Lobular Carcinoma of the Breast and Utility of Oncotype Dx®: a Retrospective Decision Impact Analysis.

Purpose: It is still relatively questioned if the benefit of Recurrent Score (RS) extends to invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC), which represents 10-15% of all invasive Breast Cancer (BC). We present the results of the lobular carcinoma subgroup of the PONDx Italy study[1]. that collected data on real-life use of the Oncotype DX® test in Italian oncological community clinical practice.

A randomized phase III study of fractionated docetaxel, oxaliplatin, capecitabine (low-tox) vs epirubicin, oxaliplatin and capecitabine (eox) in patients with locally advanced unresectable or metastatic gastric cancer: the lega trial.

Background: EOX (epirubicin, oxaliplatin, and capecitabine) is one of the standard regimens for metastatic or locally advanced gastric cancer (GC). A new combination based on fractional docetaxel (low-TOX) has been developed in an attempt to increase the efficacy of EOX and reduce the heavy toxicity of classical docetaxel regimens.

Methods: Overall, 169 previously untreated GC patients were randomized between EOX (arm A) and low-TOX (arm B).

Is the oncotype DX test useful in elderly breast cancer patients: a subgroup analysis of real-life Italian PONDx study.

Introduction: The 21-gene Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score® test, (Genomic Health, Redwood City CA) has not been formally evaluated in an older cohort with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer (BC) in term of physicians' treatment decisions. We determine the utility of Recurrence Score® (RS) result on adjuvant therapy prescription in elderly patients with resected early BC.

Material And Methods: PONDx was a multicenter, prospective, observational study, and which investigated the real-life use of the Oncotype DX® test by physicians treating early BC patients in clinical practice.

An Analysis of the Social and Economic Costs of Breast Cancer in Italy.

Background: Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer affecting women and it represents an important economic burden. The aim of this study was to estimate the socio-economic burden of breast cancer (BC) in Italy both from the National Health Service (NHS) and the government perspectives (costs borne by the social security system).

Methods: The economic analysis was based on the costs incurred by the NHS from 2008 to 2016 (direct costs related to hospitalizations) and by the National Social Security Institute (INPS) from 2009 to 2015 (costs of social security benefits) for patients with breast cancer.

Multigene tests for breast cancer: the physician's perspective.

Breast cancer is the most common tumour in women and the first cause of death for cancer in the female population. Preserving the quality of life has therefore become an important objective in the management of the disease. The benefits of adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with HR+ HER2- early breast cancer should always be balanced against its potential short and long-term adverse effects, and identifying the appropriate patients for whom chemotherapy can offer the highest clinical benefit is critical.

PONDx: real-life utilization and decision impact of the 21-gene assay on clinical practice in Italy.

Clinicopathological prognostic features have limited value to identify with precision newly diagnosed patients with hormone receptor (HR)-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer (BC), who would benefit from chemotherapy (CT) in addition to adjuvant hormonal therapy (HT). The 21-gene Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score (RS) assay has been demonstrated to predict CT benefit, hence supporting personalized decisions on adjuvant CT. The multicenter, prospective, observational study PONDx investigated the real-life use of RS results in Italy and its impact on treatment decisions.

Cancer: New Needs, New Models. Is It Time for a Community Oncologist? Another Brick in the Wall.

Over the last few decades, thanks to early detection, effective drugs, and personalized treatments, the natural history of cancer has radically changed. Thanks to these advances, we have observed how survival of cancer patients has increased, becoming an ever more important goal in cancer care. Effective clinical governance of survivorship care is essential to ensure a successful transition between active and post-treatment life, identifying optimization of healthcare outcomes and quality of life for patients as the primary objectives.

Association of Obesity With Survival Outcomes in Patients With Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Importance: Obesity, defined as a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30, is associated with a significant increase in the risk of many cancers and in overall mortality. However, various studies have suggested that patients with cancer and no obesity (ie, BMI 20-25) have worse outcomes than patients with obesity.

Objective: To assess the association between obesity and outcomes after a diagnosis of cancer.

The core components of cardio-oncology rehabilitation.

The increased efficacy of cancer therapy has resulted in greater cancer survival and increasing number of people with cancer and cardiovascular diseases. The sharing of risk factors, the bidirectional relationship between cancer and cardiovascular diseases and the cardiotoxic effect of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, are the cause of the rapid expansion of cardio-oncology. All strategies to preserve cardiovascular health and mitigate the negative effect of cancer therapy, by reducing the cardiovascular risk, must be pursued to enable the timely and complete delivery of anticancer therapy and to achieve the longest remission of the disease.

Effects of hypertension on cancer survival: A meta-analysis.

Background: Hypertension is usually associated with increased cardiovascular mortality. Uncertainty exists about the possible role of hypertension as a poor prognostic factor for cancer-specific mortality (CSM). To assess the association between pre-existing hypertension and the risk of mortality and relapse after a diagnosis of cancer, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies.

Overall Survival in Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients in the Third Millennium: Results of the COSMO Study.

Introduction: Metastatic breast cancer (MBC) is a life-threatening disease, and although some data suggest a trend in survival improvement, it has not yet been unequivocally demonstrated. This study aimed to evaluate the overall survival (OS) of MBC patients, assessing its correlation with prognostic factors.

Patients And Methods: COSMO (Checking Overall Survival in a MBC Observational study) is an Italian longitudinal retrospective multicenter study that enrolled patients with MBC diagnosed between 2000 and 2008.

[HCF-ANMCO/AICPR/GIEC/ITAHFA/SICOA/SICP/SIMG/SIT Cardiological Societies Council Consensus document: Anticoagulant therapy in venous thromboembolism and atrial fibrillation of the patient with cancer. Current knowledge and new evidence].

Venous thromboembolism (VTE), including pulmonary embolism and deep venous thrombosis, either symptomatic or incidental, is a common complication in the history of cancer disease. The risk of VTE is 4-7-fold higher in oncology patients, and it represents the second leading cause of death, after cancer itself. In cancer patients, compared with the general population, VTE therapy is associated with higher rates of recurrent thrombosis and/or major bleeding.

Thrombin generation predicts early recurrence in breast cancer patients.

Background: Cancer patients present with a hypercoagulable state often associated with poor disease prognosis.

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate whether thrombin generation (TG), a global coagulation test, may be a useful tool to improve the identification of patients at high risk of early disease recurrence (ie, E-DR within 2 years) after breast cancer surgery.

Patients/methods: A cohort of 522 newly diagnosed patients with surgically resected high-risk breast cancer were enrolled in the ongoing prospective HYPERCAN study.

Efficacy of Eribulin mesylate in older patients with breast cancer: A pooled analysis of clinical trial and real-world data.

Purpose: Eribulin mesylate (EM) is a non-taxane microtubule inhibitor approved for use in patients with metastatic breast cancer. With this pooled analysis of retrospective studies, we evaluated the efficacy and toxicity profile of EM in older patients with breast cancer in the real-world setting.

Methods: We performed a systematic database search for studies published up to March 2019 and reporting outcome and adverse events with EM in older patients (≥70 years).

Careful Breakthrough Cancer Pain Treatment through Rapid-Onset Transmucosal Fentanyl Improves the Quality of Life in Cancer Patients: Results from the BEST Multicenter Study.

Objectives: To explore the effect of breakthrough cancer pain (BTcP) treatment on quality of sleep and other aspects of the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with cancer pain.

Methods: In an observational, multicenter, cohort study, cancer patients from palliative care units, oncology departments, and pain clinics and affected by BTcP were included. Enrolled patients were assessed at the four visits: T0 (baseline), T7, T14, and T28.

Number of lung resections performed and long-term mortality rates of patients after lung cancer surgery: evidence from an Italian investigation.

Objectives: Although it has been postulated that patients might benefit from the centralization of high-volume specialized centres, conflicting results have been reported on the relationship between the number of lung resections performed and the long-term, all-cause mortality rates among patients who underwent surgery for lung cancer. A population-based observational study was performed to contribute to the ongoing debate.

Methods: The 2613 patients, all residents of the Lombardy region (Italy), who underwent lung resection for lung cancer from 2012 to 2014 were entered into the cohort and were followed until 2018.

Khorana score and thromboembolic risk in stage II-III colorectal cancer patients: a analysis from the adjuvant TOSCA trial.

Background: The risk of venous thromboembolic events (VTE) during adjuvant chemotherapy for colorectal cancer (CRC) is unknown. We aim to evaluate if the Khorana score (KS) can predict this risk, and if it represents a prognostic factor for overall survival (OS) through a analysis of the phase III TOSCA trial of different durations (3- 6-months) of adjuvant chemotherapy.

Methods: A logistic regression model was used to test the associations between the risk of VTE and the KS.

Author Correction: Sex-Related Differences in Impact on Safety of Pharmacogenetic Profile for Colon Cancer Patients Treated with FOLFOX-4 or XELOX Adjuvant Chemotherapy.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR), Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (PLR), and Outcomes with Nivolumab in Pretreated Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC): A Large Retrospective Multicenter Study.

Introduction: Immune checkpoint inhibitors have provided substantial benefit in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with unprecedented results in terms of survival. However, the identification of reliable predictive biomarkers to these agents is lacking and multiple clinicopathological factors have been evaluated. The aim of this study was to analyze the potential role of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels in patients with pretreated NSCLC receiving nivolumab.

Microsatellite Instability and Survival in Stage II Colorectal Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background/aim: About 15-20% of colorectal cancers (CRCs) have deficiency in a mismatch repair (MMR) protein. MMR has a high level of microsatellite instability (MSI-H). We have conducted this review and meta-analysis to determine the prognostic role of MSI-H status in stage II CRC.

Combination of radiotherapy and immunotherapy for brain metastases: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Radiotherapy (RT) represents a mainstay in the treatment of brain metastases (BMs) from solid tumors. Immunotherapy (IT) has improved survival of metastatic cancer patients across many tumor types. The combination of RT and IT for the treatment of BMs has a strong rationale, but data on efficacy and safety of this combination is still limited.

Syndrome of inappropriate anti-diuretic hormone secretion in cancer patients: results of the first multicenter Italian study.

Background: Hyponatremia in cancer patients is often caused by the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH). The aim of this observational multicenter study was to analyze the medical and economic implications of SIADH in this setting.

Methods: This study included 90 oncological patients from 28 Italian institutions that developed SIADH between January 2010 and September 2015.