Biomedical subjects

Francesco Deodato

Publications and source records attributed to Francesco Deodato.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Predisposition for temporomandibular joint disorders: loose ligaments.

Loose ligaments are often a predisposing factor of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders. This causal factor was analyzed in 701 subjects presenting at the TMJ and Posture Center of Siena University with TMJ pain or dysfunction. Along with the conventional jaw examination, a Carter and Wilkinson test as modified by Beighton was also done. We found a correlation among the parameters of age, gender, TMJ disorder, joint pain, muscle pain, and loose ligaments.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Chemoradiation and brachytherapy in biliary tract carcinoma: long-term results.

PURPOSE: To evaluate long-term effects of chemoradiation and intraluminal brachytherapy in terms of local control, disease-free survival, overall survival, and symptom relief in patients with unresectable or residual extrahepatic biliary carcinoma. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Twenty-two patients with unresectable (17 patients) or residual (5 patients) nonmetastatic extrahepatic bile tumors received external beam radiation therapy (39.6-50.4 Gy) between 1991 and 1997. In 21 patients, 5-fluorouracil (96-h continuous infusion, Days 1-4, 1,000 mg/m2/day) was administered. Twelve patients received a boost of intraluminal brachytherapy with 192Ir wires (30-50 Gy) 1 cm from the source axis. RESULTS: During external beam radiotherapy, 10 patients (45.4%) developed Grade 1 to 2 gastrointestinal toxicity. In patients with unresectable tumor who could be evaluated, the clinical response was 28.6% (4 of 14). Two patients showed complete response. In all 22 patients, median durations of local control, disease-free survival, and overall survival were 44.5 months, 16.3 months, and 23.0 months, respectively. Two patients who received external beam radiation therapy and intraluminal brachytherapy developed late duodenal ulceration. In patients with unresectable tumors, median survival was 13.0 months and 22.0 months in those treated with and without brachytherapy, with 16.7% and no 5-year survival, respectively (p=0.607). Overall 5-year survival was 18.0%: 40% and 11.7% in patients treated with partial resection and in those with unresectable tumor, respectively (p=0.135). CONCLUSION: This study confirmed the role of concurrent chemoradiation in advanced biliary carcinoma; the role of intraluminal brachytherapy boost remains to be further analyzed in larger clinical trials.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

The prognostic effect of clinical staging in pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The importance of pancreatic cancer staging is uncertain. The aim of this report was to evaluate the accuracy of combined standard imaging techniques in predicting the pathologic stage and to evaluate the prognostic effect of clinical staging to identify patient groups in which laparoscopy and laparotomy could be beneficial. METHODS: Fifty-four patients were included in this analysis. The techniques used for clinical staging were endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, abdominal computed tomographic scan, and ultrasonography. All patients underwent both clinical and surgical/pathologic staging. A comparison was performed between presurgical stage and surgical/pathologic stage. The prognostic effect of different factors on survival was evaluated with both univariate (log-rank) and multivariate (Cox) analysis. RESULTS: Sensitivity and specificity for vascular involvement were 73.9% and 96.3%, respectively. Sensitivity and specificity for nodal involvement were 63.6% and 95.4%, respectively. A total of 33.3% of patients showed a higher than expected pathologic stage, and 3.7% showed a lower than expected pathologic stage, by comparing clinical and pathologic evaluation. A highly significant correlation was observed between clinical T stage (P = .0067) and tumor diameter (P = .0037) and patient survival. Maximal prognostic differentiation was observed by dividing patients into two groups based on imaging results: group A (favorable prognosis) and group B (unfavorable prognosis). The median survival was 25.1 and 8.0 months for group A and B, respectively. Five-year survival was 20.1% and 0%, respectively (multivariate analysis: P = .0007). CONCLUSIONS: Integrated standard imaging studies achieved reasonable diagnostic accuracy in our analysis. A single classification based on clinical stage and tumor diameter evaluated by imaging predicts prognosis in patients with pancreatic carcinoma.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed2004

5-fluorouracil-based chemoradiation in unresectable pancreatic carcinoma: Phase I-II dose-escalation study.

PURPOSE: A Phase I-II dose-escalation study was performed to evaluate the possible impact of the dose on response, toxicity, pain relief, and outcome in patients with unresectable pancreatic carcinoma. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A total of 50 patients entered the study. The external beam radiotherapy (RT) dose was 39.6 Gy in the first 15 patients, 50.4 Gy in the next 15 patients, and 59.4 Gy in the remaining 20 patients, at five 1.8-Gy fractions weekly. During external beam RT, patients received concurrent continuous infusion of 5-fluorouracil (1000 mg/m(2) on Days 1-4 and 21-24). Patients were evaluated for toxic reactions, local disease control, survival, and pain relief. RESULTS: No treatment-related deaths occurred from acute toxicity. Four patients required a temporary treatment interruption because of acute hematologic (2 patients) or GI (2 patients) toxicity, not correlated with the delivered RT dose. Three patients (6%) developed late toxicity (duodenal ulcer in 2 and duodenal stenosis in 1). All patients who developed late toxicity had received a dose of 59.4 Gy. At univariate analysis, only the RT dose correlated significantly with the incidence of late toxicity (at 2 years, 39.6-50.4 Gy resulted in 0% and 59.4 Gy resulted in 58.2%; p = 0.023). At multivariate analysis, the RT dose also showed a trend with the incidence of late side effects (p = 0.052). Overall, 6 patients had a partial response (12%) and 44 (88%) had no change. The overall response rate was 8.0% (95% confidence interval, 1.5-20.5%). The rate of response was not different in the three groups. In-field locoregional disease progression was seen in 7 patients (14.0%). Distant relapse was documented in 34 patients (68.0%). None of analyzed variables, in particular, the RT dose delivered, showed a statistically significant correlation with objective response, local control, incidence of metastasis, disease-free survival, or overall incidence of pain symptoms after therapy. The whole group median survival was 9 months. The actuarial survival rate at 1, 2, and 3 years was 31.3%, 2.8%, and 0.0%, respectively. None of analyzed parameters correlated significantly with survival at univariate or multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: In a Phase I-II study, the association of high RT doses with the incidence of severe toxicity in the treatment of unresectable pancreatic carcinoma was confirmed. Furthermore, this dose-escalation study did not document a clearcut correlation, using 5-fluorouracil-based chemoradiation, between the radiation dose and clinical outcome.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMedDate not supplied

High-dose radiotherapy plus prolonged hormone therapy in CT2-3 prostatic carcinoma: is it useful?

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: Clinical studies published in the last decade have shown the possible improvement in prognosis of patients with prostatic carcinoma undergoing radiation therapy with dose escalation or in combination with hormone therapy. However, in studies on hormone therapy, moderate doses of radiation therapy have been used, whereas in studies with high-dose radiotherapy, hormone therapy usually was not administered. Therefore, it is not clear whether the concomitant use of high doses and prolonged hormone therapy could determine an additional beneficial effect. The aim of the present study was therefore to evaluate the relative prognostic role of different dose levels (< 70 versus > or = 70 Gy) of external beam radiotherapy and of different hormone therapies (neoadjuvant only versus neoadjuvant + adjuvant). METHODS: A total of 426 patients (median age, 71 yrs; range, 51-87 yrs) underwent external beam radiotherapy (70 Gy median dose to prostate volume +/- 45 Gy to pelvic lymph nodes) and neoadjuvant hormone therapy (bicalutamide for 30 days; goserelin, 3.6 mg every 28 days starting two months before radiotherapy and for its entire duration). Dose to the prostate was < 70 Gy in 44.8% of patients and > or = 70 Gy in 55.2%. A total of 244 patients received adjuvant hormonal therapy. The distribution according to the clinical stage was 48.1% T2 and 51.9% T3. The distribution according to the Gleason score was 14.3% grades 2-4, 66.7% grades 5-7 and 19.0% grades 8-10. The distribution according to pretreatment prostate-specific antigen levels (in ng/mL) was 7.0% for 0-4, 29.3% for 4-10, 30.3% for 10-20, and 33.3% for > 20. RESULTS: With a median follow-up of 35 months (range, 1-151), 81 patients (19.0%) showed biochemical recurrence, 17 patients (4.0%) showed local disease progression, and 12 patients (2.8%) showed distant metastases. Overall, 23 patients (5.4%) showed disease progression. Four patients (0.9%) died. At the time of this writing, no patient has died from prostatic carcinoma. At univariate analysis, the radiation dose delivered to the tumor and the administration of adjuvant hormone therapy were shown to be significantly correlated with biochemical disease-free survival. At multivariate analysis, the single parameter significantly correlated with biochemical disease-free survival was the radiation dose delivered to the tumor. In the subset of patients not treated with adjuvant hormone therapy, there was a significant correlation between radiation dose and biochemical disease-free survival at univariate and multivariate analysis. A similar correlation between adjuvant hormone therapy and biochemical disease-free survival was observed in the subset of stage cT3 patients at univariate and multivariate analysis. In patients undergoing combined treatment without adjuvant hormone therapy, a significant correlation was observed between clinical stage and biochemical disease-free survival, at univariate and at multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the study confirmed the positive impact of radiotherapy doses > 70 Gy and of adjuvant hormone therapy in patients with locally advanced prostatic carcinoma. Owing to the lack of evidence of a correlation between radiation dose and biochemical outcome in patients undergoing prolonged hormone therapy, the role of further dose escalation in patients undergoing combined hormone and radiation therapy is still unclear.

Actuarial Analysis↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Virtual simulation: fifteen years later.

In the last two decades there was a radical change in radiotherapy setup. The growing availability of CT equipment and console for computer-aided treatment planning setup enabled the use of advanced technologies as conformal 3D radiation therapy in most centers. In particular in 1987 virtual simulation was proposed for setup. During its use a number of application modalities appeared. Virtual simulation in some centers is applied alone while in others it is associated with conventional simulation. However, from numerous reports published in last years it seems that virtual simulation significantly improves treatment quality independently of radical or palliative intent and of the size of treated volumes (high doses to small volumes or wide shaped fields). Some studies stressed that virtual simulation could significantly shorten treatment planning times with consequent cost reduction. The use of virtual simulation evidenced associated problems and in particular setup limitations due to the CT gantry size, the need to up-date the conventional modalities of setup verification according to the new technologies and more generally to up-date quality assurance procedures in an advanced technological setting. Finally there was the self-evident need of a better knowledge of the anatomy on axial sections, of tumor spread routes in particular.

Computer Simulation↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Lymphatic drainage and CTV in pancreatic carcinoma.

CTV definition in exclusive or adjuvant radiation therapy of pancreatic carcinoma is essentially based on the opinion of "expert" authors and on the knowledge of lymphatic pathways. The subject has been widely debated. Radiotherapy treatments of the entire upper abdomen (liver and pancreatic region), pancreas and lymph node stations, to volumes focused on macroscopic tumor only, have been proposed. Carcinoma of exocrine pancreas is characterized by the frequent, early appearance of metastasis via the lymphatic route. Most commonly involved lymph node stations include those of the celiac trunk, superior mesenteric, peripancreatic, lumboaortic lymph nodes, those of the hepatic portal (the latter in particular for pancreatic head tumors) and of the hilum of spleen (the latter in particular for pancreatic tail tumors). The possible multicentricity of pancreatic carcinoma, most likely due to intraductal spread, should lead to the inclusion in the CTV of the entire pancreatic parenchyma. This should be considered also for the frequent perineural intra- or extrapancreatic spread of pancreatic carcinoma present also in small tumors (T1). In extrapancreatic spread the retropancreatic adipose tissue should be included in the CTV at least at the GTV level. At the present state of knowledge, in the absence of pattern of failure analysis and of comparison of different treatment approaches, in terms of the definition of volumes of interest, CTV definitions which include lymphatic drainage stations, most part of pancreatic parenchyma and retropancreatic adipose tissue seem justified especially in treatments for cure. In palliation, the CTV may be limited to the GTV and the adipose tissue behind it.

Adipose Tissue↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Lymphatic drainage and CTV in carcinoma of the prostate.

The prostate lymphatics drain into the periprostatic subcapsular network, from which 3 groups of ducts originate: the ascending ducts from the cranial prostate draining into the external iliac lymph nodes, the lateral ducts running to the hypogastric lymph nodes and the posterior ducts draining from the caudal prostate to the subaortic sacral lymph nodes of the promontory. Internal, external iliac and obturator lymph nodes are the most frequently involved by prostate carcinoma. Metastases to presacral and common iliac lymph nodes are rare. For the limited staging accuracy, present indications for seminal vesicle irradiation and pelvic node prohylactic irradiation are essentially based on risk categories and estimation algorithms; the latter while are widely used in international studies are not free of limitations as stressed since they were introduced. A method to deliver high doses to the tumor while limiting the irradiation of critical organs might be the delivery of a boost to the tumor only. This approach could become increasingly feasible with the diffusion of imaging procedures able to better define tumor extension.

Humans↗

PubMedDate not supplied

When can a drug be considered synergic with radiotherapy?

The combination of radiotherapy with chemotherapy is now considered the standard treatment for a number of tumors. However frequently, within radiotherapy as well as medical oncology, considerable skepticism has been expressed about the real impact of this therapeutic modality, in spite of the improvement in terms of outcome seen in numerous trials concerning head and neck, lung, esophageal cancer and tumors of the anal canal, the uterine cervix and pancreas. Considering the evident clinical advantages achieved in the last 2-3 decades, a close collaboration between basic, preclinical and clinical research is desirable to further optimize the outcomes based on the present radiobiological knowledge. As for the preclinical evaluation different methods should be concomitantly used to analyze the pharmacokinetics and mechanism of action; the method of tumor growth delay should be used especially in neoadjuvant clinical settings; the method of tumor control should be used when chemoradiation is aimed at the local cure of the patient independently of subsequent surgery.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Impact of dose and volume on lymphedema.

Lymphedema represents one of the major problem of morbidity in breast cancer therapy. Approximately 15-30% of patients show more or less severe lymphedema of the arm, following cancer therapy. Main pathogenetic mechanisms, risk factors, main grading criteria and scales as LENT-SOMA, CTCv2, CTCAE v3 are presented. A close correlation has been documented between the extent of axillary dissection and the association with radiotherapy in determining an increased risk of lymphedema. Details of surgery and radiotherapy are relevant in the definition of the risk of edema of the arm. Because the axillary area does not correspond to an organ, evaluable parameters as V20 and Dmean available for other organs are not applicable. There is some evidence of a correlation between the irradiation volume and the development of lymphedema. Data of the impact of the dose and its fractionation on the development of lymphedema are contrasting. The monitoring system of late toxicity used by the authors is presented.

Arm↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Impact of dose and volume on the tolerance of central nervous system.

Radiotherapy still plays a major role in the treatment of brain lesions. Its end-points are not only better survival but especially better disease control that positively impacts on better quality of life. However radiotherapy is not free of both acute and late side-effects. Data on late toxicity are disappointing, for inadequate follow-up time and the absence of cards for collecting information shared by the scientific community in an attempt to acheive a common, universal language. While these treatments should be considered for palliation, the main goal is always the patient with his/her quality of life, and their toxicity should be monitored to optimize therapeutic outcomes and lower the incidence of complications. The monitoring system of late toxicity used by the authors is presented.

Central Nervous System↗