Publications by authors named "Locati L"

: Primary gynecological melanomas are rare malignancies with lower survival rates compared to cutaneous melanomas. Both preclinical and clinical data support the evidence that mucosal melanomas are photon-radioresistant but responsive to carbon ion radiotherapy (CIRT). The aim of this study is to assess, in a real-world cohort, the effectiveness and tolerability of radical CIRT in patients with inoperable gynecological mucosal melanoma.

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Background: Compared to male patients, sexual health remains poorly studied in women and sexual gender minority (SGM) patients with cancers.

Material And Methods: An online survey was developed by a multidisciplinary team to assess the awareness and attitude of Italian oncological providers facing sexual health during or after cancer treatment. On behalf of the respective scientific committees, the questionnaire was sent to Multicenter Italian Trials in Ovarian cancer and gynecologic malignancies group (MITO) and to Italian Association of Radiation Oncology (AIRO) Group.

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Head and neck cancers (HNCs) arise from anatomically adjacent sites and subsites, with varying etiological factors, diagnostic strategies, prognoses, and treatment approaches. While conventional squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the most common histology in the head and neck district, HNCs encompass a variety of rare histopathological entities, categorized into epithelial tumors such as salivary gland cancers, sinonasal tumors, neuroendocrine tumors, malignant odontogenic tumors, and SCC variants versus non-epithelial tumors including soft tissue sarcomas, mucosal melanomas, and hematological malignancies. Rare HNCs (R-HNCs) represent a diagnostic and clinical challenge, requiring histopathological expertise, the availability of peculiar molecular analysis, and the personalization of local and systemic treatments, all guided by a multidisciplinary tumor board.

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Health economic appraisals often rely on the assessment of health utilities using preference-based measures (PBM). The cancer-specific PBM, European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Utility - Core 10 Dimensions (EORTC QLU-C10D), was developed recently, and now needs to be validated in various clinical populations. In a multicenter, multinational prospective cohort study, we longitudinally collected EORTC QLQ-C30 and EQ-5D-5L data from patients with thyroid cancer.

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Cancer prehabilitation is the process between the time of cancer diagnosis and the beginning of the active acute treatment; prehabilitation consists of various need-based interventions, e.g., physical activity, a nutritional program, and psychological support.

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Article Synopsis
  • A 62-year-old man with celiac disease went to the hospital because he had stomach pain, tiredness, and bleeding in his stool.
  • Doctors checked his insides with cameras and found a bad growth in his small intestine.
  • After surgery to remove the bad part, they discovered he had cancer but used special testing that showed some gene changes, which might help find better treatments in the future.
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  • The use of external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) for thyroid cancer treatment is debated because there isn't a lot of strong data.
  • Some studies suggest that EBRT can help people with high-risk cases of thyroid cancer when it's used with surgery and chemotherapy.
  • Newer treatments like proton therapy and Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) could be helpful, but more research is needed to understand how they work best.
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  • Decellularized ECM bioscaffolds are being explored as a new 3D model for studying radiation effects on cancer cells, specifically radioresistant cell lines HMV-II and PANC-1.
  • The study involved irradiating these cells in porcine liver-derived scaffolds with high- and low-energy radiation to evaluate their biological responses in a more realistic in vivo-like environment.
  • Results showed that cells maintained their specific characteristics and responded differently to high LET radiation, with Carbon Ions causing more significant damage than photons, indicating that these bioscaffolds could be valuable for future radiobiological research.
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  • Vitamin B12 status is often altered in cancer patients, with significant instances of both deficiency and excess observed in a study of 788 hospitalized individuals.
  • Vitamin B12 deficiency was found in 33.5% of patients, while 17.1% had elevated levels; factors such as cancer stage, type, and overall health status influenced these levels.
  • The study concluded that vitamin B12 depletion is prevalent in early-stage cancer patients and older individuals, while elevated levels are linked to poorer clinical conditions.
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  • Adenoid cystic carcinoma of minor salivary glands (AdCCmSG) is a rare cancer with treatment strategies mainly drawn from those for major salivary gland cancers, highlighting the need for specialized clinical approaches.* -
  • This review discusses the epidemiology, classification, and recent treatment updates of AdCCmSG, aiming to improve understanding and optimize care, while suggesting a collaborative, multidisciplinary method in its management.* -
  • Challenges in managing rare cancers like AdCCmSG include insufficient data and guidelines, leading to a call for tailored expert opinions and future research based on molecular insights to enhance treatment options.*
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  • - The uptake of prehabilitation in Europe is low despite evidence showing its effectiveness, mainly due to limited awareness, understanding, and infrastructure issues.
  • - The authors propose a new, comprehensive definition of prehabilitation and highlight differentiated thyroid cancer as particularly suitable for this approach.
  • - To enhance implementation, the authors suggest practical solutions like personalization of programs, raising awareness, proving effectiveness, expanding teams, leveraging networks, and applying lessons from COVID-19.
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  • * A study involving 26 patients assessed the effectiveness of CIRT, finding a high overall response rate (97%) and robust local control rates (92% at 1 year and 83% at 2 years) without severe toxicity recorded.
  • * Results indicated that higher doses and more effective fractionation correlated with improved outcomes, suggesting that CIRT can be a safe option for patients, even those undergoing re-irradiation.
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For several years, we have been committed to exploring the potential of -derived outer membrane vesicles (OMV) as a promising third-generation vaccine against the reemerging pertussis disease. The results of our preclinical trials not only confirm its protective capacity against infection but also set the stage for forthcoming human clinical trials. This study delves into the examination of OMV as an adjuvant.

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Clear cell renal carcinoma (ccRCC) can occur in young people and could be associated with an aggressive behavior. While for the first-line treatment in metastatic disease, there is an agreement to rely on an immunotherapy (IO)-based combination regimen, no standard second-line regimens exist. Generally, tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are employed, even in sequence, although no trials have demonstrated yet the best succession.

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Background: Breast cancer is the most frequent tumour worldwide, and the HR/HER2 subtype is the most common. For this tumour type, endocrine therapy (ET) is the mainstay of treatment. The association of ET and CDK4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i) represents the gold standard for first-line or second-line therapies.

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Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of the type of data capture on the time and help needed for collecting patient-reported outcomes as well as on the proportion of missing scores.

Methods: In a multinational prospective study, thyroid cancer patients from 17 countries completed a validated questionnaire measuring quality of life. Electronic data capture was compared to the paper-based approach using multivariate logistic regression.

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Although thyroid cancer (TC) is generally associated with a favourable prognosis, there are certain high-risk groups with a clear unmet therapeutic need. Unravelling the genomic landscape of TC has recently led to the development of novel effective targeted treatments. To date, these treatments have mostly been evaluated in non-randomised single-arm phase II clinical trials and are consequently non-reimbursed in several countries.

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Gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) includes several rare malignant diseases occurring after pregnancy: invasive moles, choriocarcinoma, placental site trophoblastic tumours, and epithelioid trophoblastic tumours. Multidisciplinary protocols including multi-agent chemotherapy, surgery, and occasionally radiotherapy achieve good outcomes for some high-risk metastatic patients. In this narrative review of the published studies on the topic, we have tried to identify the role of radiotherapy.

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Background: Since treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) is becoming standard therapy for patients with high-risk and advanced melanoma, an increasing number of patients experience treatment-related adverse events such as fatigue. Until now, studies have demonstrated the benefits of using eHealth tools to provide either symptom monitoring or interventions to reduce treatment-related symptoms such as fatigue. However, an eHealth tool that facilitates the combination of both symptom monitoring and symptom management in patients with melanoma treated with ICIs is still needed.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Imaging techniques like ultrasound and MRI play a crucial role in diagnosing SGCs and planning treatment, which typically involves a combination of surgery, radiotherapy, and systemic therapy tailored to the patient and disease specifics.
  • * The meeting on June 24, 2022, brought together experts in SGCs to discuss advancements and challenges in research, leading to ongoing collaboration to update knowledge and present findings in subsequent conference proceedings.
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The aim of this study was to validate the new European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Thyroid Cancer Module (EORTC QLQ-THY34). We enrolled 437 thyroid cancer patients from 17 countries. One group ( = 303), undergoing treatment or best supportive care, completed the questionnaires at three time points (before therapy [t1], 6 weeks later [t2], and 6 months after t2 [t3]).

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Background: Most thyroid cancers of follicular origin have a favorable outcome. Only a small percentage of patients will develop metastatic disease, some of which will become radioiodine refractory (RAI-R). Important challenges to ensure the best therapeutic outcomes include proper, timely, and appropriate diagnosis; decisions on local, systemic treatments; management of side effects of therapies; and a good relationship between the specialist, patients, and caregivers.

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Purpose: Unresectable, locally advanced sinonasal epithelial tumours are rare diseases with poor prognosis. Multimodal approach is widely used, although no standard therapy has been established in prospective trials. This study assessed activity and safety of an innovative integration of multimodality treatment-induction chemotherapy (ICT), surgery and radiotherapy (RT)-modulated by histology and response to ICT.

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