Search results for "ONCOLOGIA"

Driver mutations and differential sensitivity to targeted therapies: a new approach to the treatment of lung adenocarcinoma

2010

The adenocarcinoma of the lung has recently shown peculiar molecular characteristics, which relate with both carcinogenesis and response to targeted drugs. Several molecular alterations have been defined as "driver mutations". These are responsible for both the initiation and maintenance of the malignancy. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway is the main regulator of cell function and cancer development. It has a widely defined role in the occurrence of driver mutations. Up till now EGFR gene mutations, KRAS gene mutations and EML4-ALK fusion genes are the most widely recognized alterations involved in both the biology and the clinical management of lung adenocarcinoma. In th…

Novel therapeutic strategies for patients with NSCLC that do not respond to treatment with EGFR inhibitors

2014

Abstract: Introduction: Treatment with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) yields tumour responses in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients harbouring activating EGFR mutations. However, even in long-lasting responses, resistance to EGFR TKIs invariably occurs. Areas covered: This review examines resistance mechanisms to EGFR TKI treatment, which mainly arise from secondary EGFR mutations. Other resistance-inducing processes include mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor (MET) amplification, epithelial-mesenchymal transformation, phenotypic change from NSCLC to small-cell lung carcinoma, and modifications in parallel signalling pathways. Current…

GENETIC AND FUNCTIONAL DISSECTION OF THE MIR-17-92 CLUSTER OF MIRNAS

2011

Background: The miR-17∼92 cluster was among the first cluster of miRNAs to be linked to cancer. It is directly activated by the members of the MYC family of transcription factors and acts as a bona fide oncogene in several types of cancer, including lymphomas. miR-17∼92 is essential for mammalian development. Knockout mice die in utero or at birth with cardiovascular defects and impaired B-cell maturation. Aims: Although miR-17∼92 is important for tumorigenesis and development both the molecular mechanisms and the prominent miRNAs acting in different contexts are still unknown. The main aim of our study was to identify the role played by different members of the miR-17∼92 cluster in B-cell …

"ONCOGENE ADDICTED SOLID TUMORS: BIOMARKERS PROGNOSTIC AND PREDICTIVE OF RESISTANCE OR SENSITIVITY TO MOLECULAR TARGETED THERAPIES IN CRC

2011

Absence of germline CDKN2A mutation in Sicilian Patients with Familial Malignant Melanoma: could it be a population-specific genetic signature?

2015

Germline CDKN2A mutations have been described in 25% to 40% of melanoma families from several countries. Sicilian population is genetically different from the people of Europe and Northern Italy because of its historical background, therefore familial melanoma could be due to genes different from high-penetrance CDKN2A gene. Four hundred patients with cutaneous melanoma were observed in a 6-years period at the Plastic Surgery Unit of the University of Palermo. Forty-eight patients have met the criteria of the Italian Society of Human Genetics (SIGU) for the diagnosis of familial melanoma and were screened for CDKN2A and CDK4 mutations. Mutation testing revealed that none of the families car…

Male breast cancer in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers: pathology data from the Consortium of Investigators of Modifiers of BRCA1/2

2016

Background BRCA1 and, more commonly, BRCA2 mutations are associated with increased risk of male breast cancer (MBC). However, only a paucity of data exists on the pathology of breast cancers (BCs) in men with BRCA1/2 mutations. Using the largest available dataset, we determined whether MBCs arising in BRCA1/2 mutation carriers display specific pathologic features and whether these features differ from those of BRCA1/2 female BCs (FBCs). Methods We characterised the pathologic features of 419 BRCA1/2 MBCs and, using logistic regression analysis, contrasted those with data from 9675 BRCA1/2 FBCs and with population-based data from 6351 MBCs in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (…

Neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio helps select metastatic pancreatic cancer patients benefitting from oxaliplatin

2016

BACKGROUND: High Neutrophil/Lymphocyte ratio (NLR), as a measure of enhanced inflammatory response, has been negatively associated with prognosis in patients with localized pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA). OBJECTIVE: In the present study, we aimed at investigating the prognostic value of NLR in two homogeneous groups of chemotherapy-na've metastatic PDA patients. Patients were treated with either gemcitabine (GEM) or gemcitabine/ oxaliplatin (GEMOXA). We also assessed whether NLR could identify patients benefiting from the use of oxaliplatin. METHODS: Consecutive PDA patients treated at the Medical Oncology Unit of Tor Vergata University Hospital of Rome with either GEM or GEMOXA wer…

Palbociclib plus endocrine therapy in HER2 negative, hormonal receptor-positive, advanced breast cancer: A real-world experience

2019

Data from 423 human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2−), hormone receptor-positive (HR+) advanced breast cancer (aBC) patients treated with palbociclib and endocrine therapy (ET) were provided by 35 Italian cancer centers and analyzed for treatment outcomes. Overall, 158 patients were treated in first line and 265 in second/later lines. We observed 19 complete responses and 112 partial responses. The overall response rate (ORR) was 31% (95% confidence interval [CI], 26.6–35.4) and clinical benefit was 52.7% (95% CI, 48–57.5). ORR was negatively affected by prior exposure to everolimus/exemestane (p = 0.002) and favorably influenced by early line-treatment (p < 0.0001). At…

TNF-alpha gene promoter polymorphisms and risk of venous thromboembolism in gastrointestinal cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy

2013

Abstract Background TNF-α has been proposed as a predictive factor for venous thromboembolism (VTE). Genetic polymorphisms could regulate TNF-α production. However, the relationship between TNFA gene variants and VTE is not clarified. This study aims to investigate the predictive role of five different TNFA gene promoter SNPs, or their haplotype combination(s), for a first VTE episode in gastrointestinal cancer out-patients treated with chemotherapy. Patients and methods Serum TNF-α levels and TNFA -863C/A, -857C/T, -376G/A, -308G/A and -238G/A gene promoter polymorphisms were retrospectively evaluated in 314 subjects, including 157 controls and 157 Caucasian patients with histologically di…

4843delC of the BRCA1 gene is a possible founder mutation in Southern Italy (Sicily).

2007

Various studies have been published in Italy regarding the different BRCA1 mutations, but only the BRCA1-5083del19 mutation is recurrent and specific to individuals of Italian descent with a founder effect on the Calabrian population. In our previous study, BRCA1-5083del19 mutation carriers were found in four index cases of 106 Sicilian patients selected for familial and/or hereditary breast/ovarian cancers. The high frequency rate of this mutation identified in the Sicilian population led us to perform haplotype analysis in all family carriers. Five highly polymorphic microsatellite markers were used (D17S1320, D17S932, D17S1323, D17S1326, D17S1325) to establish whether or not all these fa…