Processed Meat and Colorectal Cancer Risk: A Pooled Analysis of Three Italian Case-Control Studies.

To add evidence to the limited data available from southern Europe, we assessed the association between processed meat consumption and colorectal cancer risk. We analyzed data from three case-control studies conducted between 1985 and 2010 in various Italian areas, including a total of 3745 incident cases and 6804 hospital-based controls. We calculated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) by unconditional multiple logistic regression models.

EGFR in Tumor-Associated Myeloid Cells Promotes Development of Colorectal Cancer in Mice and Associates With Outcomes of Patients.

Background & Aims: Inhibitors of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) are the first-line therapy for patients with metastatic colorectal tumors without RAS mutations. However, EGFR inhibitors are ineffective in these patients, and tumor level of EGFR does not associate with response to therapy. We screened human colorectal tumors for EGFR-positive myeloid cells and investigated their association with patient outcome.

Metabolic syndrome, endocrine disruptors and prostate cancer associations: biochemical and pathophysiological evidences.

This review summarizes the main pathophysiological basis of the relationship between metabolic syndrome, endocrine disruptor exposure and prostate cancer that is the most common cancer among men in industrialized countries. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of metabolic and hormonal factors having a central role in the initiation and recurrence of many western chronic diseases including hormonal-related cancers and it is considered as the world's leading health problem in the coming years. Many biological factors correlate metabolic syndrome to prostate cancer and this review is aimed to focus, principally, on growth factors, cytokines, adipokines, central obesity, endocrine abnormalities and exposure to specific endocrine disruptors, a cluster of chemicals, to which we are daily exposed, with a hormone-like structure influencing oncogenes, tumor suppressors and proteins with a key role in metabolism, cell survival and chemo-resistance of prostate cancer cells.

The Hydrogen Sulfide Releasing Molecule Acetyl Deacylasadisulfide Inhibits Metastatic Melanoma.

Melanoma is the most common form of skin cancer. Given its high mortality, the interest in the search of preventive measures, such as dietary factors, is growing significantly. In this study we tested, and , the potential anti-cancer effect of the acetyl deacylasadisulfide (ADA), a vinyl disulfide compound, isolated and purified from asafoetida a foul-smelling oleo gum-resin of dietary and medicinal relevance.

Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) in cancer patients: An Italian multicenter survey.

Introduction: Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) include a wide range of products (herbs, vitamins, minerals, and probiotics) and medical practices, developed outside of the mainstream Western medicine. Patients with cancer are more likely to resort to CAM first or then in their disease history; the potential side effects as well as the costs of such practices are largely underestimated.

Patients And Method: We conducted a descriptive survey in five Italian hospitals involving 468 patients with different malignancies.

Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: Role of Target Therapies and Future Perspectives.

Today, we are experiencing a real cultural revolution in the therapeutic approach to cancer of the colon - rectum, that by orphan disease, it is now becoming an important paradigm of scientific innovations and concepts. Survival of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (m-CRC) has been significantly improved with the introduction of the monoclonal antibodies that have as target the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). The PD-1/PD-L1 pathway in cancer is implicated in tumors escaping immune destruction.

The Role of Target Therapy in the Treatment of Gastrointestinal Noncolorectal Cancers: Clinical Impact and Cost Consideration.

Gastrointestinal (GI) tumors are among the leading cause of death in cancer patients worldwide. Particularly, gastric cancer (GC) is the third cause of cancer deaths, whereas esophageal neoplasm is the eighth leading most common cancer worldwide and its incidence, especially adenocarcinoma type, is continuously increasing. Also, Hepatocellular carcinoma, Cholangiocarcinoma and pancreatic cancer represent a very interesting model to multidisciplinary approach and recently new drugs are used in their treatment.

Serum and tissue markers in hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma: clinical and prognostic implications.

HCC represents the sixth most common cancer worldwide and the second leading cause of cancer-related death. Despite the high incidence, treatment options for advanced HCC remain limited and unsuccessful, resulting in a poor prognosis. Despite the major advances achieved in the diagnostic management of HCC, only one third of the newly diagnosed patients are presently eligible for curative treatments.

Dietary water intake and bladder cancer risk: An Italian case-control study.

Previous studies on the relationship between fluid intake and risk of bladder cancer have generally focused on beverages, and results have been inconsistent. We investigated the relationship between water intake and bladder cancer risk, considering water from both beverages and foods. Between 2003 and 2014 we conducted a multicenter hospital-based case-control study in Italy on 690 cases and 665 frequency-matched controls.

Antiangiogenic Therapy in Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors.

In recent years, many progresses have been pursued in the management of advanced pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (pNET); most of them were prompted by increasing knowledge of biology of these neoplasms, including the identification of promising biological targets for therapy. PNETs belong to a group of rare neoplastic diseases. They originate from neuroendocrine system cells and are very heterogeneous regarding anatomic localization and aggressiveness.

The association of financial difficulties with clinical outcomes in cancer patients: secondary analysis of 16 academic prospective clinical trials conducted in Italy.

Background: Cancer may cause financial difficulties, but its impact in countries with public health systems is unknown. We evaluated the association of financial difficulties with clinical outcomes of cancer patients enrolled in academic clinical trials performed within the Italian public health system.

Patients And Methods: Data were pooled from 16 prospective multicentre trials in lung, breast or ovarian cancer, using the EORTC quality of life (QOL) C30 questionnaire.

Validation of the EORTC QLQ-BIL21 questionnaire for measuring quality of life in patients with cholangiocarcinoma and cancer of the gallbladder.

Background: There is no specific quality of life (QoL) measurement tool to quantify QoL in patients with biliary tract cancer. Quality of life measurement is an increasingly crucial trial end point and is now being incorporated into clinical practice.

Methods: This International Multicentre Phase IV Validation Study assessed the QLQ-BIL21 module in 172 patients with cholangiocarcinoma and 91 patients with cancer of the gallbladder.

Risk Differences Between Prediabetes And Diabetes According To Breast Cancer Molecular Subtypes.

Hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia may play a role in breast carcinogenesis and prediabetes and diabetes have been associated with increased breast cancer (BC) risk. However, whether BC molecular subtypes may modify these associations is less clear. We therefore investigated these associations in all cases and by BC molecular subtypes among women living in Southern Italy.

Oil/water nano-emulsion loaded with cobalt ferrite oxide nanocubes for photo-acoustic and magnetic resonance dual imaging in cancer: in vitro and preclinical studies.

Dual imaging dramatically improves detection and early diagnosis of cancer. In this work we present an oil in water (O/W) nano-emulsion stabilized with lecithin and loaded with cobalt ferrite oxide (CoFeO) nanocubes for photo-acoustic and magnetic resonance dual imaging. The nanocarrier is responsive in in vitro photo-acoustic and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tests.

Mediterranean diet and colorectal cancer risk: a pooled analysis of three Italian case-control studies.

Background: Adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) is associated with a reduced risk of several cancers. However, studies conducted in Mediterranean regions are scanty.

Methods: To investigate the relation between MD and colorectal cancer risk in Italy, we pooled data from three case-control studies, including a total of 3745 colorectal cancer cases and 6804 hospital controls.

Circulating Regulatory T-Cells in Monoclonal Gammopathies of Uncertain Significance and Multiple Myeloma: In Search of a Role.

The frequency and function of regulatory T-cells (Tregs) in multiple myeloma (MM) are still matter of debate. The percentage and absolute number of circulating Tregs (CD4(+)CD25(+high  density)CD127(-/low  density)) from 39 patients with untreated MM and 44 patients with monoclonal gammopathies of uncertain significance (MGUS) were tested and compared with 20 healthy subjects as controls. The mean percentage number of circulating Tregs was 2.

Taphophobia and 'life preserving coffins' in the nineteenth century.

In 1891 the Italian psychiatrist Enrico Morselli (1852-1929) described taphophobia, defining it as an extreme condition of claustrophobia due to the fear of being buried alive. This rare psychopathological phenomenon reflects an ancient fear, and its origin is not known. Taphophobia is closely linked to the problem of apparent death and premature burial.

Body weight and risk of molecular breast cancer subtypes among postmenopausal Mediterranean women.

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common malignant tumor in women, obesity is associated with increased BC incidence and mortality and high levels of circulating insulin may negatively impact on cancer incidence. In the present study, we investigated whether the strength of several anthropometric and metabolic parameters varies between BC molecular subtypes. Eligible cases were 991 non-metastatic BC patients recruited between January 2009 and December 2013.

Survival After Surgical Treatment of Lung Cancer Arising in the Population Exposed to Illegal Dumping of Toxic Waste in the Land of Fires ('Terra dei Fuochi') of Southern Italy.

Aim: Terra dei Fuochi (TdF), the so-called 'Land of Fires' in Southern Italy, is an agricultural territory characterized by illegal dumping of toxic waste known to occur since the 1980s. It is unknown whether prognosis of patients developing cancer and living in that area may differ compared to those living in areas not exposed to this specific type of pollution. We retrospectively analyzed the 5-year survival rates of patients originating from the TdF diagnosed with lung cancer compared to patients from other areas.

The Therapeutic Targets of miRNA in Hepatic Cancer Stem Cells.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common cancer worldwide malignancy and the third leading cause of cancer death in patients. Several studies demonstrated that hepatic cancer stem cells (HCSCs), also called tumor-initiating cells, are involved in regulation of HCC initiation, tumor progression, metastasis development, and drug resistance. Despite the extensive research, the underlying mechanisms by which HCSCs are regulated remain still unclear.

Strain Analysis in the Assessment of a Mouse Model of Cardiotoxicity due to Chemotherapy: Sample for Preclinical Research.

Background: In recent years, the development of more effective anticancer drugs has provided great benefits in patients' quality of life by improving both prognosis and disease-free survival. Nevertheless, the frequency and severity of side-effects, with particular reference to cardiac toxicity, have gained particular attention. The purpose of this study was to create a precise and sensitive preclinical model, able to identify early contractile dysfunction in mice treated with chemotherapy, through use of speckle-tracking echocardiography.