Cancer cell stiffening via CoQ and UBIAD1 regulates ECM signaling and ferroptosis in breast cancer.

CoQ (Coenzyme Q) is an essential fat-soluble metabolite that plays a key role in cellular metabolism. A less-known function of CoQ is whether it may act as a plasma membrane-stabilizing agent and whether this property can affect cancer development and progression. Here, we show that CoQ and its biosynthetic enzyme UBIAD1 play a critical role in plasmamembrane mechanical properties that are of interest for breast cancer (BC) progression and treatment.

Long-Term Survivor of Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma for over 18 Years: Case Study with Longitudinal Histo-molecular and Tumor Immune Microenvironment Characterization and Systematic Review of the Literature.

Background: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma is a biliary neoplasm usually showing a dismal prognosis. In early stages, surgical resection is the best treatment option, significantly increasing the overall survival. This approach is also recommended in the case of relapsing disease.

A pilot study of chlorambucil in pre-treated metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients bearing germline BRCA or other DNA damage repair system variants.

Backgorund: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma remains a malignancy with a grim prognosis and scarce personalized treatment options. Pathogenic variants of DNA damage repair (DDR) genes are emerging as molecular targets, as they confer a higher sensitivity to DNA-damaging agents. This study aimed at assessing the activity of chlorambucil as salvage therapy in metastatic pancreatic cancer patients bearing a germline pathogenetic variant or variant of uncertain significance on a DDR-related gene.

Therapeutic Treatment Options for In-Transit Metastases from Melanoma.

In-transit metastases (ITM) in melanoma present a significant therapeutic challenge due to their advanced stage and complex clinical nature. From traditional management with surgical resection, ITM treatment has evolved with the advent of systemic therapies such as immune checkpoint inhibitors and targeted therapies, which have markedly improved survival outcomes. This study aims to review and highlight the efficacy of both systemic and locoregional treatment approaches for ITM.

The Role of Endoscopic Ultrasound in Ampullary Lesion Management.

Ampullary lesions, neoplasms originating in the papilla of Vater, represent a rare yet clinically significant group of tumors with diverse etiologies and management challenges. This comprehensive review aims to elucidate the pivotal role of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) in the diagnosis, staging, and management of ampullary lesions. This review begins by providing an overview of ampullary lesions, their epidemiology, and associated risk factors.

Laparoscopic Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy, an Update From the International PSOGI Registry.

Introduction: Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) are established treatments for peritoneal surface malignancies, traditionally performed via laparotomy. Recent advancements in laparoscopic approaches (L-CRS + HIPEC) have shown promising results in selected patients.

Methods: The PSOGI registry, established in November 2019, collects data from specialized centers performing L-CRS + HIPEC.

Modulating voltage-gated sodium channels to enhance differentiation and sensitize glioblastoma cells to chemotherapy.

Background: Glioblastoma (GBM) stands as the most prevalent and aggressive form of adult gliomas. Despite the implementation of intensive therapeutic approaches involving surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, Glioblastoma Stem Cells contribute to tumor recurrence and poor prognosis. The induction of Glioblastoma Stem Cells differentiation by manipulating the transcriptional machinery has emerged as a promising strategy for GBM treatment.

Risk of bowel obstruction in patients with colon cancer responding to immunotherapy: an international case series.

Background: Immunotherapy is used routinely for treating deficient mismatch repair (dMMR) colon cancer (CC). This case series highlights an emerging safety issue, where patients develop bowel obstruction associated with immunotherapy response.

Patients And Methods: Patients with dMMR CC who developed bowel obstruction while responding to immunotherapy were retrospectively identified.

BCAT1 is a NOTCH1 target and sustains the oncogenic function of NOTCH1.

High levels of branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) transaminase 1 (BCAT1) have been associated with tumor aggressiveness and drug resistance in several cancer types. Nevertheless, the mechanistic role of BCAT1 in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) remains uncertain. We provide evidence that Bcat1 was over-expressed following NOTCH1-induced transformation of leukemic progenitors and that NOTCH1 directly controlled BCAT1 expression by binding to a BCAT1 promoter.

Assessment of the Addition of Oxaliplatin to Fluoropyrimidine-Based Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Patients With High-Risk Stage II Colon Cancer: An ACCENT Pooled Analysis.

Purpose: The adjuvant treatment for stage III colon cancer (CC) is chemotherapy combining fluoropyrimidine (FP) and oxaliplatin (OX). FP regimen plus OX (FPOX) may benefit in high-risk stage II CC. We performed a pooled analysis of pivotal MOSAIC and C-07 studies evaluating FPOX for the treatment of high-risk stage II CC according to prognostic factors, number of high-risk factors, and current clinicopathologic risk classification on the basis of T stage, tumor perforation, and number of lymph nodes examined.

Low dose TamOxifen and LifestylE changes for bReast cANcer prevention (TOLERANT study): Study protocol of a randomized phase II biomarker trial in women at increased risk for breast cancer.

Background: Breast Cancer (BC) prevention strategies range from lifestyle changes such as increasing physical activity and reducing body weight to preventive drugs like tamoxifen, known to reduce BC incidence in high-risk women. Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) is related to BC risk due to its ability to bind circulating estradiol at high affinity and to regulate estradiol action. A study protocol is presented based on the assessment of the effect of different interventions such as tamoxifen at 10 mg every other day (LDT), intermittent caloric restriction (ICR) two days per week, lifestyle intervention (LI, step counter use) and their combination on the modulation of SHBG and several other biomarkers associated to BC.

Planning Benchmark Study for Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy of Pancreas Carcinomas With Simultaneously Integrated Boost and Protection: Results of the DEGRO/DGMP Working Group on Stereotactic Radiation Therapy and Radiosurgery.

Purpose: The proximity or overlap of planning target volume (PTV) and organs-at-risk (OARs) poses a major challenge in stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) of pancreatic cancer (PACA). This international treatment planning benchmark study investigates whether simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) and simultaneous integrated protection (SIP) concepts in PACA SBRT can lead to improved and harmonized plan quality.

Methods And Materials: A multiparametric specification of desired target doses (gross target volume [GTV], GTV, PTV, and PTV) with 2 prescription doses of GTV = 5 × 9.

Adjuvant modern radiotherapy in resected pN2 NSCLC patients: results from a multicentre retrospective analysis on acute and late toxicity on behalf of AIRO thoracic oncology study group: the RAC-TAC study.

Background: Recently, the PORT-C and LUNG-ART trials, which evaluated the role of postoperative radiation therapy (PORT), have significantly altered the treatment landscape for NSCLC pN2 patients who previously underwent surgery. In response, the Italian Association of Radiotherapy and Oncology Thoracic Oncology study group has initiated an observational multicenter trial to assess both acute and late toxicities of PORT in pN2 NSCLC patients treated with modern techniques.

Methods: Data on NSCLC patients submitted to PORT after radical surgery treated between 2015 and 2020 in six Italian Centers were collected.

Sacituzumab govitecan in triple-negative breast cancer: from bench to bedside, and back.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) represents a major therapeutic challenge due to its heterogeneous and aggressive phenotype, and limited target-specific treatment options. The trophoblast cell surface antigen (Trop-2), a transmembrane glycoprotein overexpressed in various cancers, has emerged as a promising target for TNBC. Sacituzumab govitecan (SG), an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) that targets Trop-2, has recently entered treatment algorithms for advanced and metastatic TNBC, independently from Trop-2 expression status, with manageable toxicity.

Atypical cancer risk profile in carriers of Italian founder BRCA1 variant p.His1673del: Implications for classification and clinical management.

Background: BRCA1:c.5017_5019del (p.His1673del) is a founder variant relatively frequent in Northern Italy.

Medullary carcinomas of the nonampullary small intestine: association with coeliac disease, mismatch repair deficiency, PD-L1 expression, and favourable prognosis.

Aim: Gastrointestinal medullary carcinoma is a rare histologic subtype of adenocarcinoma. As nonampullary small bowel medullary carcinomas (SB-MCs) are poorly characterized, we aimed to analyse their clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical features and to compare them with nonmedullary small bowel adenocarcinomas (NM-SBAs).

Methods And Results: Surgically resected SBAs collected through the Small Bowel Cancer Italian Consortium were classified as SB-MCs (carcinomas with ≥50% of tumour fulfilling the typical histologic criteria of MC) or NM-SBAs.

Technical note: A software tool to extract complexity metrics from radiotherapy treatment plans.

Background: Complexity metrics are mathematical quantities designed to quantify aspects of radiotherapy treatment plans that may affect both their deliverability and dosimetric accuracy. Despite numerous studies investigating their utility, there remains a notable absence of shared tools for their extraction.

Purpose: This study introduces UCoMX (Universal Complexity Metrics Extractor), a software package designed for the extraction of complexity metrics from the DICOM-RT plan files of radiotherapy treatments.

Kaposi sarcoma and vertebral involvement in people with HIV: a case report and systematic literature review.

Background: Kaposi Sarcoma (KS) has been historically associated with HIV, especially in people with advanced immunosuppression. Its prevalence decreased over time, but management remains difficult especially when the diagnosis is late and there is a visceral involvement. Bone localization, and particularly the vertebral one, is rare.

Suboptimal outcomes of sorafenib as a second-line treatment after atezolizumab-bevacizumab for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Most patients receiving atezolizumab-bevacizumab (AB) for hepatocellular carcinoma will eventually experience disease progression. Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) are undergoing to identify second-line treatments. Where RCTs are unavailable or patients are non-eligible, sorafenib is often prescribed based on approval and reimbursement policies.

UroLift to preserve seminal parameters in young male with LUTS from BPH.

Purpose: Prostatic urethral lift has been an effective ejaculation sparing treatment for benign prostatic hypertrophy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect on male semen parameters.

Methods: Between July 2014 and January 2022, 20 young men with urinary symptoms of BPH, unresponsive to drug treatment and motivated to preserve ejaculation for eventual paternity, underwent UroLift.

Clinical applications of radiomics and deep learning in breast and lung cancer: A narrative literature review on current evidence and future perspectives.

Radiomics, analysing quantitative features from medical imaging, has rapidly become an emerging field in translational oncology. Radiomics has been investigated in several neoplastic malignancies as it might allow for a non-invasive tumour characterization and for the identification of predictive and prognostic biomarkers. Over the last few years, evidence has been accumulating regarding potential clinical applications of machine learning in many crucial moments of cancer patients' history.