Viral Hepatitis in Western Patients with Advanced Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma: Retrospective Assessment of Prevalence, Prognostic and Predictive Significance.

Despite a biologically established causative role of viral hepatitis (VH), i.e. HBV and HCV infections, on intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), only few large Western cohorts exploring the association between VH and ICC development are available.

A pilot study of chlorambucil in pre-treated metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients bearing germline BRCA or other DNA damage repair system variants.

Backgorund: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma remains a malignancy with a grim prognosis and scarce personalized treatment options. Pathogenic variants of DNA damage repair (DDR) genes are emerging as molecular targets, as they confer a higher sensitivity to DNA-damaging agents. This study aimed at assessing the activity of chlorambucil as salvage therapy in metastatic pancreatic cancer patients bearing a germline pathogenetic variant or variant of uncertain significance on a DDR-related gene.

Exploring external validity of chemotherapy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma in real life.

Introduction: Cisplatin, nab-paclitaxel, capecitabine, and gemcitabine (PAXG) regimen activity was assessed in a single institution phase II trial (PACT-19) on pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The PACT-31 study explored the external validity of PACT-19 results.

Materials And Methods: Patients aged ≥18 and ≤75 years with KPS ≥70, and PDAC diagnosis receiving PAXG in the participating institutions were eligible and categorized as follows: A) PACT-19; B) PACT-31-HSR; C) PACT-31-non-HSR.

Survival trends over 20 years in patients with advanced cholangiocarcinoma: Results from a national retrospective analysis of 922 cases in Italy.

Cholangiocarcinoma is a rare group of tumors that involve the hepatic biliary tree. Prognosis for patients with cholangiocarcinoma remains dismal. Herein, we present survival trends over a long time period spanning almost 20 years in patients with advanced cholangiocarcinoma receiving systemic chemotherapy.

HOXD8 hypermethylation as a fully sensitive and specific biomarker for biliary tract cancer detectable in tissue and bile samples.

Background: Biliary tract cancers (BTC) are rare but highly aggressive tumours with poor prognosis, usually detected at advanced stages. Herein, we aimed at identifying BTC-specific DNA methylation alterations.

Methods: Study design included statistical power and sample size estimation.

Risk-adjusted analysis of survival variability among hospitals treating biliary malignancy.

Biliary tract cancer's (BTC) treatment main stone for advanced stages is constituted by chemotherapy. Surgical centralization and physicians' confidence in the use of new technologies and molecular analysis turned out to be of interest and potentially influencing survival. After applying a random-effect model, the relationship between each clinical variable on the main outcome was investigated through multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression.

The impact of gender on The efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in cancer patients: The MOUSEION-01 study.

The primary endpoint of MOUSEION-01 was to assess overall survival (OS) in male and female patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors versus control treatments, calculating the pooled OS Hazard Ratio (HR) and 95 % Confidence Interval (CI) in both groups. 37 randomized phase III studies and 22646 patients (16382 men and 6264 women) were included. In patients treated with immunotherapy (as monotherapy or in combination with other agents), the pooled OS HR was 0.

Peripheral neuropathy and headache in cancer patients treated with immunotherapy and immuno-oncology combinations: the MOUSEION-02 study.

Introduction: Treatment-related neurotoxicity is a common side effect in cancer patients. However, few data are available regarding the risk of several neurotoxicities in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Areas Covered: The MOUSEION-02 study is an up-to-date meta-analysis aimed at assessing the risk of peripheral neuropathy, peripheral sensory neuropathy, and headache in cancer patients receiving immunotherapy and immuno-oncology combinations.

Cancer patient perspective in the arena of COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has been declared a global pandemic of unprecedented proportions. Italy is a country which has been heavily affected. Cancer patients are at a higher risk owing to their intrinsic fragility related to their underlying disease and oncologic treatment.

A prognostic model in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer receiving first-line chemotherapy.

Background: Standard treatment of advanced biliary tract cancer (aBTC) is represented by first-line chemotherapy (CT1). However, some patients do not gain any benefit from CT1, contributing to the overall dismal prognosis of aBTC. The present study aimed to devise a prognostic model in aBTC patients receiving CT1.

A Novel Prognostic Tool in Western and Eastern Biliary Tract Cancer Patients Treated in First-line Setting: the ECSIPOT Index.

Background And Aim: The need to estimate prognosis of advanced BTC (aBTC) patients treated with first-line chemotherapy is compelling. The aim of the study is to evaluate the ECSIPOT (psECogSIiPnigOT) index, influenced by PECS (PsECogSii) index, prognostic nutritional index (PNI), and GOT.

Methods: This international study was conducted on a training cohort of 126 patients and in three validation cohorts, both European and Korean.

Prognostic Role of a New Index Tested in European and Korean Advanced Biliary Tract Cancer Patients: the PECS Index.

Background And Aim: The aim of the present study is to evaluate a new index (PECS (PsECogSii)index) influenced by PS ECOG and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) in unresectable locally advanced or metastatic BTC patients treated with first-line chemotherapy.

Methods: This multicenter, international, study was conducted on a training cohort of 130 patients and in three European and Korean validation cohorts The PECS index was calculated as ECOG × SII index (neutrophil count × platelet count/lymphocyte count). Event-time distributions were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and survival curves were compared using the log-rank test.

Retrospective survival analysis in patients with metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma with insulin-treated type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Introduction: The association between pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) has long been evaluated and the role of antidiabetic medications such as metformin has also been investigated. The objective of this study was to examine the association between insulin use and overall survival (OS) in patients with advanced PDAC and DM2.

Methods: We retrospectively collected data from 164 patients, including an exploratory cohort of 96 patients from Medical Oncology Unit, University Hospital and University of Cagliari, Italy, and a validation cohort of 68 patients from Medical Oncology of Modena University Hospital.

Correction to: Angiogenesis Genotyping and Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Receiving Sorafenib: The ALICE‑2 Study.

The listing of the author names and affiliations, which previously read.

Association of and Gene Polymorphisms with Survival in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma Receiving Sorafenib: Results of the Multicenter Prospective INNOVATE Study.

Purpose: After 10 years of clinical practice and research studies, there are still no validated prognostic or predictive factors of response to sorafenib for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). On the basis of the results of our two retrospective studies, we designed the multicenter INNOVATE study with the aim to validate the role of nitric oxide synthase () and polymorphisms in patients with HCC treated with sorafenib [NCT02786342].

Patients And Methods: This prospective multicenter study was conducted at 10 centers in Italy.

Angiogenesis Genotyping and Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Receiving Sorafenib: The ALICE-2 Study.

Background: Sorafenib represents one of the therapeutic strongholds for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but unfortunately, predictive factors are lacking. We previously reported that the VEGF single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs2010963 and rs4604006 might correlate with clinical outcomes in sorafenib-treated HCC patients.

Objective: The objective of the ALICE-2 study is to define a prognostic angiogenesis profile to better identify HCC patients who are more likely to benefit from sorafenib treatment.

Targeted therapy for solid tumors and risk of hypertension: a meta-analysis of 68077 patients from 93 phase III studies.

: Hypertension is a common adverse event with targeted agents in cancer patients and can lead to serious and sometimes lethal cardiovascular complications. The authors performed a meta-analysis of clinical trials aiming to evaluate the incidence and Relative Risk (RR) of developing all-grade and high-grade Hypertension Events (HE) in patients with solid tumors receiving targeted therapy.: A review of citations from PubMed was performed and studies were selected based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement.

Prognostic Role of a New Index (RAPID Index) in Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients Receiving Sorafenib: Training and Validation Cohort.

Background And Aims: The aim of the present study is to evaluate a new index influenced by the balance between the immune system, α-fetoprotein (AFP), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (RAPID index) as a prognostic factor in patients treated with sorafenib.

Methods: This study was conducted on a training cohort of 159 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients and a validation cohort of 68 HCC patients treated with sorafenib. The RAPID index was calculated as neutrophil/lymphocyte count × LDH × AFP.

and Polymorphisms and Clinical Outcome in Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients Receiving Sorafenib.

Sorafenib represents the standard of care for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), even though a large number of patients have reported limited efficacy. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prognostic value of single-nucleotide polymorphisms on angiopoietin-2 () and endothelial-derived nitric oxide synthase () genes in 135 patients with advanced HCC receiving sorafenib. Eight polymorphisms were analyzed by direct sequencing in relation to overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS).

Clustered protocadherins methylation alterations in cancer.

Background: Clustered protocadherins (PCDHs) map in tandem at human chromosome 5q31 and comprise three multi-genes clusters: α-, β- and γ-PCDH. The expression of this cluster consists of a complex mechanism involving DNA hub formation through DNA-CCTC binding factor (CTCF) interaction. Methylation alterations can affect this interaction, leading to transcriptional dysregulation.

Role of SIRT-3, p-mTOR and HIF-1α in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients Affected by Metabolic Dysfunctions and in Chronic Treatment with Metformin.

The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma deriving from metabolic dysfunctions has increased in the last years. Sirtuin- (SIRT-3), phospho-mammalian target of rapamycin (p-mTOR) and hypoxia-inducible factor- (HIF-1α) are involved in metabolism and cancer. However, their role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) metabolism, drug resistance and progression remains unclear.

Contemporary best practice in the management of urothelial carcinomas of the renal pelvis and ureter.

Upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) accounts for 5% of urothelial carcinomas (UCs), the estimated annual incidence being 1-2 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Similarly to bladder UC, divergent differentiations and histologic variants confer an adverse risk factor in comparison with pure UTUC. Molecular and genomic characterization studies on UTUC have shown changes occurring at differing frequencies from bladder cancer, with unique molecular and clinical subtypes, potentially with different responses to treatment.