Immune checkpoint inhibitors for dMMR/MSI localized rectal cancer: A systematic review of treatment strategies.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have transformed the management of metastatic mismatch repair-deficient (dMMR) or microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) colorectal cancer. Their neoadjuvant use in early-stage rectal cancer is an emerging strategy aimed at enhancing tumor response, preserving organ function, and minimizing the morbidity associated with chemoradiotherapy (CRT) and surgery.

Methods: A systematic review was conducted of studies published between January 2000 and April 2025 across PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library.

Reassessing the Evidence: Is Intensified Therapy Justified in Older Patients with Metastatic Hormone-Sensitive Prostate Cancer?

To assess the comparative efficacy of intensified systemic treatments in older patients (≥ 65 years) with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) through a network meta-analysis (NMA), and evaluate whether routine use of intensified regimens is justified in this population. A systematic literature search of MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases identified randomized controlled trials published between 2000 and 2024 evaluating first-line systemic therapies in mHSPC. Eligible studies combined androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) with docetaxel, abiraterone, enzalutamide, apalutamide, darolutamide, or antiandrogens.

Adding immune checkpoint inhibitors to chemotherapy in elderly cancer patients: Beneficial for many but not all?

Introduction: The strategic addition of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) to chemotherapy (CT) offers a potential paradigm shift in the treatment of elderly cancer patients. This systematic review evaluates the impact of ICIs combined with CT on the overall survival (OS) of patients aged 65 and older.

Material And Methods: Using the terms "immune checkpoint inhibitors" and (PD-1 or PD-L1 or CTLA-4) and ("cancer" or "carcinoma") and ("elderly" or "older" or "65 years" or "70 years"), we searched PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library through March 2024.

Multidisciplinary management of immunotherapy-related adverse events in solid tumors: An inter-institutional and telemedicine-based working team.

Background: Although immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) show a more favorable toxicity profile than classical cytotoxic drugs, their mechanism of action is responsible for peculiar new toxicities. There is an urgent need for a multidisciplinary approach to advice on how to manage organ-specific toxicities.

Methods: Our project aims to integrate the practices of two different hospitals into a single Italian regional collaborative model to treat immune-related adverse events (irAEs).

Chemotherapy Duration for Various Indications in Colorectal Cancer: a Review.

Purpose Of Review: The treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC) has evolved and become more personalized during the past several years. For example, depotentiation/reduced duration of systemic therapies has proven to be beneficial in both advanced and early stages of the disease.

Recent Findings: In particular, recent randomized studies of stage III and high-risk stage II CRC showed that a shorter duration (3 months), when compared to the historical 6-month comparator, provides nearly similar overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS).

Hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis: HCC and Steatosis or Steatohepatitis.

Background And Aims: Hepatic steatosis of nonalcoholic etiology (nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; NAFLD) is an emergent condition that may lead to hepatic cirrhosis and finally to liver cancer. We evaluate the risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and quantify the prognosis in terms of recurrence (DFS) as well as HCC-specific and overall survival (CSS and OS) of patients with and without NAFLD.

Methods: We searched published articles that evaluated the risk and outcomes of HCC in patients with steatosis/steatohepatitis from inception to July 2021 were identified by searching the PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases.

Association of Obesity With Survival Outcomes in Patients With Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Importance: Obesity, defined as a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30, is associated with a significant increase in the risk of many cancers and in overall mortality. However, various studies have suggested that patients with cancer and no obesity (ie, BMI 20-25) have worse outcomes than patients with obesity.

Objective: To assess the association between obesity and outcomes after a diagnosis of cancer.

Incidence and outcomes of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Background: Patients with cancer are at increased risk of complicated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, but it is still unclear if the risk of mortality is influenced by cancer type or ongoing anti-cancer treatments. An interesting debate concerning the potential relationship between androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and SARS-CoV-2 infection has recently been opened in the case of prostate cancer (PC), and the aim of this multi-centre cohort study was to investigate the incidence and outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostrate cancer (mCRPC).

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of patients with mCRPC who developed SARS-CoV-2 infection, and recorded their baseline clinical characteristics, their history of PC and SARS-CoV-2 infection, and their oncological status and treatment at the time of infection.

A Review of Clinical Practice Guidelines and Treatment Recommendations for Cancer Care in the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has inevitably caused those involved in cancer care to change clinical practice in order to minimize the risk of infection while maintaining cancer treatment as a priority. General advice during the pandemic suggests that most patients continue with ongoing therapies or planned surgeries, while follow-up visits may instead be delayed until the resolution of the outbreak. We conducted a literature search using PubMed to identify articles published in English language that reported on care recommendations for cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic from its inception up to 1st June 2020, using the terms "(cancer or tumor) AND (COVID 19)".

Survival of Patients Treated with Antibiotics and Immunotherapy for Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Antibiotics (ABs) are common medications used for treating infections. In cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), concomitant exposure to ABs may impair the efficacy of ICIs and lead to a poorer outcome compared to AB non-users. We report here the results of a meta-analysis evaluating the effects of ABs on the outcome of patients with solid tumours treated with ICIs.

Aortic dissection after ramucirumab infusion.

A female patient in her seventies affected by a signet-ring cell carcinoma G3pT4N3 (24/29), with lymphovascular invasion, HER2-negative. After completing three cycles of first-line systemic treatment in combination with cisplatin (CDDP) + 5-fluorouracil (5FU), a new systemic therapy line with paclitaxel + Cyramza (ramucirumab) was planned. On the day after the first administration the patient manifested a Standford type A aortic dissection (AD), with a diameter of around 6.

Steroids use and survival in patients with glioblastoma multiforme: a pooled analysis.

Introduction: Steroids are commonly used for managing brain edema in patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), treated with surgery and concomitant temozolomide-based chemoradiotherapy (CTRT). The adverse effects of glucocorticoids include lymphopenia, hyperglycemia, and risk of infection. We report the results of a meta-analysis evaluating the effects of steroids on outcome when associated with the treatment of GBM.

Case report of a 65-year-old man with biatrial metastatic localisation from poorly differentiated cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.

We report the case of an immunocompetent 65-year-old man affected by cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) with lung and biatrial metastatic localisation. In May 2018, the patient underwent lower limb amputation due to the finding of a large ulceration which upon biopsy was found to be a poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), ulcerated, full-thickness infiltrating from the skin to the underlying bone tissue. After 1 month, a radiological restaging found multiple pulmonary localisations and a right-atrial metastatic localisation.

Bevacizumab-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy for colorectal cancer liver metastases: Pitfalls and helpful tricks in a review for clinicians.

Bevacizumab added to chemotherapy has shown encouraging efficacy in the neoadjuvant therapy of colorectal cancer liver metastases. In absence of biological predictor factors of efficacy to bevacizumab-based treatment, the assessment of response may be a crucial point to select patients who may benefit the most from surgery. At the same time the pathological response after liver resection could represent a guide for the next therapeutic plan.

A phase II study of sunitinib in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: In 2007, sorafenib was the first drug able to improve overall survival in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.

Aim: In 2005 we designed a phase II study to assess safety and efficacy of sunitinib.

Methods: This is a single arm, open-label, single-centre phase II trial.

Complete Metabolic Response with Recanalization of Portal Vein Tumor Thrombosis after Sunitinib in a Patient with Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

The prognosis of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is very poor. The outcome of these patients is particularly bleak when the disease is complicated by portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT), since the increased portal pressure often causes serious gastrointestinal bleedings. Before the introduction of sorafenib (SOR), a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, no effective treatment was available for patients with advanced disease.