Publications by authors named "Liverani C"

Objectives: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors, the most prevalent mesenchymal tumors (80 %) of the gastrointestinal tract, comprise less than 1 % of all gastrointestinal neoplasms and about 5 % of all sarcomas. Despite their rarity, Gastrointestinal stromal tumors present diverse clinical manifestations, anatomic locations, histological subtypes, and prognostic outcomes.

Methods: This scoping review comprehensively explores the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, diagnostic and prognostic modalities, as well as new therapeutic options for Gastrointestinal stromal tumors.

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  • Adipose tissue, or body fat, is more than just a fat store; it helps in cancer growth by providing energy and sending signals that promote tumor activity.
  • Cancer can make fat cells act differently, which creates a cycle that helps the tumor grow even more.
  • The review also talks about how being obese can increase cancer risks and how different diets can influence cancer's development and new treatments for it.
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  • Soft tissue sarcomas make up a rare group of tumors accounting for just 1% of solid cancers, with liposarcoma being a notable subtype.
  • The study focused on 21 patients with atypical lipomatous tumors/well differentiated liposarcoma (ALT/WDLPS) and dedifferentiated liposarcoma (DDLPS), investigating the role of biomarkers CDK4 and MDM2.
  • Results indicated that CDK4 was more highly expressed in DDLPS than in ALT/WDLPS, and the CDK4 inhibitor palbociclib showed promise in a sequential treatment approach when combined with lenvatinib, suggesting a new management strategy for DDLPS.
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Background: Neuroendocrine Carcinomas (NECs) prognosis is poor.No standard second-line therapy is currently recognized after failure of platinum-based first-line treatment. FOLFIRI and CAPTEM regimens have shown promising activity in preliminary studies.

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  • Immunotherapy is becoming an important treatment for sarcomas, which are tumors that can act very differently from each other.
  • Researchers found that understanding the different immune environments in these tumors can help improve treatment results.
  • The presence of specific immune cells called Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes (TIL) may help patients live longer and respond better to immunotherapy, along with certain genes related to the immune system.
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  • The EVI1 gene is linked to a particularly aggressive form of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) characterized by abnormalities on chromosome 3q26.
  • Selective and pan-histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACis) have been identified as effective treatments for this type of leukemia by repressing EVI1 expression.
  • The study suggests that the PA2G4 protein plays a key role in EVI1-related leukemia, and targeting PA2G4 could enhance the effects of HDACis, highlighting the potential for combination therapies in patients with 3q26 AML.
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Myxofibrosarcoma (MFS) is a malignant soft tissue sarcoma (STS) that originates in the body's connective tissues. It is characterized by the presence of myxoid (gel-like) and fibrous components and typically affects patients after the fifth decade of life. Considering the ongoing trend of increasing lifespans across many nations, MFS is likely to become the most common musculoskeletal sarcoma in the future.

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Background: Polymorphous adenocarcinoma (PAC) represents the second most widespread neoplasm of the minor salivary glands. These tumors rarely develop a histological progression from low-grade to high-grade malignancy, named "high-grade transformation" (HGT). Only nine cases are described in literature.

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Myxofibrosarcoma (MFS) and undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS) can be considered as a spectrum of the same disease entity, representing one of the most common adult soft tissue sarcoma (STS) of the extremities. While MFS is rarely metastasizing, it shows an extremely high rate of multiple frequent local recurrences (50-60% of cases). On the other hand, UPS is an aggressive sarcoma prone to distant recurrence, which is correlated to a poor prognosis.

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Tumors are complex and heterogeneous diseases characterized by an intricate milieu and dynamically in connection with surrounding and distant tissues. In the last decades, great efforts have been made to develop novel preclinical models able to recapitulate the original features of tumors. However, the development of an functional and realistic tumor organ is still utopic and represents one of the major challenges to reproduce the architecture of the tumor ecosystem.

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Introduction: Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) are a rare group of tumors exceptionally heterogeneous, with clinical presentation ranging from well differentiated more indolent tumors to poorly differentiated very aggressive forms. Both are often diagnosed after the metastatic spread and require appropriate medical treatment. A high priority need in the management of this disease is the identification of effective therapeutic strategies for advanced and metastatic patients.

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  • Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are rare cancers, with some patients experiencing severe symptoms due to functioning neuroendocrine tumors (F-NETs) that secrete bioactive peptides; existing treatment options are limited.
  • A study analyzed data from 68 patients with progressive metastatic F-NETs who were unresponsive to current treatments, finding that most experienced symptom relief and good disease control with 177 Lu-DOTATATE.
  • Results indicated a median progression-free survival of 33 months and a 2-year overall survival rate of 87.8%, with better outcomes for those who responded to treatment and manageable adverse effects reported.
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In the field of nanomedicine a multitude of nanovectors have been developed for cancer application. In this regard, a less exploited target is represented by connective tissue. Sarcoma lesions encompass a wide range of rare entities of mesenchymal origin affecting connective tissues.

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Objective: The predictors of positive endocervical margin (EM) and a cone-depth cutoff value are not established in the fully visible transformation zone (TZ). The present study aimed to assess the independent variables associated with positive EM in women with high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and fully visible TZ.

Methods: The current investigation was a retrospective study including women with fully visible TZ and CIN 3 cone histology between 2014 and 2019.

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Objective: To evaluate the impact of healthcare reorganization during the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic on Italian colposcopy clinic activities, focusing on cervical excision procedures, follow-ups for conservative management of low-grade lesions, and follow-ups post cervical excision.

Methods: Retrospective study conducted in 14 Italian colposcopy clinics. The number and clinical characteristics of cervical excisions, follow-ups for conservative management of low-grade lesions, and follow-ups after cervical excision were compared between the period March 1, 2019 to February 29, 2020 (pre-pandemic) and March 1, 2020 to February 28, 2021 (pandemic) with a Poisson regression analysis.

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Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of conservative treatment for cervical adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS).

Materials And Methods: This is a retrospective study on women with histologically confirmed AIS on cervical loop electrosurgical excision procedure specimen, treated conservatively between 2008 and 2020 in our center, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan. The main outcome investigated was the risk of recurrence defined as a subsequent finding of recurrent AIS or invasive adenocarcinoma in a long-term follow-up.

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Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are rare neoplasms frequently characterized by an upregulation of the mammalian rapamycin targeting (mTOR) pathway resulting in uncontrolled cell proliferation. The mTOR pathway is also involved in skeletal muscle protein synthesis and in adipose tissue metabolism. Everolimus inhibits the mTOR pathway, resulting in blockade of cell growth and tumor progression.

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Myxofibrosarcoma (MFS) is a common entity of adult soft tissue sarcomas (STS) characterized by a predilection of the extremities and a high local recurrence rate. Originally classified as a myxoid variant of malignant fibrous histiocytoma, this musculoskeletal tumor has been recognized since 2002 as a distinct histotype showing a spectrum of malignant fibroblastic lesions with myxoid stroma, pleomorphism and curvilinear vessels. Currently, the molecular pathogenesis of MFS is still poorly understood and its genomic profile exhibits a complex karyotype with a number of aberrations including amplifications, deletions and loss of function.

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Head and neck cancers (HNCs) represent the sixth most widespread malignancy worldwide. Surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapeutic and immunotherapeutic drugs represent the main clinical approaches for HNC patients. Moreover, HNCs are characterised by an elevated mutational load; however, specific genetic mutations or biomarkers have not yet been found.

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Introduction: Neuroendocrine carcinomas are very aggressive tumors with few treatment options. DLL3 seems to be an optimal target for therapeutic intervention, as it is expressed mainly on the membrane of tumor cells with neuroendocrine origin.

Areas Covered: In this article, we outline the preclinical and clinical studies published in the last years on DLL3 in neuroendocrine neoplasm, above all of lung origin.

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Objective: To analyze the clinical management, the outcomes, and the trend in hysterectomy rates (HR) in patients who underwent this procedure for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN).

Methods: Multicentric retrospective observational study conducted on 242 patients who underwent hysterectomy for CIN between 2010 and 2020 in nine Italian institutions. Hysterectomy for invasive or micro-invasive neoplasia, sub-total hysterectomy, or trachelectomy were excluded.

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Giant cell tumor of bone (GCTB) and desmoplastic fibroma (DF) are bone sarcomas with intermediate malignant behavior and unpredictable prognosis. These locally aggressive neoplasms exhibit a predilection for the long bone or mandible of young adults, causing a severe bone resorption. In particular, the tumor stromal cells of these lesions are responsible for the recruiting of multinucleated giant cells which ultimately lead to bone disruption.

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Background: NTRK (neurotrophic tyrosine receptor kinase)-rearranged spindle cell neoplasms are a new group of tumors included in the new 5 edition of the World Health Organization (WHO) classification of soft Tissue and Bone Sarcomas. These tumors are characterized by NTRK gene fusions and show a wide spectrum of histologies and clinical behavior. Several targeted therapies have recently been approved for tumors harboring NTRK fusions, including STS.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Adult rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a rare type of soft tissue sarcoma, making up less than 3% of cases, which leads to limited understanding of its clinical management and natural history.
  • - Researchers studied the molecular biology of adult RMS, focusing on gene expression related to cell transition and drug resistance, utilizing patient-derived cultures and 3D models to assess drug response.
  • - Key findings include the identification of potential biomarkers for RMS through RT-PCR, the highest drug sensitivity in anthracycline-based treatments, and significant genetic mutations linked to poor prognosis, contributing to a better understanding of this rare cancer.
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