Lumbar discal cysts: a systematic literature review of diagnostic features and treatment strategies.

Purpose: Discal cysts are epidural masses connected to the intervertebral disk, primarily affecting younger individuals. Distinguishing discal cysts from other cystic masses within the epidural space is challenging due to overlapping clinical symptoms and neuroimaging characteristics. This systematic review aims to analyze the diagnostic features and management strategies of lumbar discal cysts.

Assisted reproductive technology in young BRCA carriers with a pregnancy after breast cancer: An international cohort study.

Introduction: Very limited data exist on assisted reproductive technology (ART) use in BRCA1/2 carriers conceiving after breast cancer. This study aimed to investigate the safety of ART to achieve a pregnancy after breast cancer in BRCA1/2 carriers.

Methods: This is an international, hospital-based, retrospective cohort study including BRCA1/2 carriers with a pregnancy after prior breast cancer diagnosis at ≤ 40 years of age between 2000 and 2020.

Clinical Behavior of Breast Cancer in Young Carriers and Prediagnostic Awareness of Germline Status.

Purpose: To investigate the clinical behavior of breast cancer in young carriers according to the specific gene () and the association of the timing of genetic testing (before at diagnosis) with prognosis.

Methods: This was an international, multicenter, hospital-based, retrospective cohort study that included 4,752 patients harboring germline pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants (PVs) in or , who were diagnosed with stage I-III invasive breast cancer at 40 years or younger between January 2000 and December 2020 in 78 centers worldwide (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03673306).

Prognostic implications of risk definitions from the monarchE and NATALEE trials.

Background: The monarchE and NATALEE trials employed different high-risk inclusion criteria. The main objective is to assess prognostic differences based on their inclusion criteria.

Methods: Patients with hormone receptor-positive/HER2-negative early breast cancer enrolled in the phase III Mammella InterGruppo (MIG) 1, Gruppo Italiano Mammella (GIM) 2, and GIM3 trials were categorized as high-risk cohort (HRC) and low-risk cohort (LRC) according to the inclusion criteria of monarchE and NATALEE trials.

Sentinel role of military dogs in detecting genotoxic agents in the environment during military operations: a pilot study.

During out-of-area military operations, the presence of carcinogenic and/or genotoxic agents has been reported, posing potential health risks to deployed soldiers. Military working dogs (MWDs), trained to detect explosives in the same environments as soldiers, could also serve as sentinel animals, providing valuable information on exposure to hazardous agents. These dogs can help identify environmental and potential adverse effects on their health and that of their handlers, possibly before relevant pathologies manifest.

The journey of patients affected by metastatic hormone receptor-positive/HER2-negative breast cancer from CDK 4/6 inhibitors to second-line treatment: A real-world analysis of 701 patients enrolled in the GIM14/BIOMETA study.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of CDK 4/6 inhibitors (CDK 4-6i) according to HER2 status (low/zero), and endocrine resistance/sensitivity, as well as the efficacy of second-line treatments, in a large real-world cohort.

Methods: The GIM14/BIOMETA study (NCT02284581) is a retrospective/prospective study of the Gruppo Italiano Mammella evaluating treatment patterns and survival outcomes in patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC). We retrieved data on patients with hormone receptor-positive/HER2-negative MBC receiving first-line CDK 4/6i.

Intermediate clinical endpoints in early-stage breast cancer: an analysis of individual patient data from the Gruppo Italiano Mammella and Mammella Intergruppo trials.

Background: Intermediate clinical endpoints (ICEs) are frequently used as primary endpoint in randomised trials (RCTs). We aim to assess whether changes in different ICEs can be used to predict changes in overall survival (OS) in adjuvant breast cancer trials.

Methods: Individual patient level data from adjuvant phase III RCTs conducted by the Gruppo Italiano Mammella (GIM) and Mammella Intergruppo (MIG) study groups were used.

The Impact of Initial Tumor Response on Survival Outcomes of Patients With HER2-Positive Advanced Breast Cancer Treated With Docetaxel, Trastuzumab, and Pertuzumab: An Exploratory Analysis of the CLEOPATRA Trial.

Introduction: The CLEOPATRA trial (NCT00567190) established a dual anti-HER2 blockade in combination with docetaxel as the first-line standard of care for patients with metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer. While this treatment is overall associated with significant improvement in progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), not all patients respond equally. We hypothesized that a radiological complete response (CR) at week 9 (i.

Groin Pain Syndrome Italian Consensus Conference update 2023.

Groin pain syndrome (GPS) is a controversial topic in Sports Medicine. The GPS Italian Consensus Conference on terminology, clinical evaluation and imaging assessment of groin pain in athletes was organized by the Italian Society of Arthroscopy in Milan, on 5 February 2016. In this Consensus Conference (CC) GPS etiology was divided into 11 different categories for a total of 63 pathologies.

Interleukin-2 gene methylation levels and interleukin-2 levels associated with environmental exposure as risk biomarkers for preterm birth.

Aim: To compare interleukin-2 levels (IL-2) and IL-2 gene site 1 methylation levels between preterm newborns (PN) and full-term newborns (FN) and investigate their association with the environmental exposure of their mothers during pregnancy.

Methods: IL-2 and IL-2 gene site 1 methylation levels were assessed in 50 PN and 56 FN. Newborns' mothers filled in questionnaires about their living and occupational environments, habits, diets, and hobbies.

Activity and safety of first-line treatments for advanced melanoma: A network meta-analysis.

Background: Treatment options for advanced melanoma have increased with the US Food and Drug Administration approval of the anti-LAG3 plus anti-PD-1 relatlimab/nivolumab combination. To date, ipilimumab/nivolumab is the benchmark of overall survival, despite a high toxicity profile. Furthermore, in BRAF-mutant patients, BRAF/MEK inhibitors and the atezolizumab/vemurafenib/cobimetinib triplet are also available treatments, making the first-line therapy selection more complex.

A Meta-Analysis of Endoscopic Stenting Versus Surgical Treatment for Malignant Gastric Outlet Obstruction.

Background And Aim: Surgical gastrojejunostomy (GJJ) and endoscopic stenting (ES) are the two most available treatments for palliation of malignant gastric obstruction (MGOO). The aim of this study is to compare these two techniques regarding efficacy, safety, time of hospitalization and survival.

Methods: We performed a literature search from January 2010 to September 2020 to identify available randomized controlled studies and observational studies that compared ES and GJJ for the treatment of MGOO.

Traffic-Related Air Pollution and Ground-Level Ozone Associated Global DNA Hypomethylation and Bulky DNA Adduct Formation.

Studies have indicated that air pollution, including surface-level ozone (O), can significantly influence the risk of chronic diseases. To better understand the carcinogenic mechanisms of air pollutants and identify predictive disease biomarkers, we examined the association between traffic-related pollutants with DNA methylation alterations and bulky DNA adducts, two biomarkers of carcinogen exposure and cancer risk, in the peripheral blood of 140 volunteers-95 traffic police officers, and 45 unexposed subjects. The DNA methylation and adduct measurements were performed by bisulfite-PCR and pyrosequencing and P-postlabeling assay.

Impact of Anti-HER2 Therapy Alone and With Weekly Paclitaxel on the Ovarian Reserve of Young Women With HER2-Positive Breast Cancer.

Background: The potential gonadotoxicity of anti-HER2 agents remains largely unknown, and limited, conflicting evidence exists for taxanes. Antimüllerian hormone (AMH) is an established biomarker of ovarian reserve that may aid in quantifying anticancer treatment-induced gonadotoxicity.

Patients And Methods: The present biomarker analysis of the randomized phase III neoadjuvant NeoALTTO trial included premenopausal women aged ≤45 years at diagnosis of HER2-positive early breast cancer with available frozen serum samples at baseline (ie, before anticancer treatments), at week 2 (ie, the "biological window" of anti-HER2 therapy alone), and/or at the time of surgery (ie, after completing paclitaxel + anti-HER2 therapy, before starting adjuvant chemotherapy).

Artificial Intelligence Predictive Models of Response to Cytotoxic Chemotherapy Alone or Combined to Targeted Therapy for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Tailored treatments for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) have not yet completely evolved due to the variety in response to drugs. Therefore, artificial intelligence has been recently used to develop prognostic and predictive models of treatment response (either activity/efficacy or toxicity) to aid in clinical decision making. In this systematic review, we have examined the ability of learning methods to predict response to chemotherapy alone or combined with targeted therapy in mCRC patients by targeting specific narrative publications in Medline up to April 2022 to identify appropriate original scientific articles.

Serum neurofilament light in professional soccer players: goal on safety.

Background: Sports-related concussion (SRC) is a subset of mild traumatic brain injuries occurring in contact sports. Most people recover spontaneously, but in retired professional players, the risk for neurodegenerative diseases is increased. A biomarker, such as neurofilament light chains (NfL), would help to address this issue and demonstrate sports' safety.

Implication of body mass index (BMI) on the biological and clinical effects of endocrine therapy plus abemaciclib as neoadjuvant therapy for early breast cancer patients.

Purpose: Inferior overall response rate with abemaciclib plus endocrine therapy was observed in patients with hormone receptor-positive/HER2-negative advanced breast cancer (BC) and BMI ≥ 25. We assessed the impact of baseline BMI on KI67% changes, achievement of complete cell cycle arrest (CCCA), clinical, and radiological responses in patients included in the NEOMONARCH trial.

Methods: Exploratory post hoc analysis of the NEOMONARCH trial was performed.

Health-related quality of life in cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors in randomised controlled trials: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionised clinical practice in oncology in the last years, leading to a survival benefit in several tumour types. To investigate whether these benefits are associated with improved quality of life, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing patient-reported outcomes (PROs) between ICIs and standard chemotherapy (CT) in patients with advanced solid tumours.

Methods: Clinical trials comparing the efficacy of ICIs (either programmed death receptor-1 and programmed death-ligand 1 inhibitors or cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 inhibitors, as single agent or in combination) versus CT were included.

Safety of systemic hormone replacement therapy in breast cancer survivors: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: Symptoms of treatment-induced menopause negatively affect quality of life and adherence to endocrine therapy of breast cancer (BC) survivors. Nevertheless, the use of systemic hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to mitigate these symptoms may be associated with an increased risk of disease recurrence in these patients. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the safety of systemic HRT on risk of disease recurrence in BC survivors.

DNA damage in circulating leukocytes measured with the comet assay may predict the risk of death.

The comet assay or single cell gel electrophoresis, is the most common method used to measure strand breaks and a variety of other DNA lesions in human populations. To estimate the risk of overall mortality, mortality by cause, and cancer incidence associated to DNA damage, a cohort of 2,403 healthy individuals (25,978 person-years) screened in 16 laboratories using the comet assay between 1996 and 2016 was followed-up. Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated a worse overall survival in the medium and high tertile of DNA damage (p < 0.