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Paola Cassoni
Pathology Division, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy

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Article
Published: 03 August 2021 in Pituitary
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Purpose Pituitary metastases (PM) are uncommon findings and are mainly derived from breast and lung cancers. No extensive review of PM from neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) is on record. Here we describe a clinical case of PM from pancreatic NEN and review the clinical features of PM from NENs reported in the literature. Methods A case of PM from a pancreatic NEN followed at our institution is described. We also reviewed the 43 cases of PM from NENs reported in the literature. Results A 59-year old female patient, previously submitted to duodeno-cephalo-pancreasectomy for a well-differentiated pancreatic NEN, with known hepatic metastases, underwent a 68 Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT that revealed an uptake in the pituitary gland. A subsequent MRI displayed a pituitary lesion, with suprasellar extension. After a hormonal and genetic diagnostic workup that excluded the diagnosis of MEN 1, the worsening of headache and visual impairment and the growth of the lesion lead to its surgical removal. A pituitary localization of the pancreatic NEN was identified. Regarding the published cases of PM from NENs, the most common tumour type was small cell lung cancer (SCLC), accounting for nearly half of the cases, followed by bronchial and pancreatic well differentiated NENs. The most frequent symptom was a variable degree of visual impairment, while headache was reported in half of the cases. Partial or total anterior hypopituitarism was present in approximately three quarters of the cases, while diabetes insipidus was less common. The most frequent treatment for PM was surgical resection, followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The clinical outcome was in line with previous reports of PM from solid tumours, with a median survival of 14 months. Surgery of PM was associated with prolonged survival. Conclusions PM from NENs have clinical features similar to metastases derived from other solid tumours, albeit the involvement of the anterior pituitary seems more frequent; a thorough pituitary hormonal evaluation is mandatory, after focused radiological studies, particularly if a surgical approach is considered. The optimal management of PM remains disputed and seems mainly driven by the aggressiveness of the primary tumour and the presence of symptoms. In well-differentiated NENs, particularly in the case of symptomatic PM, surgical removal may be a reasonable approach.

ACS Style

Alberto Ragni; Alice Nervo; Mauro Papotti; Nunzia Prencipe; Francesca Retta; Daniela Rosso; Marta Cacciani; Giuseppe Zamboni; Francesco Zenga; Silvia Uccella; Paola Cassoni; Marco Gallo; Alessandro Piovesan; Emanuela Arvat. Pituitary metastases from neuroendocrine neoplasms: case report and narrative review. Pituitary 2021, 1 -10.

AMA Style

Alberto Ragni, Alice Nervo, Mauro Papotti, Nunzia Prencipe, Francesca Retta, Daniela Rosso, Marta Cacciani, Giuseppe Zamboni, Francesco Zenga, Silvia Uccella, Paola Cassoni, Marco Gallo, Alessandro Piovesan, Emanuela Arvat. Pituitary metastases from neuroendocrine neoplasms: case report and narrative review. Pituitary. 2021; ():1-10.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Alberto Ragni; Alice Nervo; Mauro Papotti; Nunzia Prencipe; Francesca Retta; Daniela Rosso; Marta Cacciani; Giuseppe Zamboni; Francesco Zenga; Silvia Uccella; Paola Cassoni; Marco Gallo; Alessandro Piovesan; Emanuela Arvat. 2021. "Pituitary metastases from neuroendocrine neoplasms: case report and narrative review." Pituitary , no. : 1-10.

Original research
Published: 21 June 2021 in Journal of Clinical Pathology
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Aims Novel prognostic markers are warranted for gastrointestinal stromal tumours. Caveolin-1 is a multifunctional protein that proved to be associated with outcome in multiple tumour types. Aim of this study was to investigate Caveolin-1 expression and prognostic efficacy in a series of gastrointestinal stromal tumours. Methods Caveolin-1 expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry in a retrospective series of 66 gastrointestinal stromal tumours representative of the different molecular subtypes. Correlations with clinical, histopathological and molecular features were investigated. Statistical analyses were performed as appropriate. Results Thirty-five cases out of 66 (53.0%) expressed Caveolin-1. Presence of Caveolin-1 expression correlated with favourable histopathologic and clinical traits, including a lower mitotic count (p=0.003) and lower relapse rate (p=0.005). Caveolin-1 expression also resulted associated with the presence of PDGFRA mutations (p=0.010). Outcome analyses showed a favourable prognostic significance of Caveolin-1 expression in terms of relapse-free survival (HR=0.14; 95% CI=0.03 to 0.63) and overall survival (HR=0.29; 95% CI=0.11 to 0.74), even after adjusting for the mutational subgroup (relapse-free survival: HR=0.14, 95% CI=0.04 to 0.44; overall survival: HR=0.29, 95% CI=0.11 to 0.51) and imatinib treatment (relapse-free survival: HR=0.14, 95% CI=0.02 to 0.81; overall survival: HR=0.29, 95% CI=0.17 to 0.48). Conclusion Caveolin-1 represents a novel prognostic marker in gastrointestinal stromal tumours. Further studies are warranted to validate these results and to explore the mechanisms linking Caveolin-1 expression with the PDGFRA oncogenic pathway.

ACS Style

Luca Bertero; Alessandro Gambella; Antonella Barreca; Simona Osella-Abate; Luigi Chiusa; Paola Francia di Celle; Patrizia Lista; Mauro Papotti; Paola Cassoni. Caveolin-1 expression predicts favourable outcome and correlates with PDGFRA mutations in gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs). Journal of Clinical Pathology 2021, 1 .

AMA Style

Luca Bertero, Alessandro Gambella, Antonella Barreca, Simona Osella-Abate, Luigi Chiusa, Paola Francia di Celle, Patrizia Lista, Mauro Papotti, Paola Cassoni. Caveolin-1 expression predicts favourable outcome and correlates with PDGFRA mutations in gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs). Journal of Clinical Pathology. 2021; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Luca Bertero; Alessandro Gambella; Antonella Barreca; Simona Osella-Abate; Luigi Chiusa; Paola Francia di Celle; Patrizia Lista; Mauro Papotti; Paola Cassoni. 2021. "Caveolin-1 expression predicts favourable outcome and correlates with PDGFRA mutations in gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs)." Journal of Clinical Pathology , no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 16 June 2021 in Brain Sciences
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Background: Despite the aggressiveness of multimodal treatment, glioblastoma (GBM) is still a challenge for neurosurgeons, neurooncologists, and radiotherapists. A surgical approach is still a cornerstone in GBM therapeutic management, as the extent of resection is strongly related both to overall survival and progression-free survival. From this perspective, the use of photodynamic molecules could represent an interesting tool to achieve maximal and safe resection. Being able to trace the lesion’s edges, indeed, could allow to improve the extent of resection and to minimize residual tumor while sparing normal tissue. The use of 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) as a photodynamic tracer is well established due to its strict correlation both with cellularity and metabolic activity of the GBM cell clones. Objective: Our study aims to define whether a different molecular asset of GBM (especially investigating IDH 1/2 mutation, proliferation index, and MGMT promoter methylation) results in different fluorescence expression, possibly because of differences in metabolic pathways due to different genotypes. Methods: Patients undergoing surgery for GBM removal at our Institute (Dep. Of Neurosurgery, Ospedale Città della Salute e della Scienza, University of Turin, Italy) were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with histological diagnosis confirmation and to whom 5-ALA was given before surgery were included. The whole surgical procedure was recorded and then analyzed by three different people (a medical student, a resident, and a senior surgeon with an interest in neurooncology and experience in using 5-ALA) and a score was assigned to the different degrees of intraoperative fluorescence. The degree of fluorescence was then matched with the genotype. Results: A trend of grade 2 fluorescence (i.e., ”strong”) was observed in the IDH 1/2 wild-type (WT) genotype, suggesting a more intense metabolic activity in this particular subgroup, while, no or weak fluorescence was observed more often in the IDH 1/2 mutated tumors, suggesting a lower metabolic activity. No relations were found between fluorescence grade and MGMT promoter methylation or, interestingly, cellularity. As a secondary analysis, more epileptogenicity of the IDH 1/2 mutated GBM was noticed, similarly to other recent literature. Conclusion: Our results do not support the use of 5-ALA as a diagnostic tool, or a way to substitute the molecular profiling, but confirm 5-ALA as a powerful metabolic tracer, able to easily detect the pathological cells, especially in the IDH WT genotype, and in this perspective, further studies will be necessary to better describe the metabolic activity of GBM cells.

ACS Style

Francesco Specchia; Matteo Monticelli; Pietro Zeppa; Andrea Bianconi; Francesco Zenga; Roberto Altieri; Beatrice Pugliese; Giuseppe Di Perna; Fabio Cofano; Fulvio Tartara; Luca Bertero; Paola Cassoni; Antonio Melcarne; Michele Lanotte; Diego Garbossa. Let Me See: Correlation between 5-ALA Fluorescence and Molecular Pathways in Glioblastoma: A Single Center Experience. Brain Sciences 2021, 11, 795 .

AMA Style

Francesco Specchia, Matteo Monticelli, Pietro Zeppa, Andrea Bianconi, Francesco Zenga, Roberto Altieri, Beatrice Pugliese, Giuseppe Di Perna, Fabio Cofano, Fulvio Tartara, Luca Bertero, Paola Cassoni, Antonio Melcarne, Michele Lanotte, Diego Garbossa. Let Me See: Correlation between 5-ALA Fluorescence and Molecular Pathways in Glioblastoma: A Single Center Experience. Brain Sciences. 2021; 11 (6):795.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Francesco Specchia; Matteo Monticelli; Pietro Zeppa; Andrea Bianconi; Francesco Zenga; Roberto Altieri; Beatrice Pugliese; Giuseppe Di Perna; Fabio Cofano; Fulvio Tartara; Luca Bertero; Paola Cassoni; Antonio Melcarne; Michele Lanotte; Diego Garbossa. 2021. "Let Me See: Correlation between 5-ALA Fluorescence and Molecular Pathways in Glioblastoma: A Single Center Experience." Brain Sciences 11, no. 6: 795.

Journal article
Published: 03 June 2021 in Viruses
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This observational study evaluated SARS-CoV-2 IgG seroprevalence and related clinical, demographic, and occupational factors among workers at the largest tertiary care University-Hospital of Northwestern Italy and the University of Turin after the first pandemic wave of March–April 2020. Overall, about 10,000 individuals were tested; seropositive subjects were retested after 5 months to evaluate antibodies waning. Among 8769 hospital workers, seroprevalence was 7.6%, without significant differences related to job profile; among 1185 University workers, 3.3%. Self-reporting of COVID-19 suspected symptoms was significantly associated with positivity (Odds Ratio (OR) 2.07, 95%CI: 1.76–2.44), although 27% of seropositive subjects reported no previous symptom. At multivariable analysis, contacts at work resulted in an increased risk of 69%, or 24% for working in a COVID ward; contacts in the household evidenced the highest risk, up to more than five-fold (OR 5.31, 95%CI: 4.12–6.85). Compared to never smokers, being active smokers was inversely associated with seroprevalence (OR 0.60, 95%CI: 0.48–0.76). After 5 months, 85% of previously positive subjects still tested positive. The frequency of SARS-COV-2 infection among Health Care Workers was comparable with that observed in surveys performed in Northern Italy and Europe after the first pandemic wave. This study confirms that infection frequently occurred as asymptomatic and underlines the importance of household exposure, seroprevalence (OR 0.60, 95%CI: 0.48–0.76).

ACS Style

Gitana Scozzari; Cristina Costa; Enrica Migliore; Maurizio Coggiola; Giovannino Ciccone; Luigi Savio; Antonio Scarmozzino; Enrico Pira; Paola Cassoni; Claudia Galassi; Rossana Cavallo; The Collaborative Group. Prevalence, Persistence, and Factors Associated with SARS-CoV-2 IgG Seropositivity in a Large Cohort of Healthcare Workers in a Tertiary Care University Hospital in Northern Italy. Viruses 2021, 13, 1064 .

AMA Style

Gitana Scozzari, Cristina Costa, Enrica Migliore, Maurizio Coggiola, Giovannino Ciccone, Luigi Savio, Antonio Scarmozzino, Enrico Pira, Paola Cassoni, Claudia Galassi, Rossana Cavallo, The Collaborative Group. Prevalence, Persistence, and Factors Associated with SARS-CoV-2 IgG Seropositivity in a Large Cohort of Healthcare Workers in a Tertiary Care University Hospital in Northern Italy. Viruses. 2021; 13 (6):1064.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Gitana Scozzari; Cristina Costa; Enrica Migliore; Maurizio Coggiola; Giovannino Ciccone; Luigi Savio; Antonio Scarmozzino; Enrico Pira; Paola Cassoni; Claudia Galassi; Rossana Cavallo; The Collaborative Group. 2021. "Prevalence, Persistence, and Factors Associated with SARS-CoV-2 IgG Seropositivity in a Large Cohort of Healthcare Workers in a Tertiary Care University Hospital in Northern Italy." Viruses 13, no. 6: 1064.

Journal article
Published: 18 May 2021 in Journal of Personalized Medicine
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We investigated the role of the selective avoidance of haematopoietically active pelvic bone marrow (BM), with a targeted intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) approach, to reduce acute hematologic toxicity (HT) in anal cancer patients undergoing concurrent chemo-radiation. We designed a one-armed two-stage Simon’s design study to test the hypothesis that BM-sparing IMRT would improve by 20% the rate of G0–G2 (vs. G3–G4) HT, from 42% of RTOG 0529 historical data to 62% (α = 0.05; β = 0.20). A minimum of 21/39 (54%) with G0–G2 toxicity represented the threshold for the fulfilment of the criteria to define this approach as ‘promising’. We employed 18FDG-PET to identify active BM within the pelvis. Acute HT was assessed via weekly blood counts and scored as per the Common Toxicity Criteria for Adverse Effects version 4.0. From December 2017 to October 2020, we enrolled 39 patients. Maximum observed acute HT comprised 20% rate of ≥G3 leukopenia and 11% rate of ≥G3 thrombocytopenia. Overall, 11 out of 39 treated patients (28%) experienced ≥G3 acute HT. Conversely, in 28 patients (72%) G0–G2 HT events were observed, above the threshold set. Hence, 18FDG-PET-guided BM-sparing IMRT was able to reduce acute HT in this clinical setting.

ACS Style

Francesca Arcadipane; Patrick Silvetti; Francesco Olivero; Alessio Gastino; Roberta Carlevato; Ilaria Chiovatero; Lavinia Spinelli; Massimiliano Mistrangelo; Paola Cassoni; Giuliana Ritorto; Elena Gallio; Adriana Lesca; Riccardo Faletti; Francesca Giglioli; Christian Fiandra; Umberto Ricardi; Pierfrancesco Franco. Concurrent Chemoradiation in Anal Cancer Patients Delivered with Bone Marrow-Sparing IMRT: Final Results of a Prospective Phase II Trial. Journal of Personalized Medicine 2021, 11, 427 .

AMA Style

Francesca Arcadipane, Patrick Silvetti, Francesco Olivero, Alessio Gastino, Roberta Carlevato, Ilaria Chiovatero, Lavinia Spinelli, Massimiliano Mistrangelo, Paola Cassoni, Giuliana Ritorto, Elena Gallio, Adriana Lesca, Riccardo Faletti, Francesca Giglioli, Christian Fiandra, Umberto Ricardi, Pierfrancesco Franco. Concurrent Chemoradiation in Anal Cancer Patients Delivered with Bone Marrow-Sparing IMRT: Final Results of a Prospective Phase II Trial. Journal of Personalized Medicine. 2021; 11 (5):427.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Francesca Arcadipane; Patrick Silvetti; Francesco Olivero; Alessio Gastino; Roberta Carlevato; Ilaria Chiovatero; Lavinia Spinelli; Massimiliano Mistrangelo; Paola Cassoni; Giuliana Ritorto; Elena Gallio; Adriana Lesca; Riccardo Faletti; Francesca Giglioli; Christian Fiandra; Umberto Ricardi; Pierfrancesco Franco. 2021. "Concurrent Chemoradiation in Anal Cancer Patients Delivered with Bone Marrow-Sparing IMRT: Final Results of a Prospective Phase II Trial." Journal of Personalized Medicine 11, no. 5: 427.

Original article
Published: 01 May 2021 in Virchows Archiv
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Infection by SARS-CoV-2 has been shown to involve a wide range of organs and tissues, leading to a kaleidoscope of clinical conditions. Within this spectrum, an involvement of the fetal-maternal unit could be expected, but, so far, the histopathological evaluation of placentas delivered by women with SARS-CoV-2 infection did not show distinct hallmarks. A consecutive series of 11 placentas, delivered by 10 women with COVID-19 admitted to our Obstetrics and Gynecology clinic have been investigated and compared to a control cohort of 58 pre-COVID-19 placentas and 28 placentas delivered by women who had a previous cesarean section. Four out of eleven placentas showed changes consistent with chronic villitis/villitis of unknown etiology (VUE), while in one case, chronic histiocytic intervillositis was diagnosed. Thrombo-hemorrhagic alterations were observed in a subset of cases. Compared to the control cohort, chronic villitis/VUE (p < 0.001), chronic deciduitis (p = 0.023), microvascular thrombosis (p = 0.003), presence of infarction areas (p = 0.047) and of accelerated villous maturation (p = 0.005) showed higher frequencies in placentas delivered by women with COVID-19. Chronic villitis/VUE (p = 0.003) and accelerated villous maturation (p = 0.019) remained statistically significant by restricting the analysis to placentas delivered after a previous cesarean section. The observed differences in terms of pathological findings could be consistent with SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis, but just a subset of alterations remained statistically significant after adjusting for a previous cesarean section. A careful consideration of potential confounders is warranted in future studies exploring the relationship between COVID-19 and pregnancy.

ACS Style

Luca Bertero; Fulvio Borella; Giovanni Botta; Andrea Carosso; Stefano Cosma; Marialuisa Bovetti; Marco Carosso; Giancarlo Abbona; Giammarco Collemi; Mauro Papotti; Paola Cassoni; Chiara Benedetto. Placenta histopathology in SARS-CoV-2 infection: analysis of a consecutive series and comparison with control cohorts. Virchows Archiv 2021, 1 -14.

AMA Style

Luca Bertero, Fulvio Borella, Giovanni Botta, Andrea Carosso, Stefano Cosma, Marialuisa Bovetti, Marco Carosso, Giancarlo Abbona, Giammarco Collemi, Mauro Papotti, Paola Cassoni, Chiara Benedetto. Placenta histopathology in SARS-CoV-2 infection: analysis of a consecutive series and comparison with control cohorts. Virchows Archiv. 2021; ():1-14.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Luca Bertero; Fulvio Borella; Giovanni Botta; Andrea Carosso; Stefano Cosma; Marialuisa Bovetti; Marco Carosso; Giancarlo Abbona; Giammarco Collemi; Mauro Papotti; Paola Cassoni; Chiara Benedetto. 2021. "Placenta histopathology in SARS-CoV-2 infection: analysis of a consecutive series and comparison with control cohorts." Virchows Archiv , no. : 1-14.

Regular article
Published: 19 April 2021 in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics
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The diagnosis of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is challenging because of its potential overlap with other neoplasms or even with reactive conditions. DNA methylation analysis is effective in diagnosing tumors. In the present study, this approach was tested for use in MPM diagnosis. The DNA methylation patterns of a discovery cohort and an independent-validation cohort of MPMs were compared to those of 202 cases representing malignant and benign diagnostic mimics (angiosarcoma, desmoid-type fibromatosis, epithelioid sarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, lung adenocarcinoma, lung squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma, nodular fasciitis, reactive mesothelial hyperplasia, sclerosing fibrous pleuritis, solitary fibrous tumor, and synovial sarcoma). By both unsupervised hierarchical clustering and t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding analysis, MPM samples in the discovery cohort exhibited a DNA methylation profile different from those of other neoplastic and reactive mimics. These results were confirmed in the independent validation cohort and by in silico analysis of the MPM–The Cancer Genome Atlas data set. Copy number variation profiles were also inferred to identify molecular hallmarks of MPM, including CDKN2A and NF2 deletions. Methylation profiling was effective in the diagnosis of MPM, although caution is advised in samples with low tumor cell content.

ACS Style

Luca Bertero; Luisella Righi; Giammarco Collemi; Christian Koelsche; Yanghao Hou; Damian Stichel; Daniel Schrimpf; Uta Flucke; Iver Petersen; Christian Vokuhl; Stefan Fröhling; Paolo Bironzo; Giorgio V. Scagliotti; Paola Cassoni; Mauro Papotti; Andreas von Deimling. DNA Methylation Profiling Discriminates between Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma and Neoplastic or Reactive Histologic Mimics. The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics 2021, 23, 834 -846.

AMA Style

Luca Bertero, Luisella Righi, Giammarco Collemi, Christian Koelsche, Yanghao Hou, Damian Stichel, Daniel Schrimpf, Uta Flucke, Iver Petersen, Christian Vokuhl, Stefan Fröhling, Paolo Bironzo, Giorgio V. Scagliotti, Paola Cassoni, Mauro Papotti, Andreas von Deimling. DNA Methylation Profiling Discriminates between Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma and Neoplastic or Reactive Histologic Mimics. The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics. 2021; 23 (7):834-846.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Luca Bertero; Luisella Righi; Giammarco Collemi; Christian Koelsche; Yanghao Hou; Damian Stichel; Daniel Schrimpf; Uta Flucke; Iver Petersen; Christian Vokuhl; Stefan Fröhling; Paolo Bironzo; Giorgio V. Scagliotti; Paola Cassoni; Mauro Papotti; Andreas von Deimling. 2021. "DNA Methylation Profiling Discriminates between Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma and Neoplastic or Reactive Histologic Mimics." The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics 23, no. 7: 834-846.

Review
Published: 27 December 2020 in International Journal of Molecular Sciences
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Vulvar cancer (VC) is a rare neoplasm, usually arising in postmenopausal women, although human papilloma virus (HPV)-associated VC usually develop in younger women. Incidences of VCs are rising in many countries. Surgery is the cornerstone of early-stage VC management, whereas therapies for advanced VC are multimodal and not standardized, combining chemotherapy and radiotherapy to avoid exenterative surgery. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are scarce due to the rarity of the disease and prognosis has not improved. Hence, new therapies are needed to improve the outcomes of these patients. In recent years, improved knowledge regarding the crosstalk between neoplastic and tumor cells has allowed researchers to develop a novel therapeutic approach exploiting these molecular interactions. Both the innate and adaptive immune systems play a key role in anti-tumor immunesurveillance. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have demonstrated efficacy in multiple tumor types, improving survival rates and disease outcomes. In some gynecologic cancers (e.g., cervical cancer), many studies are showing promising results and a growing interest is emerging about the potential use of ICIs in VC. The aim of this manuscript is to summarize the latest developments in the field of VC immunoncology, to present the role of state-of-the-art ICIs in VC management and to discuss new potential immunotherapeutic approaches.

ACS Style

Fulvio Borella; Mario Preti; Luca Bertero; Giammarco Collemi; Isabella Castellano; Paola Cassoni; Stefano Cosma; Andrea Roberto Carosso; Federica Bevilacqua; Niccolò Gallio; Chiara Benedetto; Leonardo Micheletti. Is There a Place for Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Vulvar Neoplasms? A State of the Art Review. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2020, 22, 190 .

AMA Style

Fulvio Borella, Mario Preti, Luca Bertero, Giammarco Collemi, Isabella Castellano, Paola Cassoni, Stefano Cosma, Andrea Roberto Carosso, Federica Bevilacqua, Niccolò Gallio, Chiara Benedetto, Leonardo Micheletti. Is There a Place for Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Vulvar Neoplasms? A State of the Art Review. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2020; 22 (1):190.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Fulvio Borella; Mario Preti; Luca Bertero; Giammarco Collemi; Isabella Castellano; Paola Cassoni; Stefano Cosma; Andrea Roberto Carosso; Federica Bevilacqua; Niccolò Gallio; Chiara Benedetto; Leonardo Micheletti. 2020. "Is There a Place for Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Vulvar Neoplasms? A State of the Art Review." International Journal of Molecular Sciences 22, no. 1: 190.

Response to letter to the editor
Published: 17 December 2020 in Journal of Surgical Oncology
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ACS Style

Elena Vissio; Enrico Costantino Falco; Giammarco Collemi Bs; Fulvio Borella; Mauro Papotti; Antonio Scarmozzino; Paola Cassoni; Luca Bertero. Reply to: Oncologic thoracic surgery during the second wave of COVID‐19 pandemic: How to be ready for the storm. Journal of Surgical Oncology 2020, 123, 1169 -1169.

AMA Style

Elena Vissio, Enrico Costantino Falco, Giammarco Collemi Bs, Fulvio Borella, Mauro Papotti, Antonio Scarmozzino, Paola Cassoni, Luca Bertero. Reply to: Oncologic thoracic surgery during the second wave of COVID‐19 pandemic: How to be ready for the storm. Journal of Surgical Oncology. 2020; 123 (4):1169-1169.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Elena Vissio; Enrico Costantino Falco; Giammarco Collemi Bs; Fulvio Borella; Mauro Papotti; Antonio Scarmozzino; Paola Cassoni; Luca Bertero. 2020. "Reply to: Oncologic thoracic surgery during the second wave of COVID‐19 pandemic: How to be ready for the storm." Journal of Surgical Oncology 123, no. 4: 1169-1169.

Journal article
Published: 09 November 2020 in Cancers
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Purpose: to investigate the role of selective avoidance of hematopoietically active BM within the pelvis, as defined with 18FDG-PET, employing a targeted IMRT approach, to reduce acute hematologic toxicity (HT) profile in anal cancer patients undergoing concurrent chemo-radiation. Methods: a one-armed two-stage Simon’s design was selected to test the hypothesis that BM-sparing approach would improve by 20% the rate of G0–G2 (vs. G3–G4) HT, from 42% of RTOG 0529 historical data to 62% (α = 0.05 and the β = 0.20). At the first stage, among 21 enrolled patients, at least 9 should report G0–G2 acute HT to further proceed with the trial. We employed 18FDG-PET to identify active BM within the pelvis. Acute HT was assessed via weekly blood counts and scored as per the Common Toxicity Criteria for Adverse Effects version 4.0. Results: from December 2017 to October 2019, 21 patients were enrolled. Maximum observed acute HT comprised 9% rate of ≥G3 leukopenia and 5% rate of ≥G3 neutropenia and anemia. Overall, only 4 out of 21 treated patients (19%) experienced ≥G3 acute HT. Conversely, 17 patients (81%) experienced G0–G2 events, way above the threshold set by the trial design. Conclusion: 18FDG-PET-guided BM-sparing IMRT was able to reduce acute HT in anal cancer patients treated with concomitant chemo-radiation. These results prompted us to conclude the second part of this prospective phase II trial.

ACS Style

Francesca Arcadipane; Patrick Silvetti; Francesco Olivero; Alessio Gastino; Viola De Luca; Massimiliano Mistrangelo; Paola Cassoni; Patrizia Racca; Elena Gallio; Adriana Lesca; Christian Fiandra; Umberto Ricardi; Pierfrancesco Franco. Bone Marrow-Sparing IMRT in Anal Cancer Patients Undergoing Concurrent Chemo-Radiation: Results of the First Phase of a Prospective Phase II Trial. Cancers 2020, 12, 3306 .

AMA Style

Francesca Arcadipane, Patrick Silvetti, Francesco Olivero, Alessio Gastino, Viola De Luca, Massimiliano Mistrangelo, Paola Cassoni, Patrizia Racca, Elena Gallio, Adriana Lesca, Christian Fiandra, Umberto Ricardi, Pierfrancesco Franco. Bone Marrow-Sparing IMRT in Anal Cancer Patients Undergoing Concurrent Chemo-Radiation: Results of the First Phase of a Prospective Phase II Trial. Cancers. 2020; 12 (11):3306.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Francesca Arcadipane; Patrick Silvetti; Francesco Olivero; Alessio Gastino; Viola De Luca; Massimiliano Mistrangelo; Paola Cassoni; Patrizia Racca; Elena Gallio; Adriana Lesca; Christian Fiandra; Umberto Ricardi; Pierfrancesco Franco. 2020. "Bone Marrow-Sparing IMRT in Anal Cancer Patients Undergoing Concurrent Chemo-Radiation: Results of the First Phase of a Prospective Phase II Trial." Cancers 12, no. 11: 3306.

Research article
Published: 20 October 2020 in Journal of Surgical Oncology
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Background and Objectives Italy was severely affected by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic. Our Institution, Piedmont's largest tertiary referral center, was designated as a non‐COVID‐19 hospital and activities were reorganized to prioritize critical services like oncological care. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy in preserving the oncological surgical practice at our Institution during the most critical months of the COVID‐19 epidemic by analyzing the surgical pathology activity. Methods The number of oncological surgical resections submitted to histopathological examination from 9th March 2020 to 8th May 2020 were collected as well staging/grading data and compared with the previous three pre‐COVID‐19 years (2017–2019). Results Overall, no decrease was observed for most tumor sites (5/9) while breast resections showed the largest drop (109 vs. 160; −31.9%), although a full recovery was already noticed during the second half of the period. Conversely, the selected control benchmarks showed a sharp decrease (−80.4%). Distribution of pathological TNM stages (or tumor grades for central nervous system tumors) showed no significant differences during the lockdown compared with previous years (p > .05). Conclusions The present data suggest the possibility of preserving this cornerstone oncological activity during an evolving public health emergency thanks to a prompt workflow reorganization.

ACS Style

Elena Vissio; Enrico Costantino Falco; Giammarco Collemi Bs; Fulvio Borella; Mauro Papotti; Antonio Scarmozzino; Paola Cassoni; Luca Bertero. Impact of COVID‐19 lockdown measures on oncological surgical activity: Analysis of the surgical pathology caseload of a tertiary referral hospital in Northwestern Italy. Journal of Surgical Oncology 2020, 123, 24 -31.

AMA Style

Elena Vissio, Enrico Costantino Falco, Giammarco Collemi Bs, Fulvio Borella, Mauro Papotti, Antonio Scarmozzino, Paola Cassoni, Luca Bertero. Impact of COVID‐19 lockdown measures on oncological surgical activity: Analysis of the surgical pathology caseload of a tertiary referral hospital in Northwestern Italy. Journal of Surgical Oncology. 2020; 123 (1):24-31.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Elena Vissio; Enrico Costantino Falco; Giammarco Collemi Bs; Fulvio Borella; Mauro Papotti; Antonio Scarmozzino; Paola Cassoni; Luca Bertero. 2020. "Impact of COVID‐19 lockdown measures on oncological surgical activity: Analysis of the surgical pathology caseload of a tertiary referral hospital in Northwestern Italy." Journal of Surgical Oncology 123, no. 1: 24-31.

Journal article
Published: 25 September 2020 in Applied Sciences
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Recently, pre-mixed bioceramics in fast set formulations have been increasingly utilized in clinical practice as an alternative to mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) for their shorter setting time and better handling properties. However, the impact on their osteogenic potential, due to modifications in chemical composition to promote a fast setting, is still unclear. This molecular and in vitro study compared the osteogenic potential of root repairing material putty fast set (FSP) with root-repairing material putty (RRMPU), root-repairing material paste (RRMPA), Biodentine™ and MTA. The null hypothesis tested was that there are no differences among the tricalcium silicate materials in terms of osteogenic potential. Standardized discs were cultured with MG-63 human osteoblastic-like cells to assess biocompatibility, the activity of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and osteogenic potential. Biocompatibility was evaluated at baseline and after 24 and 48 h. Osteogenic differentiation was assessed after 15 days. Data were analyzed with one-way ANOVAs and Tukey’s post-hoc test (p < 0.05). All materials showed biocompatibility and bioactivity. ALP activity, which induces mineral nodule deposition, increased in all the cements tested, with a significant increase in RRMPU (p < 0.001) and FSP (p < 0.001) samples versus MTA. In vitro mineralization was significantly increased for RRMPU (p < 0.0001), FSP (p = 0.00012) and Biodentine™ (p < 0.0001) versus MTA. The bioceramics tested showed higher levels of biocompatibility and bioactivity than MTA; a higher capacity for mineralization was observed with RRMPU and FSP versus MTA.

ACS Style

Damiano Pasqualini; Allegra Comba; Laura Annaratone; Virginia Mola; Mario Alovisi; Lorenzo Breschi; Annalisa Mazzoni; Nicola Scotti; Paola Cassoni; Elio Berutti. Osteogenic Potential of Fast Set Bioceramic Cements: Molecular and In Vitro Study. Applied Sciences 2020, 10, 6713 .

AMA Style

Damiano Pasqualini, Allegra Comba, Laura Annaratone, Virginia Mola, Mario Alovisi, Lorenzo Breschi, Annalisa Mazzoni, Nicola Scotti, Paola Cassoni, Elio Berutti. Osteogenic Potential of Fast Set Bioceramic Cements: Molecular and In Vitro Study. Applied Sciences. 2020; 10 (19):6713.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Damiano Pasqualini; Allegra Comba; Laura Annaratone; Virginia Mola; Mario Alovisi; Lorenzo Breschi; Annalisa Mazzoni; Nicola Scotti; Paola Cassoni; Elio Berutti. 2020. "Osteogenic Potential of Fast Set Bioceramic Cements: Molecular and In Vitro Study." Applied Sciences 10, no. 19: 6713.

Research article
Published: 22 September 2020 in Journal of Surgical Oncology
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Background and Objectives The aim of our study was to analyze the results of selective inguinal node irradiation in patients with anal cancer, based on the biopsy of the inguinal sentinel lymph node (SLN), in terms of local control and prognosis. Methods Records of patients with anal squamous cell carcinoma from January 2001 to December 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. Tc99 lymphoscintigraphy was performed in all the clinically inguinal negative patients, followed by radio‐guided surgical removal of the inguinal SLN. All patients were treated with combined radiochemotherapy. In patients with negative sentinel nodes, the inguinal area was excluded in the radiotherapy field. Results A total of 123 patients, 76 females (61.8%), mean age 60.1 ± 12.19 years old, underwent intraoperative lymph node retrieval. The histological analysis showed metastasis in the SLN in 28 patients (22.8%). The mean follow‐up was 43.44 ± 31.86 months. No inguinal recurrence was observed in patients with negative inguinal sentinel node(s). A statistically significant difference was observed for overall and disease‐free survivals in a patient with positive and negative inguinal sentinel nodes. Conclusions In patients with anal canal cancer, the exclusion of the inguinal regions from the radiotherapy field, in patients with negative SLN, does not compromise locoregional control nor prognosis.

ACS Style

Paola De Nardi; Massimiliano Mistrangelo Md; Giovanni Burtulo; Paolo Passoni; Najla Slim; Monica Ronzoni; Carla Canevari; Danilo Parolini; Luca Massimino; Pierfrancesco Franco Md; Paola Cassoni; Adriana Lesca; Valentina Testa; Riccardo Rosati. Tailoring the radiotherapy approach in patients with anal squamous cell carcinoma based on inguinal sentinel lymph node biopsy. Journal of Surgical Oncology 2020, 123, 315 -321.

AMA Style

Paola De Nardi, Massimiliano Mistrangelo Md, Giovanni Burtulo, Paolo Passoni, Najla Slim, Monica Ronzoni, Carla Canevari, Danilo Parolini, Luca Massimino, Pierfrancesco Franco Md, Paola Cassoni, Adriana Lesca, Valentina Testa, Riccardo Rosati. Tailoring the radiotherapy approach in patients with anal squamous cell carcinoma based on inguinal sentinel lymph node biopsy. Journal of Surgical Oncology. 2020; 123 (1):315-321.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Paola De Nardi; Massimiliano Mistrangelo Md; Giovanni Burtulo; Paolo Passoni; Najla Slim; Monica Ronzoni; Carla Canevari; Danilo Parolini; Luca Massimino; Pierfrancesco Franco Md; Paola Cassoni; Adriana Lesca; Valentina Testa; Riccardo Rosati. 2020. "Tailoring the radiotherapy approach in patients with anal squamous cell carcinoma based on inguinal sentinel lymph node biopsy." Journal of Surgical Oncology 123, no. 1: 315-321.

Review
Published: 04 August 2020 in Cancers
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With this review, we provide the state of the art concerning brain metastases (BMs) from ovarian cancer (OC), a rare condition. Clinical, pathological, and molecular features, treatment options, and future perspectives are comprehensively discussed. Overall, a diagnosis of high-grade serous OC and an advanced disease stage are common features among patients who develop brain metastases. BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations, as well as the expression of androgen receptors in the primary tumor, are emerging risk and prognostic factors which could allow one to identify categories of patients at greater risk of BMs, who could benefit from a tailored follow-up. Based on present data, a multidisciplinary approach combining surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy seem to be the best approach for patients with good performance status, although the median overall survival (<1 year) remains largely disappointing. Hopefully, novel therapeutic avenues are being explored, like PARP inhibitors and immunotherapy, based on our improved knowledge regarding tumor biology, but further investigation is warranted.

ACS Style

Fulvio Borella; Luca Bertero; Antonio Morrone; Alessandro Gambella; Marialuisa Bovetti; Stefano Cosma; Andrea Carosso; Dionyssios Katsaros; Silvia Gemmiti; Mario Preti; Giorgio Valabrega; Giulia Scotto; Paola Cassoni; Chiara Benedetto. Brain Metastases from Ovarian Cancer: Current Evidence in Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prognosis. Cancers 2020, 12, 2156 .

AMA Style

Fulvio Borella, Luca Bertero, Antonio Morrone, Alessandro Gambella, Marialuisa Bovetti, Stefano Cosma, Andrea Carosso, Dionyssios Katsaros, Silvia Gemmiti, Mario Preti, Giorgio Valabrega, Giulia Scotto, Paola Cassoni, Chiara Benedetto. Brain Metastases from Ovarian Cancer: Current Evidence in Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prognosis. Cancers. 2020; 12 (8):2156.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Fulvio Borella; Luca Bertero; Antonio Morrone; Alessandro Gambella; Marialuisa Bovetti; Stefano Cosma; Andrea Carosso; Dionyssios Katsaros; Silvia Gemmiti; Mario Preti; Giorgio Valabrega; Giulia Scotto; Paola Cassoni; Chiara Benedetto. 2020. "Brain Metastases from Ovarian Cancer: Current Evidence in Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prognosis." Cancers 12, no. 8: 2156.

Journal article
Published: 24 June 2020 in Cells
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Background: Neuron glial antigen 2 or chondroitin sulphate proteoglycan 4 (NG2/CSPG4) is expressed by immature precursors/progenitor cells and is possibly involved in malignant cell transformation. The aim of this study was to investigate its role on the progression and survival of sixty-one adult gliomas and nine glioblastoma (GB)-derived cell lines. Methods: NG2/CSPG4 protein expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. Genetic and epigenetic alterations were detected by molecular genetic techniques. Results: NG2/CSPG4 was frequently expressed in IDH-mutant/1p19q-codel oligodendrogliomas (59.1%) and IDH-wild type GBs (40%) and rarely expressed in IDH-mutant or IDH-wild type astrocytomas (14.3%). Besides tumor cells, NG2/CSPG4 immunoreactivity was found in the cytoplasm and/or cell membranes of reactive astrocytes and vascular pericytes/endothelial cells. In GB-derived neurospheres, it was variably detected according to the number of passages of the in vitro culture. In GB-derived adherent cells, a diffuse positivity was found in most cells. NG2/CSPG4 expression was significantly associated with EGFR gene amplification (p = 0.0005) and poor prognosis (p = 0.016) in astrocytic tumors. Conclusion: The immunoreactivity of NG2/CSPG4 provides information on the timing of the neoplastic transformation and could have prognostic and therapeutic relevance as a promising tumor-associated antigen for antibody-based immunotherapy in patients with malignant gliomas.

ACS Style

Marta Mellai; Laura Annovazzi; Ilaria Bisogno; Cristiano Corona; Paola Crociara; Barbara Iulini; Paola Cassoni; Cristina Casalone; Renzo Boldorini; Davide Schiffer. Chondroitin Sulphate Proteoglycan 4 (NG2/CSPG4) Localization in Low- and High-Grade Gliomas. Cells 2020, 9, 1538 .

AMA Style

Marta Mellai, Laura Annovazzi, Ilaria Bisogno, Cristiano Corona, Paola Crociara, Barbara Iulini, Paola Cassoni, Cristina Casalone, Renzo Boldorini, Davide Schiffer. Chondroitin Sulphate Proteoglycan 4 (NG2/CSPG4) Localization in Low- and High-Grade Gliomas. Cells. 2020; 9 (6):1538.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Marta Mellai; Laura Annovazzi; Ilaria Bisogno; Cristiano Corona; Paola Crociara; Barbara Iulini; Paola Cassoni; Cristina Casalone; Renzo Boldorini; Davide Schiffer. 2020. "Chondroitin Sulphate Proteoglycan 4 (NG2/CSPG4) Localization in Low- and High-Grade Gliomas." Cells 9, no. 6: 1538.

Preprint content
Published: 21 May 2020
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Infection by SARS-CoV-2 has been shown to involve a wide range of organs and tissues, leading to a kaleidoscope of clinical conditions. Within this spectrum, an increased rate of preterm deliveries has been reported in women with COVID-19. High expression of proteins (ACE2/TMPRSS2) required for SARS- CoV-2 cell entry has been observed in the maternal-fetal tissues, supporting the possibility of placental viral involvement. A consecutive series of 6 placentas, delivered by 5 women with COVID-19 have been investigated. Three out of six placentas showed changes consistent with chronic villitis, while in one case chronic histiocytic intervillositis was diagnosed. Vascular abnormalities consisting of thrombo- hemorrhagic alterations were identified in the three cases with chronic villitis. These pathological findings: i) provide a basis to explain the higher rate of obstetric complications in these patients; 2) suggest the need to investigate heparin use in COVID-19 affected pregnant patients to prevent adverse outcomes.

ACS Style

Luca Bertero; Fulvio Borella; Giovanni Botta; Andrea Carosso; Stefano Cosma; Marialuisa Bovetti; Marco Carosso; Giancarlo Abbona; Mauro Papotti; Paola Cassoni; Chiara Benedetto. Placenta in SARS-CoV-2 infection: a new target for inflammatory and thrombotic events. 2020, 1 .

AMA Style

Luca Bertero, Fulvio Borella, Giovanni Botta, Andrea Carosso, Stefano Cosma, Marialuisa Bovetti, Marco Carosso, Giancarlo Abbona, Mauro Papotti, Paola Cassoni, Chiara Benedetto. Placenta in SARS-CoV-2 infection: a new target for inflammatory and thrombotic events. . 2020; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Luca Bertero; Fulvio Borella; Giovanni Botta; Andrea Carosso; Stefano Cosma; Marialuisa Bovetti; Marco Carosso; Giancarlo Abbona; Mauro Papotti; Paola Cassoni; Chiara Benedetto. 2020. "Placenta in SARS-CoV-2 infection: a new target for inflammatory and thrombotic events." , no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 24 April 2020 in Cells
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The co-expression of androgen (AR) and estrogen (ER) receptors, in terms of higher AR/ER ratio, has been recently associated with poor outcome in ER-positive (ER+) breast cancer (BC) patients. The aim of this study was to analyze if the biological aggressiveness, underlined in ER+ BC tumors with higher AR/ER ratio, could be due to higher expression of genes related to cell proliferation. On a cohort of 47 ER+ BC patients, the AR/ER ratio was assessed by immunohistochemistry and by mRNA analysis. The expression level of five gene proliferation markers was defined through TaqMan®-qPCR assays. Results were validated using 979 BC cases obtained from gene expression public databases. ER+ BC tumors with ratios of AR/ER ≥ 2 have higher expression levels of cellular proliferation genes than tumors with ratios of AR/ER < 2, in both the 47 ER+ BC patients (P < 0.001) and in the validation cohort (P = 0.005). Moreover, BC cases with ratios of AR/ER ≥ 2 of the validation cohort were mainly assigned to luminal B and HER2-enriched molecular subtypes, typically characterized by higher proliferation and poorer prognosis. These data suggest that joint routine evaluation of AR and ER expression may identify a unique subset of tumors, which show higher levels of cellular proliferation and therefore a more aggressive behavior.

ACS Style

Nelson Rangel; Milena Rondon-Lagos; Laura Annaratone; Andrés Felipe Aristizábal-Pachon; Paola Cassoni; Anna Sapino; Isabella Castellano. AR/ER Ratio Correlates with Expression of Proliferation Markers and with Distinct Subset of Breast Tumors. Cells 2020, 9, 1064 .

AMA Style

Nelson Rangel, Milena Rondon-Lagos, Laura Annaratone, Andrés Felipe Aristizábal-Pachon, Paola Cassoni, Anna Sapino, Isabella Castellano. AR/ER Ratio Correlates with Expression of Proliferation Markers and with Distinct Subset of Breast Tumors. Cells. 2020; 9 (4):1064.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Nelson Rangel; Milena Rondon-Lagos; Laura Annaratone; Andrés Felipe Aristizábal-Pachon; Paola Cassoni; Anna Sapino; Isabella Castellano. 2020. "AR/ER Ratio Correlates with Expression of Proliferation Markers and with Distinct Subset of Breast Tumors." Cells 9, no. 4: 1064.

Journal article
Published: 02 April 2020 in World Journal of Surgical Oncology
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Molecular assessment and treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) quickly evolved during the last decades, hampering longitudinal evaluation of prognostic markers. The aim of this study was to evaluate prognostic predictors of long-term survival in a retrospective series of mCRC, treated prior to the expanded RAS assessment era. mCRC cases treated at the Città della Salute e della Scienza University Hospital (Turin, Italy) between January 2004 and December 2012 were evaluated, including cases with ≥ 5-year follow-up only. Long-term survival was defined as an overall survival (OS) ≥ 4 years based on the observed OS interquartile range values. Univariate/multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models were performed to assess the prognostic significance of the clinical/biological features, while binary logistic regression models were used to verify their associations with long-term survival. Two hundred and forty-eight mCRC cases were included and analyzed. Sixty out of two hundred and forty-eight (24%) patients were long-term survivors. Univariate binary logistic regression analysis demonstrated a significant association between long-term survival and age at diagnosis < 65 (OR = 2.28, p = 0.007), single metastatic site (OR = 1.89, p = 0.039), surgical resection of metastases (OR = 5.30, p < 0.001), local non-surgical treatment of metastases (OR = 4.74, p < 0.001), and a bevacizumab-including first-line treatment schedule (OR = 2.19, p = 0.024). Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis confirmed the prognostic significance of surgical resection of metastases (OR = 3.96, p < 0.001), local non-surgical treatment of metastases (OR = 3.32, p = 0.001), and of bevacizumab-including first-line treatment schedule (OR = 2.49, p = 0.024). Long-term survival could be achieved in a significant rate of patients with mCRC even in an era of limited molecular characterization. Local treatment of metastases proved to be a significant predictor of long-term survival.

ACS Style

Luca Bertero; Rosella Spadi; Simona Osella-Abate; Sara Mariani; Isabella Castellano; Alessandro Gambella; Patrizia Racca; Mario Morino; Paola Cassoni. Metastatic colorectal cancer prior to expanded RAS assessment: evidence from long-term outcome analysis of a real-life cohort within a dedicated colorectal cancer unit. World Journal of Surgical Oncology 2020, 18, 65 -10.

AMA Style

Luca Bertero, Rosella Spadi, Simona Osella-Abate, Sara Mariani, Isabella Castellano, Alessandro Gambella, Patrizia Racca, Mario Morino, Paola Cassoni. Metastatic colorectal cancer prior to expanded RAS assessment: evidence from long-term outcome analysis of a real-life cohort within a dedicated colorectal cancer unit. World Journal of Surgical Oncology. 2020; 18 (1):65-10.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Luca Bertero; Rosella Spadi; Simona Osella-Abate; Sara Mariani; Isabella Castellano; Alessandro Gambella; Patrizia Racca; Mario Morino; Paola Cassoni. 2020. "Metastatic colorectal cancer prior to expanded RAS assessment: evidence from long-term outcome analysis of a real-life cohort within a dedicated colorectal cancer unit." World Journal of Surgical Oncology 18, no. 1: 65-10.

Review
Published: 23 January 2020 in International Journal of Molecular Sciences
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The neurotrophic tropomyosin receptor kinase (NTRK) genes (NTRK1, NTRK2, and NTRK3) code for three transmembrane high-affinity tyrosine-kinase receptors for nerve growth factors (TRK-A, TRK-B, and TRK-C) which are mainly involved in nervous system development. Loss of function alterations in these genes can lead to nervous system development problems; conversely, activating alterations harbor oncogenic potential, promoting cell proliferation/survival and tumorigenesis. Chromosomal rearrangements are the most clinically relevant alterations of pathological NTRK activation, leading to constitutionally active chimeric receptors. NTRK fusions have been detected with extremely variable frequencies in many pediatric and adult cancer types, including central nervous system (CNS) tumors. These alterations can be detected by different laboratory assays (e.g., immunohistochemistry, FISH, sequencing), but each of these approaches has specific advantages and limitations which must be taken into account for an appropriate use in diagnostics or research. Moreover, therapeutic targeting of this molecular marker recently showed extreme efficacy. Considering the overall lack of effective treatments for brain neoplasms, it is expected that detection of NTRK fusions will soon become a mainstay in the diagnostic assessment of CNS tumors, and thus in-depth knowledge regarding this topic is warranted.

ACS Style

Alessandro Gambella; Rebecca Senetta; Giammarco Collemi; Stefano Gabriele Vallero; Matteo Monticelli; Fabio Cofano; Pietro Zeppa; Diego Garbossa; Alessia Pellerino; Roberta Rudà; Riccardo Soffietti; Franca Fagioli; Mauro Papotti; Paola Cassoni; Luca Bertero. NTRK Fusions in Central Nervous System Tumors: A Rare, but Worthy Target. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2020, 21, 753 .

AMA Style

Alessandro Gambella, Rebecca Senetta, Giammarco Collemi, Stefano Gabriele Vallero, Matteo Monticelli, Fabio Cofano, Pietro Zeppa, Diego Garbossa, Alessia Pellerino, Roberta Rudà, Riccardo Soffietti, Franca Fagioli, Mauro Papotti, Paola Cassoni, Luca Bertero. NTRK Fusions in Central Nervous System Tumors: A Rare, but Worthy Target. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2020; 21 (3):753.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Alessandro Gambella; Rebecca Senetta; Giammarco Collemi; Stefano Gabriele Vallero; Matteo Monticelli; Fabio Cofano; Pietro Zeppa; Diego Garbossa; Alessia Pellerino; Roberta Rudà; Riccardo Soffietti; Franca Fagioli; Mauro Papotti; Paola Cassoni; Luca Bertero. 2020. "NTRK Fusions in Central Nervous System Tumors: A Rare, but Worthy Target." International Journal of Molecular Sciences 21, no. 3: 753.

Journal article
Published: 31 October 2019 in International Journal of Molecular Sciences
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Background: Dp71 is the most abundant dystrophin (DMD) gene product in the nervous system. Mutation in the Dp71 coding region is associated with cognitive disturbances in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) patients, but the function of dystrophin Dp71 in tumor progression remains to be established. This study investigated Dp71 expression in glioblastoma, the most common and aggressive primary tumor of the central nervous system (CNS). Methods: Dp71 expression was analyzed by immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, RT-PCR, and immunoblotting in glioblastoma cell lines and cells isolated from human glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) bioptic specimens. Results: Dp71 isoform was expressed in normal human astrocytes (NHA) cell lines and decreased in glioblastoma cell lines and cells isolated from human glioblastoma multiforme bioptic specimens. Moreover, Dp71 was localized in the nucleus in normal cells, while it was localized into the cytoplasm of glioblastoma cells organized in clusters. We have shown, by double labeling, that Dp71 colocalizes with lamin B in normal astrocytes cells, confirming the roles of Dp71 and lamin B in maintaining nuclear architecture. Finally, we demonstrated that decreased Dp71 protein in cells isolated from human bioptic specimens was inversely correlated with the Ki-67 tumor proliferative index. Conclusion: A decreased Dp71 expression is associated with cancer proliferation and poor prognosis in glioblastoma.

ACS Style

Simona Ruggieri; Michelina De Giorgis; Tiziana Annese; Roberto Tamma; Angelo Notarangelo; Andrea Marzullo; Rebecca Senetta; Paola Cassoni; Michela Notarangelo; Domenico Ribatti; Beatrice Nico. Dp71 Expression in Human Glioblastoma. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2019, 20, 5429 .

AMA Style

Simona Ruggieri, Michelina De Giorgis, Tiziana Annese, Roberto Tamma, Angelo Notarangelo, Andrea Marzullo, Rebecca Senetta, Paola Cassoni, Michela Notarangelo, Domenico Ribatti, Beatrice Nico. Dp71 Expression in Human Glioblastoma. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2019; 20 (21):5429.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Simona Ruggieri; Michelina De Giorgis; Tiziana Annese; Roberto Tamma; Angelo Notarangelo; Andrea Marzullo; Rebecca Senetta; Paola Cassoni; Michela Notarangelo; Domenico Ribatti; Beatrice Nico. 2019. "Dp71 Expression in Human Glioblastoma." International Journal of Molecular Sciences 20, no. 21: 5429.