Primary Dysmenorrhea in Adolescents: Prevalence, Impact and Recent Knowledge.

Background And Objectives: Dysmenorrhea is commonly categorized into two types; primary and secondary. Primary dysmenorrhea (PD) is the focus of this review. PD is defined as painful menses with cramping sensation in the lower abdomen that is often accompanied by other symptoms, such as sweating, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and tremulousness.

Effect of High-Dose Atorvastatin Reload on the Release of Endothelial Progenitor Cells in Patients on Long-Term Statin Treatment Who Underwent Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (from the ARMYDA-EPC Study).

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) may concur to endogenous vascular repair. Previous studies have reported that statin treatment increases EPC levels. We investigated whether this occurs in patients on long-term statin treatment who underwent percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs).

Combating autophagy is a strategy to increase cytotoxic effects of novel ALK inhibitor entrectinib in neuroblastoma cells.

Neuroblastoma (NB) is a threatening childhood malignancy. Its prognosis is affected by several morphological, and biological characteristics, including the constitutive expression of ALK tyrosine kinase. In this study we examined the therapeutic potential of a novel ALK inhibitor, entrectinib, in obliterating NB tumor cells.

Neoadjuvant treatment of biliary tract cancer: state-of-the-art and new perspectives.

Gall bladder cancer (GBC), and intrahepatic and extrahepatic (perihilar or distal bile duct's) cholangiocarcinomas (CCA) are usually diagnosed in locally advanced or node-positive stage, with a short survival rate. Thus, it appears essential to explore novel strategies for improving disease downstage and radical surgery. Chemoradiotherapy followed by liver transplantation seems to be one of the most promising approaches for intrahepatic or perihilar disease while chemotherapy with novel radiotherapy techniques (such stereotactic body radiation) emerged as an attractive preoperative treatment in distal diseases.

Multi-omic profiling of MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma cell-lines.

Neuroblastoma is the most common pediatric cancer, arising from the neural crest cells of the sympathetic nervous system. Its most aggressive subtype, characterized by the amplification of the MYCN oncogene, has a dismal prognosis and no effective treatment is available. Understanding the alterations induced by the tumor on the various layers of gene expression is therefore important for a complete characterization of this neuroblastoma subtype and for the discovery of new therapeutic opportunities.

Natural History of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer with Bone Metastases.

We conducted a large, multicenter, retrospective survey aimed to explore the impact of tumor bone involvement in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.Data on clinical-pathology, skeletal outcomes and bone-directed therapies for 661 deceased patients with evidence of bone metastasis were collected and statistically analyzed. Bone metastases were evident at diagnosis in 57.

Assessment of a HER2 scoring system for colorectal cancer: results from a validation study.

We sought to develop criteria for ERBB2-positivity (HER2) in colorectal cancer to ensure accurate identification of ERBB2-amplified metastatic colorectal cancer patients suitable for enrollment in a phase II trial of ERBB2-targeted therapy (HERACLES trial). A two-step approach was used. In step 1, a consensus panel of pathologists adapted existing protocols for use in colorectal cancer to test ERBB2 expression and amplification.

Imatinib dose escalation versus sunitinib as a second line treatment in KIT exon 11 mutated GIST: a retrospective analysis.

We retrospectively reviewed data from 123 patients (KIT exon 11 mutated) who received sunitinib or dose-escalated imatinib as second line.All patients progressed on imatinib (400 mg/die) and received a second line treatment with imatinib (800 mg/die) or sunitinib (50 mg/die 4 weeks on/2 off or 37.5 mg/day).

Translational compensation of genomic instability in neuroblastoma.

Cancer-associated gene expression imbalances are conventionally studied at the genomic, epigenomic and transcriptomic levels. Given the relevance of translational control in determining cell phenotypes, we evaluated the translatome, i.e.

Prognostic significance of K-Ras mutation rate in metastatic colorectal cancer patients.

Introduction: Activating mutations of K-Ras gene have a well-established role as predictors of resistance to anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients. Their prognostic value is controversial, and no data regarding the prognostic value of mutation rate, defined as the percentage of mutated alleles/tumor sample, are available. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of K-Rasmutation rate in a homogenous cohort of mCRC patients receiving first-line doublet plus bevacizumab.

Genome instability model of metastatic neuroblastoma tumorigenesis by a dictionary learning algorithm.

Background: Metastatic neuroblastoma (NB) occurs in pediatric patients as stage 4S or stage 4 and it is characterized by heterogeneous clinical behavior associated with diverse genotypes. Tumors of stage 4 contain several structural copy number aberrations (CNAs) rarely found in stage 4S. To date, the NB tumorigenesis is not still elucidated, although it is evident that genomic instability plays a critical role in the genesis of the tumor.

FOLFOXIRI plus bevacizumab versus FOLFIRI plus bevacizumab as first-line treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer: updated overall survival and molecular subgroup analyses of the open-label, phase 3 TRIBE study.

Background: In the TRIBE study, FOLFOXIRI (fluorouracil, leucovorin, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan) plus bevacizumab significantly improved progression-free survival of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer compared with FOLFIRI (fluorouracil, leucovorin, and irinotecan) plus bevacizumab. In this updated analysis, we aimed to provide mature results for overall survival-a secondary endpoint-and report treatment efficacy in RAS and BRAF molecular subgroups.

Methods: TRIBE was an open-label, multicentre, phase 3 randomised study of patients (aged 18-70 years with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group [ECOG] performance status of 2 or less and aged 71-75 years with an ECOG performance status of 0) with unresectable metastatic colorectal cancer who were recruited from 34 Italian oncology units.

Bisphosphonates as anticancer agents in early breast cancer: preclinical and clinical evidence.

Bisphosphonates (BPs) are approved as standard therapy in breast cancer for the treatment of bone metastases, since they were demonstrated to reduce the prevalence of skeletal-related events including fractures and hypercalcemia. In the adjuvant setting, BPs can be given to prevent and treat tumor therapy-induced bone loss in premenopausal and postmenopausal women and, owing to their beneficial effect on bone turnover, have also been evaluated for prevention of bone metastases occurrence. In this article we will review the mechanisms through which BPs have been demonstrated to prevent premetastatic niche formation and cell proliferation in bone lesions.

Attitudes of physicians toward assessing risk and using granulocyte colony-stimulating factor as primary prophylaxis in patients receiving chemotherapy associated with an intermediate risk of febrile neutropenia.

Febrile neutropenia (FN) is a potentially fatal complication of chemotherapy. This prospective, observational study describes physicians' approaches toward assessing FN risk in patients receiving chemotherapy regimens with an intermediate (10-20 %) FN risk. In the baseline investigator assessment, physicians selected factors considered important when assessing overall FN risk and deciding on granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) primary prophylaxis (PP).

Identification of GALNT14 as a novel neuroblastoma predisposition gene.

Although several genes have been associated to neuroblastoma (NB) predisposition and aggressiveness, further genes are likely involved in the overall risk of developing this pediatric cancer. We thus carried out whole-exome sequencing on germline DNA from two affected second cousins and two unlinked healthy relatives from a large family with hereditary NB. Bioinformatics analysis revealed 6999 variations that were exclusively shared by the two familial NB cases.

"Impact of Smoking Cessation Treatment" on Lung Function and Response Rate in EGFR Mutated Patients: A Short-Term Cohort Study.

Background: Erlotinib is a validated drug "for the treatment of patients affected by advanced unresectable non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with EGFR mutations". We want to focus on potential functional benefits deriving from a combined therapy containing TKI (erlotinib) and a nicotinic partial agonist (varenicicline) in smokers.

Methods: we analyzed the records of patients affected by NSCLC treated undergoing "first line therapy with Erlotinib" and smoking cessation (with varenicicline).

Lack of Correlation Between Liver Tests Abnormalities and Trabectedin Efficacy in the Treatment of Soft Tissue Sarcoma: a Retrospective Study.

Elevation in liver transaminases is common in patients treated with the marine antitumor agent trabectedin. However, the impact of trabectedin-related transaminase elevations on treatment outcomes is unclear. This retrospective study investigated the correlation between liver tests abnormalities and treatment outcomes in patients with unresectable advanced or metastatic soft tissue sarcomas (STS) treated with trabectedin 1.

Prognostic Relevance of Objective Response According to EASL Criteria and mRECIST Criteria in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients Treated with Loco-Regional Therapies: A Literature-Based Meta-Analysis.

Background: The European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) criteria and the modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (mRECIST) are currently adopted to evaluate radiological response in patients affected by HCC and treated with loco-regional procedures. Several studies explored the validity of these measurements in predicting survival but definitive data are still lacking.

Aim: To conduct a systematic review of studies exploring mRECIST and EASL criteria usefulness in predictive radiological response in HCC undergoing loco-regional therapies and their validity in predicting survival.

Expression of FOXP3, CD14, and ARG1 in Neuroblastoma Tumor Tissue from High-Risk Patients Predicts Event-Free and Overall Survival.

The prognosis of children with metastatic neuroblastoma (NB) > 18 months at diagnosis is dismal. Since the immune status of the tumor microenvironment could play a role in the history of disease, we evaluated the expression of CD45, CD14, ARG1, CD163, CD4, FOXP3, Perforin-1 (PRF1), Granzyme B (GRMB), and IL-10 mRNAs in primary tumors at diagnosis from children with metastatic NB and tested whether the transcript levels are significantly associated to event-free and overall survival (EFS and OS, resp.).

Emerging drugs for the treatment of bone metastasis.

Introduction: Bone metastases are virtually incurable resulting in significant disease morbidity, reduced quality of life and mortality. Bone provides a unique microenvironment whose local interactions with tumor cells offer novel targets for therapeutic interventions. Increased understanding of the pathogenesis of bone disease has led to the discovery and clinical utility of bone-targeted agents other than bisphosphonates and denosumab, currently, the standard of care in this setting.

Liver toxicity in colorectal cancer patients treated with first-line FOLFIRI-containing regimen: a single institution experience.

Background: Chemotherapy-induced toxic liver injury is a relevant issue in the clinical management of patients affected with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). This retrospective study evaluated patterns of liver toxicity in patients treated with FOLinic acid, Fluorouracil, IRInotecan (FOLFIRI)-based regimens.

Methods: One hundred and fifty-six mCRC patients treated at the University Campus Bio-Medico between January 2003 and January 2013 were included in this retrospective analysis.

Comparison of RNA-seq and microarray-based models for clinical endpoint prediction.

Background: Gene expression profiling is being widely applied in cancer research to identify biomarkers for clinical endpoint prediction. Since RNA-seq provides a powerful tool for transcriptome-based applications beyond the limitations of microarrays, we sought to systematically evaluate the performance of RNA-seq-based and microarray-based classifiers in this MAQC-III/SEQC study for clinical endpoint prediction using neuroblastoma as a model.

Results: We generate gene expression profiles from 498 primary neuroblastomas using both RNA-seq and 44 k microarrays.

Interventional Radiologist's perspective on the management of bone metastatic disease.

Bone metastases can be treated by interventional radiologists with a minimally invasive approach. Such treatments are performed percutaneously under radiological imaging guidance. Different interventional techniques can be applied with curative or palliative intent depending on lesions and patients' status.

Risk of pruritus in cancer patients treated with biological therapies: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials.

Background: Pruritus has been described with targeted therapies in cancer patients. We performed an up-to-date meta-analysis to determine the incidence and RR in patients with cancer treated with these agents.

Methods: PubMed databases were searched for articles published till October 2014.

Emerging kinase inhibitors of the treatment of gastric cancer.

Introduction: Gastric cancer (GC) is the fifth most common malignancy in the world. In the last years, for the first time in literature, the addition of a targeted therapy to standard chemotherapy has proved to prolong median overall survival. In this scenario, kinase inhibitors (KIs), smaller intracellular agents, could be an interesting and novel type of targeted treatment of metastatic GC both in first and further lines of therapy.