Metastatic Cutaneous Basal Cell Carcinoma: Report of 2 Cases Preceding the Hedgehog Pathway Antagonists Era.

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) of the skin is the most common type of malignant human tumor. However, metastatic BCC is a very rare event with weakly effective therapeutic options and a poor prognosis, until a few years ago. In 2012, small-molecule therapies, capable of inactivating the hedgehog signaling pathway and thus reducing tumor growth and progression, were introduced into clinical practice for the treatment of patients with advanced BCC.

Cold benign thyroid nodule volume reduction predictability after percutaneous ethanol injection.

Objective: To determine the effect of percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI), a suppressive therapy for cold benign thyroid nodules (CBNs), on cytology.

Study Design: The study group consisted of 31 CBNs, treated with PEI for 1 year, aspirated before and while the patients were on suppressive therapy. A control group consisting of 22 patients, whose nodule characteristic, PEI treatment and follow-up were similar to those of the study patients group, was monitored to confirm the results.

Prevalence and genotypes identification of human papillomavirus infection in a population of South Italy.

Background: A limited number of human papillomavirus (HPV) types account for the majority of invasive cervical cancer cases.

Objectives: To assess, in a southern Italian region, where HPV infection had not yet been investigated, the prevalence of type-specific HPV infection.

Study Design: Multiplex PCR was used to test cervical specimens from 871 asymptomatic women.