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P Bernardeschi

Publications and source records attributed to P Bernardeschi.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

Trisomy 8 in Philadelphia-negative cells during imatinib therapy.

Targeted therapy with imatinib selectively suppresses Philadelphia-positive cells in chronic myeloid leukemia cells, with reappearance of apparently normal hemopoiesis in a considerable number of patients. Recently, clonal abnormalities have been observed in Philadelphia-negative cells during imatinib therapy, the biologic and prognostic significance of which is actually unknown. A case of trisomy 8 occurring in Philadelphia-negative cells, which was treated by bone marrow transplantation, is reported. Chromosomal abnormalities in Philadelphia-negative cells do not seem to herald disease transformation, but the long-term prognosis may be influenced by an increased incidence of myelodysplasia in younger patients.

Benzamides↗
PubMed2004

Hepatic intra-arterial chemotherapy (HIAC) of high dose mitomycin and epirubicin combined with caval chemofiltration versus prolonged low doses in liver metastases from colorectal cancer: a prospective randomized clinical study.

A multicenter randomized study comparing high dose of mitomycin and epirubicin given as hepatic intra-arterial chemotherapy (HIAC) combined with caval chemofiltration (CF) versus low doses of the same drugs in unresectable liver metastases from colorectal cancer showed a significant improvement in the survival rate of the 20 patients treated with high dose compared to the 22 patients treated with low doses with a 1 year survival of 69% vs 39%. The median survival was 17 vs 11 months and the responses were 65% vs 33%. Toxicity was colangitis in 50% of patients considered. The extrahepatic progression was similar in the two groups (7/20 vs 8/22).

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗
PubMed2004

Chemoresistant myeloma: phase II clinical study with low-dose thalidomide plus high-dose dexamethasone.

Thalidomide produces a response rate from 32 to 66% of pre-treated myeloma patients with doses ranging from 100 to 800 mg/daily. Common, dose-related side effects are sedation, constipation, polyneuropathy. Increased incidence of thromboembolic events were observed in myeloma patients receiving thalidomide as front-line therapy or in association with chemotherapy. Less common adverse reactions are central nervous system (CNS) dysfunction and cutaneous reactions. We describe the update of our experience with low dose thalidomide plus monthly high dose dexamethasone and zolendronate. Most patients were able to tolerate this regimen with few side effects. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) lowering was early observed in patients who subsequently responded.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Intra-arterial hepatic chemoembolization in liver metastases from neuroendocrine tumors: a phase II study.

Neuroendocrine tumors, particularly those of gastrointestinal tract origin, have a predisposition for metastasizing to the liver, causing parenchymal substitution and paraneoplastic syndrome. Lipiodol embolization combined with anticancer drugs is a recent tool in regional therapy. It has been proven that chemoembolization reduces tumor bulk and hormone levels, and that it palliates the symptoms of many patients with liver-dominant neuroendocrine metastases. Beginning in December 1988, ten patients with unresectable and chemotherapy-refractory liver metastatic neuroendocrine tumors were treated with chemoembolization based on a mixture of lipiodol, mitomycin, cisplatin, epirubicin, followed by gelfoam powder and contrast media. Toxicity encountered included: upper right quadrant pain requiring narcotics, elevation of lactate dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, and transaminases. One patient had liver abscess and persistent fever for 2 weeks. We obtained two complete remissions lasting 12 and 34 months and 5 partial remissions. The median survival was 22 months. Four patients had urinary elevation of 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid (5-HIAA). They showed more than a 75% decrease in urinary secretion after treatment. In a patient with transplanted liver we noticed a partial response lasting 7 months. We conclude that chemoembolization will improve the clinical condition of a significant percentage of patients with liver metastases, that future therapy of carcinoid tumors will be based on specific tumor biology and that treatment will be customized for each individual patient combining the use of cytoreductive procedures including radiofrequency ablation, laser treatment and chemoembolization.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib mesylate as anticancer agent for advanced ocular melanoma expressing immunoistochemical C-KIT (CD 117): preliminary results of a compassionate use clinical trial.

Imatinib mesylate (IM), is a selective and competitive inhibitor of tyrosine kinases, including BCR-ABL, ABL, KIT, and the platelet-derived growth factor receptors (PDGF-R). It binds to the ATP-binding site of the target kinase and prevents the transfer of phosphate from ATP to the tyrosine residues of various substrates. At oral doses of 200-600 mg, the majority of patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia, Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia expressing the BCR-ABL fusion protein and gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST) achieve a bio-molecular and clinical response, frequently complete, associated with limited toxicity. Several other human cancers, as small-cell lung carcinoma, melanoma, seminoma, some sarcomas, and adenoid cystic carcinomas may over-express KIT or PDGF-R, and clinical trials to evaluate the role of IM in the treatment of such cancers are currently ongoing. We determined c-KIT with Dako CD 117 antibody in 5 cases of advanced ocular melanoma (OM) and we found positive immuno-reactivity for CD 117 in three patients. We treated all patients with palliative-use IM at the oral dose of 400 mgr daily. We obtained in expressing positive immuno-reactivity for CD 117 patients: a reduction of malignant ascites in one, a partial remission in the neck nodes in another, and progression of liver metastases in the third. Evidences of progression has been reported in the other two patients expressing negative immuno-reactivity for CD 117. We conclude that the effect of IM should be assessed only in OM with positive immuno-histochemical c-kit (CD 117) expression. IM might be a potential therapeutic strategy for these patients.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Thyroid metastases from colon cancer case report in a long term survivor.

Colon cancer usually has an hematogenous spread to liver and lung: rarely, or in the case of most advanced disease, also brain and bone can be involved. Thyroid metastasis is generally thought to be infrequent, breast and kidney cancer being the most frequent causes. Herein we present the case of a man affected by liver metastasis from colon cancer, who developed unusual metastasis to thyroid.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1991

Pathologic sideroblastosis in myelodysplastic syndromes and acute nonlymphocytic leukemia.

To assess the incidence and the eventual prognostic relevance of pathologic sideroblastosis in myelodysplastic syndromes and acute nonlymphocytic leukemia, 5 acquired idiopathic sideroblastic anemias, 2 refractory anemias, 9 refractory anemias with excess of blasts, 10 acute nonlymphocytic leukemias were studied with regard to sideroblast type (ring or ferritin) and percentage. Pathologic sideroblastosis was commonly found in each subgroup, in some patients it appeared later in the course of the disease while in other reversed. In a successfully treated leukemic patient, pathologic sideroblastosis in otherwise normal bone marrow after therapeutic hypoplasia suggested clonal remission. Although the patient number was small, pathologic sideroblastosis seems to correlate with poor treatment response in leukemic patients. We conclude that systematic looking for pathologic sideroblastosis may have some biologic and clinical implications in myelodysplasia and acute leukemia.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

[Abdominal lymph node tuberculosis: a diagnostic surprise].

The case of a patient submitted to sonographic abdominal examination because of recent onset of fever, abdominal pain and weight loss, with the finding of multiple enlarged lymph nodes along great vessels, is reported. Because of the negativity of noninvasive procedures, the patient underwent laparatomy and biopsy. The histologic and bacteriologic diagnosis of tuberculous lymphnodes was unexpected, as the patient was unreactive to the tuberculin skin test and had no signs of active pulmonary tuberculosis. Although uncommon, tuberculosis must be included in the differential diagnosis of subdiaphragmatic lymphadenopathies even if symptoms of mycobacterial infection or other signs of the infections are not presented.

Abdomen↗