0000000000248989
AUTHOR
A. Gronchi
Rare Cancers Europe (RCE) methodological recommendations for clinical studies in rare cancers: A European consensus position paper
While they account for one-fifth of new cancer cases, rare cancers are difficult to study. A higher than average degree of uncertainty should be accommodated for clinical as well as for population-based decision making. Rules of rational decision making in conditions of uncertainty should be rigorously followed and would need widely informative clinical trials. In principle, any piece of new evidence would need to be exploited in rare cancers. Methodologies to explicitly weigh and combine all the available evidence should be refined, and the Bayesian logic can be instrumental to this end. Likewise, Bayesian-design trials may help optimize the low number of patients liable to be enrolled in …
SARS-CoV-2 vaccination modelling for safe surgery to save lives: data from an international prospective cohort study
Abstract Background Preoperative SARS-CoV-2 vaccination could support safer elective surgery. Vaccine numbers are limited so this study aimed to inform their prioritization by modelling. Methods The primary outcome was the number needed to vaccinate (NNV) to prevent one COVID-19-related death in 1 year. NNVs were based on postoperative SARS-CoV-2 rates and mortality in an international cohort study (surgical patients), and community SARS-CoV-2 incidence and case fatality data (general population). NNV estimates were stratified by age (18–49, 50–69, 70 or more years) and type of surgery. Best- and worst-case scenarios were used to describe uncertainty. Results NNVs were more favourable in su…
Patient-derived solitary fibrous tumour xenografts predict high sensitivity to doxorubicin/dacarbazine combination confirmed in the clinic and highlight the potential effectiveness of trabectedin or eribulin against this tumour
Abstract Background Preclinical models that mimic pathological and molecular features of solitary fibrous tumour (SFT) represent an important tool to select effective regimes and novel compounds to be tested in the clinic. This study was aimed at developing two preclinical models of SFT, assessing their predictive value in the clinic and selecting potential novel effective treatments. Material and methods Two dedifferentiated-SFT (D-SFT) models obtained from patients' biopsies were grown in immunodeficient mice. The antitumour activity on these models of doxorubicin, dacarbazine (DTIC), ifosfamide (monotherapy or combination), trabectedin and eribulin was tested. Twelve SFT patients were tr…
Early outcomes and complications following cardiac surgery in patients testing positive for coronavirus disease 2019: An international cohort study
The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndromecoronavirus-2, the cause of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in December 2019 represented a global emergency accounting for more than 2.5 million deaths worldwide.1 It has had an unprecedented influence on cardiac surgery internationally, resulting in cautious delivery of surgery and restructuring of services.2 Understanding the influence of COVID-19 on patients after cardiac surgery is based on assumptions from other surgical specialties and single-center studies. The COVIDSurg Collaborative conducted a multicenter cohort study, including 1128 patients, across 235 hospitals, from 24 countries demonstrating perioperative COVID-19 infection…
Machine learning risk prediction of mortality for patients undergoing surgery with perioperative SARS-CoV-2: the COVIDSurg mortality score
The British journal of surgery 108(11), 1274-1292 (2021). doi:10.1093/bjs/znab183