Biomedical subjects

Eleonora Frassi

Publications and source records attributed to Eleonora Frassi.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2004

Relationship between time interval from primary surgery to the start of taxane- plus platinum-based chemotherapy and clinical outcome of patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer: results of a multicenter retrospective Italian study.

PURPOSE: To assess whether the interval from primary surgery to the start of taxane- plus platinum-based chemotherapy has any impact on the clinical outcome of advanced ovarian cancer patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study was conducted on 313 patients who underwent surgery followed by taxane- plus platinum-based chemotherapy. The median follow-up of survivors was 30.7 months (range, 6 to 109 months). RESULTS: The 25%, 50%, and 75% quantiles of intervals from surgery to the start of chemotherapy were 11, 21, and 31 days, respectively. After the sixth cycle, 102 patients achieved a pathologic complete response at second-look surgery and 98 obtained a clinical complete response but were not submitted to second-look surgery. Taking into consideration the best assessed response, a complete (either clinical or pathologic) response was found in 200 patients. Residual disease (< or = 1 v > 1 cm; P < .0001) and ascites (absent v present; P = .003) were independent predictive factors for achieving a complete response, whereas residual disease (P = .001) and stage (IIc to III v IV; P = .04) were independent prognostic variables for survival. Conversely, statistical analyses failed to detect significant differences in complete response rates and survival among patients with an interval from surgery to chemotherapy shorter than 11 days, 12 to 21 days, 22 to 31 days, and longer than 31 days. CONCLUSION: The interval from surgery to the start of taxane- plus platinum-based chemotherapy seems to have neither a predictive value for response to treatment nor a prognostic relevance for survival of advanced ovarian cancer patients.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Laparoscopic adrenalectomy: an initial experience].

Our aim was to evaluate the short-term results of a series of 65 consecutive laparoscopic adrenalectomies performed on 63 patients with benign or metastatic tumours measuring < or = 7 cm. The surgical indication was primary hyperaldosteronism in 32 cases, pheochromocytoma in 7, Cushing syndrome and disease in 5 and 2 cases, respectively, incidentaloma in 11 and metastasis in 8 cases. The mean tumour size was 3.9 cm (range 0.6-7). Operative time averaged 130 min (range 45-270). In one case we produced an iatrogenic lesion by sectioning a peripheral recurrent branch of the left renal artery with consequent partial renal infarction. The conversion rate to the open approach was 6.1%; the morbidity rate was 4.6%. The mean hospital stay was 4 days (range 3-11). All patients were re-examined 30 days after surgery and no additional complications were observed. At this time 93.2% of patients with primary secreting tumours showed normal hormonal assays. Considering the 38 patients chronically treated during the preoperative period, we noted that the intake of specific drugs was suspended in 34.2%, reduced in 36.8%, maintained in 26.4% and transitorily augmented in 2.6%. On these basis we confirm the efficacy and safety of this surgical treatment.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Mucinous cystic tumour of the pancreas. A case report].

Although cystic neoplasms and lesions of the pancreas are rare (5% of exocrine tumours), they have attracted a great deal of attention because of their potential curability. In contrast to serous cystic neoplasms, which are generally benign, the mucinous variant is known to have considerable malignant potential. Most authorities agree that no imaging technique (US, CT, MRI) is sufficiently accurate to differentiate between the multiple benign, premalignant and malignant lesions that can be visualised. We report a case of a young woman with a mucinous cystic tumour of the pancreas which was successfully treated surgically and compare our data with those emerging from a review of the literature. We observed a 26-year-old woman who presented with an abdominal mass and mild symptoms. CT scan suggested a mucinous cystic neoplasm of the pancreas. We treated the patient surgically, performing resection of the neoplasm with left pancreatectomy. The histological examination revealed a benign pancreatic cystadenoma. Mucinous cystic neoplasms of the pancreas have a substantial malignant potential and should be treated surgically with adequate resection margins. Moreover, in our opinion, even small lesions, especially if symptomatic or present in older patients, are likely to be malignant and warrant thorough exploration in patients whose condition permits it.

Adult↗