Explainable Machine Learning Model to Predict Overall Survival in Patients Treated With Palliative Radiotherapy for Bone Metastases.

Purpose: The estimation of prognosis and life expectancy is critical in the care of patients with advanced cancer. To aid clinical decision making, we build a prognostic strategy combining a machine learning (ML) model with explainable artificial intelligence to predict 1-year survival after palliative radiotherapy (RT) for bone metastasis.

Materials And Methods: Data collected in the multicentric PRAIS trial were extracted for 574 eligible adults diagnosed with metastatic cancer.

A multicentre survey on the perception of palliative care among health professionals working in haematology.

Purpose: Patients with haematologic malignancies have less access to palliative care and are referred later than patients with solid tumours. We developed a survey to investigate this phenomenon, with the intention of analysing palliative care perceptions among health professionals who treat haematology patients and identifying barriers and facilitators to referrals to palliative care services.

Methods: This was a multicentre exploratory descriptive web-based survey.

Identification of palliative care needs and prognostic factors of survival in tailoring appropriate interventions in advanced oncological, renal and pulmonary diseases: a prospective observational protocol.

Introduction: It is estimated that of those who die in high-income countries, 69%-82% would benefit from palliative care with a high prevalence of advanced chronic conditions and limited life prognosis. A positive response to these challenges would consist of integrating the palliative approach into all healthcare settings, for patients with all types of advanced medical conditions, although poor clinician awareness and the difficulty of applying criteria to identify patients in need still pose significant barriers. The aim of this project is to investigate whether the combined use of the NECPAL CCOMS-ICO and Palliative Prognostic (PaP) Score tools offers valuable screening methods to identify patients suffering from advanced chronic disease with limited life prognosis and likely to need palliative care, such as cancer, chronic renal or chronic respiratory failure.

Radiotherapy and palliative care outpatient clinic: a new healthcare integrated model in Italy.

Background: On the basis of substantial evidence demonstrate that palliative care combined with standard care improves patient, caregiver, and society outcomes, we have developed a new healthcare model called radiotherapy and palliative care (RaP) outpatient clinic were a radiation oncologist and a palliative care physician make a joint evaluation of advanced cancer patients.

Methods: We performed a monocentric observational cohort study on advanced cancer patients referred for evaluation at the RaP outpatient clinic. Measures of quality of care were carried out.

Nurse-led telephone follow-up for early palliative care patients with advanced cancer.

Aim And Objectives: To present our experience of a nursing telephone consultation service, describing patient and caregiver requests, and outlining ensuing nursing or medical interventions.

Background: Recently, there has been an increase in the use of telephone consultation for cancer patients. However, there is still limited data on the characteristics of this type of service and on the nature of the interventions carried out.

Patients with multiple myeloma referred for palliative care consultation: from retrospective analysis to future directions to improve clinical outcomes.

Introduction: New treatments have improved the overall survival of patients with multiple myeloma (MM). At diagnosis and during the course of the disease, patients often report pain and other symptoms. Given the long disease trajectory, psychological and social issues are also frequent.

Safety and efficacy of rituximab plus bendamustine in relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients: an Italian retrospective multicenter study.

Relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) not suitable for high dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) has a dismal prognosis and no standard therapy. We designed an Italian multicenter retrospective study aimed at evaluating the safety and efficacy of rituximab plus bendamustine (R-B) as salvage treatment in patients not eligible for ASCT because of age and/or comorbidity or in patients with post-ASCT recurrence. Fifty-five patients with a median age of 76 years were included.

Endothelin-1 promotes survival and chemoresistance in chronic lymphocytic leukemia B cells through ETA receptor.

The endothelin axis, comprising endothelins (ET-1, ET-2 and ET-3) and their receptors (ET(A)R and ETBR), has emerged as relevant player in tumor growth and metastasis. Here, we investigated the involvement of ET-1/ET(A)R axis in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). CLL cells expressed higher levels of ET-1 and ETA receptor as compared to normal B cells.