Publications by authors named "Francesca Colombo"

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) improved survival of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), yet many patients do not respond to treatment. The identification of markers for ICI response remains an unmet clinical need. This study hypothesizes that host genetics influences the response to ICI, contributing to the variability in efficacy among individuals.

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Introduction: The potential link between perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) exposure and kidney cancer risk in humans remains uncertain. This meta-analysis aims to clarify the association by analyzing serum PFOA levels, a direct biomarker of internal exposure, rather than relying on indirect environmental or occupational measures.

Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed and Web of Science to identify relevant studies.

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Background: Cow's milk is the most frequent cause of food allergies in children, with caseins and β-lactoglobulin being considered the main allergens. Concerningly, numerous international agencies have highlighted a growing risk of allergic reactions in milk-allergic individuals after the consumption of products labelled as "vegan".

Objectives: We describe the case of a 3.

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Approximately 10%-15% of all lung cancers arise in non-smokers. Although there are no established aetiological factors, non-smokers with a family history of cancer have an increased risk of lung cancer, implying host genetic factors in lung cancer susceptibility. We sought to identify, in a cohort of 75 patients recruited before lung lobectomy, germline alterations with a strong association with lung cancer.

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An Early-Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (ES-NSCLC) patient candidate for stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) may start their treatment without a histopathological assessment, due to relevant comorbidities. The aim of this study is twofold: (i) build prognostic models to test the association between CT-derived radiomic features (RFs) and the outcomes of interest (overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) and loco-regional progression-free survival (LRPFS)); (ii) quantify whether the combination of clinical and radiomic descriptors yields better prediction than clinical descriptors alone in prognostic modeling for ES-NSCLC patients treated with SBRT. Simulation CT scans of ES-NSCLC patients treated with curative-intent SBRT at the European Institute of Oncology (IEO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Milan, Italy between 2013 and 2023 were retrospectively retrieved.

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This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a novel "In & Out" strategy, combining topical and oral melatonin supplementation, in managing skin aging compared to topical treatment alone. A randomized, prospective study was conducted on 39 healthy females aged 55-69 years. Participants were divided into two groups: one received both the topical formula and oral melatonin supplementation (Group A), while the other received a topical melatonin-based formula (Group B).

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Article Synopsis
  • Image-guided treatment adaptation using CycleGAN for synthetic CT generation is a significant advancement in particle therapy for young cancer patients.
  • The study involved processing CBCT scans from 15 pelvic patients to create synthetic CT images, which were evaluated against verification CT scans for quality.
  • Results showed that despite some limitations, the CycleGAN method produced satisfactory synthetic CT images that could improve treatment efficacy in pediatric oncology.
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Background: Opioids in step III of the WHO analgesic ladder are the standard of care for treating cancer pain. However, a significant minority of patients do not benefit from therapy. Genetics might play a role in predisposing patients to a good or poor response to opioids.

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Article Synopsis
  • Opioids are commonly used to manage cancer pain, but 10%-20% of patients either do not respond well or suffer from negative side effects, potentially due to genetic differences.
  • A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted on cancer patients across Europe to find genetic markers related to opioid-induced nausea and vomiting.
  • The study identified 65 genetic variants linked to nausea-vomiting scores, including variants in the NPAS2 gene, paving the way for more personalized cancer pain management strategies through further research.
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  • Lung cancer poses a significant health challenge globally, with patient survival rates varying widely, and this study explores the genetic factors affecting these outcomes through an analysis of germline polymorphisms in 1,464 lung adenocarcinoma patients after surgery.!* -
  • Researchers employed a Cox proportional hazard model to evaluate over seven million polymorphisms against overall survival over a 60-month period, considering key variables like age, sex, and disease stage.!* -
  • Six significant germline variants were identified, linked to gene expression regulation, indicating that certain minor alleles correspond to poorer survival outcomes; further research is needed to fully understand these genetic mechanisms in lung cancer prognosis.!*
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Advances in therapeutic techniques and multimodal approaches have significantly improved the success rates of treatment for pediatric malignancies, with cure rates now close to 80%. This has led to an increase in long-term survival, with 0.10-0.

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Lung cancer, including both non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer, remains the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, representing 18% of the total cancer deaths in 2020. Many patients are identified already at an advanced stage with metastatic disease and have a worsening prognosis. Recent advances in the genetic understanding of lung cancer have opened new avenues for personalized treatments and targeted therapies.

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Background: In recent times, clinical negligence claims against National Health Service hospitals have doubled, with 8% of claims being made due to "failure to warn/informed consent." This study aimed to assess the current compliance of the neurosurgical division within a large tertiary neuroscience center with the national legal framework and professional guidelines around the issue of surgical consent and to develop strategies to improve the consent process.

Methods: Electronic patient records (EPR) were accessed to collect demographic data and information regarding the surgical procedures.

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  • Pigmented corn varieties are gaining attention for their health benefits, particularly their polyphenolic content, making them suitable for individuals with celiac disease who require gluten-free diets.
  • The study analyzed the phenolic composition of two Italian pigmented corn varieties using HPLC-DAD, noting the presence of phenolic acids and anthocyanins, with minimal changes post-digestion.
  • Results showed that extracts from these corns reduced inflammation markers in human intestinal cells and reversed oxidative stress effects, suggesting potential benefits for managing celiac disease inflammation through a gluten-free diet.
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Purpose: The aim of this study is to determine the most beneficial radiation treatment technique for pediatric patients with thoracic and abdominal neuroblastoma (NBL), through a dosimetric comparison between photon Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy and proton Intensity-Modulated Proton Therapy treatment plans.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on a multicentre case series of 19 patients with thoracic and/or abdominal NBL who underwent radiation therapy, following the recommendations of the European protocol for high-risk NBL (HR-NBL2/SIOPEN). The prescribed dose was 21.

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This paper provides insights into the use of Proton Beam Therapy (PBT) in pediatric patients with non-rhabdomyosarcoma soft tissue sarcomas (NRSTS). NRSTS are a heterogeneous group of rare and aggressive mesenchymal extraskeletal tumors, presenting complex and challenging clinical management scenarios. The overall survival rate for patients with NRSTS is around 70%, but the outcome is strictly related to the presence of various variables, such as the histological subtype, grade of malignancy and tumor stage at diagnosis.

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Background: Since the beginning of the anti-COVID-19 vaccination campaign, it has become evident that vaccinated subjects exhibit considerable inter-individual variability in the response to the vaccine that could be partly explained by host genetic factors. A recent study reported that the immune response elicited by the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in individuals from the United Kingdom was influenced by a specific allele of the human leukocyte antigen gene HLA-DQB1.

Methods: We carried out a genome-wide association study to investigate the genetic determinants of the antibody response to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in an Italian cohort of 1351 subjects recruited in three centers.

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The clinical manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection vary widely among patients, from asymptomatic to life-threatening. Host genetics is one of the factors that contributes to this variability as previously reported by the COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative (HGI), which identified sixteen loci associated with COVID-19 severity. Herein, we investigated the genetic determinants of COVID-19 mortality, by performing a case-only genome-wide survival analysis, 60 days after infection, of 3904 COVID-19 patients from the GEN-COVID and other European series (EGAS00001005304 study of the COVID-19 HGI).

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 Postoperative surgical site infections are a recognized complication following craniotomies with an associated increase in morbidity and mortality. Several studies have attempted to identify bundles of care to reduce the incidence of infections. Our study aims to clarify which perioperative measures play a role in reducing surgical infection rates further.

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Background And Aims: Hyponatremia (HN) is the most common disorder of electrolytes encountered in clinical practice. Considering that HN is associated with high morbidity and mortality, it is important to identify treatments for these patients. The therapeutic approaches for HN depend on the severity and the character of the pathology (acute vs.

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This paper offers an insight into the use of Proton Beam Therapy (PBT) in paediatric patients with rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS). This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the literature, investigating comparative photon-proton dosimetry, outcome, and toxicity. In the complex and multimodal scenario of the treatment of RMS, clear evidence of the therapeutic superiority of PBT compared to other modern photon techniques has not yet been demonstrated; however, PBT can be considered an excellent treatment option, in particular for young children and patients with specific primary sites, such as the head and neck area (and especially the parameningeal regions), genito-urinary, pelvic, and paravertebral regions.

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