Adagrasib versus docetaxel in KRAS-mutated non-small-cell lung cancer (KRYSTAL-12): a randomised, open-label, phase 3 trial.

Background: Adagrasib is a KRAS inhibitor that demonstrated promising activity against KRAS-mutated advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in a phase 2 trial. Here we aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of adagrasib versus docetaxel in patients with KRAS-mutated advanced NSCLC previously treated with chemotherapy and immunotherapy.

Methods: KRYSTAL-12 is a randomised, multicentre, open-label, phase 3 trial conducted at 230 centres in 22 countries.

Rationale and Design of the AUSTRAL trial: An Open-Label, Multicenter, Phase II Study Evaluating Radiotherapy Followed by Durvalumab (MEDI4736) and Ceralasertib (AZD6738) in Stage III NSCLC Patients With Thoracic Relapses and/or Oligometastases After the PACIFIC Regimen.

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a leading cause of death for cancer worldwide. Standard treatment for patients for whom surgical resection is not feasible is concurrent (PACIFIC regimen) or sequential (PACIFIC-like regimen) chemoradiotherapy with platinum-based doublet chemotherapy followed by durvalumab maintenance. The progression-free survival (PFS) rate after the PACIFIC regimen was 55.

Towards a new approach in pleural mesothelioma: Perioperative immunotherapy and its implications.

Pleural mesothelioma is a rare malignancy that has historically had a poor prognosis, even with systemic chemotherapy. Although immune checkpoint inhibitors have improved survival rates for patients with advanced, unresectable disease, their role in perioperative management is unclear. We conducted a review of early-phase trials and case series examining the use of immune checkpoint blockade alone or in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy and surgery for pleural mesothelioma.

Predicting patient risk of leaving without being seen using machine learning: a retrospective study in a single overcrowded emergency department.

Emergency department (ED) overcrowding has become a critical issue in hospital management, leading to increased patient wait times and higher rates of individuals leaving without being seen (LWBS). This study aims to identify key factors influencing LWBS rates and to develop a predictive model using machine learning (ML) techniques. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 80,614 ED visits recorded at Maresca Hospital in Torre del Greco, Italy, between 2019 and 2023.

Immune-checkpoint targeting drug conjugates: a novel class of promising therapeutic agents for cancer treatment.

Immune-checkpoint targeting Drug Conjugates (IDCs) are a novel class of therapeutics that combine an immune checkpoint-targeting moiety, a cleavable linker, and a cytotoxic payload. By integrating features and functions of antibody-drug conjugates and immunotherapy, IDCs represent a promising strategy to remodel the tumor microenvironment and enhance antitumor efficacy. Several IDCs targeting checkpoints such as PD-L1, B7-H3, and B7-H4 are in early-phase clinical trials.

AP1-mediated reprogramming of EGFR expression triggers resistance to BLU-667 and LOXO-292 in RET-rearranged tumors.

Background: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a significant global health challenge, with 2% of cases fuelled by RET rearrangements. RET inhibitors (RETi) have revolutionized treatment for these patients, but resistance remains an important clinical challenge limiting therapy effectiveness. This study investigated the mechanisms underlying resistance to RETi.

Tracking the Response to Immunotherapy: Blood microRNA Dynamics in Patients With Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Purpose: Despite the significant improvement in outcomes for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), resistance, whether primary or secondary, remains a substantial challenge. Currently, reliable biomarkers to monitor ICI response are lacking, highlighting the need for minimally invasive tools like liquid biopsy to track treatment efficacy. This study aimed to identify circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) as potential biomarkers to track ICI response in patients with NSCLC.

Oral Drospirenone/Estetrol as Rapid and Random Start Endometrial Preparation before Office Hysteroscopic Polypectomy: A Multicenter, Prospective, Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objectives: Endometrial preparation provides significant surgical benefits prior to hysteroscopic procedures. However, there is still no consensus on the optimal presurgical protocol. Although there is evidence on rapid preparation, there are currently no studies on rapid endometrial preparation using combined oral contraceptives initiated at a "random" time in the menstrual cycle.

Circulating tumor cells in lung cancer: Integrating stemness and heterogeneity to improve clinical utility.

Circulating tumor cells (CTC), released by primary tumors into the bloodstream, represent a valuable source to inform on cancer heterogeneity, cancer progression, metastatic disease and therapy efficacy without the need of invasive tumor biopsies. However, the extreme rarity and heterogeneity of CTCs, occurring at genotypic, phenotypic and functional levels, poses a major challenge for the study of this population and explains the lack of standardized strategies of CTC isolation. Lung cancer, the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide, is a paradigmatic example of how CTC heterogeneity can undermine the clinical utility of this biomarker, since contrasting data have been reported using different isolation technologies.

Consumption and expenditure of drugs used for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia: a governance analysis.

Background: Elevated cholesterol levels are a significant contributor to cardiovascular disease risk. While statins have long been the cornerstone for lowering LDL cholesterol, their associated side effects have prompted the exploration of alternative treatments, including ezetimibe, bempedoic acid, PCSK9 inhibitors and inclisiran.f.

Silent threat: A case on dental drill head aspiration.

Dentistry is a relatively safe medical field, but it carries the risk of rare yet potentially severe complications like accidental foreign body aspiration. While literature on patient safety in dentistry remains limited, this case underscores the importance of promptly recognizing and managing such incidents. A 76-year-old patient arrived at the emergency room with concerns of having ingested a dental drill head during a procedure.

Considerations on the sustainability of hypercholesterolemia treatment in the context of new drugs on the market: data from Campania, Italy.

Hypercholesterolemia is a major risk factor in the development of cardiovascular diseases. Statins have been the primary treatment for reducing LDL cholesterol for years; however, adverse events related to their use have led to the development of alternative therapies, such as ezetimibe, bempedoic acid, and PCSK9 inhibitors, including alirocumab, evolocumab, and inclisiran. The study is aimed at comparing the consumption and costs of lipid-lowering drugs in the first half of 2023 (21,446,011.

Determinants of 5-year survival in patients with advanced NSCLC with PD-L1≥50% treated with first-line pembrolizumab outside of clinical trials: results from the Pembro-real 5Y global registry.

Background: Pembrolizumab monotherapy is an established front-line treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) tumor proportion score (TPS)≥50%. However, real-world data on its long-term efficacy remains sparse.

Methods: This study assessed 5-year outcomes of first-line pembrolizumab monotherapy in a large, multicenter, real-world cohort of patients with advanced NSCLC and PD-L1 TPS≥50%, referred to as Pembro-real 5Y.

[ANMCO/GISE/SICOA Consensus document: Role of coronary computed tomography angiography in chronic coronary syndromes].

Chronic coronary syndromes (CCS) are the most common clinical manifestation of coronary atherosclerosis. Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) is a recent innovation in non-invasive cardiac imaging. It is the only anatomical imaging method that allows direct visualization of the coronary lumen, vessel walls, and atherosclerotic plaques, offering high sensitivity and a strong negative predictive value.

The Rare Entity of Basaloid Thymic Carcinoma: A Multicentric Retrospective Analysis from the Italian Collaborative Group for ThYmic MalignanciEs (TYME).

Background: thymic basaloid carcinoma (BTC) is an extremely rare tumor, and very little data are available on BTC's biology, clinical behavior, drug sensitivity, and patient outcomes.

Methods: We performed a retrospective observational study on patients diagnosed with BTC in 11 referral centers of TYME. All BTC diagnoses were reviewed by the referring pathologist.

The Implementation of Decision Aids During Medical Consultations for Lung Cancer Patients: A Focus Group Within I3LUNG Project.

Lung cancer patients generally receive several information regarding their illness characteristics and available intervention. Therefore, patients can experience confusion, leading to anxiety and distress that might damage the relationship with physicians and treatment adherence. Literature showed that implementing decision aid tools during consultation can promote patients' knowledge and awareness about lung cancer and available oncological intervention, improving a shared decision-making process.

Decoding KRAS mutation in non-small cell lung cancer patients receiving immunotherapy: A retrospective institutional comparison and literature review.

Introduction: KRAS mutation the most common molecular alteration in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and is associated with an unfavourable prognosis, largely due to the lack of targeted therapeutic options for the majority of the KRAS mutated isoforms. The landscape of NSCLC treatment has expanded with the introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Nonetheless, data regarding the efficacy of ICI in NSCLC patients harbouring KRAS mutations are conflicting.

The impact of track and field training on dynapenia: gender differences in age-related decline of vertical jump performance among older adults.

Introduction: Alongside sarcopenia, the age-related loss of muscle strength and power, known as dynapenia, increases the risk of functional disability and mortality in older adults. However, engaging in sporting activities during old age appears to enhance functional capacity. The differences in effects between athletes and sedentary individuals, as well as between genders, have yet to be fully clarified.

Exploring Genomic Biomarkers for Pembrolizumab Response: A Real-World Approach and Patient Similarity Network Analysis Reveal DNA Response and Repair Gene Mutations as a Signature.

: Single-agent immune checkpoint inhibitor (IO) therapy is the standard for non-oncogene-addicted advanced non-small cell lung cancer (aNSCLC) with PD-L1 tumor proportion score ≥ 50%. Smoking-induced harm generates high tumor mutation burden (H-TMB) in smoking patients (S-pts), while never-smoking patients (NS-pts) typically have low TMB (L-TMB) and are unresponsive to IO. However, the molecular characterization of NS-pts with H-TMB remains unclear.

Post COVID-19 vaccination coverage recovery model.

Vaccination is a crucial tool for the primary prevention of infectious diseases. Thanks to the widespread of vaccinations it has been possible to eradicate very serious diseases. Unfortunately, vaccination coverage in Italy has been decreasing starting from 2015, getting worse during COVID-19.

Analysis of prescriptive monitoring regarding the current therapeutic landscape of rheumatoid arthritis: the experience of an Italian local health authority.

Introduction: Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is among the most prevalent chronic inflammatory diseases affecting millions of people with a significant expenditure of resources by National Healthcare Systems. This study aimed to analyze all available treatments exclusively for RA to highlight the costs of each treatment type and raise awareness of the use of biosimilar drugs.

Methods: In an Italian healthcare authority, all prescriptions made for the diagnosis of RA were extracted to verify consumption expressed in Defined Daily Dose (DDD) and the expenditure incurred expressed in euros.

Rapid and random-start endometrial preparation before outpatient hysteroscopic polypectomy in patients of perimenopausal age.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the efficacy of randomly started oral dienogest/ethinylestradiol (DNG/EE) for swift endometrial preparation prior to outpatient hysteroscopic polypectomy in perimenopausal women.

Method: A multicenter, prospective, randomized controlled trial was conducted in university hospitals. Eighty perimenopausal women scheduled for outpatient hysteroscopic polypectomy between January 2023 and March 2024 were randomly assigned to either intervention ( = 40) or control ( = 40) groups.