancer and subsequent abdominoperineal resection due to local recurrence. The patient was positioned in a prone position with a pillow under the pelvis to facilitate access, and an electromagnetic fiducial marker was placed on the patient's skin to establish a stable position. CT scans were performed to plan the procedure, mark virtual points, and simulate the needle trajectory using the navigation system.

Impact of inter-observer variability on first axillary level dosimetry in breast cancer radiotherapy: An AIRO multi-institutional study.

This study quantified the incidental dose to the first axillary level (L1) in locoregional treatment plan for breast cancer. Eighteen radiotherapy centres contoured L1-L4 on three different patients (P1,2,3), created the L2-L4 planning target volume (single centre planning target volume, SC-PTV) and elaborated a locoregional treatment plan. The L2-L4 gold standard clinical target volume (CTV) along with the gold standard L1 contour (GS-L1) were created by an expert consensus.

A Serological Analysis of the Humoral Immune Responses of Anti-RBD IgG, Anti-S1 IgG, and Anti-S2 IgG Levels Correlated to Anti-N IgG Positivity and Negativity in Sicilian Healthcare Workers (HCWs) with Third Doses of the mRNA-Based SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: With SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests on the market, healthcare providers must be confident that they can use the results to provide actionable information to understand the characteristics and dynamics of the humoral response and antibodies (abs) in SARS-CoV-2-vaccinated patients. In this way, the study of the antibody responses of healthcare workers (HCWs), a population that is immunocompetent, adherent to vaccination, and continuously exposed to different virus variants, can help us understand immune protection and determine vaccine design goals.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated antibody responses via multiplex assays in a sample of 538 asymptomatic HCWs with a documented complete vaccination cycle of 3 doses of mRNA vaccination and no previous history of infection.

and Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci from Bloodstream Infections: Frequency of Occurrence and Antimicrobial Resistance, 2018-2021.

Background: The abuse of antibiotics during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic might have disrupted efforts to curb the further development and spread of the antimicrobial resistance of infection and spp. coagulase-negative (CoNS) agents of nosocomial bloodstream infections (NBSIs). The purpose of our work was to study the resistance patterns of and CoNS through the analysis of blood cultures in hospitalized SARS-CoV-2-positive and SARS-CoV-2-negative patients (pts.

Fibroscan-Aspartate Aminotransferase Score Predicts Liver-Related Outcomes, but Not Extrahepatic Events, in a Multicenter Cohort of People With Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is frequent in people with human immunodeficiency virus (PWH). The Fibroscan-aspartate aminotransferase (FAST) score was developed to identify patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and significant fibrosis. We investigated prevalence of NASH with fibrosis and the value of FAST score in predicting clinical outcomes in PWH.

Comparison of automated segmentation techniques for magnetic resonance images of the prostate.

Background: Contouring of anatomical regions is a crucial step in the medical workflow and is both time-consuming and prone to intra- and inter-observer variability. This study compares different strategies for automatic segmentation of the prostate in T2-weighted MRIs.

Methods: This study included 100 patients diagnosed with prostate adenocarcinoma who had undergone multi-parametric MRI and prostatectomy.

Perceptions of U = U Among Italian Infectious Diseases Specialists: A Nationwide Survey on Providers' Attitudes Toward the Risk of HIV Transmission in Virologically Suppressed Patients.

This survey aimed to understand how far the Italian infectious diseases (ID) specialists are confident in the "Undetectable = Untransmittable" (U = U) message and translate this concept into clinical practice. An anonymous survey was distributed by e-mail to 286 clinicians to collect their opinions regarding six situations potentially at risk of HIV transmission between virologically suppressed patients and seronegative individuals who possibly require postexposure prophylaxis (PEP). Overall, 51% of ID specialists deemed zero risk of HIV transmission through condomless sex for undetectable patients.

Quality assurance for automatically generated contours with additional deep learning.

Objective: Deploying an automatic segmentation model in practice should require rigorous quality assurance (QA) and continuous monitoring of the model's use and performance, particularly in high-stakes scenarios such as healthcare. Currently, however, tools to assist with QA for such models are not available to AI researchers. In this work, we build a deep learning model that estimates the quality of automatically generated contours.

Diagnosis of liver fibrosis in ageing patients with HIV at risk for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in Italy and Canada: assessment of a two-tier pathway.

Background: Since the introduction of effective antiretroviral therapy, liver-related mortality has increased ten-fold in ageing people with HIV. This trend is driven by ageing-related metabolic conditions that cause non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which affects 35-65% of people with HIV. Clinically significant (stage 2-4) liver fibrosis develops in over 15% of people with HIV who have NAFLD.

Two-Tier Care Pathways for Liver Fibrosis Associated to Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in HIV Mono-Infected Patients.

(1) Background: Developing strategies to identify significant liver fibrosis in people with HIV (PWH) is crucial to prevent complications of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We aim to investigate if five simple serum biomarkers applied to PWH can optimize a care pathway to identify significant liver fibrosis defined by transient elastography (TE). (2) Methods: A two-tier fibrosis pathway was applied to three prospective cohorts of PWH undergoing TE with CAP.

"Dangerous liaisons: NAFLD and liver fibrosis increase cardiovascular risk in HIV".

Objectives: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is strongly associated with cardiovascular disease in the general population. We aimed to assess the impact of NAFLD and liver fibrosis on intermediate-high cardiovascular risk in people living with HIV.

Methods: We included people living with HIV from three cohorts.

Biomarkers Predict In-Hospital Major Adverse Cardiac Events in COVID-19 Patients: A Multicenter International Study.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic carries a high burden of morbidity and mortality worldwide. We aimed to identify possible predictors of in-hospital major cardiovascular (CV) events in COVID-19.

Methods: We retrospectively included patients hospitalized for COVID-19 from 10 centers.

Interplay between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and cardiovascular risk in an asymptomatic general population.

Background And Aims: Non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFLD) is a major cause of liver disease worldwide leading also to a higher risk of cardiovascular events. We aimed to evaluate the impact of fatty liver and fibrosis on cardiovascular risk in a general population.

Methods: Five hundred and forty-two subjects included in the community-based ABCD (Alimentazione, Benessere Cardiovascolare e Diabete) study were recruited.

Adjuvant radiotherapy in node positive prostate cancer patients: a debate still on. when, for whom?

Objective: To evaluate the impact of adjuvant radiotherapy (aRT) in patients with prostate cancer (PCa) found to have pathological positive lymph nodes (pN1s) after radical prostatectomy (RP) and extended pelvic lymph node dissection (ePLND) with regard to distant recurrence-free survival (RFS), according to both main tumour pathological characteristics and number of positive lymph nodes. Biochemical RFS, local RFS, overall survival (OS) and acute and late toxicity were assessed as secondary endpoints.

Patients And Methods: A retrospective cohort of 187 consecutive patients with pN1 PCa were treated with aRT at the IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy.

Prevalence, Predictors, and Severity of Lean Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Patients Living With Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

Background: The burden of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is growing in people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). NAFLD is associated with obesity; however, it can occur in normoweight (lean) patients. We aimed to investigate lean NAFLD in patients living with HIV.

Prediction of Esophageal Varices by Liver Stiffness and Platelets in Persons With Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection and Compensated Advanced Chronic Liver Disease.

Background: People living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLWH) are at increased risk of cirrhosis and esophageal varices. Baveno VI criteria, based on liver stiffness measurement (LSM) and platelet count, have been proposed to avoid unnecessary esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) screening for esophageal varices needing treatment (EVNT). This approach has not been validated in PLWH.

Physicians' Knowledge and Application of Immunization Strategies in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Survey of the Italian Group for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Background: No data on European countries about knowledge and application of immunization strategies in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are available.

Objectives: We designed a questionnaire aimed at exploring these issues among Italian gastroenterologists dealing with adult and paediatric IBD.

Methods: An anonymous, 24-item, questionnaire was sent via e-mail to all members of the Italian Group for the study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease.