Oral vinorelbine as first line chemotherapy in unfit elderly patients with hormone-refractory prostate cancer.

Hormone-refractory prostate cancer (HRPC) is a rapidly progressive disease which produces considerable morbidity and involves mostly men over 70, often comorbid and with poor tolerance to chemotherapy. Low-toxicity chemotherapy is a reasonable option in this setting. Vinorelbine and a corticosteroid show activity and clinical benefit responses in HRPC.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (voiding urosonography) of vesicoureteral reflux: state of the art.

Three methods are currently used to identify vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) in children, namely, radiographic voiding cystourethrography, radionuclide voiding cystography and, more recently, echo-enhanced voiding urosonography (VUS). Recent advances in tissue-harmonic and contrast-specific imaging techniques, together with the development of second-generation contrast agents, have improved the potential of ultrasonography both in the diagnosis and grading of VUR in children. Today, VUS is able to accurately assess the grade of reflux and the state of the urethra, previously considered fundamental limitations to the extensive use of this technique.

Effects of tear substitutes on conjunctival epithelium of mice.

Aim: The effects of the administration of three tear substitutes on normal conjunctival epithelium of the mouse, with particular regard to goblet cells, were studied.

Methods: Three-month-old Swiss CD 1 mice were divided into four groups of 7 animals each. Group 1 was untreated (control).

Mast cells in invasive ductal breast cancer: different behavior in high and minimum hormone-receptive cancers.

Background: Studies on the role of mast cells (MC) in cancer have given contrasting results. In order to contribute to the clarification of their role, research on breast cancer was carried out, because some aspects of its carcinogenesis, such as the diversity of the hormonal component, differ greatly.

Materials And Methods: This study included 50 cases of invasive ductal breast cancer not otherwise specified (NOS): 25 of them were high hormone-receptive (HHR) cancers with estrogen and progesterone receptor values not lower than 50%, 25 were minimum hormone-receptive (MHR) cancers (< 5%).

Smoking, aging and the centenarians.

The smoke of cigarettes represents an important accelerator of the aging process, both directly through complex mechanisms mediated prevalently by excessive formation of free radicals, and indirectly by favoring the appearance of various pathologies in which smoke is a recognized risk factor. This means that smoke compromises not only life expectancy, but also the quality of the life, favoring the occurrence of non-autosufficiency. Smoking is an important risk factor for many diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.

Effects of the phytoestrogen genistein on bone metabolism in osteopenic postmenopausal women: a randomized trial.

Background: Observational studies and small trials of short duration suggest that the isoflavone phytoestrogen genistein reduces bone loss, but the evidence is not definitive.

Objective: To assess the effects of genistein on bone metabolism in osteopenic postmenopausal women.

Design: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Immunoexpression of lactoferrin in human sporadic renal cell carcinomas.

By immunohistochemistry, lactoferrin (Lf) expression was retrospectively investigated in 40 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded kidney samples, obtained at surgery from an equal number of patients. Histologically, 28 cases were clear cell carcinomas (CCC), 7 papillary carcinomas (PC) and 5 chromophobe carcinomas (CC). Ten specimens of unaffected renal parenchyma were utilized as tissue control.

[Ferguson hemorrhoidectomy, modified by using the Ligasure radiofrequency coagulator].

The aim of the study was the evaluation of results of modified Ferguson hemorrhoidectomy, with use of the Ligasure radiofrequency coagulator, compared to the Milligan-Morgan and Longo techniques. From January 1988 to December 2005, 3011 patients underwent Ferguson hemorrhoidectomy (1849 F, 1162 M; age range: 18 to 84 years). One thousand three hundred patients had previously been treated by medical therapy with poor results and in 225 patients (7.

["Intentionally" limited pulmonary resection versus lobectomy for the treatment of peripheral stage IA non-small cell lung cancers].

Background: The purpose of this study is to assess, through the retrospective analysis of our experience and the literature review, whether the limited pulmonary resection is comparable to lobectomy for treatment of the peripheral stage IA (T1N0M0) non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC), in terms of oncologic radicality, survival and rate of local, regional and systemic recurrences. Moreover it has been considered the impact of the limited resections in comparison with the lobar resections on the postoperative pulmonary function.

Patients And Methods: We have analyzed a consecutive series of 36 patients, 28 men and 8 women, of inclusive age among the 61 to 81 years (average 73 years), who underwent surgical resection from January 2000 to December 2003 for T1N0M0 peripheral NSCLC; 11 limited resections and 25 lobectomies have been performed.

Spontaneous pneumomediastinum: experience in 18 adult patients.

Spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SPM) is defined as the presence of air in the mediastinum, developing in the absence of traumatic, iatrogenic, or preceding pulmonary pathologies (emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and lung cancer). The aim of this study was to review our experiences with SPM, underlining its symptomatology, diagnosis, treatment, and followup, and defining a reasonable course of assessment and management. A retrospective case series was conducted to identify adult patients with SPM who were diagnosed and treated in our institution between 1998 and 2005.

[Post-operative analgesia in thoracic surgery: physiopathological features, therapeutic framework and methodologies].

Pain after surgery is a major handicap for patients as it bounds and decreases ability for spontaneous movement, cough and deep breathing, aiding the onset of complications and invalidating the recovery capabilities of operated patients. In thoracic surgery, the need to compile and employ guidelines for post-surgical pain management has become a pressing requirement in recent years. Currently available protocols include several options of treatment that are frequently a subject in the most recent scientific papers and play a key role, as they constitute the framework upon which building with changes and fixes that take account of incidental circumstances, in relation to both patients and surgery, again for both the organizational and structural features of the surgical environment.

Role of artificial nutrition in patients undergoing surgery for esophageal cancer.

Malnourished cancer patients undergoing major surgical treatments are at a high risk of morbidity and mortality. As compared to patients affected by other tumors, the highest rate of malnutrition (78.9%) was found in those with esophageal cancer due to postoperative complications.

[Laparoscopy in traumatic abdominal emergencies].

Over the past few years the laparoscopic technique has changed most of the concepts of traditional surgery and is today the standard approach in elective surgery for many pathologies requiring surgery. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for emergency surgery, though much progress has been made in this field, too. The Authors examine the most important abdominal diseases that can be diagnosed and, possibly, treated by the laparoscopic approach in the emergency setting, concluding that laparoscopic management of such conditions is a feasible proposition in many cases.

[Skin neuroendocrine carcinoma metastasis: a case report].

Background: Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare and aggressive skin tumour with a highly malignant nature whose appropriate treatment is still debated. The Authors report a case of cutaneous metastasis from neuroendocrine carcinoma and analyse new diagnostic and therapeutic options of neoplasms that occurs in sun-exposed areas.

Methods: The authors present the clinical, immunocytochemical characteristic of primary and secondary skin localization of a neuroendocrine tumor that affected a woman.

Histamine and selenium in lung cancer.

The relationship between allergies and cancer incidence and the role played by histamine on the immune system and on inhibiting tumor growth have been the subject of study in our group. The influence of histamine dosage on free radicals was investigated in both lung cancer and healthy subjects. Plasmatic selenium levels in the same patients were assayed in order to highlight the role played by free radicals in lung cancer.

Acromegaly and coronary disease: an integrated evaluation of conventional coronary risk factors and coronary calcifications detected by computed tomography.

Context: Coronary atherosclerosis in acromegaly was not extensively investigated in the literature until now. At autopsy, it was demonstrated in about 20% of patients with long-lasting disease, and myocardial infarction was reported as cause of death in a quarter of acromegalics.

Objective: The objective of the study was to evaluate coronary atherosclerosis in a cohort of acromegalics with controlled or uncontrolled disease.

[Treatment of the esophageal cancer: the impact of peri-operative parenteral nutrition].

The malnourished cancer patients are at a higher risk of morbidity and mortality, when undergoing major surgical treatments. In comparison with patients affected with other cancers, the highest occurrence of malnutrition (78.9%) was found in those with esophageal cancer and is related with post-operative complications.

[Preputioplasty in the treatment of phimosis in pediatric age. Indications and results].

Aim: Phimosis is a common condition in the pediatric age. Circumcision has been the technique of choice for the surgical correction of this condition. As an alternative to circumcision different techniques of preputioplasty have been described in the last years.

[Thromboembolic risk and prevention of deep venous thrombosis in open and laparoscopic surgery].

Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism are the dangerous and serious complications in patients undergoing surgery. It is known that prognosis is strictly linked to timely recognition of the pathogenetic-clinical phase of the thromboembolic disease and that prevention, therefore, plays the leading role in patients at risk. The most recent series show that, in absence of prophylaxis, the frequency of DVT, diagnosed by objective tests, is still significant in abdominal surgery.

[Malignant pleural mesothelioma: early diagnosis and multimodality management].

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a cancer with a poor prognosis, and its incidence increase, mainly as a result of exposure to asbestos. Universally acknowledged therapeutic approaches still don't exist at the moment, because of its refractory behaviour to all standard therapies; treatment protocols inclusive of either surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy have been largely employed, but usually with little impact on survival. For potentially operable pleural mesotheliomas new treatments tend to combine surgery both with new chemotherapy drugs and radiotherapy, in order to improve remarkably survival rates in selected cases.

[Safety and effectiveness of lung volume reduction surgery for treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].

Lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) has been proposed and performed in order to decrease dyspnea and improve wordly life without major impairments in oxygen-dependent patients affected by serious chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and severe dyspnea that doesn't suffer drastic alterations notwithstanding rehabilitation procedures tailored for the specific case. The purpose of LVRS is to optmize thoraco-pulmonary dynamics, considerably compromised in these patients, relaxing the serious expiratory restraint to airflow and improving the muscular respiratory functionality. In this work the authors bring forth the physio-pathological foundations that justify the use of LVRS, also analyzing data brought by the international literature about surgery guidelines, short-term morbidity and mortality, clinical-functional effects and long-term survival.

In vitro evaluation of oxidative damage from organic solvent vapours on human skin.

Aim of this study is to focus on the cutaneous effects of occupational exposure to the vapours of common organic solvents. Higher incidence of cancer is suspected in subjects exposed to organic solvents characterized by reactive metabolic intermediates, which are assumed to induce oxidative damage on liver, kidney and haematopoietic system. To our knowledge there are no relevant data about the oxidative effect of the organic solvents on skin after exposure to their vapours.

[Evaluation of direct occupational ocular trauma using electrophysiological techniques].

The most recent data from National Institute Insurance Work Accident (INAIL) confirm the high incidence of ocular injury as accident work. In this work the authors analyse the most common clinical form of occupational ocular trauma with the purpose to evaluate the use of electrophysiological tests in the diagnosis and in the follow up of these accidents. Authors admit the importance of more recent techniques as TC and MR in the diagnosis of these injuries; however, they conclude that electrophysiological tests can be considered as a first choice for the evaluation of the evolution and sequelae of ocular traumatism, for their low cost and easy application.

Antioxidant effect of atorvastatin is independent of PON1 gene T(-107)C, Q192R and L55M polymorphisms in hypercholesterolaemic patients.

Background: Serum paraoxonase (PON1), a high density lipoprotein (HDL)-bound antioxidant enzyme, plays a role in atherosclerosis. An increase in PON1 activity has been reported following statin treatment.

Objective: In the present study the following factors were evaluated: the influence of PON1 gene Q192R, L55M and T(-107)C polymorphisms on the response of LDL oxidisability and PON1 activity to atorvastatin treatment.