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Biomedical subjects

A Piga

Publications and source records attributed to A Piga.

107 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Cytotoxic and DNA-inhibitory effects of iron chelators on human leukaemic cell lines.

Cytotoxic and DNA synthesis inhibitory effects of several iron chelators with different physicochemical properties have been tested in four myeloid leukaemic cell lines (U937, K562, ML2 and HL60). The small lipophilic chelators 8-hydroxyquinoline, tropolone and omadine at 2 X 10(-5) M, caused substantial inhibition of labelled leucine and thymidine uptake into cells and also cell death following 4-h incubation. These effects were approximately 10-fold increased when the drugs were pre-incubated with equimolar amounts of iron. Iron alone and hydrophilic chelators e.g. desferrioxamine had insignificant cytotoxic and DNA synthesis inhibitory effects under the same conditions.

Cell Division↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Quantitative MR imaging data in the evaluation of hepatic metastases during systemic chemotherapy.

To identify changes induced by chemotherapy in hepatic metastases, 34 patients with metastases underwent magnetic resonance (MR) imaging before the start of systemic chemotherapy and monthly thereafter. The number, size, and morphologic patterns of the lesions and changes in quantitative parameters (signal-to-noise ratio [S/N]], contrast-to-noise ratio, and signal intensity ratio) were evaluated and correlated with response to treatment and prognosis. After treatment, seven patients showed a partial response, 18 had stable disease, and nine had progressive disease. No relevant changes in the patterns of the lesions were observed. Quantitative data showed that patients with a good prognosis had an increase in S/N on T1-weighted images and a relative decrease on T2-weighted images; patients with a poor prognosis showed a decrease in S/N on T1-weighted images and an increase on T2-weighted images. The differences between patient groups were significant for both T1- and T2-weighted images. This study demonstrates the value of MR imaging in follow-up of liver metastases and suggests the usefulness of quantitative MR imaging data.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

MRI in characterization of focal liver lesions: comparison of T2 weighting by conventional spin-echo and turbo spin-echo sequences.

Forty-one patients with 61 proved focal liver lesions underwent MRI of the liver at 1.0 T, with the aim of evaluating the usefulness of turbo spin-echo (TSE) sequences in characterizing focal liver lesions, by comparing them with conventional spin-echo (CSE) sequences. Two different TSE protocols were employed. with constant echo time and varying repetition time: TSE-S (3000 msec) and TSE-L (5100 msec). All images were evaluated quantitatively (signal-to-noise ration 'SNR') and qualitatively: because benign lesions were all liquid (12 cysts and 10 hemangiomas), they were well characterized morphologically on the basis of signal intensity. Mean SNR was significantly different between metastases and benign lesions (P < .0001) with all T2 sequences. Among the single T2 sequences tested, logistic regression analysis showed TSE-L to have the best predictive ability of the nature of focal lesions, with a G value of 42.02, compared to 29.87 of TSE-S and 25.55 of CSE second echo (SE II). The combination of TSE-L with TSE-S did not modify these results, whereas the combination of TSE-L with CSE only resulted in slight improvement (G = 46.95). Comparison of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves showed only SE II (area under the ROC curve of .8312) to be significantly inferior to the best single sequence, or TSE-L (area under the ROC curve of .9176; P = .027). All sequences were equivalent in qualitative evaluation with good reproducibility, sensitivity ranging from .94 to 1.0 and specificity ranging from .86 to .93. This study confirms the value of TSE sequences in characterization of focal liver lesions. Time of acquisition is strongly reduced with these sequences, whereas results are fairly similar to those obtained with CSE. TSE sequences could therefore replace CSE for the study of focal liver lesions.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

MR imaging of focal liver lesions: comparison between turbo spin-echo and conventional spin-echo pulse sequences.

The aim of this study was to compare conventional spin-echo (CSE) T2-weighted (T2W) images with turbo spin-echo (TSE) T2W pulse sequences in their ability to detect focal liver lesions. Seventy-eight consecutive patients with focal liver lesions were entered into this study. All patients were imaged using the gradient-echo (GE) sequence with the breath-hold technique for T1-weighted (T1W) images, and CSE and TSE sequences for T2W images. Qualitative evaluation included lesion detection (number of lesions detected) and conspicuity (extent of visualization of lesional borders); quantitative evaluation included the signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio and the contrast-to-noise (C/N) ratio. TSE showed the best performance in terms of lesion detection; however, the difference between TSE and CSE was significant only in the case of benign cysts (p < 0.01). Conspicuity was higher with TSE and CSE, and lower with GE. The S/N and C/N ratios of the two T2W sequences were also comparable, and better than those of GE. However, the combined use of GE and TSE resulted in improved lesion detection. The results show that, because the acquisition time is greatly reduced with TSE sequences, these should be considered as first-line approach to magnetic resonance imaging of the liver for the study of focal lesions.

Adenoma↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Attitudes of non-oncology physicians dealing with cancer patients. A survey based on clinical scenarios in Ancona province, central Italy.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: With this study we attempted to determine to what extent recent acquisitions in clinical oncology had reached categories of physicians involved in the management of patients with cancer, namely general surgeons, internists and family doctors. METHODS: A questionnaire was prepared with scenarios based on the following clinical situations: Scenario A, Adjuvant therapy in colon cancer; Scenario B, Treatment of small-cell lung cancer; Scenario C, Adjuvant therapy in high-risk, node-negative breast cancer; Scenario D, Treatment of early stage breast cancer; Scenario E, Asymptomatic transient myelosuppression during chemotherapy. Questionnaires were mailed to 365 family doctors, 54 general surgeons and 61 internists of the Province of Ancona in central Italy. RESULTS: A total of 198 completed questionnaires were returned (41%). Respondents were 36.7% of family doctors, 54.1% of internists and 57.4% of surgeons. Less than half of respondents selected an adequate approach such as adjuvant chemotherapy for colon cancer and high-risk, node-negative breast cancer or chemotherapy as first-line treatment for small-cell lung cancer. Conservative surgery plus radiotherapy (QUART) for early stage breast cancer was indicated by 69% of respondents. Over three quarters of physicians would give treatment for asymptomatic transient chemotherapy-induced leukopenia. In most of the scenarios, significant differences were detected in the distribution of preferences according to category of physicians. Family doctors and young physicians (< 40 years) generally performed worse than hospital-based physicians (general surgeons and internists) and older physicians. CONCLUSIONS: Non-oncology physicians showed insufficient awareness of currently available knowledge in cancer treatment. Basic concepts in cancer management should be part of the professional knowledge of all medical doctors, and key advances in clinical oncology should spread outside the oncologic environment more promptly, with a wide circulation among all physicians who care for cancer patients.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Radiofrequency wave treatment of liver tumors].

The surgical therapy modifies the survival of the patients affections from tumor of the liver, primitive or secondary. The concomitance of cirrhosis, the dimensions, center and the distribution of the tumor reduces notably the number of the patients that they could be subjected to resection. The authors expose their experience with the employment of the radiofrequency thermoablation in the cases not tractable by means of surgery.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Metastatic thyroid tumors from adenocarcinoma of the colon: clinical and anatomo-pathological contribution].

We report herein the case of a 43 year-old man who was operated 1998 of left colectomy and hepatic resection for colic adenocarcinoma metastasized in the liver. He suffers of multinodular goiter from some years; was admitted to our hospital with a 2-month history of enlargement of goiter and appearance of a new nodule. Physical and imaging examinations disclosed a new nodules in the thyroid. Was operated of total thyroidectomia and lymphoadenectomia cervical in the December 2002. Hystologic examinations revealed adenocarcinoma which was consistent with a diagnosis of metastases from the primary colon adenocarcinoma to the thyroid. The rarity, diagnosis, and prognosis of thyroid metastasis from colon carcinoma are discussed.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Screening of beta-thalassemia mutations by PCR and ASO analysis in an Italian population of mixed geographic origin.

We used the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and allele-specific-oligonucleotide hybridization (ASO) or restriction enzyme analysis (RE) to investigate the molecular defect in 100 Italian subjects heterozygous for beta-thalassemia, members of 50 couples at risk for the disease: 93 out of the 100 alleles studied were identified after investigating 9 known mutations. The mutation was identified in both members of the couple in 43/50 cases; in the remaining 7 couples the defect was identified only in one subject. The PCR-ASO or-RE method is a suitable, though still complex, approach to prenatal diagnosis of beta-thalassemia in a population with heterogeneous molecular defects.

Alleles↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Psychological aspects of thalassemia].

An account is given of the model employed for the provision of psychological care over the last 9 years at the Microcythemia Centre, Department of Paediatrics, University of Turin, by a team composed of paediatricians and child neuropsychiatrists. Reference is made to a series of 280 patients aged 0-25 years. The psychodynamic is adopted and provision is made for individual and group meetings with young and adolescent patients and their parents that are held as part of the Centre's ordinary activities. This procedure has made it possible to understand and face up to the psychological implications of thalassaemia and its treatment and has considerably improved both compliance and the quality of life. Stress is laid on the importance of a good rapport between patients and the Centre. This can be obtained through continuous collaboration between physicians and psychiatrists and or psychologists with a psychodynamic background.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Evaluation of iron overload in thalassemia].

The aim of the paper is to assess the value of a series of clinical and laboratory indices used in determining the degree of iron overload in homozygous beta-thalassaemic patients. 155 thalassaemic patients of different age in chelation with subcutaneous infusions of desferrioxamine for a period of 2-7 years have been studied. Calculation of the total iron accumulated and the iron load per kg of body weight in patients undergoing chelation requires an exact knowledge of their compliance and faecal and urinary iron elimination, and is clearly open to many errors. Despite this, usefull information can be derived from its determination. We have found, for example, that serious organ damage tends to appear when iron accumulation exceeds 1 g/kg. In addition, the serum ferritin and the evaluation of the growth have been proved to be the most important and helpful indices for checking the effectiveness of the chelation therapy and forecasting the appearance of the serious complications as diabetes or hypothyroidism.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine (ABVD) salvage of mechlorethamine, vincristine, prednisone, and procarbazine (MOPP)-resistant advanced Hodgkin's disease.

Thirty-nine patients with advanced Hodgkin's disease were treated with doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine (ABVD). Thirty-one of these patients had previously failed to respond to MOPP (mechlorethamine, vincristine, prednisone, and procarbazine) treatment (29 patients) or to CCVPP (lomustine, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone) treatment (two patients). Twenty-seven patients were considered evaluable: eight (30%) achieved complete remission (CR), two (7%) achieved partial remission (PR), and 17 (63%) had no response. All of the complete responders are still in continuous unmaintained CR, while 14 of the 19 partial responders and nonresponders have died. The overall median survival was 21 months; it was 16 months for partial responders and nonresponders. The remaining eight patients had ABVD substituted to MOPP early in treatment, because of allergy to procarbazine: six patients achieved CR and two achieved PR. Our results are in keeping with the literature data and confirm the effectiveness of ABVD as primary and salvage treatment in advanced Hodgkin's disease.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Surgical treatment of hepatic metastatic colorectal cancer.

73 patients (men age 54 years, range 17-78), underwent an hepatic resection for metastatic, colorectal cancer. Operative mortality was 1.36% Overall 5 years survival rate (Kaplan-Meier) was 27%; 5 years disease free interval was equally 27%. This could demonstrate that 5 years survivors could be also considered free from the risk of metastatic recurrence. This is confirmed by our survivors over 5 years (70-79-94 months) that are still disease free.

Adolescent↗