Effects of upper limb vibratory stimulation training on motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease: an observational study.

Objectives: Parkinson's disease is characterized by motor and non-motor symptoms. Tremor is one of the motor symptoms that can affect manual skills and have an impact on daily activities. The aim of the current study is to investigate the effect of upper limb training provided by a specific vibratory device (Armshake®, Move It GmbH - Bochum, Germany) on tremor and motor functionality in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Tissue Doppler Imaging for anthracycline cardiotoxicity monitoring in pediatric patients with cancer.

Background: Cardiotoxic effects of anthracycline therapy are a major cause of morbidity for childhood cancer survivors. The aim of this retrospective evaluation is to assess the efficacy of Tissue Doppler Imaging in the early detection of myocardial alterations in these patients.

Methods: A population of 50 childhood cancer survivors (32 males and 18 females) who have been treated with anthracyclines was evaluated by standard and TDI echocardiographic examination of the basal and median region of the interventricular septum (IVSb, IVSm), of the left ventricular posterior wall (LVPWb, LVPWm), and of the mitral annulus; the results were compared with those obtained from a population of 50 healthy age-matched and sex-matched controls by using the Student test.

[Accessibility of home palliative care and place of death of cancer patients: data analysis of the Emilia-Romagna Region.].

Introduction: The ANT Foundation is one of the main non-profit organizations providing palliative care in Italy. For more than 30 years, it has developed a comprehensive home palliative care program for cancer patients predominately active in the Bologna province. One of its main achievements has allowed for the majority of patients to be assisted at home during the last weeks of their lives until time of death.

Impact of intervention aimed at improving the integration of oncology units and local palliative care services: results of the multicentre prospective sequential MIRTO study.

Background: Chemotherapy (CT) in patients with advanced cancer (ACP) near the end of life is an increasing practice of oncology units. A closer integration with palliative care (PC) services could reduce the use of potentially harmful CT. This prospective study is aimed at assessing whether a more integrated care model could reduce CT use near the end of life and increase local PC service utilisation.

Spiritual well-being of Italian advanced cancer patients in the home palliative care setting.

This study evaluates the spiritual well-being (SpWB) in very advanced cancer patients assisted by the home palliative care program of ANT Foundation, a no-profit Italian organisation. SpWB was assessed by the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being Scale (FACIT-Sp12), including Meaning, Peace, and Faith subscales. The quality-of-life (QoL) was evaluated by using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General scale.

18F-FDG PET/CT impact on testicular tumours clinical management.

Purpose: Testicular tumour is the most common malignancy in young men. The diagnostic work-up is mainly based on morphological imaging. The aim of our study was to evaluate the clinical impact of (18)F-FDG PET/CT in patients with testicular tumour.

Abagovomab as maintenance therapy in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer: a phase III trial of the AGO OVAR, COGI, GINECO, and GEICO--the MIMOSA study.

Purpose: To determine whether abagovomab maintenance therapy prolongs recurrence-free (RFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with ovarian cancer in first clinical remission.

Patients And Methods: Patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage III to IV ovarian cancer in complete clinical remission after primary surgery and platinum- and taxane-based chemotherapy were randomly assigned at a ratio of 2:1 in a phase III, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study. Abagovomab 2 mg or placebo was administered as 1-mL suspension once every 2 weeks for 6 weeks (induction phase) and then once every 4 weeks (maintenance phase) until recurrence or up to 21 months after random assignment of the last patient.

Potential utility of early metabolic response by 18F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography in a selected group of breast cancer patients receiving preoperative chemotherapy.

Introduction: To assess (18)F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography's ((18)F-FDG-PET/CT) potential clinical utility to allow early treatment changes during preoperative chemotherapy (PCT) in patients with early/locally advanced breast cancer (BC).

Patients And Methods: Sixty newly diagnosed early/locally advanced BC patients received 6-8 cycles of PCT. Optimal pathologic response (pR) was the absence of cancer cells in breast and axillary lymph nodes.

Retinoids in pediatric onco-hematology: the model of acute promyelocytic leukemia and neuroblastoma.

Retinoids are lipophilic compounds derived from vitamin A, which have been extensively studied in cancer prevention and therapy. In pediatric oncology, they are successfully used for the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) and high-risk neuroblastoma (HR-NBL). APL is a subtype of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) clinically characterized by a severe bleeding tendency with a highrisk of fatal hemorrhage.

Benign hepatic nodular lesions after treatment for childhood cancer.

Background: Benign nodular hepatic regenerating lesions such as focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) have been reported as rare complications of the antineoplastic therapy received during infancy. Little is known about the risk factors associated with the onset of these lesions and their diagnostic management.

Methods: We have analyzed a series of benign hepatic nodular lesions occurring in children previously treated for malignant tumors in our institution in a period of 11 years.

Peritoneal cystic mesothelioma: are surgery and HIPEC optimal first-line treatments?

Background: Peritoneal cystic mesothelioma (PCM) is an uncommon clinical pathology. Its high rate of recurrence following partial or total resection as well as its spontaneous onset of malignancy have been well documented in a series of case studies. The medical community has yet to define standardized treatment guidelines for PCM.

Solitary Internal Mammary Lymph Node Metastases Detected by F-FDG-PET/CT in Ovarian Cancer.

Internal mammary lymph nodes as solitary site of recurrent ovarian cancer have not been previously described. In this case report, 3 cases of late and very late isolated recurrence in internal mammary lymph nodes are presented. (18)F-FDG-PET/CT allowed the diagnosis which was suspected by the increase of the serum CA-125 level in 2 out of 3 cases.

Phase II study of panitumumab, oxaliplatin, 5-fluorouracil, and concurrent radiotherapy as preoperative treatment in high-risk locally advanced rectal cancer patients (StarPan/STAR-02 Study).

Background: The aim of this phase II study was to assess the activity of panitumumab in combination with oxaliplatin, 5-fluorouracil, and external radiotherapy (RT) as preoperative treatment in locally advanced rectal cancer patients.

Patients And Methods: Patients had rectal adenocarcinoma, cT3N+ or cT4N-/+ stage, located <12 cm from the anal margin. Panitumumab was administered before the start of chemo-RT, and every 2 weeks in combination with 5-fluorouracil-oxaliplatin with concurrent RT.

[18F]FDG-PET/CT monitoring early identifies advanced ovarian cancer patients who will benefit from prolonged neo-adjuvant chemotherapy.

Aim: The most accepted standard duration of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (na-CHT) before debulking surgery for advanced ovarian cancer (AOC) is 3 courses. However a percentage of patients could benefit from additional courses. [(18)F]FDG-PET/CT monitoring during na-CHT could predict early pathological response and allow the delivery of an optimal na-CHT duration.

Prospective study on the FDG-PET/CT predictive and prognostic values in patients treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy and radical surgery for locally advanced rectal cancer.

Background: 2-[fluorine-18]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) was carried out before and after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT) followed by radical surgery for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). The aim of this study was to define its predictive and prognostic values.

Patients And Methods: Patients with cT3-T4 N-/+ carcinoma of medium/low rectum received daily 5-fluorouracil-based chemotherapy infusion and radiation therapy on 6-week period followed by surgery 7-8 weeks later.

Use of clofarabine for acute childhood leukemia.

A second-generation of purine nucleoside analogs, starting with clofarabine, has been developed in the course of the search for new therapeutic agents for acute childhood leukemia, especially for refractory or relapsed disease. Clofarabine is a hybrid of fludarabine and cladribine, and has shown to have antileukemic activity in acute lymphoblastic leukemia as well as in myeloid disorders. As the only new antileukemic chemotherapeutic agent to enter clinical use in the last 10 years, clofarabine was approved as an orphan drug with the primary indication of use in pediatric patients.

Multimodal sequential approach in colorectal cancer liver metastases: hepatic resection after yttrium-90 selective internal radiation therapy and cetuximab rescue treatment.

Synchronous or metachronous liver metastases occur in up to one-third of patients with colorectal cancer and are associated with a poor prognosis. Many evidences have shown that surgical resection can be curative, with 5-year survival rates ranging from 37% to 50%, but many patients are ineligible for surgery because of multiple liver lesions, bilobar distribution of liver metastases, or the presence of widespread extrahepatic disease. The management of unresectable liver metastases includes many therapeutic options such as systemic chemotherapy, selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) with yttrium-90 (Y-90), targeted therapy, and surgery.

Long-term results of a pilot study on an intensive induction regimen for unresectable stage III non-small-cell lung cancer.

Background: In 1995, we designed and carried out a pilot study on the combination of cisplatin + high dose epirubicin + vinorelbine with granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor support for the induction treatment of unresectable stage IIIAN2 and wet IIIB non-small-cell lung cancer. The present report concerns the long-term results.

Method: Eligible patients received cisplatin, 75 mg/m(2), and epirubicin, 120 mg/m(2), on day 1, vinorelbine, 25 mg/m(2), on days 1 and 15, and granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor, 300 microg s.