Feasibility of implementing a decision aid for advanced cancer patients in a comprehensive cancer centers' outpatient setting: Valuable lessons learned.

Background: Decision aids (DAs) have been proposed as tools to empower patients in decision-making. However, implementing DA for decisions in advanced cancer is challenging. This study focuses on perspectives of oncologists and other healthcare providers on the hindering and facilitating factors for implementing a customizable DA.

Chemical and olfactometric inventory of gaseous spot vents in Mt. Amiata volcanic-geothermal area (Italy).

Geothermal areas are typically characterised by the presence of gases and odours in the background atmosphere, stemming from natural emissions and possible mining exploitation of the area. This study presents the first olfactometric investigation of endogenous gas emissions from natural and archaeo-industrial vents in a geothermal area. Mt.

Bevacizumab-based treatment as salvage therapy in patients with recurrent symptomatic brain metastases.

Background: Salvage treatment for recurrent brain metastases (BM) of solid cancers is challenging due to the high symptomatic burden and the limited local treatment options.

Methods: Patients with recurrent BM with no option for further local therapies were retrospectively identified from BM databases. Bevacizumab-based treatment was initiated as a salvage treatment.

Targeted delivery of siRNA using transferrin-coupled lipoplexes specifically sensitizes CD71 high expressing malignant cells to antibody-mediated complement attack.

The overexpression of membrane-bound complement regulatory proteins (mCRP; CD46, CD55, CD59) preventing opsonization and complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) is considered a major barrier for successful antibody-based cancer immunotherapy. To avoid a potential deleterious effect of mCRP neutralization on normal tissue cells, complement regulation has to be selectively targeted to the malignant cells. In this study, anti-mCRP small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) were encapsulated in transferrin-coupled lipoplexes for the specific delivery to transferrin receptor CD71(high) expressing BT474, DU145, and SW480 as well as corresponding CD71-knockdown (CD71(low)) tumor cells.