Reversibility of Left Ventricle Longitudinal Strain Alterations Induced by Adjuvant Therapy in Early Breast Cancer Patients.

Left ventricular ejection fraction (LV-EF), despite its high feasibility, is not sensitive enough to detect early and subtle LV systolic dysfunction during oncologic treatments. Therefore, we used systolic global longitudinal strain (GLS) by speckle tracking echocardiography to verify whether early LV systolic dysfunction induced by adjuvant therapy in early breast cancer patients at low risk for cardiotoxicity can be reversed. Thirty patients (aged 53 ± 11 y) with no previous cardiac and oncologic disease who were receiving adjuvant trastuzumab and taxane (group HER2+, n = 15) or taxane only (group HER2-, n = 15), after treatment with anthracyclines, were studied.

The management of skin toxicity during cetuximab treatment in advanced colorectal cancer: how much does it cost? A retrospecive economic assessment from a single-center experience.

Aims And Background: Skin rash is a predictable and manageable side effect of anti-EGFR therapy such as cetuximab. The aim of this study is to estimate the costs for the foreseeable management of skin toxicity in patients treated with cetuximab in our institute in order to assess the direct medical economic impact.

Methods And Study Design: We retrospectively analyzed all consecutive patients with advanced colorectal cancer treated with cetuximab at our institute from June 2006 to May 2011.

[Oncological quality indicators and Colorectal Cancer Program: data from 2009-2010 of University Hospital in Ferrara, Italy].

The aim of this study is to analyse the oncological quality indicators on our Colorectal Cancer Program, that are reflective of the scope of care, feasible to implement and supported by evidence. We compared two different populations during the same period: patients referring to our Clinical Oncology Unit coming from Regional Colorectal Cancer Screening Program and the other population that was not in any Colorectal Cancer Program. On the basis of our experience, we concluded for high-quality care for both population.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors and other malignancies: a case series.

Purpose: This paper aims to review the clinical and pathological features of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) occurring with other malignancies.

Methods: A retrospective analysis has been worked out considering all consecutive patients with GISTs referred to our institution between February 2002 and June 2010. We analyzed the relationship among clinical and biological characteristics of the disease and the occurrence of second cancer.

Association of CYP1B1 with hypersensitivity induced by taxane therapy in breast cancer patients.

Taxanes represent a group of anticancer drugs with a wide range of activity against breast cancer. Therapy side effects include haematologic toxicity (neutropenia, leucopenia), peripheral neuropathy and hypersensitivity, and demonstrate inter-individual variations. Since it is known that three genes are implicated in taxane turnover, namely ABCB1 in the transport, CYP2C8 in the metabolism and CYP1B1 in the activity, we explored the association among polymorphisms (single nucleotide polymorphisms, SNPs) in these three genes and the occurrence of taxane-induced toxicity.

[Clinical postoperative surveillance of breast carcinoma].

The problem of post-surgical clinical follow-up for breast cancer patients is still open. A lot of comparative studies between intensive and minimal follow-up showed no advantage of the former vs. the latter modality.