Italy GIDEON final analysis Sorafenib-treated patients: prognostic value of baseline characteristics and staging systems

Nine weeks versus 1 year adjuvant trastuzumab in combination with chemotherapy: final results of the phase III randomized Short-HER study

Background: Chemotherapy plus 1-year trastuzumab is the standard adjuvant treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer. The efficacy of less extended trastuzumab exposure is under investigation. The short-HER study was aimed to assess the non-inferiority of 9 weeks versus 1 year of adjuvant trastuzumab combined with chemotherapy. Patients and methods: HER2-positive breast cancer patients with node-positive or, if node negative, with at least one risk factor (pT>2 cm, G3, lympho-vascular invasion, Ki-67 > 20%, age 35 years, or hormone receptor negativity) were randomly assigned to receive sequential anthracycline-taxane combinations plus 1-year trastuzumab (arm A, long) or plus 9 weeks tra…

HCC management with Sorafenib and TACE: Italian experience from GIDEON (Global Investigational Of Therapeutic Decisions in HCC and of its Treatment with Sorafenib).

Prevalence and treatment of cancer pain in Italian oncological wards centres: a cross-sectional survey.

The aim of this national cross-sectional survey was to draw information on pain prevalence and intensity from a large sample of patients who were admitted to oncologic centres for different reasons and to evaluate the pain treatment and possible influencing factors.A total of 2,655 patients completed the study. Nine hundred and one patients (34%) reported pain.Higher pain levels were observed in inpatients, in the presence of bone metastases, and with low levels of Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group status. The number of patients receiving strong opioids increased with the highest levels of pain. However, a significant part of patients with moderate-severe pain were not receiving appropriat…

Italian Survey on adjuvant treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (ISA)

Background: A recent pooled analysis of randomized trials indicated significant improvement in overall survival from cisplatin-based adjuvant chemotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), depending on disease stage (only in stages II and III) and PS (≤1). Post-operative radiotherapy (RT) is optional for pN2 tumours. Patients and methods: To evaluate opinions and daily clinical practice of Italian Oncologists about adjuvant treatment of NSCLC, a 46-item questionnaire was delivered via e-mail. Results: Seventy-eight physicians from 68 Centers (out of 98 contacted) returned their questionnaire. Seventy-four, 86, 94, and 78% of them give the indication for adjuvant chemotherapy for stage…