The 2024 Assisi think tank on breast cancer: Focus on the use of a tumour bed boost after breast conserving therapy.

At the Fifth Assisi Think Tank Meeting (ATTM) on breast cancer, one key topic was the role of tumor bed boost in invasive breast cancer and ductal carcinoma in situ. The need for a tumor bed boost after whole breast irradiation is controversial. A literature review assessed boost indications, target volume definition, techniques, dose fractionation, and ongoing trials.

Environmental maternal exposures and the risk of premature birth and intrauterine growth restriction: The Generation Gemelli study protocol of newborn exposome.

Background: The study of women exposures and child outcomes occurring in the first 1,000 days of life since conception enhances understanding of the relationships between environmental factors, epigenetic changes, and disease development, extending beyond childhood and spanning the entire lifespan. Generation Gemelli is a recently launched case-control study that enrolls mother-newborns pairs in one of the largest university hospitals in Italy, in order to examine the association between maternal environmental exposures and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and the risk of premature birth. The study will also evaluate the association of maternal exposures and the health and growth of infants and children up to 24 months of age.

Biomarker-Directed Radiotherapy in Breast Cancer: A Narrative Review.

Importance: Integration of molecular biomarker information into systemic therapy has become standard practice in breast cancer care. However, its implementation in guiding radiotherapy (RT) is slower. Although postoperative RT is recommended for most patients after breast-conserving surgery and, depending on risk factors, following mastectomy, emerging evidence has indicated that patients with low scores on gene expression signatures or selected clinical-pathological features may have very low local recurrence rates.

High Field MRI in Parotid Gland Tumors: A Diagnostic Algorithm.

Imaging of parotid tumors is crucial for surgery planning, but it cannot distinguish malignant from benign lesions with absolute reliability. The aim of the study was to establish a diagnostic MRI algorithm to differentiate parotid tumors. A retrospective study was conducted including all patients with parotid tumors, who underwent 3T-MRI and surgery.

Functional Rehabilitation in Non-Reconstructed Hemimandibulectomy Patients.

Functional rehabilitation in patients with hemimandibulectomy remains a challenge no matter what method of reconstruction is chosen by physicians. In this paper, we aim to evaluate the feasibility of an acceptable occlusal restoration in patients who have undergone hemimanidublectomy without the reestablishment of mandibular continuity. Data were collected retrospectively on 10 patients with varying degrees of mandible resection.

Case report: Improving quality of life through hyaluronic acid-based fillers after orbital cancer treatment.

Background: Myoepithelial carcinoma is a very rare yet aggressive tumor in children. Surgical intervention and local radiotherapy often lead to post-therapy complications, affecting both the aesthetic and functional quality of life in survivors. Hyaluronic acid (HA) dermal fillers offer a minimally invasive option to improve the appearance and quality of life for these patients once they are declared tumor-free.

Management of Clinically Negative Neck in Early-Stage (T1-2N0) Oral Squamous-Cell Carcinoma (OSCC): Ten Years of a Single Institution's Experience.

: Oral cavity squamous-cell carcinoma is among the most frequent head and neck neoplasms. Early-stage T1/T2N0 accounts for 40/45% of new diagnoses. Of these, about 30% of cases hide occult metastases in the neck.

Correction: De Sanctis et al. Lck Function and Modulation: Immune Cytotoxic Response and Tumor Treatment More Than a Simple Event. 2024, , 2630.

In the original publication [...

Weight loss, nutritional aspects and quality of life in head and neck cancer survivors.

Objectives: Comprehensive care is fundamental to cancer survivors enduring long-term side-effects of cancer treatment including nutrition impact symptoms and critical weight loss (CWL). The aim of our study was to address weight loss (WL), nutritional aspects, and quality of life (QoL) in head and neck cancer (HNC) survivors.

Study Design: This was a cross-sectional study of HNC patients treated at the Sapienza University-Hospital, 2018-2022.

A minimally invasive modified revolving-door flap for surgical reconstruction of concha and antihelix defects.

Skin cancers affecting the concha and antihelix are quite common, because of anterior auricular projection from the head and subsequent actinic exposure, leading to the need for effective ear reconstruction post-surgery. Various methods such as skin grafts, free tissue transplantation, and local flaps have been used. This study introduces a refined technique for concha-antihelix defect reconstruction, based on a minimally invasive modification of the revolving-door flap procedure.

WO-Based Thin Films Grown by Pulsed Laser Deposition as Gas Sensors for NO Detection.

Thin films based on tungsten oxide (WO) were grown by nanosecond pulsed laser deposition on alumina printed-circuit boards to fabricate electrochemical sensors for nitrogen dioxide (NO) detection. Samples exposed to thermal annealing (400 °C for 3 h) were also produced to compare the main properties and the sensor performance. Before gas testing, the morphology and structural properties were investigated.

Advancement Flap in Paralateronasal Defect Reconstruction.

Various techniques for local flap reconstructions of the facial region have been documented in the literature, including the advancement flap. This flap is one of the most versatile options for reconstructing various skin defects across different areas of the body. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of the advancement flap for reconstructing the paralateronasal region after the excision of skin cancer.

Artificial intelligence applications in personalizing lung cancer management: state of the art and future perspectives.

Lung cancer is still a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Vital to ameliorating patient survival rates are early detection, precise evaluation, and personalized treatments. Recent years have witnessed a profound transformation in the field, marked by intricate diagnostic processes and intricate therapeutic protocols that integrate diverse omics domains, heralding a paradigm shift towards personalized and preventive healthcare.

The assessment of psychosocial distress in hospitalized cancer patients during radio-oncological treatment: a monocentric experience study.

Purpose: This study investigated the prevalence and determinants of psychosocial distress among hospitalized patients undergoing radiotherapy to identify opportunities for interventions to enhance patient well-being.

Methods: Between January 2021 and May 2023, 137 hospitalized patients received radiotherapy treatment at the Department of Radiation Oncology of the Fondazione A. Gemelli IRCCS were recruited.

Resilience and spiritual well-being as resources for coping with radiotherapy and surviving in patients with glioblastoma.

Objectives: The primary aims of this multicenter, prospective observational study were to investigate spiritual well-being, resilience, and psychosocial distress in an Italian sample of glioblastoma patients undergoing radiochemotherapy. The secondary aim was to explore the influence of demographic, clinical, and psychological characteristics on survival.

Methods: The assessment was conducted only once, within the first week of radiochemotherapy treatment.

Rapid and Effective Determination of Ethyl Glucuronide in Hair by Micro Extraction by Packed Sorbent (MEPS) and LC-MS/MS.

Ethyl glucuronide (EtG) in hair is a reliable biomarker of alcohol consumption habits. Due to its small concentration incorporated into hair, analytical methods sensitive enough to reliably quantify EtG in this matrix are required. Sample preparation is critical in hair analysis, especially for EtG, for which extraction efficiency and matrix effect can strongly influence the results; furthermore, miniaturized methods are sought, to reduce solvent use and times of sample preparation.

Limberg Flap for Lateral Midface Reconstruction.

Several local skin flaps and tissue rearrangement techniques have been described in the literature, including the rhomboid flap. The Limberg flap is one of the most versatile local flaps that can be used for reconstruction of a wide range of skin defects in different parts of the body. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the safety and applicability of the Limberg flap for reconstruction of skin facial defects, particularly after cutaneous tumor resection.

Expression Analysis of Circulating microRNAs in Saliva and Plasma for the Identification of Clinically Relevant Biomarkers for Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders.

This study aims to evaluate the expression of salivary and plasmatic miRNAs as diagnostic biomarkers in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs). A total of 25 patients were divided into three groups, according to their diagnosis: OSCC patients ( = 14); OPMDs patients ( = 6); and healthy controls ( = 5). At the time at diagnosis/enrolment, patients underwent salivary and plasmatic collection.

Allies not enemies-creating a more empathetic and uplifting patient experience through technology and art.

Objective: To understand whether art and technology (mainly conversational agents) may help oncology patients to experience a more humanized journey.

Methods: This narrative review encompasses a comprehensive examination of the existing literature in this field by a multicenter, multidisciplinary, and multiprofessional team aiming to analyze the current developments and potential future directions of using art and technology for patient engagement.

Results: We identified three major themes of patient engagement with art and three major themes of patient engagement with technologies.

Bone-flap-harvest-related donor site morbidity in reconstructive jaw microsurgery: Retrospective analysis based on 220 patients over a ten-year period.

Microsurgery is the gold standard for hard and soft tissue reconstruction in head and neck neoplasia and malformations. Fibular, iliac crest, and scapular free flaps are the main choices for reconstructive surgery of the jaws. Although widely described in the literature, no statistical comparison analysis of the donor site morbidity of these has been performed to our knowledge.

Outcomes of Radiotherapy in Oligoprogressive Breast Cancer.

Introduction: Radiotherapy (RT) shows potential for improving local control in cases of oligoprogressive metastatic breast cancer (mBC). This retrospective analysis aims to evaluate the advantages of RT in such a clinical scenario.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis including patients with mBC who received radiation therapy (RT) for up to three sites of oligoprogression while continuing systemic therapy.