Publications by authors named "Rocco Nicola"

Introduction And Importance: Iatrogenic nerve injury is a possible complication of axillary lymph node dissection (ALND), which remains standard-of-care for some breast cancer patients. Recently, several studies have demonstrated that nerves auto-fluoresce in near-ultraviolet light (NUVL). We describe three women with BC in whom a recently-developed NUVL camera was used to facilitate visualization of and prevent iatrogenic injury to the intercostobrachial, long thoracic, and thoracodorsal nerves during ALND.

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Breasts have evolved as a functional and aesthetic unit. The perception of society toward social exposure of the breast has been extremely diverse, not only temporally through the same civilization but also among contemporary parallel societies in geographically diverse areas. This article explores the spatial and temporal evolution of the outlook toward social exposure of breast over the past 3000 years among different societies, countries, and religions.

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Background: Several authors hypothesized that normative values of breast related quality of life in asymptomatic populations can be helpful to better understand changes induced by surgery. Breast related quality of life can be associated to breast anthropometry. This study was designed to explore this hypothesis, find relevant correlations and, using machine learning techniques, predict values of satisfaction with breast from easy body measurements.

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Introduction: Various oncoplastic techniques have emerged over the years to preserve breast cosmesis and symmetry without compromising the principles of tumor excision. One of the newer techniques for breast volume replacement to achieve symmetry and cosmesis is the use of fascio-cutaneous pedicled chest wall perforator flaps or local perforator flaps (CWPF).

Case Presentation: We present a case of reconstruction with internal mammary artery perforator (IMAP)-based plug flap to fill the infero-medial defect caused by a tumor close to skin, with visible retraction.

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Background: Women who have a mastectomy for breast cancer treatment or risk reduction may be offered different options for breast reconstruction, including use of implants or the woman's own tissue (autologous tissue flaps). The choice of technique depends on factors such as the woman's preferences, breast characteristics, preoperative imaging, comorbidities, smoking habits, prior chest or breast irradiation, and planned adjuvant therapies.

Objectives: To assess the effects of implants versus autologous tissue flaps for postmastectomy breast reconstruction on women's quality of life, satisfaction, and short- and long-term surgical complications.

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Purpose: To build and validate a combined radiomics and machine learning (ML) approach using B-mode US and SWE images to differentiate benign from malignant solid breast lesions (BLs) and compare its performance with that of an expert radiologist.

Methods: Patients with at least one BI-RADS 2-6 BL who performed breast US integrated with SWE were retrospectively included. B-mode US and SWE images were manually segmented to extract radiomics features.

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Article Synopsis
  • Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is a rare soft tissue tumor typically occurring in adults aged 20-50, presenting as a slow-growing skin nodule that can become prominent if not treated.
  • Two case studies are presented: a 22-year-old woman with a nodule in her left breast initially misdiagnosed, and a 54-year-old woman with a growing lump in her right breast, both confirmed to be DFSP after excision.
  • DFSP is a low-grade sarcoma that needs early diagnosis and surgical removal to prevent complications; while surgery is the main treatment, other options like Mohs surgery or Imatinib exist for difficult cases.
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Breast cancers (BCs) are solid tumors composed of heterogeneous tissues consisting of cancer cells and an ever-changing tumor microenvironment (TME). The TME includes, among other non-cancer cell types, immune cells influencing the immune context of cancer tissues. In particular, the cross talk of immune cells and their interactions with cancer cells dramatically influence BC dissemination, immunoediting, and the outcomes of cancer therapies.

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Background: Augmentation/mastopexy represents one of the most complex procedures in the setting of cosmetic surgery, and there is still an ongoing debate about the most suitable approach to undertake to avoid major complications and deliver the desired result. The present study aims to offer a further contribute to the topic by presenting our personal experience with an implant-guided tailor-made mastopexy technique to manage moderate breast ptosis and hypotrophy.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of our database was carried out, and a total of 194 women who underwent a tailor-made resection pattern mastopexy plus implant from November 2016 to December 2021 were enrolled.

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Importance: Data on oncological outcomes after omission of axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) in patients with breast cancer that downstages from node positive to negative with neoadjuvant chemotherapy are sparse. Additionally, the best axillary surgical staging technique in this scenario is unknown.

Objective: To investigate oncological outcomes after sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) with dual-tracer mapping or targeted axillary dissection (TAD), which combines SLNB with localization and retrieval of the clipped lymph node.

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Background: Measurements of breast morphology are a determinant of the assessment of any surgical procedure, either reconstructive or cosmetic. This study aims to investigate the association between easy anthropometric measurements and values of quality of life assessed in a sample of asymptomatic women.

Methodology: Healthy asymptomatic women were admitted for this study.

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Background: De-escalation of axillary surgery in breast cancer (BC) management began when sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) replaced axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) as standard of care in patients with node-negative BC. The second step consolidated ALND omission in selected subgroups of BC patients with up to two macrometastases and recognized BC molecular and genomic implication in predicting prognosis and planning adjuvant treatment. Outcomes from the recent RxPONDER and monarchE trials have come to challenge the previous cut-off of two SLN in order to inform decisions on systemic therapies for hormone receptor-positive (HR+), human epidermal growth factor receptor type-2 (HER2) negative BC, as the criteria included a cut-off of respectively three and four SLNs.

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A breast unit is a multidisciplinary center specialized in the management of women with breast diseases, including breast cancer (BC). It represents a care path, passing from screening activities to diagnostic investigations, from surgery to the definition of the therapeutic strategy, from psychophysical rehabilitation to long-term checks (follow-up), and up to genetic counseling. Since 2006, following a resolution issued by the European Parliament to urge member states to activate multidisciplinary breast centers by 2016, work has been underway throughout Italy to improve the management of women with BC.

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Background: Gynecomastia (GYN) is mainly caused by the benign proliferation of mammary glands and adipose tissue. Currently, up to 38% of adult males have GYN. GYN can be caused by systemic diseases, obesity, endocrine disorders (such as liver cirrhosis, which impairs estrogen inactivation), malignant tumors, and medications.

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Introduction: The educational and professional lives of everyone have significantly been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many courses and meetings traditionally structured and organized as face-to-face events have been transformed into virtual events.

Methods: We report on the experience of G.

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Introduction: Books and papers are the most relevant source of theoretical knowledge for medical education. New technologies of artificial intelligence can be designed to assist in selected educational tasks, such as reading a corpus made up of multiple documents and extracting relevant information in a quantitative way.

Methods: Thirty experts were selected transparently using an online public call on the website of the sponsor organization and on its social media.

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Background: Nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM) and immediate breast reconstruction have demonstrated positive aesthetic outcomes and high patient satisfaction. However, challenges arise when performing NSM on patients with large and ptotic breasts because of the higher risk of nipple-areola complex (NAC) necrosis. This study proposes a new technique: the three pedicle-based nipple-sparing skin-reducing mastectomy (TP-NSSRM), combined with direct-to-implant (DTI) breast reconstruction, aimed at reducing complications.

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Background: Nipple-sparing mastectomies (NSMs) and implant-based breast reconstructions have evolved from 2-stage reconstructions with tissue expansion and implant exchange to direct-to-implant procedures. In this study, we tested safety and efficacy of polyurethane-based implants according to standard assessment tools.

Objectives: This study aimed to test safety and feasibility of polyurethane-coated implants with standardized assessment employing internationally acknowledged evaluation criteria.

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Unlabelled: The early randomized controlled trials revealed no differences in survival between breast-conserving surgery (BCS) and mastectomy. However, breast cancer treatment has undergone changes, and the results of recent population-based registry studies suggest superior long-term survival after BCS. To explore the current evidence, a systematic review and meta-ana lysis of population-based observational studies from 2010 and onward was conducted.

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This study reports on feasibility and applicability of totally autologous primary breast reconstructions based on TDAP flaps using a standard set of internationally approved reporting scales. We reviewed 15 cases in patients with a good donor area in the back not suitable for implant or free flaps reconstructions. Complications according to Clavien Dindo were: 1 Grade 1 (seroma in the back).

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New tracers for sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB), as indocyanine green (ICG), superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) and micro bubbles, have been recently introduced in clinical practice showing promising but variable results. We reviewed the available evidence comparing these new techniques with the standard tracers to evaluate their safety. To identify all available studies, a systematic search was performed in all electronic databases.

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Importance: Improvement in clinical understanding of the priorities of patients with breast cancer (BC) regarding postoperative aesthetic outcomes (AOs) is needed.

Objective: To assess expert panel and computerized evaluation modalities against patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), the gold standard of AO assessment, in patients after surgical management of BC.

Data Sources: Embase, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PubMed, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, and ClinicalTrials.

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Background: Volume replacement using chest wall perforator flaps (CWPFs) is a promising technique to reduce mastectomy rates without sacrificing function or aesthetics. Owing to limited availability of the technique, only a minority of patients currently have access to CWPF procedures.

Methods: An international web-based survey was disseminated through social media, dedicated webpages, and national and international societies for breast surgery.

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Unlabelled: Acellular dermal matrices (ADMs) entered the market in the early 2000s and their use has increased thereafter. Several retrospective cohort studies and single surgeon series reported benefits with the use of ADMs. However, robust evidence supporting these advantages is lacking.

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