SMAD3 Host and Tumor Profiling to Identify Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer Patients at High Risk of Poor Response to Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy.

Identifying patients at risk of poor response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) is an emerging clinical need in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). SMAD3 is a key player in the chemoradio-resistance phenotype and its expression is both constitutive and locally induced. The aim was to investigate both host (genetic polymorphisms) and tumor SMAD3 profiling to predict response to nCRT.

Immunogenetic markers in IL17F predict the risk of metastases spread and overall survival in rectal cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy.

Background And Purpose: The role of the immune system in tumor response to chemo-radiotherapy (CRT) is an emerging issue. This work aimed at identifying predictive and prognostic immunogenetic variants in LARC patients after preoperative (po)-CRT and surgery.

Materials And Methods: A set of 192 polymorphisms in 34 candidate genes involved in the regulation of the immune response signalling network, was selected and analyzed in 370 LARC patients treated with po-CRT and surgery, split into a Test Set (n = 233) and a Validation Set (n = 137).

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) in Lynch syndrome: Report of two cases and discussion on Lynch syndrome behaviour and genetics.

We present here two cases of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) in patients affected by Lynch syndrome (LS). The first case is a 47-year-old woman with typical hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) syndrome, reported with endometrial and ovarian carcinoma at age 43, and colon cancer at age 45. The patient underwent total thyroidectomy and central node dissection in 2007, at 47years old, with a histological diagnosis of PTC (T1aN1a).

Soft tissue sarcoma and the hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) syndrome: formulation of an hypothesis.

Hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) is a genetic disorder caused by mutation in one of the mismatch repair (MMR) genes (MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, PMS2) which predisposes to colorectal cancer and other malignances, that not yet include sarcomas. For sustaining that soft tissue sarcomas could be HNPCC related malignances, we report on a HNPCC patient with leiomyosarcoma and review the English literature. Overall, we report on eleven cases of soft tissue malignant tumors involving HNPCC patients, with a mean age of 34 years at diagnosis of sarcomas.

Multiplexed protein signal pathway mapping identifies patients with rectal cancer that responds to neoadjuvant treatment.

Background: Currently there is no reliable technique for predicting clinical or pathologic complete tumor response after radiochemotherapy (RCT) in patients with rectal cancer. We applied reverse phase protein microarray (RPMA) technology to find a signal pathway that may predict the response to preoperative treatment.

Patients And Methods: Fifteen rectal cancer samples were collected during preoperative RCT.

Validation of the new AJCC TNM staging system for gastric cancer in a large cohort of patients (n = 2,155): focus on the T category.

Background: The prognostic value of T subclassification in patients with gastric carcinoma has been just implemented in the new AJCC TNM staging system, which has reclassified T2a and T2b into T2 and T3 tumors, respectively. The aim of the present study was to validate the prognostic significance of the new T categorization within the frame of the latest TNM staging system.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 686 T2/T3 patients among 2155 subjects who underwent radical resection for gastric carcinoma at six Italian centers from 1988 through 2006.

Patient-reported outcomes after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer: a multicenter prospective observational study.

Objective: To prospectively describe patient-reported outcomes (PROs) after preoperative chemoradiotherapy (pCRT) for rectal cancer.

Background: Little evidence is available on PROs after pCRT for rectal cancer.

Patients And Methods: Patients with rectal cancer, candidates to receive pCRT, were enrolled in a multicenter prospective observational trial.

Psychological well-being outcomes in disease-free survivors of mid-low rectal cancer following curative surgery.

Objective: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate psychological well-being outcomes in disease-free survivors who previously underwent radical surgery for rectal adenocarcinoma.

Methods: All patients with rectal adenocarcinoma who underwent primary surgery at a single institution from 1990 to 2002 were considered for inclusion in the study. We identified and sent questionnaires to 145 patients after excluding those who had died or had recurrent disease.

Separate cavity margins excision as a complement to conservative breast cancer surgery.

Background: Positive lumpectomy margins (LM) usually mandate re-excision. However, approximately half of these patients have no residual tumour in the re-excision specimen. The aim of this study was to investigate if separate cavity margin (CM) excision can safely reduce the need of re-operation.

miRNAs in colon and rectal cancer: A consensus for their true clinical value.

Numerous miRNAs are deregulated in human cancers and experimental evidence indicates that they can play roles as oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes. Colorectal cancer represents a wide and exciting area of research for molecular biology, due to the growing need of a molecular classification as well as prognostic and predictive molecular factors that may guide oncologists in the clinical management of patients. The aim of this review is to analyze the state of art of the miRNA expression profiles in colorectal cancer to explore some perspectives in this research field.

[Eyebrow reconstruction with a scalp island flap based on the superficial temporal artery].

The Authors describe the reconstruction of an eyebrow, in a case of complete traumatic avulsion, using a scalp island flap based on the superficial temporal artery, in a young person aged 32 years. The lesion represented a serious aesthetic disablement capable of causing disturbed psychic equilibrium and individual relationships, in view of the fact that the eyebrows play a decisive role in the characterisation of the face and expressive gestures. The strategy of using a scalp island flap with a limited amplitude only slightly larger than that of the site in which it was inserted enabled optimal projection of the newly constructed eyebrow to be achieved during suturing.

Small bowel obstruction by a congenital band. Report of two cases.

The authors report two cases of acute small bowel obstruction, the first in an adult patient, and the second in a three-month-old baby due to a congenital fibrous band. The second case was retrospectively detected from a pool of at least 50 cases of secondary fibrous band obstructions over the period from 1970 to 2008. Surgery was performed early, and simple resection of this very rare malformative bundle (usually affecting very young people) was required.

Anal endosonography and fistulography for fistula-in-ano.

Purpose: In this study, a comparison was made of the accuracy and clinical usefulness of anal endosonography and fistulography in the preoperative classification of fistulas-in-ano.

Materials And Methods: A total of 113 patients with a clinical diagnosis of cryptoglandular fistula-in-ano who were awaiting surgery were included in this retrospective review. Patients were preoperatively investigated by anal endosonography and/or modified fistulography by inserting a Foley catheter into the rectum and a metal ring close to the anus.

Hemocompatibility of carotid artery stents: alterations of the electrical parameters of erythrocyte cell membrane--a word of caution.

The hemocompatibility of standard surgical treatment of carotid artery disease through the insertion of metallic stents is investigated by means of radio wave dielectric spectroscopy technique that allows the measurements of the electrical parameters of the red blood cell membrane. Our measurements suggest that both the membrane permittivity and the membrane conductivity, which characterize the overall electrical behavior of the cell membrane, undergo an appreciable alteration of their standard values as a consequence of the stent insertion. These alterations persist over long period of time, up to 4 weeks.

[Adjuvant chemotherapy after radical liver resection in the treatment of metastases from colorectal carcinoma].

Liver metastases are the leading cause of death in patients with colorectal carcinoma: approximately 25% present with metastases at diagnosis of the primary tumor and 30-50% will eventually develop metastases. Surgical therapy for metastases is the only curative treatment that will ensure five-year survival in 30-60% of patients; however, in 30-50% of these patients liver disease will recur. To improve these rates, various different studies have investigated the efficacy of postsurgical adjuvant therapy.

Hepatic arterial infusion for unresectable colorectal liver metastases combined or not with systemic chemotherapy.

Background: The hypothesis was tested that systemic chemotherapy might contribute to improving overall survival (OS) of patients with unresectable colorectal liver metastases treated with hepatic arterial infusion (HAI).

Patients And Methods: We considered 153 consecutive patients retrospectively divided into group A (n=72) treated with HAI alone (floxuridine [FUDR] + leucovorin [LV]), and group B (n=81) treated with HAI combined with systemic chemotherapy (5-fluorouracil [5FU] + LV).

Results: No significant difference in OS was observed between the two groups.

Health-related quality of life, faecal continence and bowel function in rectal cancer patients after chemoradiotherapy followed by radical surgery.

Purpose: To evaluate health-related quality of life (HRQOL), faecal continence and bowel function of patients with rectal cancer who underwent preoperative chemoradiotherapy (pCRT) in a cross-sectional setting.

Methods: Out of 185 consecutive patients who underwent pCRT for rectal cancer from 1994 to 2004 at a single institution, 101 were eligible for the study. Causes of exclusion were: death (n = 38), not radical surgery or recurrence (n = 21), presence of stoma at the time of the survey (n = 15), lost to follow-up (n = 6) and miscellaneous (n = 4).

[Haemoperitoneum secondary to avulsed short gastric arteries after vomiting].

We present the case of a rare and serious complication of vomiting. A 25-year-old man presented to the emergency room with acute abdomen secondary to haemoperitoneum. There was no evidence or history of trauma in the previous 30 days.

Multiplexed Cell Signaling Analysis of Metastatic and Nonmetastatic Colorectal Cancer Reveals COX2-EGFR Signaling Activation as a Potential Prognostic Pathway Biomarker.

The identification of prognostic determinants of colorectal cancer (CRC), including prediction of occult metastasis, is of urgent consideration, based on the tremendous differences in outcome and survival between patients who present with metastasis or develop metastasis versus those patients with organ-confined or nonrecurrent disease. Currently, a great deal of attention has been focused on using gene expression profiles of tumor specimens as a launch point for prognostic biomarker discovery. In our study, we chose to focus on functional protein-based pathway biomarkers as a new information archive because it is these proteins that form the functional signaling networks that control cell growth, motility, apoptosis, survival, and differentiation.

Prognostic value of subclassification of T2 tumours in patients with gastric cancer.

Background: This study was designed to evaluate the prognostic value of tumour stage T2 subcategorization (T2a and T2b) in patients with gastric carcinoma.

Methods: Clinicopathological details of a prospective series of patients who had radical resection of gastric adenocarcinoma in a single institution were analysed. Univariable and multivariable survival analyses were performed with the log rank test and Cox's model respectively.

Long-term oncologic results and complications after preoperative chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer: a single-institution experience after a median follow-up of 95 months.

Background: This study sought to evaluate the long-term outcome and complications, and occurrence of second malignancy after preoperative chemoradiotherapy (pCRT) for rectal cancer.

Methods: One hundred twenty-three consecutive patients (78 men, 45 women) with locally advanced mid-low rectal cancer underwent pCRT between 1994 and 2002. Patients were followed up by one surgeon with a standard protocol, and data were prospectively recorded in a dedicated database.

The consensus statement on the locoregional treatment of abdominal sarcomatosis.

Abdominal sarcomatosis (AS) is a rare condition characterized by soft tissue sarcoma spreading throughout the abdomen, in the absence of extra-abdominal dissemination. Retroperitoneal sarcomas, pelvic sarcomas, particularly uterine leiomyosarcoma, and gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) most frequently give rise to AS. Systemic chemotherapy is the standard of care for AS from non-GIST sarcomas, but with an essentially palliative aim and major limitations.

[Efficacy, impact on survival and cost of intensive follow-up after curative resection for colorectal cancer aim].

Aim Of The Study: This retrospective study was aimed at establishing the efficacy, impact on survival and cost of an intensive follow-up program.

Methods: Data from 790 patients who underwent resections for primary colorectal carcinoma were prospectively entered into a data-base. Four hundred fifty-six patients who had radical surgery were followed-up with a 5-year preestablished schedule.

Glutathione S-transferase P1 Ile105Val polymorphism is associated with haematological toxicity in elderly rectal cancer patients receiving preoperative chemoradiotherapy.

Background: Increasing evidence suggests that common gene polymorphisms may influence the toxicity of various cytotoxic agents used in the treatment of cancer.

Objective: To evaluate the predictive value of acute toxicity of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase 677T polymorphism, glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1) substitution of isoleucine with valine at codon 105 (Ile105Val) polymorphism and the tandem repeat polymorphism in the thymidylate synthase gene promoter in elderly patients with rectal cancer receiving preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT).

Method: From 1994 to 2002, 166 Caucasian patients underwent surgery following CRT for mid-low rectal cancer at a single institution, 42 (male-to-female ratio, 25 : 17) of whom were aged > or =65 years (median age 70 years, range 65-79).

Health-related quality of life outcomes in disease-free survivors of mid-low rectal cancer after curative surgery.

Background: The main objective of this study was to investigate health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in terms of symptoms and functional outcomes in disease-free survivors of rectal cancer.

Methods: Consecutive patients (n = 117) who underwent curative surgery for rectal cancer with a minimum of 2 years' follow-up and whose disease had not recurred were asked to complete the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 and its colorectal cancer module (QLQ-CR38). Long-term HRQOL outcomes were compared with reference data from the general population.