L G Campana

Publications (3)10.15 Total impact

• Article: Histopathological characteristics of subsequent melanomas in patients with multiple primary melanomas.

  A Vecchiato, S Pasquali, C Menin, M C Montesco, M Alaibac, S Mocellin, L G Campana, D Nitti, C R Rossi
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  ABSTRACT: Background  Multiple primary melanomas (MPM) occur in up to 20% of melanoma patients, and subsequent tumours seem to have a favourable histopathological pattern. Objective  A prospectively collected cohort of 194 patients with MPM was retrospectively reviewed to investigate clinical and histopathological features of first and subsequent melanomas. Methods  Patients with MPM who were diagnosed at our Department (1985-2011) and who attended at least a follow-up control yearly were identified. Results  The number of nevi was <10, 10-50 and >50 in 8.7%, 41% and 50.3% of patients respectively. Histopathological dysplastic nevi have been diagnosed in 105 patients. During a median follow-up of 58 months, 159 (81.9%), 24 (12.3%), 7 (3.6%) and 4 (2%) patients developed 2, 3, 4 and ≥5 melanomas, respectively. The median time to second primary melanoma was 45 months. The second primary melanoma was diagnosed within 1-year and after 5-year from the first melanoma in 36.6% and 17.3% of patients respectively. First and second primary melanomas were in situ in 41 (21%) and 104 (54%) patients respectively (P < 0.001). Among patients with ≥2 invasive melanomas (N = 80), median tumour thickness and ulceration of first and second primaries were 0.91 and 0.44 mm (P < 0.001), and 32% and 7.7% (P = 0.001) respectively. Conclusions  Subsequent melanomas occurred within 1-year from the appearance of the first melanoma in 36% of patients with MPM, while a late melanoma diagnosis was detected in 17% of cases. Second primary melanoma had favourable histopathological features. Our findings support long-term skin surveillance to detect subsequent melanomas at an early stage.
  Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology 12/2012; · 2.98 Impact Factor
• Article: Electrochemotherapy for disseminated superficial metastases from malignant melanoma.

  L G Campana, S Valpione, S Mocellin, R Sundararajan, E Granziera, L Sartore, V Chiarion-Sileni, C R Rossi
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  ABSTRACT: The aim of the study was to determine predictive factors for effectiveness, toxicity and local disease control in patients with malignant melanoma treated with bleomycin-based electrochemotherapy (ECT). Electrochemotherapy was offered to patients with superficially disseminated melanoma metastases unsuitable for resection and unresponsive to chemotherapy. Eighty-five patients were treated with up to six ECT cycles with minimal, mainly dermatological, toxicity. One month after the first ECT, an objective response was observed in 80 patients (94 per cent). After retreatment because of a partial response in 39 patients, a complete response was achieved in 19 patients. Among the 41 (48 per cent) complete responders at first ECT, 19 patients received a second cycle because of new lesions after a median of 6 (range 2-14) months. After a median follow-up of 26 months, six patients experienced local recurrence with a 2-year local progression-free survival rate of 87 per cent. In multivariable analysis, significant predictive factors for response were tumour size (odds ratio (OR) 0·23, 95 per cent confidence interval (c.i.) 0·19 to 0·86; P = 0·003) and number of lesions (OR 0·38, 0·28 to 0·88; P = 0·002). An increasing number of electrode applications (hazard ratio (HR) 2·18, 95 per cent c.i. 1·22 to 3·44; P = 0·041) and ECT cycles (HR 0·46, 0·22 to 0·95; P = 0·005) were predictors of local control. There were no predictors of toxicity. Melanoma thickness and lower limb location of metastases were prognostic for survival. The most suitable candidates for ECT were patients with few and small metastases on the lower limb treated with multiple electrode applications and ECT cycles.
  British Journal of Surgery 04/2012; 99(6):821-30. · 4.61 Impact Factor
• Article: Maximizing the clinical usefulness of a nomogram to select patients candidate to sentinel node biopsy for cutaneous melanoma.

  S Pasquali, S Mocellin, L G Campana, A Vecchiato, E Bonandini, M C Montesco, S Santarcangelo, G Zavagno, D Nitti, C R Rossi
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  ABSTRACT: Investigators from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre (MSKCC) have proposed a nomogram for predicting the sentinel node (SN) status in patients with cutaneous melanoma. The negative predictive value (NPV) of this test, which might help identify low-risk patients who might be safely spared SN biopsy (SNB), has not been yet investigated. We tested the discrimination (area under the curve [AUC]), the calibration (linear regression) and the NPV of MSKCC nomogram in 543 patients treated at our institution. Different cut-off values were tested to assess the NPV, the reduction of SNB performed and the overall error rate obtained with the MSKCC nomogram. SN was positive in 147 patients (27%). Mean predicted probability was 17.8% (95%CI: 16.8-18.8%). Nomogram discrimination was significant (area under the curve = 0.68; P < 0.0001) and mean predicted probabilities of SN positivity well correlated with the observed risk (R(2) = 0.99). Cut-off values between 4% and 9% led to a NPV, SNB reduction and overall error rates ranging between 100 and 91.2%, 2.2 and 27.2%, and 0 and 2.3%, respectively. In our series, the nomogram showed a significant predictive accuracy, although the incidence of SN metastasis was higher than that observed in the MSKCC series (27% vs 16%). Using the nomogram, a NPV greater than 90% could be obtained, which would be associated with a clinically meaningful reduction of the SNB rate and an acceptable error rate. If validated in large prospective series, this tool might be implemented in the clinical setting for SNB patient selection.
  European journal of surgical oncology: the journal of the European Society of Surgical Oncology and the British Association of Surgical Oncology 06/2011; 37(8):675-80. · 2.56 Impact Factor