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Biomedical subjects

G Gatta

Publications and source records attributed to G Gatta.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

Estimating incidence of cancer from a hospital discharge reporting system.

We have evaluated the reliability of hospital discharge information of the Lombardy Region, in northern Italy, in identifying incident cases of cancer. This was accomplished by linking all cancer cases automatically identified from hospital discharges to the date of the Cancer Registry of Varèse Province, part of the same Region, up to 1977. The comparison showed a consistent overestimation of rates derived from hospital data, particularly in relation to the least common sites and extreme ages. When the procedure was applied to the most common tumors and truncated ages (35-74), estimated age-specific rates corresponded quite closely to those of Cancer Registry. We concluded that estimates of cancer incidence based on hospital discharge data are reliable when applied to selected tumors and can be useful for descriptive and other epidemiological purpose.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Microsurgical anterior cervical disk removal without interbody infusion.

A series of 57 patients with root syndromes or compressive myelopathy were operated upon by a modified Cloward technique. No bone grafts were used. The patients were observed for 6 months to 5 years after surgery. Of the 47 patients with radiculopathy, 44 were cured and three complained of minor pains in their arms. Of the 10 patients with myelopathy, three were greatly improved, five were slightly improved, and two remained unchanged. In 100% of these cases, immobilization of the involved interspace occurred within a year. The surgical technique is discussed.

Humans↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Studying survival of cancer patients in different populations: its potential and role.

RATIONALE: Survival figures from a population-based study incorporate the overall practice in diagnosis, cure and clinical follow-up for a specific disease within a given health care system. Being the outcome of a number of individual, social and economical aspects, population-based survival may be thought as index for measuring the level of a country's development. DATA: The EUROCARE project, a European Cancer Registries (CR) concerted action, provided reliable information on survival for more than 800,000 cancer patients from 11 European countries. A great deal of epidemiologic information has derived from EUROCARE. Women had a longer survival than men for all studied tumour sites, except for the colon. European survival variability was fairly high for several cancers, but it was lower for cancers with a relatively good prognosis and those sensitive to treatment. The ranking of populations of cancer survival tended to be fairly stable for many cancers: CR of Switzerland and Finland ranked high and Polish CR low. Denmark, Italian and France CR did not substantially differ from the European survival average. For most cancers, prognosis improved during the studied period (years of diagnosis: 1978-1985). Survival figures for colon (r = 0.74, males; r = 0.73, women) and female breast cancer (r = 0.57) well correlated with the national health expenditure of different participating countries. The ITACARE study, a new Italian Cancer Registries collaborative project involving more than 100,000 cancer patients, was set up to study survival differences within the country. Survival of cancer patients was not homogeneous in 7 studied Italian regions (the estimated 5-year relative survival for all malignant neoplasms combined ranked from 37.8% in CR of Sicily to 42.1% in those of Emilia-Romagna). The lowest levels of regional health expenditures were accompanied by the lowest levels of prognosis for overall cancers. However, a relatively low correlation among patient cancer survival and the regional health expenditure (r = 0.21) was found, suggesting that other factors such as different efficiency in managing cancer may play a role in explaining the intracountry differences. CONCLUSIONS: Population-based survival figures may be used to study epidemiologic aspects, comparing different health systems, and may be interpreted as indexes for discussing inequalities in health in different populations.

Age Distribution↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The ITACARE Study.

ITACARE is a collaborative study on the survival of Italian cancer patients diagnosed in the period 1978-1989. The study involves 11 Italian population-based cancer registries (CRs) (Firenze, Forli-Ravenna, Genova, Latina, Modena, Parma, Ragusa, Torino, Varese, the childhood CR of Piedmont and the colorectal CR of Modena), and its principal aim is to identify and analyze possible differences between the areas covered by the CRs. This article describes the ITACARE database. Ten percent of the Italian population is covered by the participating CRs, most of which are located in the northern part of the country. All malignant cancer sites (classified by ICD-9) except skin cancers were included. For bladder cancers, papillomas and transitional cell tumours grade 1 and 2 were also included. Survival data on over 100,000 cases were collected. The principal information variables were sex, date of birth, diagnosis and end of follow-up, life status, ICD-9 code for tumour site, diagnosis modality (clinical, cytologic confirmation, histologic confirmation), ICD-0 morphology code, and tumour stage (grouped into broad categories). Follow-up is active in all registries. All cases were checked systematically for errors and inconsistencies, following which about 0.2% of cases were excluded from the analyses. The percentage of cases microscopically verified, which is an indicator of diagnostic accuracy and data reliability, was higher among patients under 65 years of age (90%), breast cancer patients (92%) and cases covered by the Varese, Torino and Forli-Ravenna CRs (more than 82%). The percentage of cases known by death certificate only (an indicator of the completeness and quality of registration) was about 3% of total cases and was higher among older patients (4%). Province-specific mortality, used to compute relative survival from cancer (i.e., survival adjusted for competing causes of death), varied according to period of diagnosis, sex and area: the highest mortality was among women of the Ragusa CR (Sicily) and men in northern CRs. Overall mortality decreased during the period, more markedly in the north and among women.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Variations in the survival of adult cancer patients in Italy.

AIMS: As part of the ITACARE project, the present study analyzed and compared population-based data on the survival of adult cancer patients in Italy, according to sex, age, period of diagnosis and geographical area. METHODS: Nine Italian population-based cancer registries provided data on all their cancer patients (total 90,431 cases) followed for at least 5 years and diagnosed during the period 1978-1989. About 10% of the Italian population is covered by these registries. The data was analyzed by means of a multivariate model. RESULTS: The major findings were that there was a general improvement in 5-year relative survival over the study period (from 33% to 39%) and that there were significant differences in survival between different areas of the country, particularly for cancer sites which respond well to treatment. In general, the area covered by the Ragusa (Sicily) registry was characterized by significantly worse survival than other registry populations. Other important findings were that for all malignant cancer sites 5-year relative survival decreased with age from 50% for the youngest age class (15-44 years) to 27% for the oldest age class (75+ years) and that women have a better prognosis for most cancer sites (overall 5-year relative survival in women 48% vs 32% in men). CONCLUSIONS: The significant regional differences in survival may reflect unequal provision of care, particularly between northern-central Italy and the south. The reasons for the general survival improvement with time are not completely understood, whereas the marked overall sex difference is related to the fact that the commonest cancer in women (breast cancer) is eminently more treatable than the commonest malignancy in men (lung cancer). The unfavorable trend with increasing age may be due to increasing difficulty in applying complete therapy protocols as general health declines, sometimes in relation to an advanced cancer stage at diagnosis.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Breast cancer prevalence measured by the Lombardy Cancer Registry.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the most important malignant neoplasm affecting women in Western countries. An increasing number of women undergo regular medical checkups, especially during the first years following the diagnosis. Therefore, from the health planning point of view, it is essential to have prevalence measures to furnish estimates for the demands that the health care system could possibly undergo. METHODS: By means of PREVAL, a computerized program, breast cancer prevalence has been measured in the Varese province using incidence and follow-up data from the Lombardy Cancer Registry (LCR). RESULTS: During the 1986-1988 period, breast cancer prevalence for patients alive within 10 years from diagnosis was about 625 per 100,000 resident women. Of these, 54% were over 60 years and 9% were under 45 years of age. Patients alive within 2 years from diagnosis were about 200 per 100,000 residents; considering the 1978-1980 period, patients alive within 2 years from diagnosis were just 140 per 100,000 residents. This dramatic increase in breast cancer prevalence is present also for long-term survivors (i.e. patients alive at 10-13 years from the diagnosis). Extrapolating breast cancer prevalence measured in the Varese province to the whole Lombardy region, the expected number of prevalent cases alive within 10 years of the diagnosis, presently living in Lombardy, would be 27,500. LCR's breast cancer prevalence figures were compatible with available data provided by the Finnish Cancer Registry. CONCLUSION: Owing to aging of the population, the improvement in survival and the increasing incidence, the number of prevalent cases will increase. This phenomenon has and will have great importance for the health planning.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Trends of colorectal cancer incidence and prevalence in Italian regions.

Incidence and prevalence of tumors of colon and rectum, estimated from mortality and survival data, are presented for Italian regions and for the period 1970-1990. Projected rates to the year 2000 are also given. Age-standardized incidence rates have increased during the considered period. The increase has been higher for southern regions, which had, during the 70's, the lowest incidence and mortality levels. Geographic heterogeneity of colorectal cancer occurrence across Italian regions is therefore decreasing. The phenomenon parallels a tendency towards the homogenization of dietary habits observed in the Italian population. Estimated incidence levels increased less for the younger generation and appear stable for people born after 1940. More than 150,000 prevalent cases were estimated by the year 1990. The number is likely to increase owing to the simultaneous increasing tendency in incidence and survival rates.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The prevalence of colorectal cancer in Italy.

AIMS: To analyze the prevalence of colorectal cancer (CRC) in different areas of Italy by age, interval since diagnosis and disease stage at diagnosis, and to estimate the prevalence of CRC. These data provide estimates of patient demand on health resources. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eleven Italian cancer registries (CRs) provided data on 33,740 patients observed for up to 15 years. For the 1,829 cases from the specialized colorectal cancer registry of Modena we analyzed prevalence by Dukes' stage and family history. PREVAL software produced observed prevalence figures by time from diagnosis; to determine the total prevalence, correction factors were applied to the observed data. RESULTS: At the end of 1992, five-year CRC prevalence was high (close to 200 per 100,000) in Genova, Parma, Romagna and Firenze, and low (around 75 per 100,000) in the southern areas of Latina and Ragusa. For all CRs, 86 patients per 100,000 population were alive up to 2 years from diagnosis and 77 per 100,000 between 2 and 5 years from diagnosis. The 5-year prevalence of patients diagnosed with Dukes' B or C (high risk of recurrence and requiring postoperative surveillance) was 152 per 100,000; that of Dukes' A patients 36 per 100,000 (considered cured after surgery and not requiring intensive follow-up or care); that of unstaged patients plus those with distant metastasis at diagnosis was 28 per 100,000 at 5 years (requiring palliative care but not follow-up). The 12-year prevalence of HNPCC was 23 per 100,000, or about 7% of the total; for such patients knowledge of the long-term prevalence is important because they are diagnosed young and are at high risk of multiple tumor development. CONCLUSIONS: 70% of the prevalent patients diagnosed within 5 years prior to the prevalence date were likely to require care for cancer recurrence, while 13% of the prevalent cases required care for distant metastases.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Assessment of microvascularization around the plaques in Peyronie's disease with Doppler color ultrasonography, power Doppler and ultrasonography contrast media].

INTRODUCTION: The origin of Peyronie's disease remains obscure although the first report of this condition dates back to 1743. The disease prevalence in 388.6 in 100,000 population and little physiopathologic information is available. Repeated microtrauma to the tunica albuginea appears to favor the onset of inflammatory phenomena which result in fibrosis and calcification. The disease activity produces a microvascularization around the fibrocalcific plaques. We studied the evolution of the inflammatory process in Peyronie's disease relative to clinical symptoms, in order to optimize treatment follow-up. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We examined 20 patients with Peyronie's disease aged 34 to 56 years using a GE Sonora Logic 500 MD US scanner with linear probes of 7.5 and 13 MHz. The microvascularization around the plaques was studied with color and power Doppler investigations before contrast agent administration and with combined color and power Doppler after contrast agent administration. We injected Levovist (300 mg/mL) and 10 micrograms prostglandin E1 (PGE1). Examinations were repeated after 2-4 months in the patients with evidence of microvascularization around the plaques. RESULTS: US demonstrated fibrocalcific plaques in all the patients. The microvascularization around the plaques was seen with color Doppler in 3 cases (15%), with power Doppler in 5 cases (25%) and with contrast-enhanced color and power Doppler in 7 cases (35%). At 2-4 months' follow-up, we observed slight plaque enlargement and worsened symptoms in 5 of 7 patients (71%) with evidence of some microvascularization around the plaque. CONCLUSIONS: The plaque presence allows to define the condition and the microvascularization provides information on its evolution. The disease activity can be distinguished into 3 stages which can be related to the painful symptoms. US exhibits a better cost/benefit ratio than contrast-enhanced MRI.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The radiological diagnostic and clinical approach to the patient with stab and cut wounds of the chest. The authors' personal experience].

PURPOSE: To report our personal experience with the clinical and radiological diagnostic approach to stab and cut wounds of the thoracic cage and its content, a type of injury whose diagnosis and treatment, as well as the surgical approach, vary case by case. CT of deep penetrating wounds permits correct assessment of severe changes such as pneumothorax, hemothorax and pneumomediastinum. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In the last three years we examined 57 patients (48 men and 9 women; mean age 34 years, range 16-54): chest radiography was performed in 51 of them, with orthogonal projections in the standing and sitting positions. Chest CT was performed in emergency with i.v. contrast agent injection, with scans from the midneck to the diaphragm insertion to study border regions. Thoracostomy with pleural drainage was performed in 35 patients with pneumothorax and hemothorax while thoracotomy was performed in 8 patients, namely 4 with injury to the diaphragm, 2 to the heart, 1 with tear of the main bronchial artery and 1 of the aortic arch. RESULTS: The most frequent symptoms we found were chest pain (100% of cases) and dyspnea (84%); laboratory data showed anemia and decreased hematocrit levels in 28 cases. Chest radiography was negative in 14 cases. The patients were then examined with CT to exclude radiographic underestimation of minimal pneumothorax, small lacerocontusive or hemorrhagic foci and hemothorax, which were observed in 4, 2 and one cases, respectively, and where radiography was actually negative for traumatic changes. Chest radiography was positive in 43 cases: the most frequent finding was pneumothorax, with 37 cases (86%)--8 of them associated with hemothorax and 5 with pneumomediastinum. Lacero-hemorrhagic foci of lung parenchyma were found in 5 cases and single pulmonary hematoma from punch crossing was seen in 1 case. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: CT was an accurate tool and had higher sensitivity than chest radiography in detecting and detailing pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum and lacero-hemorrhagic foci, as well as in quantifying hemothorax. Chest radiography had 12% false negatives and therefore we decided to perform CT in all the patients with penetrating wounds to prevent radiographic underestimation. Given the low rate of false negatives (7/57 cases) CT might appear superfluous but since in 2 of these 7 cases we had massive pneumothorax and pneumomediastinum associated with neck emphysema we suggest its use to prevent complications, clinical failures and medicolegal problems. CT permits correct assessment of penetrating stab and cut wounds of the chest and efficient and targeted treatment, which can be conservative, with thoracostomy with pleural drainage, or surgical.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Mesothelial cyst of the diaphragm. Presentation of an unusual case].

The authors report a case of mesothelial cyst of the diaphragm in a boy 11 years old who was examined for pain in the right hypochondrium with exacerbation during respiratory movements. Ultrasonography and CT suggested the diagnosis. However the final diagnosis of mesothelial cyst of the diaphragm was possible only after laparotomy and histological examination. The topographical, clinical, radiological, therapeutic and histological aspects of primary cysts of the diaphragm are presented and a survey of the literature is made.

Child↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Increased in vitro and ex vivo proliferation of erythroid precursors induced by calcitriol in chronic renal failure. Synergistic effect with rHuEPO].

BACKGROUND: Calcitriol (C) improves anemia in chronic renal failure. This improvement may be related to the suppression of iPTH release, but also to a direct effect on erythropoiesis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In order to verify this hypothesis, 33 patients with chronic renal failure were enrolled: 24 were undergoing hemodialysis, 9 managed conservatively. All patients were free from other chronic or hematological disease, had a negative DFO test and aluminum levels below 20 mcg/l. iPTH range was 250-480 pg/l. None had yet been treated with C. In vitro study- Samples were drawn for a basal erythroid precursors (Burst Forming Unit-Erythroid BFU-E) study. After mononuclear cells were isolated by centrifugation with Ficoll-Hypaque, they were incubated for 15 days with rHuEPO 3U/ml (A), rHuEPO 3U/l + C 30 pg (B), rHuEPO 3U/ml + C 300 pg (C), rHuEPO 30 U/ml + C 300 pg (D) was performed. Ex vivo study- After the basal evaluation, 10 pts on dialysis were treated with C (Calcijex-Abbott) 1 g three times a week. BFU-E studies were performed after 1,2 and 4 months. RESULTS: In vitro, culture B showed an increased BFU-E proliferation vs A (41+/- 23 vs 27+/-15, p less than 0.02); in C and D cultures proliferation was 61+/-31 and 78+/- 42 respectively, p less than 0.01 vs A. There was no difference among pts with renal failure and pts treated conservatively. During the in vivo study all cultures showed a progressive proliferation increase, without a plateau level (basal, after 1, 2, 4 months respectively): in A: 17+/-8, 22+/-13, 30.9+/-14.9, 41.4+/-20; in B: 27.3+/-15, 35.6+/-20, 45.5+/-21, 57+/-26; in C: 48.2+/-20.6, 63.7+/-32, 75.7+/-37, 83+/-40; in D: 72+/-24, 91+/-42, 106+/-42, 110+/-42.3 (always p less than 0.001). The hematocrit and hemoglobin increase was constant but not significant. The iPTH decrease was not related to BFU-E proliferation. CONCLUSIONS: In chronic uremia C has a direct effect on erythroid precursor proliferation, both in vitro and ex vivo, with a sinergystic effect with rHuEPO. This effect is not related to iPTH suppression. C may be a useful adjuvant therapy for rHuEPO treatment.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Macrohaematuria post-partum: an unusual case of acquired haemophilia after pregnancy].

BACKGROUND: Acquired hemophilia is a rare disorder due to spontaneous development of antibodies directed against the factor VIII molecule in patients with previously normal levels of factor VIII. In this paper we report an unusual case of acquired hemophilia admitted to our department of nephrology due to persisting gross hematuria. CASE REPORT: A 38-year-old primigravida woman, previously fit and well, had an uncomplicated pregnancy, labor and a caesarean delivery at 38 weeks of gestation. Two weeks after delivery she developed gross hematuria with anemia. She was therefore admitted to a department of urology where urinary system and hematological investigation did not reveal important anomalies. Due to persisting gross hematuria and suspected kidney disease, the patient was admitted to our department of nephrology where serious anemia and prolongation of aPTT were noted; factor VIII procoagulant activity was low with a Bethesda assay confirming the presence of anti human f VIII antibody. Diagnosis of acquired hemophilia was confirmed and treated with corticosteroid therapy, intravenous immunoglobulins and recombinant factor VIII. After 10 days, gross hematuria stopped with improvement of aPTT and level of factor VIII. DISCUSSIONS: It is postulated that pregnancy leads to an altered immune status whereby the F VIII from the embryo, through transplacental leakage, may be considered as a foreign antigen by the mother, leading to the formation of antibodies. Bleeding symptoms usually became apparent within 3 months of delivery but could be as late as 12 months post-delivery and sometimes coagulation investigation results are normal at the beginning. It is therefore very important to estimate many times the activated partial thromboplastin time in macrohematuria post-partum. Mortality due to hemorrhage varies between 14 and 22 % in previous series. In the vast majority complete remission is achieved spontaneously within a few months. The diagnosis of acquired hemophilia is of fundamental importance for an adequate treatment preventing serious complications and high mortality.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Intraventricular and intravenous use of amphotericin B in a case of non-surgical cerebral aspergillosis.

After a short review of the literature regarding aspergillosis, the authors report a case of a 7-year-old child suffering from cerebral aspergillosis with disseminated lesions. The authors emphasize the use of amphotericin B both intraventricularly and intravenously to obtain a longer survival when surgery is impossible because of the presence of multiple abscessual lesions in central nervous system. Authors' experience shows that the intraventricular administration of amphotericin B is well tolerated and does not cause collateral effects of the parenteral way.

Amphotericin B↗