A quantification of the electron return effect using Monte Carlo simulations and experimental measurements for the MRI-linac.

The integration of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and linear accelerators into hybrid treatment systems has made MR-guided radiation therapy a clinical reality. This work aims to evaluate the influence of the Electron Return Effect (ERE) on the dose distributions. This study was conducted using MRIdian (ViewRay, Cleveland, Ohio) system.

Bone recurrence in early breast cancer patients: The paradox of aromatase inhibitors induced bone resorption.

Background: Despite the increase in chances of cure for early breast cancer (EBC) patients, approximately 20-45% of them will experience a disease recurrence, particularly bone metastases in 60-80% of cases, which occur more frequently in luminal subtypes. Endocrine therapy (ET) has always been the milestone of adjuvant treatment for hormone receptor-positive EBC patients, leading to indubitable reduction of disease recurrence risk. However, adjuvant aromatase inhibitors (AIs) therapy may promote a progressive decrease in bone mineral density (BMD), which can lead to osteoporosis.

Predictive Ability for Disease-Free Survival of the GRade, Age, Nodes, and Tumor (GRANT) Score in Patients with Resected Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Background: Recently, the GRANT (GRade, Age, Nodes, and Tumor) score was validated through an adjuvant trial population.

Methods: This retrospective study evaluated the performance of the GRANT score as a prognostic model for disease-free survival (DFS), compared to the University of California Los Angeles Integrated Staging System (UISS) score, in a "real-life" population of early renal cell carcinoma patients. A uni-/multivariate analysis of DFS was also performed, to weigh the roles of baseline clinical factors.

Home Care for Cancer Patients During COVID-19 Pandemic: The Double Triage Protocol.

Patients with cancer have an increased risk of developing severe forms of coronavirus disease 2019, and patients with advanced cancer who are followed at home represent a particularly frail population. Although with substantial differences, the challenges that cancer care professionals have to face during a pandemic are quite similar to those posed by natural disasters. We have already managed the oncological home care service in L'Aquila (middle Italy) after the 2009 earthquake.

Haloperidol for the treatment of opioid addiction in advanced cancer patients: a case series.

Opioid addiction, if not well diagnosed and treated, can be a significant challenge for optimal pain management even in cancer patients. To date there is no definitive pharmacological standard of care for treating addiction, especially in this setting of patients. We present a clinical case series of three opioid-addicted advanced cancer patients, effectively treated with haloperidol, a well-known first-generation typical antipsychotic.

Association of segmental T2 ratio and late gadolinium enhancement in patients with acute myocarditis: a feasibility study.

Background: Cardiac magnetic resonance is a valuable tool in the diagnosis of acute myocarditis, but dyspnea or chest pain often reduce patient's compliance, so definition of faster magnetic resonance protocols is of paramount importance.

Methods: Short tau inversion recovery (STIR) and phase sensitive inversion recovery images for the assessment of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE)of 22 patients with clinical suspicion of acute myocarditis were retrospectively evaluated. Signal intensity in STIR images was measured by 2 readers by placing region of interests (ROIs) within the area of maximal signal intensity in each myocardial segment derived from the ACC/AHA segmental scheme.

Weighing the role of skeletal muscle mass and muscle density in cancer patients receiving PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitors: a multicenter real-life study.

Sarcopenia represents one of the hallmarks of all chronic diseases, including cancer, and was already investigated as a prognostic marker in the pre-immunotherapy era. Sarcopenia can be evaluated using cross-sectional image analysis of CT-scans, at the level of the third lumbar vertebra (L3), to estimate the skeletal muscle index (SMI), a surrogate of skeletal muscle mass, and to evaluate the skeletal muscle density (SMD). We performed a retrospective analysis of consecutive advanced cancer patient treated with PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitors.

The PERSONS score: A new tool for cancer patients' symptom assessment in simultaneous care and home care settings.

Background: Scientific societies recommend early interaction between oncologic and supportive care, but there is still a lack of systematic evaluations regarding symptoms from the perspective of oncologists.

Patients And Methods: The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the PERSONS score, in both "simultaneous care" and "supportive care" settings using the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS) as a comparator.

Results: From November 2017 to April 2018, 67 and 110 consecutive patients were enrolled in outpatient and home care cohorts, respectively.

Clinical and psychometric validation of the BreSAS questionnaire module for symptom assessment among breast cancer survivors.

Background: The large number of women surviving many years post breast cancer (BC) diagnosis has heightened interest in studying long-term effects of cancer on quality of life (QoL). Several cancer-specific health-related measures have been developed, but these may not be appropriate for long survivors. This study evaluates the reliability and clinical and psychometric validity of the BreSAS questionnaire (BQ) among BC survivors.

What cancer patients actually know regarding medical cannabis? A cross-sectional survey with a critical analysis of the current attitudes.

Background: In Italy medical cannabis is a prescription drug since 1998. Even though it could not be considered a therapy as such, it is indicated as a symptomatic treatment also in cancer patients, to cure iatrogenic nausea/vomiting and chronic pain.

Patients And Methods: We conducted a knowledge survey about medical cannabis among cancer patients referred to two outpatient cancer care centers and a home care service.

[Symptom assessment and chemical coping detection: the assessment of the cancer patient's symptoms between consumption, use and abuse.].

Substance abuse is frequently under-diagnosed among cancer patients. Alcoholism is a problem afflicting about 18% of the general population. This percentage is higher in hospitalized patients.

Prophylactic use of antiemetics for prevention of opioid-induced nausea and vomiting: a survey about Italian physicians' practice.

Purpose: Antiemetics are being used both for the treatment and prophylaxis of opioid-induced nausea and vomiting (OINV) in clinical practice, despite the lack of evidence for the prophylactic benefit. Studies among Japanese physicians demonstrated over 80% prescribe antiemetics, with neuroleptic antipsychotics as the most commonly prescribed drugs. Our objective was to elucidate the current scenario of the prophylactic use of antiemetics for OINV among Italian physicians.

Predictive value of skeletal muscle mass for immunotherapy with nivolumab in non-small cell lung cancer patients: A "hypothesis-generator" preliminary report.

Sarcopenia represents one of the hallmarks of all chronic disease, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A computed tomography scan is an easy modality to estimate the skeletal muscle mass through cross-sectional image analysis at the level of the third lumbar vertebra (L3). Baseline skeletal muscle mass (SMM) was evaluated using gender-specific cutoffs for skeletal muscle index in NSCLC patients administered immunotherapy with nivolumab to evaluate its possible correlations with clinical outcomes.

The possible different roles of denosumab in prevention and cure breast cancer bone metastases: A 'hypothesis-generator' study from clinical practice.

The most frequent site of recurrence in breast cancer (BC) is the bone, particularly in patients with 'luminal-like' disease. Denosumab has been shown to prevent aromatase inhibitors (AIs) induced bone resorption in postmenopausal early BC patients and reduce skeletal-related events (SREs) in bone metastatic breast cancer (BMBC). A 'real life' analysis of 90 BMBC patients treated with denosumab was performed.

The Incidence of Alcoholism in Patients with Advanced Cancer Receiving Active Treatment in Two Tertiary Care Centers in Italy.

Introduction: Substance abuse is frequently under-diagnosed among cancer patients. Alcoholism is a problem afflicting about 18% of the general population. This percentage is higher in hospitalized patients.

Single-institution study of correlations between skeletal muscle mass, its density, and clinical outcomes in non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with first-line chemotherapy.

Background: Sarcopenia and muscle tissue degradation are hallmarks of the majority of chronic diseases, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A computed tomography scan could be an easy modality to estimate the skeletal muscle mass through cross-sectional image analysis at the level of the third lumbar vertebra.

Methods: Baseline skeletal muscle mass (SMM) was evaluated through the skeletal muscle index (SMI), together with skeletal muscle radiodensity (SMD), in NSCLC patients undergoing first-line chemotherapy to evaluate correlations with safety and clinical outcomes.

[The management of cancer patients during natural disasters: the oncologist's resilience and the role of scientific societies.].

The earthquake that shook Central Italy during 2016 and 2017 confirmed once again the country's vulnerability. These catastrophic events have serious consequences both on the lives of cancer patients and on the organization of healthcare assistance. After the earthquake that devastated the city of L'Aquila in 2009, the nearby hospitals were declared unfit, thus, patients were deprived of their natural reference center.

Timed‑flat infusion of 5‑fluorouracil with docetaxel and oxaliplatin as first‑line treatment of gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma: A single institution experience with the FD/FOx regimen.

To date, there is no consensus regarding first‑line chemotherapy for patients with HER2‑negative, locally advanced/metastatic gastric cancer (a/m GC). In the present study we reported a retrospective case‑series of patients treated with a weekly regimen containing timed‑flat infusion of 5‑fluorouracil (TFI/5‑FU), docetaxel and oxaliplatin. From June 2007 to July 2017, 32 consecutive a/m GC patients were treated with first‑line standard (st) or modulated (mod) 'FD/FOx' regimen: Weekly 12 h (from 10.

The PERSONS score for symptoms assessment in simultaneous care setting: A pilot study.

One of the first steps to early integrate palliative care into oncology practice is a timely and efficient evaluation of symptoms (Bakitas et al., 2015; Davis et al., 2015; Temel et al.