Instrumental activities of daily living in older patients with metastatic prostate cancer: results from the meet-URO network ADHERE prospective study.

Instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) are significant health indicators closely related to executive functions and able to detect mild cognitive impairment. A decline in IADL usually precedes ADL limitation, including taking medications, and may therefore predict a cognitive decline. We aimed to investigate the association of patients' IADL score with other clinical factors, with a particular focus on the presence of a caregiver, and the impact on adherence to androgen receptor pathway inhibitors (ARPIs) and survival outcomes within the Meet-URO 5-ADHERE study.

Time to strategy failure and treatment beyond progression in pretreated metastatic renal cell carcinoma patients receiving nivolumab: analysis of the Meet-URO 15 study.

Background: Immunotherapies exhibit peculiar cancer response patterns in contrast to chemotherapy and targeted therapy. Some patients experience disease response after initial progression or durable responses after treatment interruption. In clinical practice, immune checkpoint inhibitors may be continued after radiological progression if clinical benefit is observed.

Consolidative thoracic radiation therapy for extensive-stage small cell lung cancer in the era of first-line chemoimmunotherapy: preclinical data and a retrospective study in Southern Italy.

Background: Consolidative thoracic radiotherapy (TRT) has been commonly used in the management of extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC). Nevertheless, phase III trials exploring first-line chemoimmunotherapy have excluded this treatment approach. However, there is a strong biological rationale to support the use of radiotherapy (RT) as a boost to sustain anti-tumor immune responses.

Life Experience of Survivors of Gynecologic Cancers: A Survey Conducted in Italy.

Background: The study of health-related quality of life in survivors of gynecologic cancers is becoming increasingly important as 1.5 million survivors of gynecologic cancer in the United States and more are expected due to advances in diagnosis and treatment. This project investigated the perceived needs and lived experiences of survivors of gynecological cancer to help design supportive activities to be implemented in clinical practice.

The role of the caregiver in older patients with advanced prostate cancer: results from the ADHERE Prospective Study of the Meet-URO network.

Purpose: To assess caregivers' characteristics and influence of the presence or absence of the caregiver on clinical outcomes of older (≥70 years) metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients treated with abiraterone (ABI) or enzalutamide (ENZ).

Methods: Patients from the Meet-URO 5 ADHERE study were assessed with a 5-item caregiver evaluation questionnaire focusing on the presence, age, degree of kinship, working status and qualification of the caregiver. We investigated the association between the presence of a caregiver and the clinical characteristics and outcomes of enrolled patients.

The Geriatric G8 Score Is Associated with Survival Outcomes in Older Patients with Advanced Prostate Cancer in the ADHERE Prospective Study of the Meet-URO Network.

Androgen receptor pathway inhibitors (ARPIs) have been increasingly offered to older patients with prostate cancer (PC). However, prognostic factors relevant to their outcome with ARPIs are still little investigated. The Meet-URO network ADHERE was a prospective multicentre observational cohort study evaluating and monitoring adherence to ARPIs metastatic castrate-resistant PC (mCRPC) patients aged ≥70.

Adherence to Oral Treatments in Older Patients with Advanced Prostate Cancer, the ADHERE Study: A Prospective Trial of the Meet-URO Network.

Background: Novel androgen receptor signaling inhibitors for prostate cancer (PC) impose the burden of self-administration on older patients overwhelmed by the requirement of many other concomitant medications.

Patients And Methods: This study evaluated the proportion of non-adherence in a 12-month follow-up period and the first 3 months to abiraterone (ABI) or enzalutamide (ENZ). In a prospective multicenter observational cohort study, patients with metastatic castration-resistant PC (mCRPC) aged ≥70 years receiving ABI or ENZ pre- or post-docetaxel were enrolled.

Virtual Multidisciplinary Tumor Boards: A Narrative Review Focused on Lung Cancer.

To date, the virtual multidisciplinary tumor boards (vMTBs) are increasingly used to achieve high-quality treatment recommendations across health-care regions, which expands and develops the local MTB team to a regional or national expert network. This review describes the process of lung cancer-specific MTBs and the transition process from face-to-face tumor boards to virtual ones. The review also focuses on the project organization's description, advantages, and disadvantages.

Adherence to abiraterone or enzalutamide in elderly metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Purpose: To evaluate adherence to abiraterone or enzalutamide for the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).

Methods: In an observational prospective cohort study, we monitored patients with mCRPC for their adherence to abiraterone or enzalutamide in the pre- or post-chemotherapy setting.

Results: Fifty-eight patients with median age of 76 years (range 56-94), age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity score of 10 (range, 4-15), and geriatric G8 score of 14 (range, 6-17) were enrolled.

[Vinflunine: still an option for patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma following immune-checkpoint inhibitors?].

Introduction: The treatment of metastatic urothelial cancer (mUC) following first-line standard platinum-based chemotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) is not yet established.

Material And Methods: We investigated the activity and toxicity of vinflunine at the dose, due to previous treatments, of 280 mg i.v.

INfluenza Vaccine Indication During therapy with Immune checkpoint inhibitors: a transversal challenge. The INVIDIa study.

Aim: Considering the unmet need for the counseling of cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (CKI) about influenza vaccination, an explorative study was planned to assess flu vaccine efficacy in this population.

Methods: INVIDIa was a retrospective, multicenter study, enrolling consecutive advanced cancer outpatients receiving CKI during the influenza season 2016-2017.

Results: Of 300 patients, 79 received flu vaccine.

Efficacy and tolerability of paclitaxel, ifosfamide, and cisplatin as a neoadjuvant chemotherapy in locally advanced cervical carcinoma.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of a neoadjuvant paclitaxel, ifosfamide, and cisplatin chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced cervical carcinoma.

Methods: Patients with histologically confirmed locally advanced cervical carcinoma, aged ≥18 years, were treated with intravenous ifosfamide 5,000 mg/m² and mesna 5,000 mg/m², on day 1; intravenous paclitaxel 175 mg/m² and cisplatin 75 mg/m², on day 2; every 3 weeks for three cycles. Following chemotherapy, operable patients underwent radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy, and, if necessary, adjuvant radiotherapy.

A three-drug induction chemotherapy with gemcitabine, carboplatin, and paclitaxel for stage III non-small cell lung cancer.

The aim of the study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a three-drug chemotherapy regimen including gemcitabine, carboplatin, and paclitaxel as induction therapy in clinical stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients aged 18-75 years, ECOG PS 0-1, with unresectable clinical stage IIIA or IIIB NSCLC suitable for definitive radiation treatment, were treated in a phase II study with i.v.

CXCR4 and CXCL12 immunoreactivities differentiate primary non-small-cell lung cancer with or without brain metastases.

Synchronous or metachronous brain metastases (BMs) occur in about 33% of patients affected by non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). To date, no reliable biological marker is able to identify patients who will develop BMs. In the present study, using a quantitative double-labeling immunofluorescence analysis, we evaluated the expression of chemokine CXCL12 and its receptor, CXCR4, in primary NSCLC histological specimens of patients with and without BMs.

Anticancer oral therapy: emerging related issues.

The use of oral anticancer drugs has shown a steady increase. Most patients prefer anticancer oral therapy to intravenous treatment primarily for the convenience of a home-based therapy, although they require that the efficacy of oral therapy must be equivalent and toxicity not superior than those expected with the intravenous treatment. A better patient compliance, drug tolerability, convenience and possible better efficacy for oral therapy as compared to intravenous emerge as the major reasons to use oral anticancer agents among oncologists.

Elevated chromogranin A (CgA) serum levels in the patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.

The neuroendocrine differentiation in PC could potentially represent a new finding with diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic implications. This study aimed at evaluating the clinical usefulness of CgA as a neuroendocrine (NE) serum-marker. We investigated the role of the serum concentration of CgA in a study group of patients with PC.