Brentuximab vedotin plus doxorubicin and dacarbazine in nonbulky limited-stage classical Hodgkin lymphoma.

ABVD (Adriamycin, bleomycin, vinblastine, dacarbazine) with or without radiation has been the standard treatment for limited-stage Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) but carries risks of bleomycin lung injury and radiation toxicity. Brentuximab vedotin (BV) is approved with AVD for stage III-IV HL, but carries increased risks of peripheral neuropathy (PN) and neutropenic fever, likely due to overlapping toxicity between BV and vinblastine. We therefore evaluated BV in combination with AD for 4 or 6 cycles based on interim positron emission tomography response.

Nurses in clinical trials: perceptions of impact on the research enterprise.

Background: Clinical Research Nurses practice across a wide spectrum of roles and settings within the global research enterprise. Clinical Research Nurses working with clinical trials face a dual fidelity in their role, balancing integrity of the protocol and quality care for participants.

Aims: The purpose of this study was to describe Clinical Research Nurses' experiences in clinical trials, educational preparation, and career pathways, to gain a deeper understanding of clinical research nursing contributions to the clinical research enterprise.

Results of a phase II study of lenalidomide and rituximab for refractory/relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is an incurable disease in need of new therapeutic strategies. The immunomodulatory agent, lenalidomide, has shown activity as salvage therapy for CLL. In this phase II trial, we combined lenalidomide with rituximab in 25 patients (range, 41-79) with refractory/relapsed CLL.

Results of a phase 2 study of pacritinib (SB1518), a JAK2/JAK2(V617F) inhibitor, in patients with myelofibrosis.

Pacritinib (SB1518) is a Janus kinase 2 (JAK2), JAK2(V617F), and Fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 inhibitor that does not inhibit JAK1. It demonstrated a favorable safety profile with promising efficacy in phase 1 studies in patients with primary and secondary myelofibrosis (MF). This multicenter phase 2 study further characterized the safety and efficacy of pacritinib in the treatment of patients with MF.

[The 'dreams' of Cesare Augusto Levi: a pre-Freud interpretation].

On 25th February, 1887 Cesare Augusto Levi, a poet and archaeologist born in Venice in 1856, held a conference on dreams at the "Ateneo di Venezia". The conference deals with the nature of dreams, with the unconscious, with hypnosis and magnetism. Levi advocates a socially oriented version of psychiatry and he may be considered as a forerunner of Freud's theories.

[Changes caused by mineral water on gastrointestinal motility in patients with chronic idiopathic dyspepsia].

Background: The antidyspeptic property of mineral waters has been based for ages on empirical data. In the present paper the effects of one of them (Tettuccio, Montecatini) on gastrointestinal motility of patients with dyspepsia has been evaluated.

Methods: The study was carried out on 24 patients with idiopathic dyspepsia and delayed gastric emptying at scintigraphy and 18 healthy subjects with normal gastric emptying.

Effect of a mineral water on gastric emptying of patients with idiopathic dyspepsia.

The antidyspeptic property of mineral waters has for many years been based on empirical data. In the present paper we evaluated the effects of one type of mineral water, Tettuccio water from Montecatini, on gastric emptying in patients with idiopathic dyspepsia. Fourteen subjects, eight patients with idiopathic dyspepsia and delayed gastric emptying at scintigraphy and six healthy subjects with normal gastric emptying were studied.

Tumor markers and lung cancer: guidelines in a cost-limited medical organization.

The aim of our study was to evaluate the cost of the tumor marker assays most widely used in pneumological practice and the effectiveness of the percentage of DRG-based reimbursements absorbed by these assays. For this purpose we assessed the cost of lung tumor marker assays in Emilia Romagna compared to the DRG-based reimbursement of inpatients affected by lung diseases in whom the use of tumor markers is indicated. As an example, we evaluated the cost/effectiveness of the CEA assay in the differential diagnosis of 68 pleural effusions from 46 patients (20 benign diseases, 26 malignant).

111In-octreotide scintigraphy in endocrine tumors. Preliminary data.

A large number of endocrine tumors express somatostatin receptors, and the use of radiolabeled somatostatin analogs has been recently introduced for their localization. Using in vivo scintigraphy with 111In-pentetreotide, primary tumor localizations were demonstrated in 3/3 carcinoids (2 intestinal carcinoids and 1 lung ACTH-secreting carcinoid; in 2 patients liver metastases larger than 1 cm were visualized), in 1/1 GH-secreting pituitary macroadenoma, and in 1/1 thyroid localization of MTC. Bone and/or lymph node metastases were imaged in 2/4 patients previously treated for MTC, with persistently high CT and CEA levels; in the other 2 patients the other scintigraphic techniques were also negative.

Evaluation of stage 4 neuroblastoma patients by means of MIBG and 99mTc-MDP scintigraphy.

In a group of 22 patients with a stage 4 neuroblastoma, MIBG and 99mTc-MDP scintigraphy and radiological skeletal survey were performed at diagnosis to assess the presence of metastatic skeletal disease. In 20 out of 22 patients the MIBG scan was repeated during follow-up at a time when maximum tumoral regression was expected, i.e.

Gastric emptying and interdigestive antroduodenal motility in patients with esophageal scleroderma.

The study was carried out on two groups of patients with esophageal scleroderma (LES pressure less than 5 mm Hg and amplitude of smooth muscle pressure waves less than 10 mm Hg): one group included patients with mild (group M) and the other severe (group S) gastroesophageal reflux (GER) diagnosed by ambulatory esophageal pH monitoring. Nine normal subjects were used as controls. Antroduodenal motility was recorded by means of manometry for 200-300 min after an overnight fast and the gastric emptying (T1/2) of a semisolid meal was measured utilizing a scintigraphic method.

Evaluating benign breast disease.

Benign breast diseases are present in some form in nearly all women. A basic understanding of breast anatomy and physiology, underlying pathology and methods available for evaluating breast problems provides the ability to assess the client's breast complaint. Four common breast problems--fibrocystic disease, fibroadenoma, mammary duct ectasia, and intraductal papilloma--are described along with guidelines for assessment and referral or follow-up.

67Ga citrate scanning, X-ray computed tomography and chest X-ray in the study of interstitial pneumonia in patients with AIDS.

Problems in the investigation of pulmonary interstitial pneumocystis carinii in AIDS patients in the early phase with 67Ga, high-resolution CT scan and chest X-ray are discussed, and a clinical study of 12 individuals is presented. The combination of the three examinations is useful in reducing false negative cases. The use of 67Ga scanning, chest X-ray and high-resolution CT is also proposed in the follow-up of AIDS patients during remission of their lung pathology.

Use of TPA in hepatology of infectious nature. Initial observations.

The tissue polypeptide antigen, TPA, is a tumour-associated antigen which is synthesized during the S phase of cellular division and released later by the tissues when rapid growth takes place. For this reason, the TPA is considered to be a specific phase tumour-associated antigen. Since Björklund detected the antigen in 1957 much less has been written about research into the presence of the TPA in high concentration in the blood of subjects with tumours in different sites.

Combination of tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA) and carcino embryonic antigen (CEA) in different types of cancer.

Tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA) and carcino embryonic antigen (CEA) were measured in 55 patients with cancer in different locations (21 lung cancer, 133 breast cancer, 9 stomach cancer, 5 colorectal cancer, 7 cancer of unknown origin). TPA gives elevated values in all types of cancer. The statistical analysis shows that TPA is about equally sensitive for all cancer types, while CEA has a particularly high sensitivity for colorectal carcinoma.

99mTc-HIDA dynamic scintigraphy for the diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux of bile.

In 5 patients with partial gastric resection and esophagitis, in whom esophageal pH metry was unable to demonstrate significant gastroesophageal reflux (GER), we administered i.v. 5 mCi (185 MBq) of 99mTc-HIDA, the patient lying under a computer-assisted LFOV gamma camera.

In vivo isotope study of the thyroid with 99mTcO4- in neonatal congenital hypothyroidism.

Seventeen patients, screened from a neonatal programme for hypothyroidism were studied. As well as the scintigraphic investigations, serum TSH, T3, free T3, T4, free T4, and TBG were measured in all patients. Not more than 11.

[Neonatal screening for congenital hypothyroidism. Experience at a Regional Center].

We examined 107,670 infants born in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna. Capillary blood samples for contemporary T4 and TSH radioimmunoassay were collected on the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th or between the 7th and the 15th day of life on filter paper. In our method the threshold value for recall for a second assay was calculated taking into account the mean - 2 SD of each session for T4, and fixing between 30 and 50 microU/ml the threshold value for TSH.

[Use of radioisotopes in the evaluation of coronary disease].

A study on myocardial perfusion through scintigraphy with 201-Tl has been carried on in a group of 57 persons: among them 45 had myocardial infarction and 12 had myocardial ischemia in act. In consideration of this experience, the myocardial scintigraphy with 201-Tl seems to be a valid investigation method to support the electro-vectocardiography when evaluating, bloodlessly, ischemical cardiopathies. In general, the correlation between electro-vectorcardiographic and scintigraphic data has been satisfactory.