[Sex/gender differences in COVID-19 lethality: what the data say, and do not say].

Background: scientific literature indicates that there are sex, and gender differences in the development, symptomatology and evolution of different diseases, in the response to drugs and in the therapeutic pathways. Even in the COVID-19 epidemic some sex/gender differences emerged.

Objectives: to analyze COVID-19 epidemic data by gender and age in Italy, Germany, Spain, and Sweden, characterized by having implemented different pandemic containment policies, with the aim of observing any characteristics that can be interpreted with the lens of sex/gender differences.

MLH1 constitutional and somatic methylation in patients with MLH1 negative tumors fulfilling the revised Bethesda criteria.

Lynch syndrome (LS) is a tumor predisposing condition caused by constitutional defects in genes coding for components of the mismatch repair (MMR) apparatus. While hypermethylation of the promoter of the MMR gene MLH1 occurs in about 15% of colorectal cancer samples, it has also been observed as a constitutional alteration, in the absence of DNA sequence mutations, in a small number of LS patients. In order to obtain further insights on the phenotypic characteristics of MLH1 epimutation carriers, we investigated the somatic and constitutional MLH1 methylation status of 14 unrelated subjects with a suspicion of LS who were negative for MMR gene constitutional mutations and whose tumors did not express the MLH1 protein.

The role of surgical lung biopsy in the management of interstitial lung disease: experience from a single institution in the UK.

Objectives: Interstitial lung disease (ILD) includes a wide spectrum of pulmonary pathologies. The role of surgical lung biopsy (SLB) in the diagnosis of ILD is still controversial. The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether SLB is worthwhile in the management of ILD.

Magnetic resonance imaging: is there a role in clinical management for acute ischemic colitis?

Aim: To validate the utility of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the clinical management of acute ischemic colitis (IC).

Methods: This is a magnetic resonance (MR) prospective evaluation of 7 patients who were proved to have acute IC on the basis of clinical, endoscopic and computed tomography (CT) findings and who were imaged in our institution between February 2011 and July 2012. The mean age of the patients was 72.

Computed tomographic evaluation of mesentery: diagnostic value in acute mesenteric ischemia.

Objective: To evaluate the computed tomographic appearances of mesentery in acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) to recognize characteristic features and their prognostic values.

Methods: Computed tomographic examinations of 34 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of AMI were retrospectively reviewed to evaluate the number of mesenteric vessels, diameter of the superior mesenteric artery and superior mesenteric vein, mesenteric fat stranding, mesenteric vessel pneumatosis and ascites.

Results: Overall, at least one of these mesenteric signs was present in all but 1 patient.

Diffuse cutaneous metastases as the only sign of extranodal tumor spread in a patient with adenocarcinoma of the colon.

Cutaneous metastases from large bowel cancer are uncommon and are usually associated with organ involvement. Localization of lesions to the skin is mainly attributed to vascular and anatomical relationship, since most of them are seen in the abdominal wall or in a surgical scar. We report a 73-year-old woman in whom metastatic nodules from a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma of the right colon developed throughout the skin (buttock, trunk, chest wall, arms, and neck) and remained the only sign of extranodal tumor spread until patient's death, seven months later.

Transanal resection of rectal lipoma mimicking rectal prolapse: description of a case and review of the literature.

Submucosal lipomas of the large bowel are uncommon. Occasionally, they occur in the rectum and may cause aspecific symptoms; presentation with rectal prolapse is very unusual and may lead to a misdiagnosis of simple mucosal prolapse. The paper describes an additional case of a prolapsing rectal mass that led to diagnosis and surgical treatment of a rectal lipoma under local anesthesia.

Outcome of surgical treatment of colorectal cancer in the elderly.

The aim of this study is to compare the clinical features and the perioperative and long-term outcomes after primary surgery for colorectal cancer (CRC) in the elderly population with those observed in younger patients. All the patients over the age of 55 who underwent primary surgery for CRC in our clinic from 1988 to 2008 were included in this study and divided into two age groups: 55-75 and >75 years considering the age of diagnosis. 914 consecutive patients were enrolled in the study (352 > 75 years).

Continuous oral capecitabine at fixed dose in patients older than 75 years with metastatic colorectal and gastric cancer: a study of the Multidisciplinary Oncology Group on Gastrointestinal Tumors.

The aim of this study was to investigate the safety profile of continuous oral capecitabine at fixed dose in patients older than 75 years, having metastatic colorectal and gastric cancer. Capecitabine was administered at a fixed dose of 2000 mg daily without interruptions. Thirty-four patients were considered evaluable for toxicity and efficacy.

Neurotoxicity of FOLFOX-4 as adjuvant treatment for patients with colon and gastric cancer: a randomized study of two different schedules of oxaliplatin.

Purpose: The dose limiting toxicity of oxaliplatin (l-HOP) is neurotoxicity, which is characterized by an acute neuropathy and a clinically distinct chronic neuropathy. This randomized study evaluated if prolonged l-HOP infusion over the conventional l-HOP schedule was useful in reducing acute and possibly chronic l-HOP induced neurotoxicity in colon and gastric cancer patients receiving l-HOP-based regimen as adjuvant chemotherapy.

Methods: Sixty-four patients were randomly assigned to group A (26 colon and 6 gastric cancer) and to group B (23 colon and 9 gastric cancer).

FOLFOX-4 stop and go and capecitabine maintenance chemotherapy in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer.

Objective: Patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (MCC) usually receive FOLFOX-4, or other oxaliplatin (L-HOP)-based regimens, until the occurrence of progressive disease, with an increase in the incidence of neurotoxicity which is correlated to the cumulative dose of L-HOP. The aim of this study was to evaluate if FOLFOX-4 stop and go and capecitabine maintenance chemotherapy is associated with a low incidence of severe neurotoxicity in the treatment of MCC patients.

Methods: Thirty-three patients were treated with FOLFOX-4 (L-HOP 85 mg/m(2) day 1, leucovorin 200 mg/m(2), 5-fluorouracil bolus 400 mg/m(2) and 22 h 600 mg/m(2) days 1 and 2, every 2 weeks).

Folinic acid, 5-fluorouracil and etoposide after curative resection for gastric cancer.

Background/aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the survival benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy with etoposide, leucovorin and 5-fluorouracil (ELF) in gastric cancer patients undergoing previous surgery with a curative intent.

Methodology: The clinical outcome of 49 patients with resected gastric cancer treated with adjuvant chemotherapy was compared with that of 85 surgically treated historical controls who did not receive any adjuvant treatment. The chemotherapy regimen consisted of six cycles of daily 1-hour intravenous infusions of folinic acid 100 mg/m2 and 5-FU 400 mg/ m2, and a 2-hour infusion of etoposide 100 mg/m2, for three days every 28 days.

Adjuvant epirubicin with or without Ifosfamide for adult soft-tissue sarcoma.

This randomized study compared the efficacy of epirubicin-based adjuvant chemotherapy on the disease-free interval (DFI) and overall survival of patients with high-risk soft-tissue sarcomas. After curative surgery, 43 of the 88 enrolled patients were assigned to surgery with or without radiotherapy and 45 to surgery plus chemotherapy (26 epirubicin, 19 epirubicin + ifosfamide) with or without radiotherapy. The trial closed prematurely because of poor patient accrual.