Volume 110 Issue 4

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?

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.

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

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.

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

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.

Efficacy and safety of induction chemotherapy in oral cavity cancer: An eight-year experience at a Portuguese reference center

Induction chemotherapy has been described as an option in locally advanced oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma when the surgical morbidity is expected to be high. This work aimed to evaluate the outcome and safety of induction chemotherapy in this setting. We performed a retrospective and observational study including patients with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma, treated with induction chemotherapy between January 2010 and December 2018.

Outcomes of chemotherapy/chemoradiation vs. R2 surgical debulking vs. palliative care in nonresectable locally recurrent rectal cancer

Locally recurrent rectal cancer is resected with clear margins in only 50% of cases, and these patients achieve a three-year survival rate of 50%. Outcomes and therapeutic strategies for nonresectable locally recurrent rectal cancer have been much less explored. The aim of the study was to assess the three-year progression-free survival and the three-year overall survival in locally recurrent rectal cancer patients treated by chemotherapy/chemoradiation only vs. chemotherapy/chemoradiation and R2 surgical debulking vs. palliative care.