Continuous Intraoperative Nerve Monitoring in Thyroid Surgery: Can Amplitude Be a Standardized Parameter?

The objective of this study is to evaluate electromyographic waveforms related to vagus monitoring. We collected data from patients undergoing thyroidectomy with CIONM, regardless of vocal cord response amplitude initially measured. We divided data of 193 nerves into three groups, according to initial amplitude value: ≥500 µV (Group 1,110 pt.

Prognostic Nutritional Index Predicts Toxicity in Head and Neck Cancer Patients Treated with Definitive Radiotherapy in Association with Chemotherapy.

Background: The Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI) is a parameter of nutritional and inflammation status related to toxicity in cancer treatment. Since data for head and neck cancer are scanty, this study aims to investigate the association between PNI and acute and late toxicity for this malignancy.

Methods: A retrospective cohort of 179 head and neck cancer patients treated with definitive radiotherapy with induction/concurrent chemotherapy was followed-up (median follow-up: 38 months) for toxicity and vital status between 2010 and 2017.

A Novel Kindred with Familial Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors Caused by a Rare Germline Mutation (N655K): Clinico-Pathological Presentation and TKI Sensitivity.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), the most common mesenchymal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract, are characterized by activating mutations in or genes. The vast majority of GISTs are sporadic, but rare hereditary forms have been reported, often featuring multifocality and younger age of onset. We here report the identification of a novel kindred affected by familial GIST caused by a germline mutation in exon 13 (N655K).

Prognostic significance of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in HPV status era for oropharyngeal cancer.

Aim: To evaluate the role of baseline neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) as prognostic marker in squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx (OPC) treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in the era of HPV status.

Patients And Methods: A retrospective analysis of 125 patients (pts) affected with locally advanced OPC was performed. Inclusion criteria were age >18 years, stage III or IV (TNM 7th ed.

Direct health-care cost of head and neck cancers: a population-based study in north-eastern Italy.

Improvements in prognosis of head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) have paralleled with an increase in health-care costs, so that an economic evaluation is of growing importance. Presently, most of the evidence is from insurance-based studies in the USA. Between 2007 and 2010, 879 HNSCC patients were identified through the population-based cancer registry of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, including 266 oral, 187 oropharyngeal, 136 hypopharyngeal, and 290 laryngeal cancers.

The impact of time to treatment initiation on survival from head and neck cancer in north-eastern Italy.

Objectives: To evaluate the impact of time to treatment initiation (TTI) on overall survival in patients with head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

Materials And Methods: In the period 2003-2009, 1616 HNSCC patients were diagnosed in Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, Northeastern Italy, including 462 oral, 346 oropharyngeal, 212 hypopharyngeal, and 596 laryngeal cancers. Clinical information, including date and type of first treatment, and follow-up were retrieved from the regional Cancer Registry and a population-based health database collecting comprehensive health information on people living in the Region.

Early tumour response as a survival predictor in previously- treated patients receiving triplet hepatic artery infusion and intravenous cetuximab for unresectable liver metastases from wild-type KRAS colorectal cancer.

Background: Early tumour shrinkage has been associated with improved survival in patients receiving cetuximab-based systemic chemotherapy for liver metastases from colorectal cancer (LM-CRC). We tested this hypothesis for previously treated LM-CRC patients receiving cetuximab (500 mg/m) and triplet hepatic artery infusion (HAI) within European trial OPTILIV.

Methods: Irinotecan (180 mg/m), 5-fluorouracil (2800 mg/m) and oxaliplatin (85 mg/m) were given as chronomodulated or conventional delivery.

Conversion to resection of liver metastases from colorectal cancer with hepatic artery infusion of combined chemotherapy and systemic cetuximab in multicenter trial OPTILIV.

Background: Systemic chemotherapy typically converts previously unresectable liver metastases (LM) from colorectal cancer to curative intent resection in ∼15% of patients. This European multicenter phase II trial tested whether hepatic artery infusion (HAI) with triplet chemotherapy and systemic cetuximab could increase this rate to 30% in previously treated patients.

Patients And Methods: Participants had unresectable LM from wt KRAS colorectal cancer.

Impact of visceral metastases on outcome to abiraterone after docetaxel in castration-resistant prostate cancer patients.

Background: The objective of this study was to analyze the impact of visceral metastases in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) treated with abiraterone.

Materials & Methods: All CRPC patients received abiraterone 1000 mg daily plus prednisone 10 mg orally daily. Liver and lung metastases were considered as visceral metastases.