Publications by authors named "Simone Morra"

Purpose: Temporal trends in and predictors of inpatient palliative care use in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) undergoing critical care therapy are unknown.

Methods: Relying on the National Inpatient Sample (2008-2019), we identified mRCC patients undergoing critical care therapy, namely invasive mechanical ventilation, percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube insertion, dialysis for acute kidney failure, total parenteral nutrition, or tracheostomy. Estimated annual percentage changes (EAPC) analyses and multivariable logistic regression models addressed inpatient palliative care use.

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Background: The role of primary tumor ablation (pTA) in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) is unknown. We compared pTA-treated mRCC patients to patients who underwent no local treatment (NLT), as well as patients who underwent cytoreductive nephrectomy (CN).

Methods: Within the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database (SEER, 2004-2020), we identified mRCC patients who underwent either pTA, NLT or CN.

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Background/objectives: Solitary fibrous tumors (SFTs) represent a rare mesenchymal malignancy that can occur anywhere in the body. Due to the low prevalence of the disease, there is a lack of contemporary data regarding patient demographics and cancer-control outcomes.

Methods: Within the SEER database (2000-2019), we identified 1134 patients diagnosed with malignant SFTs.

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: The impact of surgical resection versus non-resection on cancer-specific mortality (CSM) in soft tissue pelvic sarcoma remains largely unclear, particularly when considering histologic subtypes such as liposarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, and sarcoma NOS. The objective of the present study was to first report data regarding the association between surgical resection status and CSM in soft tissue pelvic sarcoma. : Using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database from 2000 to 2019, we identified 2491 patients diagnosed with pelvic soft tissue sarcoma.

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Background: Overactive bladder (OAB) is a chronic condition. This study was prompted by the need to fill the gap between medical treatment and advanced therapies allowing improvement in Quality of Life. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the association between treatment type (Ialuril; IBSA Farmaceutici, Lodi, Italy; in combination with antimuscarinic or alone after drop-out of antimuscarinic, relative to antimuscarinic alone treatment) and functional outcomes (number of micturitions, pelvic pain, urinary incontinence, nocturia, urgency).

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Article Synopsis
  • The surgical training landscape is shifting from traditional methods to more scientific ones, particularly in robot-assisted surgeries like radical prostatectomy (RARP), to enhance safety and efficiency.
  • The review highlights a lack of standardized curricula for RARP training, despite the increasing adoption of robotic surgery and its associated risks, underscoring the need for structured training programs.
  • Various training stages, including e-learning, virtual simulators, and hands-on labs, are essential to equip surgeons with the unique skills needed for successful robotic surgeries.
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Introduction: To date, radio-recurrent prostate cancer (PCa) ranks as the fourth most common urological malignancy when considering the number of men with localized PCa who undergo radiation treatment and subsequently experience a biochemical recurrence. This systematic review aimed to summarize available evidence about the outcomes of local salvage strategies in patients with local PCa recurrence following primary external-beam radiation therapy (EBRT).

Methods: We conducted a comprehensive bibliographic search on MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science Core Collection databases in October 2023 to identify studies published in the last 20 years evaluating outcomes of local salvage procedures in patients with locally radio-recurrent PCa following EBRT.

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On-clamp partial nephrectomy for the surgical treatment of renal masses poses the risk of ischemia and greater post-operative renal function loss. Conversely, the off-clamp technique might enhance renal function preservation by avoiding any ischemia time. Nevertheless, the debate persists regarding the efficacy of the on- versus off-clamp partial nephrectomy in achieving better surgical, functional, and oncological outcomes.

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Article Synopsis
  • Complete surgical resection (adrenalectomy) is the only potential cure for metastatic adrenocortical carcinoma (mACC), but its impact on survival rates has been unclear.
  • A study using the SEER database from 2004 to 2020 analyzed the effects of adrenalectomy on the survival of mACC patients and found that those who underwent the surgery had significantly lower mortality rates.
  • The results indicated that while adrenalectomy benefits many, its effectiveness may vary based on factors like the type of systemic therapy received and the number of metastatic sites.
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Purpose: We investigated regional differences in patients with stage III nonseminoma germ cell tumor (NSGCT). Specifically, we investigated differences in baseline patient, tumor characteristics and treatment characteristics, as well as cancer-specific mortality (CSM) across different regions of the United States.

Methods: Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database (2004-2018), patient (age, race/ethnicity), tumor (International Germ Cell Cancer Collaborative Group [IGCCCG] prognostic groups) and treatment (systemic therapy and retroperitoneal lymph dissection [RPLND] status) characteristics were tabulated for stage III NSGCT patients, according to 12 SEER registries representing different geographic regions.

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Background: The purpose of this study was to test for survival differences according to adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) status in radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) patients with pT2-T4 and/or N1-2 upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC).

Patients And Methods: Within the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database (SEER, 2007-2020), patients with UTUC treated with AC versus RNU alone were identified. Kaplan-Meier plots and multivariable Cox regression models addressed cancer-specific mortality (CSM).

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Objective: New indices of dyslipidemia, such as the Atherogenic Index of Plasma (AIP) or Castelli Risk Index I and II (CR-I/II), have been tested to predict erectile dysfunction (ED). The aim of this study was to assess the role of these lipidic scores in predicting severe ED and erectile function (EF) worsening in patients who underwent robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP).

Methods: Data from 1249 prostate cancer patients who underwent RARP at our single tertiary academic referral center from September 2021 to April 2023 were reviewed.

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Background: We hypothesized that the evolving treatment paradigms recommended based on phase III trials may have translated into improved overall survival (OS) in contemporary community-based patients with clear-cell metastatic renal cell carcinoma (ccmRCC) undergoing active treatment.

Patients And Methods: Within the SEER database, contemporary (2017-2020) and historical (2010-2016) patients with ccmRCC treated with either systemic therapy (ST), cytoreductive nephrectomy (CN), or both (ST+CN) were identified. Univariable and multivariable Cox-regression models were used.

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The use of enzymes to generate hydrogen, instead of using rare metal catalysts, is an exciting area of study in modern biochemistry and biotechnology, as well as biocatalysis driven by sustainable hydrogen. Thus far, the oxygen sensitivity of the fastest hydrogen-producing/exploiting enzymes, [FeFe]hydrogenases, has hindered their practical application, thereby restricting innovations mainly to their [NiFe]-based, albeit slower, counterparts. Recent exploration of the biodiversity of clostridial hydrogen-producing enzymes has yielded the isolation of representatives from a relatively understudied group.

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Background: It is unknown whether the stage of the primary may influence the survival (OS) of metastatic upper tract urothelial carcinoma (mUTUC) patients treated with nephroureterectomy (NU) and systemic therapy (ST). We tested this hypothesis within a large-scale North American cohort.

Methods: Within Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results database 2000-2020, all mUTUC patients treated with ST+NU or with ST alone were identified.

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Background: In contemporary surgically treated patients with localized high-grade (G3 or G4) clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), it is not known whether presence of sarcomatoid dedifferentiation is an independent predictor and/or an effect modifier, when cancer-specific mortality (CSM) represents an endpoint.

Methods: Within the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database, all surgically treated localized high-grade ccRCC patients treated between 2010 and 2020 were identified. Univariable and multivariable Cox-regression models were used.

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Background: Unmarried status has been associated with higher proportions of locally advanced stage and lower treatment dose intensification rates in several urological and non-urological malignancies. However, no previous investigators focused on the association between unmarried status and advanced stage (TN) at presentation and lower nephroureterectomy (RNU) and systemic therapy (ST) rates in non-metastatic upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) patients.

Methods: Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database 2000-2020, all non-metastatic UTUC patients were identified.

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Background: In nonmetastatic pelvic liposarcoma patients, it is unknown whether married status is associated with better cancer-control outcome defined as cancer-specific mortality (CSM). We addressed this knowledge gap and hypothesized that married status is associated with lower CSM rates in both male and female patients.

Methods: Within the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database (2000-2020), nonmetastatic pelvic liposarcoma patients were identified.

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Purpose: The role of lymphadenectomy and the optimal lymph node count (LNC) cut-off in nonmetastatic adrenocortical carcinoma (nmACC) are unclear.

Methods: Within the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, surgically treated nmACC patients with T stages were identified between 2004 and 2020. We tested for cancer-specific mortality (CSM) differences according to pathological N-stage (pN0 vs.

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