Role of chemotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a unique malignant head and neck cancer with clinical, demographic, and geographic features distinct from other head and neck epithelial malignancies. Non-keratinizing, poorly differentiated, and undifferentiated WHO types 2 and 3 is the most common subtypes of NPC. NPC is also characterized by its relatively high sensitivity to radiation, so that in the last decades radiotherapy (RT) has been the cornerstone of treatment.

Adjuvant radiotherapy after extrapleural pneumonectomy for mesothelioma. Prospective analysis of a multi-institutional series.

Background And Purpose: To evaluate survival, locoregional control and toxicity in a series of 56 mesothelioma patients treated from May 2005 to May 2010 with post-operative radiotherapy after extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) in three Italian Institutions (Brescia, Florence, and Modena).

Material And Methods: Fifty-six patients treated with adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) after EPP were analyzed. Four patients were treated with 3DCRT, 50 with IMRT and two with helical tomotherapy.

Prognostic value of positive human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 status and negative hormone status in patients with T1a/T1b, lymph node-negative breast cancer.

Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate prognostic factors of local and distant recurrence in patients diagnosed with T1a and T1b, lymph node-negative breast carcinoma (BC) with emphasis on human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status.

Methods: The authors reviewed 704 women with T1aT1bN0M0 BC who received treatment at the Radiation-Oncology Center of Florence University between November 2002 and December 2008. Patients with ductal carcinoma in situ or recurrent BC at presentation and patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy were excluded from the analysis.

Postoperative radiotherapy in stage I/II endometrial cancer: retrospective analysis of 883 patients treated at the University of Florence.

Introduction: The efficacy of postoperative radiotherapy (RT) in the treatment of early-stage endometrial carcinoma (EC) is still under debate. This study was aimed to review the outcome and adverse effects in patients treated for EC with postoperative RT at a single center.

Methods: A total of 883 patients with pathological stages I to II EC were retrospectively analyzed.

Stereotactic radiotherapy for adrenal gland metastases: university of Florence experience.

Purpose: To evaluate a retrospective single-institution outcome after hypofractionated stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for adrenal metastases.

Methods And Materials: Between February 2002 and December 2009, we treated 48 patients with SBRT for adrenal metastases. The median age of the patient population was 62.

Post-operative radiotherapy in N2 non-small cell lung cancer: a retrospective analysis of 175 patients.

Background And Purpose: Post-operative radiotherapy (PORT) in radically resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has the aim to reduce loco regional recurrence and to improve overall survival. PORT has been evaluated in several trials but indication to post-operative treatment in N2 patients is still debated.

Material And Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 175 patients treated at University of Florence between 1988 and 2004 with completely resected NSCLC stages IIIA-IIIB, N2 disease.

Breast cancer following Hodgkin's Disease: the experience of the University of Florence.

The advent of effective chemo-radiotherapy has made Hodgkin Disease (HD) a highly curable malignancy, but the great improvement in survival rates allowed the observation in long-term survivors of several treatment complications. Secondary malignancies are the most serious complications and breast cancer (BC) represents the most common solid tumor among female survivors. The aim of our analysis is to describe the clinico-pathological characteristics and management of BC occurred after HD treatment.

Non-pegylated liposomal doxorubicin in combination with cyclophosphamide or docetaxel as first-line therapy in metastatic breast cancer: a retrospective analysis.

Aims And Background: Anthracyclines such as doxorubicin play a central role in the management of advanced breast cancer. Unfortunately, the clinical benefits of anthracyclines are limited by cardiotoxicity that can lead to the development of potentially fatal congestive heart failure. In order to limit anthracycline-related cardiotoxicity, liposomal formulations of doxorubicin have been developed.

Outcome after conservative surgery and breast irradiation in 5,717 patients with breast cancer: implications for supraclavicular nodal irradiation.

Purpose: To evaluate the outcome and predictive factors of patients who underwent breast-conserving surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy to the whole breast only, without supraclavicular nodal irradiation.

Methods And Materials: A total of 5,717 patients with pT1-T4 breast cancer were treated at the University of Florence. The median age of the patient population was 55 years (range, 30-80 years).

Symptomatic leptomeningeal and intramedullary metastases from intracranial glioblastoma multiforme: a case report.

Background: Glioblastoma multiforme infrequently metastasizes to the leptomeninges and even more rarely to the spinal cord. Moreover, very few patients with intracranial glioblastoma develop symptoms from spinal dissemination, with most patients not surviving long enough for spinal disease to become clinically evident.

Case Report: We present a rare case of symptomatic diffuse spinal leptomeningeal metastases simultaneously to an intramedullary lesion from an intracranial glioblastoma multiforme.

Management of Stage II testicular seminoma over a period of 40 years.

Objectives: To review the treatment, toxicity, and outcomes in patients with Stage II seminoma after orchidectomy.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective chart review of all patients with Stage II seminoma referred for initial treatment, from 1965 to 2005, was performed. Treatment approaches, toxicity, and outcomes were analyzed.

Radiotherapy timing in 4,820 patients with breast cancer: university of florence experience.

Purpose: To analyze the relationship between a delay in radiotherapy (RT) after breast-conserving surgery and ipsilateral breast recurrence (BR).

Methods And Materials: We included in our analysis 4,820 breast cancer patients who had undergone postoperative RT at the University of Florence. The patients were categorized into four groups according to the interval between surgery and RT (T1, <60 days; T2, 61-120 days; T3, 121-180 days; and T4, >180 days).

Second-line chemotherapy with fotemustine in temozolomide-pretreated patients with relapsing glioblastoma: a single institution experience.

To evaluate efficacy and safety of fotemustine chemotherapy in temozolomide (TMZ) pretreated adults with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Primary endpoint was progression-free survival at 6 months. Twenty-seven patients (median age: 56 years; median Karnofsky performance status at progression: 80) with relapsed glioblastoma multiforme underwent fotemustine as second-line chemotherapy after failure of homogeneous postoperative treatment consisting of conformal radiotherapy (60 Gy in 30 fractions) with concomitant TMZ (75 mg/m2 per day), followed by six courses of TMZ (150-200 mg/m2 for 5 days every 28 days).

Concurrent cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and 5-fluorouracil chemotherapy and radiotherapy for early breast carcinoma.

Purpose: The optimal sequencing of adjuvant chemotherapy (CT) and radiation therapy (RT) in patients with early-stage breast cancer remains unclear.

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively compared 485 patients treated with conservative breast surgery and postoperative whole-breast RT and six courses of CMF (cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m(2), methotrexate 40 mg/m(2), and 5-fluorouracil 600 mg/m(2)) with 300 patients who received postoperative CMF only and with 509 patients treated with postoperative whole-breast RT only. The mean radiation dose delivered was 50 Gy (range, 46-52 Gy) with standard fractionation.

Late relapse in testicular germ cell tumors.

Aims And Background: Analysis of patients with late relapse of testicular germ cell tumors (GCTs) with reports on clinicopathological features and outcomes.

Methods: We identified all patients diagnosed with testicular GCTs at our Institute between 1988 and 2004 who developed relapse > or = 24 months after completion of primary therapy. A retrospective case-note review was performed to extract clinical, pathological, treatment and outcome data.