Vaccine hesitancy and psychopathology. A narrative review.

Vaccine hesitancy is a term used to refer to a series of attitudes ranging from reluctance to undergo vaccination to blatant refusal. In the context of the current pandemic, vaccine hesitancy is viewed as one of the ten major threats to public health. This narrative review, based on analysis of the most important literature reports on this topic, aims to illustrate the dimensions of vaccine hesitancy and the numerous sociodemographic and individual determinants involved, with particular reference to psychopathology, a somewhat neglected, but potentially relevant factor.

European Psychiatric Association policy paper on ethical aspects in communication with patients and their families.

Background: Establishing a valid communication is not only a basic clinical need to be met but also a relevant ethical commitment.

Methods: On the basis of the relevant literature, ethical issues arising from specific, important situations in clinical practice were identified.

Results: The main ethical problems regarding communication about the disorder, both in general and in relation to prodromal stages, were described and discussed together with those regarding communication about voluntary and involuntary treatments, "dual roles" enacted in clinical practice, genetic counseling, and end-of-life conditions; on the basis of what emerged, ethically driven indications and suggestions were provided.

and Polymorphisms and Clinical Outcome in Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients Receiving Sorafenib.

Sorafenib represents the standard of care for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), even though a large number of patients have reported limited efficacy. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prognostic value of single-nucleotide polymorphisms on angiopoietin-2 () and endothelial-derived nitric oxide synthase () genes in 135 patients with advanced HCC receiving sorafenib. Eight polymorphisms were analyzed by direct sequencing in relation to overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS).

Clinical and circulating biomarkers of survival and recurrence after radiofrequency ablation in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is an effective local treatment for curative intent in patients with cirrhosis of the liver and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with diameter <3 cm. Several meta-analyses have shown that RFA and surgical resection are comparable in terms of their impact on overall survival. The only clinical data available on markers that are predictive of recurrence and survival after RFA treatment are based on retrospective observational studies.

Multicenter prospective study of angiogenesis polymorphism validation in HCC patients treated with sorafenib. An INNOVATE study protocol.

Introduction: Although sorafenib is the upfront standard of care for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), molecular predictors of efficacy have not been identified yet. In the ALICE-1 study, rs2010963 of VEGF-A and VEGF-C proved to be independent predictive factors for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in multivariate analysis. The ALICE-1 study results were confirmed in the ALICE-2 study, in which VEGF and VEGFR SNPs were analyzed.

Antiangiogenic agents after first line and sorafenib plus chemoembolization: a systematic review.

Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is the standard treatment for intermediate stage, although the combination of TACE with sorafenib may theoretically benefit HCC patients in intermediate stage. Owing to the significant antiangiogenic effect of sorafenib and the limitation of TACE, it is rational to combine them. Though the strategy of combining TACE and sorafenib has been increasingly used in patients with unresectable HCC but the current evidence is controversial and its clinical role has not been determined yet.

Validation of a Simple Scoring System to Predict Sorafenib Effectiveness in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background: Sorafenib is recommended for the treatment of advanced-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Nonetheless, it is expensive, effective in few patients, and may cause significant adverse effects. Therefore, accurate selection of patients is needed.

Immune inflammation indicators and implication for immune modulation strategies in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma patients receiving sorafenib.

We evalueted a systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) with the aim to explored their prognostic value in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with sorafenib. 56 advanced HCC patients receiving sorafenib were available for our analysis. Lymphocyte, neutrophil and platelet were measured before beginning of treatment and after one month.

Pathophysiology of cardiotoxicity induced by nonanthracycline chemotherapy.

The risk and mechanism of chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity (CTX) vary depending on the type and intensity of the anticancer regimen. Myriad chemotherapeutic drugs produce adverse cardiovascular effects such as arterial hypertension, heart failure, and thromboembolic events. Among the numerous classes of these drugs, anthracyclines have been studied most extensively because of their overt cardiovascular effects and the high associated incidence of heart failure.

eNOS polymorphisms and clinical outcome in advanced HCC patients receiving sorafenib: final results of the ePHAS study.

Sorafenib may reduce endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activity by inhibiting vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGF-R), leading to a decrease in nitric oxide production. In the Italian multicenter ePHAS (eNOS polymorphisms in HCC and sorafenib) study, we analyzed the role of eNOS polymorphisms in relation to clinical outcome in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) receiving sorafenib. Our retrospective study included a training cohort of 41 HCC patients and a validation cohort of 87 HCC patients, all undergoing sorafenib treatment.

Early onset of hypertension and serum electrolyte changes as potential predictive factors of activity in advanced HCC patients treated with sorafenib: results from a retrospective analysis of the HCC-AVR group.

Hypertension (HTN) is frequently associated with the use of angiogenesis inhibitors targeting the vascular endothelial growth factor pathway and appears to be a generalized effect of this class of agent. We investigated the phenomenon in 61 patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) receiving sorafenib. Blood pressure and plasma electrolytes were measured on days 1 and 15 of the treatment.

The distinctive molecular, pathological and clinical characteristics of BRAF-mutant colorectal tumors.

Several clinical series have demonstrated a notably low overall survival for colorectal cancer patients diagnosed with a BRAF-mutant tumor. A potentially interesting predictive role has also been suggested for BRAF-mutant colorectal cancer receiving anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies. Although a global consensus exists in indicating BRAF as a prognostic factor with a possible predictive activity, the clinical use of BRAF mutational status in colorectal tumors is still controversial.

Quality of Life and Psychiatric Symptoms in Wilson's Disease: the Relevance of Bipolar Disorders.

Introduction: Wilson's disease is an inherited disorder caused by a gene located on chromosome 13, which involved copper transportation across cell membranes. The disease can cause a reduced incorporation of copper into ceruloplasmin resulting in accumulation of this metal in the liver, central nervous system, kidneys and other organs. The objective is to define the frequencies of psychiatric disorders in WD, the amount of impairment of Quality of Life [QoL] in patients with WD and the relevance of the psychiatric disorders in the QoL of people suffering by WD.