Publications by authors named "Ilaria Billato"
Background: Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) pathogenic variants have been reported in several solid tumors including ovarian cancer (OC), the most lethal gynecologic malignancy, and raised interest as they potentially induce mitochondrial dysfunction and rewiring of cellular metabolism. Despite advances in recent years, functional characterization of mtDNA variants in cancer and their possible modulation of drug response remain largely uncharted.
Methods: Here, we characterized mtDNA variants in OC patient derived xenografts (PDX) and investigated their impact on cancer cells at multiple levels.
Background: Laparoscopic microwave ablation (LMWA) has yet to gain a specific place in treatment guidelines for early hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study compared the outcomes of LMWA and trans-arterial chemoembolization (TACE) for early non-resectable patients with HCC, taking percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (PRFA) as the reference treatment.
Methods: A retrospective multicenter observational study was conducted, enrolling non-transplantable, non-resectable patients who had early HCC treated with LMWA (n = 658) from Padua and Milan centers, and with PRFA (n = 844), and TACE (n = 425) from the ITA.
Article Synopsis
- * In a study of 149 patients aged 60 and older who underwent liver resection between 2014 and 2018, 24.8% were found to be sarcopenic, which significantly impacted their mortality and overall survival rates post-surgery.
- * The findings suggest that sarcopenic patients face poorer outcomes, especially if they experience complications and fail to achieve 'Textbook Outcome' (TO), which correlates with better 5-year survival rates compared to non-s
Article Synopsis
- Recent international guidelines have defined metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), leading to a rise in its prevalence as a reason for liver transplantation (LT) in Italy between 2012 and 2022.
- * An analysis of 1,941 patients with MASLD and 11,201 without MASLD revealed that while the prevalence of MASLD patients waiting for LT increased significantly, it did not independently affect patient survival post-transplant.
- * Patients with non-HCC MASLD faced higher mortality rates on the waiting list but projected better 5-year transplant survival benefits than those without MASLD or HCC.
Article Synopsis
- Liver transplantation (LT) was once thought not to work for a type of cancer called perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (pCCA), but a new method from the Mayo Clinic showed it could help if patients followed strict rules and took certain treatments first.
- In a study of 22 liver transplant centers in Italy, 53 patients with pCCA were looked at, with some getting special treatment before the transplant and others not.
- The results showed that patients who had the pre-treatment did better after 1, 3, and 5 years compared to those who didn’t, leading to talks about making new rules for how to treat this cancer better in Italy.
Background: The 2022 Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) algorithm does not recommend liver resection (LR) in BCLC A patients with oligo-nodular (two or three nodules ≤3 cm) hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This sharply contrasts with the therapeutic hierarchy concept, implying a precise treatment order exists within each BCLC stage. This study aimed to compare the outcomes of LR versus radiofrequency ablation (RFA) or trans-arterial chemoembolization (TACE) in BCLC A patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn the context of spreading interest in textbook outcome (TO) evaluation in different fields, we aimed to investigate an uncharted procedure, that is, laparoscopic microwave ablation (MWA) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Absence of post-MWA complications, a hospital stay of three days, no mortality nor readmission within 30 days, and complete response of the target lesion at post-MWA CT scan defined TO achievement. Patients treated between January 2014 and March 2021 were retrospectively reviewed, and of the 521 patients eligible for the study, 337 (64.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn resected perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (PHC), positive ductal margin (DM) is associated with poor survival. There is currently little knowledge about the impact of positive radial margin (RM) when DM is negative. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence and the role of positive RM.
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