Volume 110 Issue 4

Research Article

Read the latest issue. It contains the following articles: The power of art and the powers of adolescents with cancer: Age-specific projects at Italian pediatric oncology centers; Non-neoplastic cells as prognostic biomarkers in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: A system review and meta-analysis; The digital revolution in pathology: Towards a smarter approach to research and treatment; Novel insights into RB1 in prostate cancer lineage plasticity and drug resistance; North-south differences in incidence and surveillance of cutaneous malignant melanoma in Italy; Dosimetric and NTCP analyses for selecting parotid gland cancer patients for proton therapy; Effect of neoadjuvant chemoradiation on anorectal function assessed with anorectal manometry: A systematic review and meta-analysis; A new era for bladder cancer: Enfortumab vedotin and pembrolizumab milestone approval; In reply to Topkan et al.

Is tumour sequencing effective for the identification of germline BRCA1/2 pathogenic variant carriers?

Research Article

Tumour BRCA1/2 sequencing has progressively increased along with the expanding indications for poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors. In our study, we investigated the feasibility and outcomes of a workflow for the identification of germline carriers based on tumour sequencing results. Between April 2020 and December 2022, BRCA1/2 tumour testing results from 2020 patients were reviewed. Analysed tumours included: 323 ovarian, 104 breast, 314 pancreas-biliary, 87 prostate, 374 gastrointestinal, 309 lung, and 509 less common histologies.

Advances in spatial multi-omics in tumors

Review Article

Single-cell techniques have convincingly demonstrated that tumor tissue usually contains multiple genetically defined cell subclones with different gene mutation sets as well as various transcriptional profiles, but the spatial heterogeneity of the microenvironment and the macrobiological characteristics of the tumor ecosystem have not been described.

Secular trends in incidence and mortality of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in China, 1990–2019, and predictions to 2030: Outlook for the future burden of disease

Research Article

The aim of this study was to analyze the trend of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma incidence and mortality in China from 1990 to 2019, along with assessing the effects of age, period, and cohort, as well as to predict future trends. Using data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 we calculated the estimated annual percentage changes in the incidence and mortality of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Personalized treatment using predictive biomarkers in solid organ malignancies: A review

Review Article

In recent years, the influence of specific biomarkers in the diagnosis and prognosis of solid organ malignancies has been increasingly prominent. The relevance of the use of predictive biomarkers, which predict cancer response to specific forms of treatment provided, is playing a more significant role than ever before, as it affects diagnosis and initiation of treatment, monitoring for efficacy and side effects of treatment, and adjustment in treatment regimen in the long term.

Italian translation, cultural adaptation and pilot testing of Psychosocial Assessment Tool (PAT 3.1) in pediatric cancer

Research Article

Experiences related to pediatric oncology diagnosis cause great imbalances within the family structure. Assessing the frailties and needs of families and children with cancer from a psychosocial perspective is an important step in providing appropriate pediatric psychology care. The aim of this study was to develop an Italian translation of the last version of the Psychosocial Assessment Tool questionnaire (PAT 3.1) and to pilot-test it among pediatric oncological families.

Multiple targets, germline BRCA1 mutation and HRD in a lung cancer patient: Molecular considerations and treatment decision-making

Case Report

Several biomarkers are currently available to address targeted treatments in cancer patients, with lung malignancies representing one of the best examples. We report the case of a patient affected by advanced non-small cell lung cancer with an uncommon histology and a complex biology. The use of a large next-generation sequencing (NGS) NGS panel allowed us to identify an extremely rare BRAF mutation (V600Q), a MET amplification, a high tumor mutational burden, a germline pathogenetic BRCA1 mutation and a homologous recombination deficiency through RAD51 assay.