Publications (13)50.53 Total impact
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Article: [Pemetrexed monotherapy in previously treated patients with advanced non small cell lung cancer; differences by histology. Our experience].
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ABSTRACT: Emerging data suggest pemetrexed is active in patients with adenocarcinoma of lung compared to those with squamous cell carcinoma. We retrospectively reviewed advanced non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients previously treated, analysing efficacy on histologic characteristics. From January 2007 to December 2010, 25 patients with stage IIIB or IV NSCLC (17 with adenocarcinoma and 8 with squamous cell carcinoma), who had previously failed on platinum-based chemotherapy, received pemetrexed 500 mg/mq every 3 weeks until disease progression or unacceptable toxicities. Analysing the histologic subgroups we observed 1 (5.9%) complete response, partial response in 5 patients (29.4%), stable disease in 6 (35.3%), progression disease in 5 (29.4%) in adenocarcinoma group compared to 4 (50%) stable disease and 4 (50%) progression disease in squamous cell carcinoma group. Median progression free survival was 8 months (range 3-22) for adenocarcinoma patients and 4 months (range 2-6) for squamous cell patients. According to data of the literature, also our small retrospective study conducted on unselected patients confirms the difference of pemetrexed efficacy by histology type, with better results in patients with adenocarcinoma lung cancer.Recenti progressi in medicina 02/2012; 103(2):62-5. -
Article: Rapidly progressive coma in leptomeningeal carcinomatosis from undiagnosed bronchioloalveolar carcinoma.
Journal of Clinical Oncology 07/2009; 27(24):e65-6. · 18.37 Impact Factor -
Article: Pretreatment quality of life and functional status assessment significantly predict survival of elderly patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer receiving chemotherapy: a prognostic analysis of the multicenter Italian lung cancer in the elderly study.
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ABSTRACT: To study the prognostic value for overall survival of baseline assessment of functional status, comorbidity, and quality of life (QoL) in elderly patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer treated with chemotherapy. Data from 566 patients enrolled onto the phase III randomized Multicenter Italian Lung Cancer in the Elderly Study (MILES) study were analyzed. Functional status was measured as activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental ADL (IADL). The presence of comorbidity was assessed with a checklist of 33 items; items 29 and 30 of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) core questionnaire QLQ-C30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) were used to estimate QoL. ADL was dichotomized as none versus one or more dependency. For IADL and QoL, three categories were defined using first and third quartiles as cut points. Comorbidity was summarized using the Charlson scale. Analysis was performed by Cox model, and stratified by treatment arm. Better values of baseline QoL (P = .0003) and IADL (P = .04) were significantly associated with better prognosis, whereas ADL (P = .44) and Charlson score (P = .66) had no prognostic value. Performance status 2 (P = .006) and a higher number of metastatic sites (P = .02) also predicted shorter overall survival. Pretreatment global QoL and IADL scores, but not ADL and comorbidity, have significant prognostic value for survival of elderly patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer who were treated with chemotherapy. Using these scores in clinical practice might improve prognostic prediction for treatment planning.Journal of Clinical Oncology 11/2005; 23(28):6865-72. · 18.37 Impact Factor -
Article: Supportive care in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.
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ABSTRACT: The present study describes supportive care (SC) in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), evaluating whether it is affected by concomitant chemotherapy, patient's performance status (PS) and age. Data of patients enrolled in three randomised trials of first-line chemotherapy, conducted between 1996 and 2001, were pooled. The analysis was limited to the first three cycles of treatment. Supportive care data were available for 1185 out of 1312 (90%) enrolled patients. Gastrointestinal drugs (45.7%), corticosteroids (33.4%) and analgesics (23.8%) were the most frequently observed categories. The mean number of drugs per patient was 2.43; 538 patients (45.4%) assumed three or more supportive drugs. Vinorelbine does not produce substantial variations in the SC pattern, while cisplatin-based treatment requires an overall higher number of supportive drugs, with higher use of antiemetics (41 vs 27%) and antianaemics (10 vs 4%). Patients with worse PS are more exposed to corticosteroids (42 vs 30%). Elderly patients require drugs against concomitant diseases significantly more than adults (20 vs 7%) and are less frequently exposed to antiemetics (12 vs 27%). In conclusion, polypharmacotherapy is a relevant issue in patients with advanced NSCLC. Chemotherapy does not remarkably affect the pattern of SC, except for some drugs against side effects. Elderly patients assume more drugs for concomitant diseases and receive less antiemetics than adults.British Journal of Cancer 10/2003; 89(6):1013-21. · 5.04 Impact Factor -
Article: Palliative home care and cost savings: encouraging results from Italy.
The New Zealand medical journal 04/2003; 116(1170):U370. -
Article: Gastric stump lymphoma five years after distal gastrectomy.
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ABSTRACT: We report the case of a 77-year-old man who developed low grade B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the gastric stump 5 years after undergoing a distal gastrectomy for benign gastric ulcer. Lymphoma occurring in the post-operative stomach would appear to be very rare, with only 14 previously recorded cases. The median period of lymphoma onset after ulcer surgery is about 20 years (range 9-43 years) and gastric remnants of lymphoma are generally diagnosed in low stage, when surgery is possible and makes the prognosis good. The clinical case presented herein is quite different from the others. The patient developed lymphoma within 5 years of the ulcer surgery, thus, earlier than generally reported in literature; he presented with massive regional and extra-regional nodes involvement and liver metastases and he poorly responded to antiblastic chemotherapy. The pathogenetic role of Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection and the possibility of malignant lymphoma developing in the gastric stump are discussed.Leukemia and Lymphoma 03/2003; 44(2):365-7. · 2.58 Impact Factor -
Article: General practitioners' views on cancer treatment, home care and oncologists: an Italian survey.
The New Zealand medical journal 02/2003; 116(1168):U311. -
Article: Phase I Study of Chemotherapy with Carboplatin, Epirubicin, and Escalating Dose of VP-16 with G-CSF Support in Extensive Small Cell Lung Cancer
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ABSTRACT: In attempt to develop a new chemotherapeutic regimen including carboplatin (CBDCA), epirubicin (EPI), and VP-16 in extensive small cell lung cancer, with a higher dose intensity compared with previous experience of our group, we determined the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of VP-16 when administered in association with CBDCA (300 mg/m2, i.v., day 1) and EPI (75 mg/m2, i.v., day 1), recycling chemotherapy every 3 weeks, with the support of granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). A total of 15 patients received three dose levels of VP-16 (mg/m2, i.v., daily on days 1-3): 100 (three patients), 120 (six), and 140 (six). G-CSF was administered subcutaneously at the dose of 5 μg/kg/day on days 6-15 of each chemotherapy course. The MTD was established at 140 mg/m2 and myelotoxicity, grade 4 neutropenia with death for sepsis in one case and grade 3 thrombocytopenia in three cases, was dose limiting. The recommended dose of VP-16 for a phase II study is 140 mg/m2.American Journal of Clinical Oncology 11/1996; 19(6):589-591. · 2.01 Impact Factor -
Article: Lack of response to imatinib mesylate as second-line therapy in a patient with c-kit positive metastatic soft tissue leiomyosarcoma.
Tumori 91(1):103. · 0.86 Impact Factor -
Article: Long-term follow-up in breast cancer survivors: a single institution survey.
Journal of Women s Health 12(6):599-600. · 1.57 Impact Factor -
Article: Breast cancer metastatic to the choroid in a male patient: case report.
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ABSTRACT: Choroidal metastases have been observed in about 8% of patients with metastatic breast cancer, even if their true incidence is likely to be higher, as they are not routinely investigated in the absence of symptoms. Radiotherapy is the treatment of choice for symptom palliation. The prognosis is traditionally poor, with a reported average survival of one year. Here we describe the third case reported in the literature of a metastatic tumor to the choroid from a male breast carcinoma.Tumori 89(3):333-5. · 0.86 Impact Factor -
Article: Long-term survival of metastatic melanoma to the ileum with evidence of primary cutaneous disease after 15 years of follow-up: a case report.
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ABSTRACT: The small bowel is the most common site of gastrointestinal metastasis from cutaneous melanoma. Malignant melanoma has a poor prognosis, especially if distant metastases appear. Although rare primary melanoma of the small bowel has been described, more frequently these lesions originate from unknown cutaneous melanoma. Here we report the case of a 58-year-old man with a diagnosis of melanoma of the ileum without evidence of primary cutaneous disease. After 15 years, during the clinical and radiological follow-up, a cutaneous melanoma in the left parietal side of the scalp, probably corresponding to the primary lesion with abdominal node metastasis, was diagnosed. After 6 months of chemotherapy with fotemustine, the patient showed a complete response. At present, he is still alive 18 years after the diagnosis of intestinal metastasis.Tumori 96(4):640-3. · 0.86 Impact Factor -
Article: Carboplatin plus epirubicin plus VP-16, concurrent ‘split course’ radiotherapy and adjuvant surgery for limited small cell lung cancer
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ABSTRACT: Thirty-three patients with limited small cell lung cancer (SCLC) received carboplatin, epirubicin and VP-16 chemotherapy, concurrent ‘split course’ thoracic radiotherapy, followed by surgery for patients achieving an objective response (OR). High-risk patients and those staged T4-N3 (IIIB) at diagnosis, were excluded from surgery. After induction chemoradiotherapy we obtained 90.9% OR, with 63.3% obtaining complete response (CR). Ten patients (30.3%) were eligible for surgery after induction therapy. Five patients (15.1%) were subjected to surgery and five additional patients refused. Of the five patients who were subjected to surgery, four had a complete response (CR), (three pathological confirmations), and one had a partial response (PR), (unresectable). The median survival time for all patients was 16 months with 12.1% of the long-term survivors still living after 2 years and 9% still living after 3 and 4 years. Toxicity consisted mainly of myelosuppression. This study shows a high activity of the chemotherapy and the chemoradiotherapeutic regimen employed but a low feasibility for adjuvant surgery in SCLC.Lung Cancer.
Top co-authors
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Institutions
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2009
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Ospedale Oncologico "Giovanni Paolo II" di Bari
Bari, Apulia, Italy
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2003
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Sapienza University of Rome
Roma, Latium, Italy
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