Search

PURPOSE To study for the first time the incidence of adult-onset CNS tumors in Southern Sardinia, Italy. METHODS Clinical records of patients > 18 years old who were diagnosed with primary CNS tumors during 2016-2019 in the study area were reviewed. Meningiomas, cranial/paraspinal nerve tumors, lymphomas, and pituitary tumors were excluded. Cases were classified according to the 2016 WHO classification of CNS tumors and to the morphology codes from the International Classification of Diseases-Oncology, third edition. Age-adjusted incidence rates were calculated by the direct method to the 2011-2020 European standard population. Kulldorff's spatial scan statistic was used to identify geographic clusters of patients who shared increased/decreased tendency to develop CNS tumors. RESULTS CNS tumors were diagnosed in 234 incident patients, but histological diagnosis was available in 222/234 patients (95%) aged 64.3 ± 13.5 years at diagnosis. Crude incidence rate was 7.1 per 100,000 persons-year (95% CI, 6.2-8.1), 6.2 per 100,000 persons-year (95% CI, 5.4-7.0) when age-adjusted. CNS tumors were more frequent in men and after age 40. Glioblastoma accounted for 76% of the total (adjusted rate, 4.7 per 100,000 persons-year; 95% CI, 4.0-5.4). Spatial analysis revealed geographic variations of glioblastoma incidence within the study area. CONCLUSION Although the distribution of tumor diagnoses in Sardinia reflects expected age and gender-related patterns in western populations, our findings would indicate a slightly higher incidence of glial tumors, glioblastoma in particular, in Sardinia than in other European countries. The identification of spatial clusters of high/low risk will serve as a resource for etiological research.

OBIETTIVO: L'esposizione solare è in grado di indurre e determinare la progressione del melanoma cutaneo, ma recenti studi epidemiologici hanno ipotizzato un controverso ruolo protettivo nei pazienti che si sono esposti al sole negli anni precedenti la diagnosi, che mostrano una prognosi migliore, in termini di sopravvivenza e recidive. METODI: È stato realizzato uno studio retrospettivo, di tutti i casi di melanoma cutaneo osservati nell'arco di 5 anni presso la Clinica Dermatologica, l'Anatomia Patologica e la Oncologia Medica del P.O. Businco di Cagliari, analizzando la correlazione geo-ambientale, ovvero la probabilità che l'insolazione dell'area di residenza sia associata all'insorgenza di melanoma, secondo le elaborazioni eseguite dal Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile, Ambientale e Architettura (archivio delle georisorse). L'analisi statistica ha calcolato correlazione di Pearson, regressione bivariata, test di significatività F. RISULTATI: Sono stati analizzati 399 casi di melanoma 399 (205 M e 194 F, età media 58 anni), con una media di 79,8 casi, pari a 7 casi su 100.000 abitanti/anno, distribuiti su 93 comuni della Sardegna. Poiché la base del rilevamento ambientale è la superficie in km2 dell'area di residenza, l'incidenza è stata normalizzata considerando l'area complessiva (8288,07 km2) e la densità media di popolazione per l'intero territorio (circa 636,85 abitanti per km2). L'analisi statistica ha evidenziato una correlazione significativa tra incidenza normalizzata di melanoma ed aree esposte direttamente all'insolazione, ovvero esposte a sud. CONCLUSIONI: L'analisi residenziale geo-ambientale, metodica innovativa proposta nel presente studio sembra confermare l'importanza dell'insolazione, intesa come area geografica esposta a Sud, nell'insorgenza del melanoma.

Soft tissue sarcomas constitute a heterogeneous group of tumors of mesenchymal origin: at present, more than 50 separate histological subtypes of soft tissue sarcoma have been listed. Although there have been advances in the understanding of these tumors and their treatment over the past few years, there is still a lack of consensus on the standard of care, and new therapeutic options are eagerly awaited. Trabectedin has been approved for the treatment of patients with advanced soft tissue sarcomas after failure of anthracyclines and ifosfamide. However, the effectiveness and tolerability of this agent in retroperitoneal soft tissue sarcomas have been poorly characterized. Here we report the cases of two monorenal patients with a retroperitoneal sarcoma who achieved prolonged stabilization of disease with trabectedin. Trabectedin-associated toxicities were generally mild and were successfully managed by supportive care. Of note, the patients did not experience clinically relevant myelosuppression, which is currently considered the limiting toxicity of trabectedin.

e21009Background: Ipilimumab is an inhibitor of CTLA4 receptor of T lymphocytes that has been approved by FDA both as first and second line treatment for patients with metastatic melanoma. Despite ...