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V Valentini

Publications and source records attributed to V Valentini.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

[Intraoperative radiotherapy with electrons (IORT). Dosimetry problems, first experience].

In this paper, preliminary results on the IORT dosimetry performed on the two radiotherapy centers, "Regina Elena National Cancer Institute" and "S. Cuore Catholic University", are presented. The absolute dosimetry has been performed with ion chambers (ENEA chamber and Markus flat chamber) using a water phantom. The relative measurements have been performed with solid state diodes and radiographic films, calibrated on absolute dosimetry system.

Combined Modality Therapy↗
PubMed1985

Clinical staging of rectal cancer. Results of a prospective continuing study.

78 patients with rectal adenocarcinoma were studied with a diagnostic protocol in order to obtain a TNM clinical stage in the preoperative period. Each patient underwent digital rectal examination, proctoscopy, double contrast barium enema, pelvic CT scan, liver ultrasound and chest x-ray. The degree of infiltration of the rectal wall by the tumor and the presence or absence of node and liver metastases were evaluated. After resection all specimens were studied by a pathologist who defined the pathologic stage. Data obtained by each diagnostic procedure were compared with the pathologic data. For each method, accuracy, specificity and sensitivity were evaluated. Each method showed an equivalent accuracy (100%) to detect infiltration of the muscularis of the rectum. Data were less accurate in identifying extraparietal tumor invasion. Accuracy was 79% for rectal examination, 74% for double contrast barium enema and 72% for pelvic CT scan. In the evaluation of lymph-node involvement, accuracy was 77%, specificity 74% and sensitivity 80%. Liver metastases were detected with 94% accuracy, 97% specificity and 50% sensitivity.

Barium Sulfate↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Radiotherapy combined with other treatments in rectal cancer.

Since the first reports in the late 1950's, a large amount of data have been collected. The analysis of the main evidence from the major randomized trials will be analyzed in this paper according to preoperative, postoperative and chemoradiation approaches. Fifteen randomized preoperative trials were reported; they have been grouped according to the fractionation schedule. In the hypofractionation group (5 Gy for fraction), all five studies that delivered 3-5 doses in one week had a significant improvement in local control and one of them also showed improvement in survival. Operative mortality was higher in the radiotherapy arm if inadequate techniques had been applied. In 3 out of 8 studies with conventional fractionation there was a significant improvement in local control, but no impact in survival was detected. No studies with total dose lower than 34 Gy had an improvement in local control. None of the six randomized postoperative studies showed an improvement in local control or survival. In all trials the local control rate was uniform; ranging from 76% to 84%. Toxicity was higher in the radiotherapy arm. One preoperative and five postoperative randomized studies that used chemoradiation were analyzed. One postoperative chemoradiation study showed a significant improvement in survival in comparison to the surgery arm, and another showed the same advantage compared to the postoperative arm. Protracted infusional administration of 5FU concomitant to radiotherapy showed better survival than bolus administration. No advantages were shown in using MeCCNU or Levamisole in two studies. Toxicity was high and related to the dose and the modality of administration of the drugs in order to adequately treat the different stages of rectal cancer, patients must be carefully selected in order to prescribe the most effective and the least toxic treatment for the individual stage; organ preservation should be an essential goal for its impact on quality of life, and the cost estimates should be taken into account.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Preoperative radiochemotherapy in pancreatic cancer: preliminary results].

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: The prognosis of pancreatic cancer remains poor. Surgery, when feasible, is rarely curative. Radiation therapy (RT) and concomitant 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) have been shown to improve survival in locally advanced pancreatic cancer. In an attempt to improve resectability and disease control, we used preoperative chemoradiation in a combined modality therapy protocol. The purpose of this study was to evaluate our initial results in terms of acute toxicity and response. METHODS: From October 1995 to May 1998, 20 patients (11 males, 9 females; mean age, 60.1 years; median follow-up, 28 months) with unresectable (12 patients) or resectable (8 patients) non-metastatic pancreatic tumors, received external beam radiation (39.6 Gy) plus 5-FU (96 hours continuous infusion, days 1-4 at 1000 mg/m2/day). After 4 weeks, patients were evaluated for surgical resection. In resected patients, electron-beam intraoperative radiation therapy (10 Gy) was given before reconstruction. Thereafter, in resected patients, adjuvant chemotherapy was prescribed (6 courses: 5-FU, mitomycin C, adriamicine). RESULTS: During chemoradiation, no patients developed grade 3-4 acute toxicity. Three out of twelve (25%) patients with unresectable tumors had tumor downstaging. No patients showed partial or complete responses. Four out of twenty patients (20%) had minimal tumor response. Three patients showed disease progression after chemoradiation (liver or peritoneal metastases). Nine patients underwent surgical resection and IORT, with 1 postoperative death. The median survival time for the 20 patients was 9.4 (18.5 and 8.3 months in resected and unresected patients, respectively). CONCLUSION: Our preliminary results suggest that preoperative 5-FU chemoradiation was well tolerated and may result in tumor downstaging but the response-rate is still low. Based on the impact of surgical resection on survival, an improvement in local response rate is necessary.

Actuarial Analysis↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Concomitant radiochemotherapy in unresectable carcinoma of the exocrine pancreas: cost-effectiveness analysis.

One of the principal therapeutic options in unresectable carcinoma of exocrine pancreas is concomitant radiochemotherapy. However, in current scientific literature cost analyses of this therapeutic modality are lacking. A payer-oriented cost-effectiveness analysis of concomitant radiochemotherapy was carried out. Outcomes and differences in costs relatively to two different therapeutic strategies were compared retrospectively: biliary drainage + observation (group 1); biliary drainage + concomitant radiochemotherapy (group 2). Cost-effectiveness was assessed based on the analysis of incremental cost of benefit in terms of survival in group 2. As incremental cost of group 2 was considered that of radiochemotherapy, costs of diagnosis and staging being similar in the two groups. The unit of measurement used was $/Lys (LYS = years of life saved). For estimates of cost-effectiveness in different clinical situations, a sensitivity analysis was carried out. The incremental cost of standard concomitant radiochemotherapy was shown to be $4,755. Incremental costs relatively to the situations of minimum and maximum treatment were shown to be $4,410 and $8,375, respectively. Median survival was 4.5 and 10 months in group 1 and 2 respectively (logrank: p = 0.0046). The benefit in terms of survival achieved by concomitant radiochemotherapy was shown to be 5.5 months equal to 0.46 years. Therefore, in the standard situation, the treatment cost-effectiveness can be estimated in: $4,755/0.46 years = $10,337/LYS, that is, the cost of a year of life saved was shown to be $10,337. Results of sensitivity analysis showed that cost-effectiveness can be estimated in the range $7,603 and $25,379/LYS. In conclusion, concomitant radiochemotherapy in patients with unresectable pancreatic carcinoma is able to improve the quality of life through the relief of related symptoms as well as median survival (10 vs 4.5 months). Costs of these benefits, even if considering better survival only, based on this analysis, were shown to be acceptable.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Topical issues in the treatment of rectal cancer: economic and organizational aspects of concomitant radiochemotherapy.

Concomitant radiochemotherapy in patients with locally advanced rectal carcinoma has been shown to be useful in improving local control and survival in operated patients and in favoring sphincter preservation when administered before surgery. Together with the search for less toxic combinations, cost-analysis of radiochemotherapy has become topical also in consideration of new generation drugs. In this study the analysis was carried out by comparing the costs for 4 different combined modalities in the dual perspective of the payer (the National Health Service) and the provider (the Hospital). Based on their characteristic of treatment and innovative aspects, the following combinations were examined: external beam radiotherapy (ERT) 50.4 Gy + 5FU bolus; ERT 50.4 Gy + 5FU protracted infusion; ERT 50.4 Gy + 5FU continuous infusion, week 1 and 5; ERT 50.4 Gy+ Tomudex bolus. Costs were evaluated based on the frequency and type of specific services provided in therapeutic protocols: the positioning of central venous catheter, time of stay in day-hospital or hospital ward and the cost of drugs. Calculations were carried out based on an "ideal" patient of 1.7 sqm body surface. Costs were based on out patient rates, DRGs and the official drug list valid to September 1999. As for day-hospital costs afforded by the payer it is observed that the most expensive combinations are bolus and continuous infusion followed by protracted infusion; Tomudex, is the most economic. As for hospital costs afforded by the provider, it is observed that the most expensive combination is continuous infusion followed by protracted infusion, bolus administration and Tomudex. In conclusion, doctors are increasingly involved in the economic and organizational aspects of therapeutic decisions; however, the patient's needs should be kept in mind; apart from the therapeutic benefits, lower toxicity and ready use of treatments are amongst the patient's needs. The analysis of the patient's satisfaction is still lacking suitable means of evaluation, however it should be defined and carefully studied for an exhaustive evaluation of the impact of combined modality therapy.

Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Research trends in the treatment of colorectal cancer.

Colorectal carcinoma ranks second in incidence after lung cancer in males and breast carcinoma in females. Within the clinical research on this tumor, new molecules of antineoplastic agents and new combined modality treatments have been introduced. From the examination of ongoing protocols some trends can be identified: the interest in immunotherapy and genetic therapy, frequently tested in combination with chemotherapy; the effort at the optimization of the administration of antineoplastic agents in the most common sites of metastatic lesions by hepatic or intraperitoneal infusion; the trend to a more aggressive treatment of metastastatic lesions with hyperthermia and cryoablation as well with the combination of systemic therapy and surgery. As far as radiotherapy is concerned, the main goals of clinical research seem represented by the need to optimize combined modality therapy in T3-4 rectal carcinoma both in terms of pre- and postoperative radiotherapy timing as well as of the combination with adjuvant chemotherapy. There is a growing interest in new drugs which in the future may replace the conventional 5-fluorouracil in concurrent chemoradiation.

Colorectal Neoplasms↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Combined diagnostic imaging of mediastinal lymphadenopathy in lung cancer.

The identification and characterization of lymphadenopathies is one of the fascinating challenges of modern diagnostic imaging. At present, the real problem is the distinction between normal and pathologic signs. For twenty years, the differentiation was based on the dimensional criterion, namely a short axis < 1 cm, however it was shown to be inadequate. After an overview of the anatomy, ATS classification, the role of N factor in lung cancer (60% of N0 patients survive at 5 years) while only 20% of N2 patients survive), the new signs evidenced on CT are analyzed and interpreted. With thin section, late phase CT, a retrospective study and a perspective study were carried out on densitometric changes in lymph nodes correlated with histology findings. The role of intranodal hypodensity, peripheral rim and adipose tissue was stressed. The results of these studies were concordant with histology findings and confirmed the better accuracy in staging and the impact on survival of extranodal spread detected, based on radiologic criteria.

Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Quality handbook in radiotherapy: personal experience.

The Quality Handbook includes the description of the activities carried out in Radiotherapy and the methodology used to ensure the Quality Assurance according to the principles indicated in national and international documents of reference and the recommendations of accreditation agencies. The structure of the Quality Handbook, the main aspects of single chapters, the selected quality indicators undergoing inspections are analysed and procedures to be followed for changes and updating of the Quality Handbook are described. The Quality Assurance program is illustrated in another article of this issue.

Humans↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Quality assurance in radiotherapy: personal experience.

The approach to the implementation of a Quality Assurance Program applied from 1 October 2000 at the Radiotherapy Service of the "Università Cattolica del S. Cuore, Policlinico "A. Gemelli" of Rome, is described. Some major aspects of this program are analyzed.

Humans↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Quality handbook in radiotherapy. Brachytherapy: personal experience.

Brachytherapy is a conventional method of radiation therapy characterized by peculiar technical, clinical, operational and radioprotection problems. Therefore, the management of a service or department of brachytherapy requires a specific organization aimed at Quality Assurance. In this report, the personal experience with the drawing up of a Quality Handbook of brachytherapy with reference to the method used and the structure of the document, is described.

Brachytherapy↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Adjuvant radiotherapy in rectal cancer and total mesorectal excision].

Local recurrence (LR) after surgical resection for adenocarcinoma of the rectum still remains an unsolved problem. Local relapse often occurs when tumor spreads in perirectal fat (mesorectum) or along the lateral iliac lymph nodes also when surgery is considered radically. There is a close relationship between local recurrence rate and lymphatic involvement, local tumor extension and tumour grading. Total mesorectal excision (TME) appears to be associated with a reduced LR rate when resection of perirectal fat is done "en-bloc" and when a negative radial margins is obtained. TME allows autonomic nerve sparing and sphincter preservation too, but lateral nodes are not treated by TME. Extended lymphadenectomy with lateral dissection for advanced rectal cancer has been often associated with an increase rate of long term morbidity, particularly regarding urinary and sexual function. Concomitant preoperative chemo-radiation for advanced rectal cancer is a relatively safe procedure with an acceptable morbidity and mortality. This approach is associated with a considerable clinical and pathologic tumor downstaging. Tumor resectability is improved and lateral spreading is also better controlled. An improving in survival and a longer disease free period has been reported. More radical sphincter saving operations are also allowed.

Digestive System Surgical Procedures↗