Publications by authors named "Paola Critelli"

Introduction: Postoperative radiotherapy is recommended for all patients with cutaneous and non-cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck in the presence of clinical and incidental perineural infiltration. Perineural infiltration represents one of the most important adverse prognostic factors and may impact negatively patient outcomes. While guidelines exist for defining radiotherapy treatment volumes in patients with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma and clinical perineural infiltration, there is a notable gap in the literature regarding recommendations for cases with incidental perineural infiltration and parotid involvement.

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Background: Precision medicine is an emerging field that includes tumor-targeted delivery and tumor microenvironment. This review explores the synergistic potential of combining nano-drug delivery systems with low radiation doses to achieve optimized therapeutic outcomes, particularly in the context of cancer treatment. Nanoparticle-based drug carriers offer precise and targeted delivery, enhancing the therapeutic index of anticancer agents.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Oncocytic lesions are benign or precancerous tumors in the parotid gland, characterized by large, granular cells, and their diagnosis typically relies on imaging techniques and fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy for histopathological examination.
  • - Treatment options include surgery, conservative management, and radiation therapy (RT), but low doses of radiation can paradoxically encourage the growth of these lesions.
  • - The prognosis for patients is usually good when lesions are benign and managed well, with ongoing research exploring the molecular effects of low-dose radiation on these tumors.
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Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a rare, aggressive form of breast cancer characterized by poor prognosis. The treatment requires a multidisciplinary approach, with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation therapy (RT). Particularly, high doses of conventional RT have been historically delivered in the adjuvant setting after chemotherapy and mastectomy or as radical treatment in patients ineligible for surgery.

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Background: Paragangliomas (PG) are rare neoplasms of neuroendocrine origin that tend to be highly vascularized, slow-growing, and usually sporadic. To date, common treatment options are surgical resection (SR), with or without radiation therapy (RT), and a watch-and-wait approach.

Aim: To evaluate the local control and effectiveness of exclusive fractionated stereotactic RT (FSRT) treatment in unresectable PG (uPG).

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Introduction And Aim: Locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (LA-Hnscc) is a true therapeutical challenge in the modern era and the scientific community is trying to face this challenge with new therapeutical strategies, including combinations of monoclonal antibodies and radiation therapy. The aim of this study is to evaluate clinical outcomes in LA-Hnscc patients unfit to receive platinum-based chemotherapy, treated with concurrent simultaneous integrated boost-intensity modulated radiotherapy (Sib-Imrt) + cetuximab (Ctx) in daily clinical practice.

Methods: LA-Hnscc patients not included in other prospective studies treated in 4 Italian radiotherapy units (2 Messina, 1 Rome, and 1 Lecce) using Sib-Imrt and Ctx were included in this study.

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Aims: The aim of this study was to provide a literature review on the efficacy and safety of reirradiation(re-I) of locoregional recurrences in gynecological malignancies.

Methods: A computerized literature search was performed in 4 electronic databases (1993-2020). Random-effects models and a tendency towards high heterogeneity (Cochran Q chi-square test and the I statistic) were used.

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Tumor behavior is determined by its interaction with the tumor microenvironment (TME). Chimeric antigen receptor (CART) cell therapy represents a new form of cellular immunotherapy (IT). Immune cells present a different sensitivity to radiation therapy (RT).

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Purpose: To investigate the ability of radiotherapy (RT) to prolong progression-free survival (PFS) and to report treatment-related toxicities among oligoprogressive metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma (mMCC) patients on avelumab.

Methods: We retrospectively collected clinical data on mMCC patients who underwent radiotherapy for limited progression on avelumab. Patients were categorized as primary or secondary immune refractory depending on the time of onset of resistance to immunotherapy (at the first or subsequent follow-up visits after avelumab initiation).

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Purpose: To evaluate feasibility, toxicities, and clinical response in Stage IV patients treated with palliative “metabolism-guided” lattice technique. Patients and Methods: From June 2020 to December 2021, 30 consecutive clinical stage IV patients with 31 bulky lesions were included in this study. All patients received palliative irradiation consisting of a spatially fractionated high radiation dose delivered in spherical deposits (vertices, Vs) within the bulky disease.

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Purpose: The subgroup "high-risk" WHO grade 2 (hRG2) meningiomas may benefit from adjuvant radiation therapy (RT), but results are still suboptimal with high rates of local progression. A dose escalation using high-conformal RT techniques needs to be evaluated in terms of efficacy and safety. We report the results of a dose-escalation study, named "Combo-RT", combining Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT) or Volumetric Arc Therapy (VMAT) with Hypofractionated Stereotactic Radiotherapy (hSRT) boost.

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Multiple myeloma (MM) is tightly dependent on inflammatory bone marrow microenvironment. IL-17 producing CD4+ T cells (Th17) sustain MM cells growth and osteoclasts-dependent bone damage. In turn, Th17 differentiation relies on inflammatory stimuli.

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