Comprehensive analysis of PTEN status in Sezary syndrome.

Sézary syndrome (SS) is an incurable leukemic variant of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma characterized by recurrent chromosomal alterations, among which, chromosome 10q deletion is very frequent. In this study, we investigated the PTEN status, on locus 10q23, in 44 SS patients; our findings show that PTEN is deleted in 36% of SS cases, whereas PTEN downregulation is observed in almost all of the samples evaluated by quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting analysis. Neither DNA sequence mutation nor promoter hypermethylation were found at the PTEN locus, but we demonstrate that PTEN level can be also reduced by a group of miRs previously found upregulated and of prognostic relevance in SS; particularly, miR-21, miR-106b, and miR-486 were able to control PTEN abundance either in vitro or in vivo.

Predictive value of pre-therapy (18)F-FDG PET/CT for the outcome of (18)F-FDG PET-guided radiotherapy in patients with head and neck cancer.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive role of pre-therapy fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake parameters of primary tumour in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients undergoing intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) with simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) on FDG-positive volume-positron emission tomography (PET) gross tumour volume (PET-GTV).

Methods: This retrospective study included 19 patients (15 men and 4 women, mean age 59.2 years, range 23-81 years) diagnosed with HNC between 2005 and 2011.

Randomised clinical trial: mesalazine and/or probiotics in maintaining remission of symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease--a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled study.

Background: Placebo-controlled studies in maintaining remission of symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease (SUDD) of the colon are lacking.

Aim: To assess the effectiveness of mesalazine and/or probiotics in maintaining remission in SUDD.

Methods: A multicentre, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted.

Incisional hernia: laparoscopic or open repair?

Purpose: To compare laparoscopic and open repair of incisional hernia in terms of complications and failure rates.

Methods: Between June 2005 and April 2012, 252 patients underwent incisional hernia repair. Of these, 126 underwent laparoscopic and 126 open repair.

Incidence and prevalence of inflammatory bowel diseases in gastroenterology primary care setting.

Background: The incidence of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) has markedly increased over the last years, but no epidemiological study has been performed in gastroenterology primary care setting. We describe the epidemiology of IBD in a gastroenterology primary care unit using its records as the primary data source.

Methods: Case finding used predefined read codes to systematically search computer diagnostic and prescribing records from January 2009 to December 2012.

factors influencing mucosal healing in Crohn's disease during infliximab treatment.

Background/aims: The effect of infliximab (IFX) on mucosal healing (MH) in clinical setting, as well as what is the effect of scaring of profound ulcers on bowel, is not well known. Aim of our study was to assess how MH occurs in Crohn's disease (CD) in clinical setting during treatment with IFX.

Methodology: Forty patients with CD were followed-up.

Utility of [11C]choline PET/CT in guiding lesion-targeted salvage therapies in patients with prostate cancer recurrence localized to a single lymph node at imaging: results from a pathologically validated series.

Objective: Positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) has been shown to be a valid tool in detecting lymph node (LN) metastases in men with biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy. We assessed its validity in detecting a single positive LN at pathologic examination in regard to an increasing interest in lesion-targeted salvage therapies.

Methods And Materials: We included 46 patients with biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy and a single positive spot at [(11)C]choline PET/CT who underwent pelvic or pelvic and retroperitoneal LN dissection.

Comparison of 18F-fluoroazomycin-arabinofuranoside and 64Cu-diacetyl-bis(N4-methylthiosemicarbazone) in preclinical models of cancer.

Unlabelled: Hypoxic regions are present in different types of cancer and are a negative prognostic factor for disease progression and response to therapy. (18)F-fluoroazomycin-arabinofuranoside ((18)F-FAZA) and (64)Cu-diacetyl-bis(N4-methylthiosemicarbazone) ((64)Cu-ATSM) have been widely used to visualize hypoxic regions in preclinical and clinical studies. Although both these radioligands have high signal-to-noise ratios, (64)Cu-ATSM may be suitable for use in in vivo imaging and as a radiotherapeutic agent.

Transanal haemorrhoidal dearterialisation with mucopexy versus stapler haemorrhoidopexy: a randomised trial with long-term follow-up.

Introduction: The present study aimed to compare the long-term results of transanal haemorrhoidal dearterialisation (THD) with mucopexy and stapler haemorrhoidopexy (SH) in treatment of grade III and IV haemorrhoids.

Methods: One hundred and twenty-four patients with grade III and IV haemorrhoids were randomised to receive THD with mucopexy (n=63) or SH (n=61). A telephone interview with a structured questionnaire was performed at a median follow-up of 42 months.

11C-choline PET/CT and PSA kinetics.

The role of PET/CT with radiolabelled (18)F-choline or (11)C-choline in patients with prostate cancer after primary treatment has not been established yet and there are no guidelines on the appropriate use of this emerging modality. According to the literature, choline PET/CT may have a role in restaging the disease in patients with biochemical relapse for the detection of local and/or lymph node and/or distant recurrence. The aim of this brief review is to summarize the results of the most relevant published studies with particular focus on the relationship between prostate-specific antigen levels and kinetics and the sensitivity of choline PET/CT for optimizing the selection of patients who may benefit the most from this diagnostic procedure, especially early after biochemical recurrence.

Detection of endoscopic and histological inflammation after an attack of colonic diverticulitis is associated with higher diverticulitis recurrence.

Background & Aims: Colonic diverticulitis shows a high recurrence rate, but the factors associated with such recurrence are still unknown. The aim of our study was to investigate the role of endoscopic and histological inflammation as predictors for the recurrence of diverticulitis.

Methods: One hundred and thirty patients suffering from Acute Uncomplicated Diverticulitis (AUD) (81 males, 49 females, mean age 64.

Effectiveness of different therapeutic strategies in preventing diverticulitis recurrence.

Background: Colonic diverticulitis shows a high recurrence rate.

Aims: To assess the efficacy of three different therapeutic strategies in preventing diverticulitis recurrence.

Materials And Methods: One hundred thirty patients suffering from Acute Uncomplicated Diverticulitis (AUD) (81 males, 49 females, mean age 64.

Role of 18F-FDG PET in the management of gestational trophoblastic neoplasia.

Purpose: Gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) is a rare and aggressive tumour that is usually sensitive to chemotherapy. The usefulness of conventional imaging modalities in evaluating treatment response is limited, mainly due to the difficulty in differentiating between residual tumour tissue and necrosis. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the role of FDG PET or PET/CT in primary staging and in monitoring treatment efficacy.

Sarcoidosis mimicking metastatic gynaecological malignancies: a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge?

Several case reports describing the coexistence of sarcoidosis and malignancy have been published. Therefore, sarcoidosis should always be considered as a differential diagnosis when a cancer patient develops lymphadenopathy. Positron-emission tomography (PET) 2-[18F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose (FDG) combined with computed tomography (CT) is widely used for cancer staging and surveillance because it permits localization of metabolically active malignant tissue.

Role of 18F-choline PET/CT in biochemically relapsed prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy: correlation with trigger PSA, PSA velocity, PSA doubling time, and metastatic distribution.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of ¹⁸F-choline PET/CT (18FCH-PET/CT) in restaging patients previously treated by radical prostatectomy for a prostate cancer, presenting with biochemical relapse during follow-up (FU).

Patients And Methods: Three hundred thirty-one patients referred to us from January 2009 to April 2011 to perform 18FCH PET/CT were evaluated: 233 of them (mean age 69.7 years) met the inclusion criteria of the study: (1) biochemical relapse after radical prostatectomy (trigger PSA>0.

Role of PET/CT in the clinical management of locally advanced pancreatic cancer.

Aim: To evaluate the role of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT in: a) the selection of patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer for helical tomotherapy with concurrent chemotherapy (HTT-ChT); b) monitoring HTT-ChT treatment efficacy in comparison with contrast-enhanced CT (c.e.CT).

[11C]choline positron emission tomography/computerized tomography for early detection of prostate cancer recurrence in patients with low increasing prostate specific antigen.

Purpose: The effectiveness of salvage therapy in prostate cancer is greater for low prostate specific antigen values. Therefore, early detection of tumor recurrence is warranted. [(11)C]choline positron emission tomography/computerized tomography has the potential of early restaging of prostate cancer with low prostate specific antigen, but the selection of patients at high risk for positive [(11)C]choline positron emission tomography/computerized tomography is desirable to optimize salvage therapy.

Evaluation of the oncogenic risk of diffuse gastric polyposis. A case report.

Benign polyps of the stomach undergo malignant transformation at a rate correlating to the histological type and size of the proliferative lesion. We report a case of a 50-year-old Caucasian woman, affected by a diffuse gastric polyposis of both hyperplastic and adenomatous type. At endoscopy polyps were more than 1,000, scattered over the entire gastric cavity.

Lymph nodal metastases: diagnosis and treatment.

High risk prostate cancer patients have a significant risk to develop regional lymph node metastases, and this represent a major cause of biochemical failure. Although pelvic lymphadenectomy is the gold standard to assess the status of pelvic lymph nodes, a diagnostic imaging tool to non-invasively explore patients and to detect metastases, both in staging and in re-staging phase, would be of particular help in clinical management. In staging phase, while choline PET/CT specificity has been reported to be fairly high in lymph nodal detection, its sensitivity is not adequate due to its spatial resolution.

Clinical and diagnostic assessment for therapeutic decisions in prostate cancer.

Due to the heterogeneity of prostate cancer (PCa) outcomes, there is a need for individualized treatment plans based on clinical and cancer characteristics. Recent advances in sophisticated imaging modalities have improved the ability to stratify patients according to their risk of PCa diagnosis and progression. This, in turn, has positively influenced the clinical decision making process.