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G Motta

Publications and source records attributed to G Motta.

279 records · Page 16Linked to original sources

[Pulmonary carcinoma nowadays: notes on epidemiology, primary prevention, and therapeutic planning].

Among the solid malignancies, lung cancer is today the most common cancer in the world (850,000 new cases during 1990). Moreover, with an estimated increase of about 5 percent a year, it now represents the first cause of mortality for cancer in both sexes. The evidence of a close relationship between lung cancer and cigarette smoking was first pointed out by E. Graham in 1950. Since then, the responsibility of active cigarette smoking in determining lung cancer as well as that of nicotine causing addictiveness, have been assessed clearly. Nevertheless primary prevention, mainly through the campaign against cigarette smoking, has always faced great difficulties because it clashes with the economic power and interests of tobacco companies. Moreover the epidemiologic trends show a progressive increase of the disease with a silent epidemic-like worldwide diffusion, in close similarity to AIDS. So, more than 5 million new cases a year of lung cancer are expected to appear at the beginning of 2000. The primary prevention against the major factor of risk-the cigarette-is mainly based, in developed countries, through the following official measures: i) a heavy taxation on the finished goods; ii) the conversion of the tobacco growing to other crops and iii) the package-based health information for all tobacco products. On the other side, while waiting for new effective chemoprevention methods, the need of getting a true early clinical diagnosis of tumor is emphasised. Only by this means is it indeed possible to improve the rate of cure through performing conventional resections of those cancers which could be discovered in still limited clinical stage. In the same time, a strong effort for radically operating Stage III locally advanced cancers, is also attempted through the newer tracheobronchoplastic procedures as well as the other over extended resections done directly in the mediastinal area. The neoadjuvant radio and/or chemotherapy combined treatments preceding surgery are also of great clinical interest. Finally the active palliative support aimed at improving the quality of life in patients affected by incurable tumors, represents a fast developing clinical project where a great ethical meaning is pre-eminent above all.

Humans↗

[TNM staging system of lung carcinoma: historical notes, limitations and controversies].

The TNM System as originally proposed by Denoix in 1946, provides a consistent, reproducible description of the anatomic extent of disease in cancer patients at a specific time in the life history of the cancer. C.F. Mountain first adapted this classification to lung cancer in 1973 on behalf of AJCC. In 1986 he presented the "New Intl. Staging System for Lung Cancers" mainly based on a 13 yr experience of the previous one, which was accepted world-wide through a round of international consensus meetings held in 1985. Clinical Staging is the best estimate of disease extent made prior to the institution of any therapy; Surgical-pathological Staging is the classification of disease extent as determined from pathological examination of resected specimens. Accordingly, once the diagnosis is made, it is necessary to stage accurately the tumour determining the size and location of the tumour (T status), the presence or absence of lymphnode involvement (N status), and whether the tumour is metastatic to distant sites (M status). Moreover the uniform staging criteria for lung cancer will assure for each patient the better selection of treatment, the evaluation of operability, the need for adjuvant therapy, as well as the estimation of prognosis. Equally important is the resultant ability to compare the outcome of treatment protocols from different centres. More recently C.F. Mountain has added to the Staging System a new standard logic or "convention" for classifying infrequently observed presentations of lung cancer with which the standard rules of Staging System itself don't fit. These conventions are based on empiric expectation for treatment selection and survival that are similar to those for the Staging definitions, which are based on actuarialsurvival data. Many different types of tumour such as multiple masses, synchronous multiple primitives, discontinuous tumour foci in visceral or parietal pleura as well neoplastic involvement of various mediastinal structures, could be now staged with a major benefit for their treatment protocols. In conclusion the Staging System represents today a standard clinical methodology which basically helps in a better clinical approach to lung cancer even if it cannot fully cover and consider all the innumerable manifestations of the tumor. Therefore, if it is true that in the near future the new molecular predictors of prognosis are expected to measure more deeply the extent of disease, for the present time the International Staging System still continues to act as the best common method for measuring prognosis.

Humans↗

Resection for peripheral higher stage lung tumor. A compared Italian cumulative experience.

Preceded by an international overview on the surgical approach to the peripheral higher stage NSCLC, the cumulative clinical experience from ten Italian University Departments and Teaching Hospitals, is analyzed in the light of the corresponding international contributions. Accordingly, the clinical records of 470 patients affected by such Stage III tumors and surgically treated, were collected and retrospectively reviewed. 43 out of 120 patients belonging to the group of apical invasive Pancoast's tumour underwent an en-bloc chest-wall resection, while an extrapleural dissection was performed in the remaining 77. Combined segmentectomy was prevalent (54%), while lobectomy/bilobectomy was performed in 38%, wedge resection in 5% and pneumonectomy in 3% of all cases respectively. Preoperative high-voltage radiation was given in 70% of them; while adjuvant RT was requested in 17% of cases, mainly because of N1-2 status. Actuarial 5-year survival was 14% with a range of 0% in N2 cases to 21% in NO-1 ones. When considering surgical modes, the en-bloc chest-wall resection had a 5-year survival of 20% while the more limited extrapleural dissection yield only a 9% survival. Compared with the international experience the 14% 5-year survival is standing at the bottom of the scale. On the other hand, 350 patients belong to the other two main groups of peripheral tumors taken in consideration: the ones which, even apical, are yet lying anteriorly far enough from the costo-vertebral angle (apical non Pancoast tumor), and the other ones which are lower placed along the thoracic cage. The majority of these patients (213) were treated by an extrapleural dissection, while the remaining minority (123) received an en-bloc chest-wall resection with 1-2 ribs resected in 46%, 3 ribs in 38% and 4 ribs or more in 16%, respectively. Combined lobectomy/bilobectomy was prevalent (64%), while pneumonectomy was performed in 16%, more limited resections in 16% and exploration alone in 4% respectively. 5-year survival was 18% ranging from 0% in N2 patients to 23% in the NO-1 ones. The extrapleural dissection had a 5-year survival rate of 24.5%, while the en-bloc chest-wall resection yield a lower rate of 15.6%. This overall survival can be indeed considered nearer the international one, even if both surgical approach and the related 5-year survival rates are in full discordance with the compared international references.

Humans↗

[Adrenalectomy in metastasis of primary pulmonary carcinoma: an emerging issue].

Such a novel surgical project is supported by a large basic knowledge on molecular biology of solid tumours progression as well as the already assessed clinical experience in the parallel field of surgery for lung, brain and liver metastases. While pathology and the clinical work up have for a long time pointed out the steady rate of adrenal metastatic involvement from lung cancer (from 25 to 28% of all cases at the autopsy and, on clinical grounds, the most important site of extrapulmonary tumour spread just after the first one represented by the mediastinal lymphatic groups), the surgical approach to the problem is still very limited and the few operated cases previously reported in world literature (summing up to a total of 21) are not truly homogeneous and even largely scattered in time. The Authors report on their personal contribution in this field with four consecutive cases who underwent surgery during the last five years. The most important clinical features together with the initial remarkable result obtained in one patient who is still free of disease more than 3 years after the sequential radical resection of the primary lung tumour and the metastatic ipsilateral adrenal gland, are presented. In the light of this preliminary positive experience, the Authors are planning a sound clinical research based on the combined resection of those NSC Lung Cancers which appear surgically resectable but already included in an unresectable Stage IV Disease only because of the contemporary adrenal metastases (M1). An adjuvant chemotherapy in usually added.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗

[Update of European tracheo-pulmonary surgery and the cultural contribution of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASCL) in this field].

It is a select overview of the most advanced surgical treatment strategies developed during the past fifteen years by some well known European Surgical Groups, which are actively involved with lung cancer cure. The whole matter is discussed in the following five chapters; a) The historical impact of the New International System for Staging Lung Cancer; b) The Orlowsky Tracheobronchial stent; c) The extended surgery for locally advanced NSCLC and for tracheal Obstructive Disease. This includes: i) Extended resections for apical tumours; ii) Tracheobronchoplastic procedures (Bronchoplastic lobectomies, carinal resections, tracheal cylindrical resections), and iii) the Surgical approach to N2 Disease; d) The surgical approach to Pulmonary Metastases and finally e) The promotion of Surgical Knowledge in the modern Europe. It is worthy pointing out that the introductive (a) and the conclusive (e) chapters are representing two peculiar facets of the cultural background which has supported the active evolution of the clinical approach to lung cancer in Europe.

Airway Obstruction↗