Circulating Tumor Cells in Right- and Left-Sided Colorectal Cancer.

Molecular alterations are not randomly distributed in colorectal cancer (CRC), but rather clustered on the basis of primary tumor location underlying the importance of colorectal cancer sidedness. We aimed to investigate whether circulating tumor cells (CTC) characterization might help clarify how different the patterns of dissemination might be relative to the behavior of left- (LCC) compared to right-sided (RCC) cancers. We retrospectively analyzed patients with metastatic CRC who had undergone standard baseline CTC evaluation before starting any first-line systemic treatment.

Palbociclib plus endocrine therapy in HER2 negative, hormonal receptor-positive, advanced breast cancer: A real-world experience.

Data from 423 human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-), hormone receptor-positive (HR+) advanced breast cancer (aBC) patients treated with palbociclib and endocrine therapy (ET) were provided by 35 Italian cancer centers and analyzed for treatment outcomes. Overall, 158 patients were treated in first line and 265 in second/later lines. We observed 19 complete responses and 112 partial responses.

N-Palmitoyl Ethanol Amide Pharmacological Treatment in Patients With Nonsurgical Lumbar Radiculopathy.

Palmitoyl ethanol amide (PEA) is an endogenous substance that plays a role in neuropathic pain. In this article, we evaluated both the safety and the efficacy of ultramicronized PEA (um-PEA) in the treatment of low back pain related to nonsurgical lumbar radiculopathy. In this prospective single-blind study, patients with low back pain related to nonsurgical lumbar radiculopathy received the fixed combination acetaminophen/codeine (500 mg + 30 mg/d) for 7 days, and then it was stopped and changed to um-PEA (1200 mg/d) for 30 days.

Drug-Drug Interactions in Cocaine-users and their Clinical Implications.

Background: Drug-Drug Interactions (DDIs) represent a common problem in clinical practice during drug treatments. DDIs can both induce the development of adverse drug reactions or reduce the clinical efficacy of each drug.

Objectives: The main objective of this review was to analyze the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic DDIs in cocaine consumers, focusing the interest on their clinical implications.

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Inhibitor Therapy and Cardiovascular and Renal Damage in Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Background: Sunitinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), is approved for first and second line treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Knowledge on the effects of sunitinib on cardiovascular (CV) risk and renal damage is limited.

Aim: To evaluate possible renal and CV damage in patients with RCC treated with sunitinib.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study of a ginger extract in the management of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) in patients receiving high-dose cisplatin.

Background: The activity of ginger in the management of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) has been suggested, but design inadequacies, heterogeneity of the population, small numbers and poor quality of tested products limit the possibility to offer generalizable results.

Patients And Methods: We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study in patients planned to receive ≥2 chemotherapy cycles with high dose (>50 mg/m2) cisplatin. Patients received ginger 160 mg/day (with standardized dose of bioactive compounds) or placebo in addition to the standard antiemetic prophylaxis for CINV, starting from the day after cisplatin administration.

Searching for Evidence to Support the Use of Ginger in the Prevention of Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting.

Patients with cancer frequently use dietary supplementation and herbal therapies to control symptoms of disease and adverse effects of cancer therapy. Despite the widespread use of dietary supplementation and herbal therapies in oncology, robust scientific evidence in this area is lacking. Not only do these products need to be tested in large and well-designed observational or randomized studies, but their manufacturing process must be improved to achieve higher levels of standardization in product quality.

Identification of subgroups of early breast cancer patients at high risk of nonadherence to adjuvant hormone therapy: results of an Italian survey.

Background: Adherence to adjuvant endocrine therapy (HT) is suboptimal among breast cancer patients. A high rate of nonadherence might explain differences in survival between clinical trial and clinical practice. Tailored interventions aimed at improving adherence can only be implemented if subgroups of patients at higher risk of poor adherence are identified.

Outcomes of HER2-positive early breast cancer patients in the pre-trastuzumab and trastuzumab eras: a real-world multicenter observational analysis. The RETROHER study.

Addition of trastuzumab to adjuvant chemotherapy has dramatically reduced the risk of recurrence and has become the standard of care for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive early breast cancer patients. Since most data on trastuzumab benefits come from clinical trials, conducted in selected patient populations, we performed a retrospective analysis of HER2-positive early breast cancer patients treated in the "pre-trastuzumab" and "trastuzumab" eras, with the aim to determine patients' outcomes in real-world practice. 925 consecutive HER2-positive breast cancer patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy in ten Italian oncologic centers were identified.

Circulating tumor cells in metastatic colorectal cancer: do we need an alternative cutoff?

Purpose: To assess the prognostic and predictive value of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) irrespective of detection level.

Materials And Methods: We evaluated the prognostic and predictive significance of CTC count at baseline and under treatment in 119 mCRC subjects and compared the standard cutoff (≥3 CTCs/7.5 mL to ≥1 CTCs/7.

An unusual presentation of multiple cavitated lung metastases from colon carcinoma.

Background: Consolidation with or without ground-glass opacity is the typical radiologic finding of lung metastases of adenocarcinoma from the gastrointestinal tract. Lung excavated metastases from gastrointestinal carcinoma are very rare.

Case Presentation: The authors describe an unusual presentation of multiple cavitated lung metastases from colon adenocarcinoma and discuss the outcome of a patient.

Cancer chemotherapy and cardiovascular risks: is capecitabine-induced hypertriglyceridemia a rare adverse effect?

Capecitabine is an oral fluoropyrimidine which is transformed to 5-Fluorouracil inside tumor cells, where it achieves high drug concentrations. Capecitabine is an active drug diffusely utilized in the treatment of various types of tumors, such as breast, colorectal, gastric, head and neck carcinoma. In our experience, capecitabine-induced hypertriglyceridemia does not seem to be a rare adverse effect as it is observed in 10% of treated patients.

Darbepoetin in the control of cancer-related anaemia.

A group of 62 patients with different advanced cancers and with an anaemic condition were treated with a short course of darbepoetin administered on two different schedules as supportive therapy. The response rates (i.e.

Antiangiogenic metronomic chemotherapy and hyperthermia in the palliation of advanced cancer.

Among a large series of cancer patients treated with a combination of chemotherapy and sessions of hyperthermia, particular attention was given to a specific group of patients with advanced cancer who refused standard, aggressive, treatment. In these cases, hyperthermia was associated to low-dose (metronomic) chemotherapy. No toxicity was reported in any of our patients, while a marginal benefit in terms of tumour progression was observed.

Mitomycin C and etoposide in advanced colorectal carcinoma. A clinical and in vitro experience that focuses the problem of schedule dependence in combination therapy.

Background: Aim of this study was to evaluate the activity of a combination regimen of chemotherapy containing mitomycin C (MMC) and etoposide (ETO) in advanced colorectal carcinoma.

Methods: Fourteen pretreated patients received MMC 2 mg/m2 and ETO 60 mg/m2, days 1-5 every 28 days. The clinical study was interrupted since no clinical response was observed in 14 patients following four courses of chemotherapy.

Influence of registered nurses' attitudes toward bariatric patients on educational programming effectiveness.

Background And Objective: This study describes registered nurses' (RNs') attitudes toward obese adult patients using the Attitudes Toward Obese Adult Patients Instrument.

Methods: Full-time RNs (N = 119) employed in a medical center, acute rehabilitation institution, and skilled nursing facility participated in the study.

Results: Findings revealed that RNs have positive attitudes toward obese adults.

Shared governance and EBP: a logical partnership?

While the relationship between shared governance and evidence-based practice is still in its early stages, the Albert Einstein Healthcare Network believes these separate models of care share the same processes and equate to solid, successful nursing.

Lipid peroxidation inhibition blunts nuclear factor-kappaB activation, reduces skeletal muscle degeneration, and enhances muscle function in mdx mice.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a progressive muscle-wasting disease resulting from lack of the sarcolemmal protein dystrophin. However, the mechanism leading to the final disease status is not fully understood. Several lines of evidence suggest a role for nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB in muscle degeneration as well as regeneration in DMD patients and mdx mice.

Inhibition of lipid peroxidation by IRFI 042, a vitamin E analogue, decreases monensin cardiotoxicity in chicks.

Monensin, a well-known ionophore antibiotic, may cause severe damage in myocardial cells. We investigated whether IRFI 042, a new analogue of vitamin E, may block lipid peroxidation in myocardial cells and in turn protect against monensin toxicity. Monensin toxicity was induced by repeated daily administration of the ionophore antibiotic (150 mg/kg/day for 7 days).

Lipid peroxidation inhibition by raxofelast improves angiogenesis and wound healing in experimental burn wounds.

We investigated the effects of raxofelast, a lipid peroxidation inhibitor, in an experimental model of burn wounds. C57BL/6 male mice of 25-30 g were immersed in 80 degrees C water for 10 seconds to achieve a partial-thickness scald burn. Animals received intraperitoneally either raxofelast (20 mg/kg/day for 14 days in 100 microL) or its vehicle alone (100 microL/day for 14 days).

Lipid peroxidation triggers both c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and extracellular-regulated kinase (ERK) activation and neointimal hyperplasia induced by cessation of blood flow in the mouse carotid artery.

We investigated whether lipid peroxidation might influence activation of the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) extracellular regulated kinase (ERK1/2) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) in neointimal hyperplasia induced by flow interruption of carotid artery in mice. C57/BL6 mice were subjected to a complete ligation of the left common carotid artery or to a sham ligation. Animals were randomized to receive either IRFI-042, a Vitamin E-like inhibitor of lipid peroxidation (20 mg/kg/i.

Protective effects of antioxidant raxofelast in alcohol-induced liver disease in mice.

We investigated the effect of raxofelast on lipid peroxidation inhibition in mice exposed to chronic ethanol. Female C57BL/6 mice were fed a modified Lieber-DeCarli liquid ethanol (ETOH) or control diet (sham ETOH) for up to 14 days. Animals were assigned to receive either raxofelast (20 mg/kg/day i.