Observational Study on Antibody Response to COVID-19 Vaccines in PAtients with Gastro-Entero-PanCreatic Cancers and NeuroendocrIne NeoplAsms on Systemic TreatmEnts (VACCINATE).

The coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic dramatically impacted oncological patients' care. Since the introduction of vaccines and the demonstration of their benefit on frail patients, COVID-19 vaccinations were indicated to also be beneficial to oncological population. However, data about the impact of anticancer-treatments and the timing between vaccinations and systemic therapy delivery were not available.

HPV Tests Comparison in the Detection and Follow-Up after Surgical Treatment of CIN2+ Lesions.

Background: HPV tests differ for technology, targets, and information on genotyping of high risk (HR) HPV. In this study, we evaluated the performance of 6 HPV DNA tests and one mRNA test in the detection of cervical intraepithelial lesions (CIN) and as a test-of-cure in the follow-up after surgical conservative treatment.

Methods: One hundred seventy-two women referred to the European Institute of Oncology, Milan, for surgical treatment of pre-neoplastic cervical lesions, were enrolled in this study (IEO S544) from January 2011 to June 2015.

New Analytical Approach for the Alignment of Different HE4 Automated Immunometric Systems: An Italian Multicentric Study.

Human epididymal secretory protein 4 (HE4) elevation has been studied as a crucial biomarker for malignant gynecological cancer, such us ovarian cancer (OC). However, there are conflicting reports regarding the optimal HE4 cut-off. Thus, the goal of this study was to develop an analytical approach to harmonize HE4 values obtained with different laboratory resources.

Lower probability and shorter duration of infections after COVID-19 vaccine correlate with anti-SARS-CoV-2 circulating IgGs.

The correlation between immune responses and protection from SARS-CoV-2 infections and its duration remains unclear. We performed a sanitary surveillance at the European Institute of Oncology (IEO) in Milan over a 17 months period. Pre-vaccination, in 1,493 participants, we scored 266 infections (17.

Human Papillomavirus Same Genotype Persistence and Risk of Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia2+ Recurrence.

To evaluate the significance of HPV persistence as a predictor for the development of CIN2+ recurrence and the impact of multiple genotypes and of HPV 16/18 on recurrence risk. A prospective cohort observational study was carried out at the European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy, from December 2006 to December 2014. A total of 408 women surgically treated by excisional procedure for pre-neoplastic and neoplastic cervical lesions were enrolled.

The Potential Impact of High-Risk Human Papillomavirus-Negative Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia 2+ on Primary Human Papillomavirus Screening.

Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV)-negative cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and invasive cervical carcinoma (ICC) and to analyze the distribution of other genotypes in this subset.

Methods: In total, 431 women who underwent excisional surgical treatment for CIN or ICC at the European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy, from January 2016 to December 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. The Linear Array HPV genotyping test (Roche Diagnostics) was performed on a postaliquot from high-risk-HPV-negative liquid-based cervical specimens, when available.

Onclarity Performance in Human Papillomavirus DNA Detection in Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Cervical Samples.

Objectives: Diagnosis of HPV infection is usually performed from cervical liquid-based cytology specimens (LBC), but these often contain a large amount of human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes, most of which might cause transient infections. The aim of the study was to evaluate the performance of BD Onclarity HPV test genotyping method on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) cervical specimens compared with genotyping results from LBC.

Materials And Methods: Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens from women surgically treated for cervical intraepithelial lesions (CINs) at the European Institute of Oncology, Milan, from September 2012 to June 2013 were retrieved from the archives of the Department of Pathology of the European Institute of Oncology.

Prognostic Impact of Baseline Immunologic Profile in Aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin's Lymphomas.

Host immune homeostasis as an independent prognostic indicator has been inadequately evaluated in aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL). The present study addresses the prognostic significance in aggressive NHLs of the immunologic profile evaluated by pretreatment serum levels of immunoglobulins (Ig) and lymphocyte-monocyte ratio (LMR). In this series of 90 patients with aggressive lymphoma, the median level for IgG was 1,024mg/dl (range 436-2236), and for LMR was 2.

Anyplex II HPV test in detection and follow-up after surgical treatment of CIN2+ lesions.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) tests differ for technology, targets, and information on the genotype and viral load. In this study, we evaluated the performance of the Seegene Anyplex II HPV HR (Anyplex) assay in the detection of cervical intraepithelial lesions (CIN) and as a test-of-cure in the follow-up after surgical treatment. One hundred and sixty-seven women referred to the European Institute of Oncology, Milan, for surgical treatment of CIN2+ were enrolled.

Distribution of High-Risk Human Papillomavirus Genotypes and Multiple Infections in Preneoplastic and Neoplastic Cervical Lesions of Unvaccinated Women: A Cross-sectional Study.

Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate the distribution of high-risk (HR) human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes and the role of multiple infection in preneoplastic and neoplastic cervical lesions, according to histology, age, and the number of genotypes per infection.

Materials And Methods: Nine hundred eighty-eight women affected by known HPV-related cervical lesions and attending the European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy, from December 2006 to December 2014, were selected for a cross-sectional study. Prevalence of HPV genotypes was calculated by histology and the number of genotypes per infection.

Human Papillomavirus Genotyping Compared With a Qualitative High-Risk Human Papillomavirus Test After Treatment of High-Grade Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia: A Systematic Review.

Objective: To systematically examine human papillomavirus (HPV) genotyping compared with qualitative high-risk HPV result during follow-up after treatment of high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), for risk estimation of posttreatment high-grade CIN.

Data Sources: MEDLINE, Cochrane, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched from January 2000 to April 2019 for prospective studies of women and retrospective studies of residual specimens from women, tested using HPV assays with genotype reporting.

New and old biomarkers in the differential diagnosis of lung cancer: Pro-gastrin-releasing peptide in comparison with neuron-specific enolase, carcinoembryonic antigen, and CYFRA 21-1.

Background: Testing for circulating biomarkers in lung cancer is hampered by the insufficient specificity. We aimed to assess the relative diagnostic accuracy of pro-gastrin-releasing peptide (ProGRP) for the differential diagnosis of small cell lung cancer and compare it with more conventional biomarkers.

Methods: We enrolled a cohort of 390 patients with a clinical suspicion of lung cancer and for whom a histologic assessment was available.

Onclarity Human Papillomavirus Extended Genotyping in the Management of Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia 2+ Lesions.

Objective: Many methods are available today for human papillomavirus (HPV) testing; they differ for technology, targets, and information on the genotypes detected. In this study, we evaluated the performance of the Onclarity HPV assay in detection and follow-up of cervical preneoplastic lesions.

Materials And Methods: One hundred sixty-seven women referred to the European Institute of Oncology, Milan, for treatment of cervical lesions were enrolled.

TnI-Ultra assay measurements in cancer patients: comparison with the conventional assay and clinical implication.

The serial monitoring of cardiac troponin represents an effective approach for the early identification, assessment, and monitoring of chemotherapy-induced cardiac injury. Over the last few years new generations of troponin assays, referred to as sensitive and high sensitivity assays, able to detect very low concentrations of troponin, have been progressively released on different platforms. Some studies have assessed the comparability of the cTnI measurements with the new assays versus the conventional ones, but none of these in the oncological population.

Recovery and time to growth of isolates in blood culture bottles: comparison of BD Bactec Plus Aerobic/F and BD Bactec Plus Anaerobic/F bottles.

Background: This study was done to compare the growth of pathogens in paired aerobic/anaerobic blood culture bottles versus the use of only aerobic bottles, and to analyze the time to growth in both atmospheres.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the results of all blood cultures collected over a 2-y period for the diagnosis of central venous catheter-related bloodstream infections or other severe infections in oncology patients.

Results: Among the 487 isolates, 174 (35.

The pitfalls of CA19-9: routine testing and comparison of two automated immunoassays in a reference oncology center.

We evaluated CA19-9 as a marker of various malignancies and compared the results of 2 commercial immunoassays. The Abbott ARCHITECT i2000 and Roche cobas 410 immunoassays were used on 500 consecutive samples to evaluate the frequency of positive results by cancer type and the correlation between assays. The patients were tested before or after surgery and/or during chemotherapy.

Effect on renal function of an iso-osmolar contrast agent in patients with monoclonal gammopathies.

Objective: To assess the safety of the non-ionic iso-osmolar contrast agent iodixanol on renal function in patients with monoclonal gammopathies undergoing CT.

Methods: We explored the effect of iodixanol on renal function in 30 patients with monoclonal gammopathies and 20 oncological patients with a normal electrophoretic profile (control group). The parameters used to estimate renal function were: serum creatinine, eGFR (determined 24 h before and 48 h after the administration of iodixanol), and urinary excretion of Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin (NGAL) determined 2 h and 24 h after.

Typing of human papillomavirus in women with cervical lesions: prevalence and distribution of different genotypes.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) are distributed widely and persistent infection with high-risk (HR) HPV is recognized as a necessary cause of cervical cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the distribution of different HR-HPV genotypes in 199 women with cervical pre-invasive lesions undergoing conservative treatment. A Linear Array HPV Genotyping Test was used to identify individual HPV genotypes in cervical samples.

Procalcitonin as a useful marker of infection in hemato-oncological patients with fever.

Background: The diagnostic utility of procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) to discriminate between infective fever and fever due to inflammation was assessed in hemato-oncological patients treated with aggressive chemotherapy.

Patients And Methods: Values of PCT and PCR measured on days -1, 0, 1, 3 and 5 of onset of fever were analyzed using longitudinal regression analysis. Of 236 febrile episodes in 166 patients, 39 were due to bacteremia, 62 to other infections and 135 were classified as fever of unknown origin.

Serum EGFR and serum HER-2/neu are useful predictive and prognostic markers in metastatic breast cancer patients treated with metronomic chemotherapy.

Background: Metronomic chemotherapy has been demonstrated to be of value in patients with advanced breast cancer. No reliable markers of response are available. In breast tumor, HER-2/neu is a prognostic factor, whereas no definite data exist for EGFR.

Interchangeability of measurements of CA 19-9 in serum with four frequently used assays: an update.

Background: CA 19-9 is a marker principally related to pancreatic and gall bladder cancer. Although its determination has no value in screening for these malignancies, it is used in post-operative monitoring and during chemotherapeutic treatment of confirmed disease. Measurements during follow-up must be comparable and must be performed with standard, validated methods.

Comparison of the Digene HC2 assay and the Roche AMPLICOR human papillomavirus (HPV) test for detection of high-risk HPV genotypes in cervical samples.

Many different methods with different sensitivity and specificity have been proposed to detect the presence of high-risk human papillomavirus (HR HPV) in cervical samples. The HC2 is one of the most widely used. Recently, a new standardized PCR-based method, the AMPLICOR HPV test, has been introduced.

N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide after high-dose chemotherapy: a marker predictive of cardiac dysfunction?

Background: Chronic cardiac dysfunction may develop after administration of aggressive chemotherapy, sometimes leading to development of congestive heart failure (CHF). Recently, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) was implicated as a marker of CHF. In this study we evaluated the predictive role of NT-proBNP in patients treated with high-dose chemotherapy (HDC).