1,101 research outputs found
Emerging technologies in solid drug delivery: An interview with Nadia Passerini
No full textNadia Passerini is interviewed by Hannah Makin, Commission Editor. Nadia Passerini is Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Technology at the University of Bologna (Bologna, Italy). She obtained the degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology at the University of Bologna in 1992 and the PhD in Pharmaceutical Science in 1997. Her research focuses on the study of drug delivery systems, developing new technologies and new apparatus for the production of solid dosage forms (microparticles, granules and tablets), which can optimize the bioavailability of drugs according to the specific needs of the therapy. Furthermore, she is interested in the solid-state characterization of the produced delivery systems in order to correlate their physicochemical properties to the in vitro release of the drugs. Currently, her research focuses in particular on the production and characterization of microparticles produced by the spray congealing technology. She is author of over 50 international peer-reviewed publications and over 50 contributions (poster and oral presentations) to national and international conferences
Selected Songs of Nadia Boulanger: Formal Analysis and Adaptation for Brass Chamber Music
No full textWorth can be a difficult thing to understand and define, even under the best of circumstances. Nadia Boulanger is known to have told her teacher, Gabriel Fauré, that “if there is one thing of which I am certain, it is that my music is worthless.” As a teacher, Boulanger empowered her students to listen for the internal logic present in the pieces of art that she considered valuable. This document will apply Nadia Boulanger’s teachings to her compositions to demonstrate that her music does have worth. To that end, these analyses will compile data to discern the internal logic in her pieces.
As a performer, Nadia Boulanger coupled her analytical beliefs to her performance practice; her concerts were shaped by and carefully crafted to present her analyses. Her formal classes included an informal ticket to hear her commentaries in action. Therefore, in addition to analytical validation, the author intends to demonstrate the value of Nadia Boulanger’s music through the arrangement and performance of her compositions as brass chamber music. as brass chamber music
Cetuximab and Oral Mucositis: Is it Different from Oral Mucositis Caused by Other Drugs?
No full textPurpose: To estimate frequency of oral mucositis in treatment for head and neck cancer with radiotherapy and concurrent cetuximab and to determine whether it has different characteristics from mucositis caused by other drugs.
Materials and methods: Subjects with locally advanced, primary non-metastatic, squamous cell carcinoma located in the oropharynx were treated with radiation therapy plus concomitant cetuximab. Results: None of patients received their full planned course of combination treatment due to excessive mucosal toxicity. All patients developed oral mucositis within about 10-15 days: it began directly, without escalation, as grade ≥ 3; it was associated with severe pain and trismus; it was never associated to specific supra-infections; the evolution and the consequent resolution of clinical discomfort required several days and the treatment with corticosteroids did not represent the solution formula.
Conclusion: Cetuximab induced oral mucositis have the following specific characteristics: time of onset, mode of clinical expression, severity, association with trismus and minimal response to corticosteroid therapy. Considering that the majority of studies do not reveal oral toxicity associated with cetuximab, future clinical trials should focus on specific topics to improve the definition of documented oral toxic effects
Definitive chemoradiotherapy for anal carcinoma: long-term results based on consistent time-to-event endpoints
No full textAIM:To report the long-term results after definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for anal carcinoma, using consistent time-to-event endpoints.
METHODS AND MATERIALS: Anal carcinoma patient charts were reviewed. All patients received definitive CRT. Overall survival (OS), local failure-free survival (LFFS), locoregional failure-free survival (LRFFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), and anal dysfunction-free survival (ADFS) were estimated.
RESULTS: In total, 65 patients were included. CRT was well tolerated, with only 24.6% grade ≥3 acute toxicity. Overall, the 5-year OS, LFFS, LRFFS, and DMFS were 75.3, 60.2, 74.2, and 66.2%, respectively. Early complete clinical response and tumor stage at diagnosis were the strongest predictors of OS (p = 0.04) and local failure (p = 0.03), respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: In the treatment of anal cancers, excellent ADFS and OS, and valid LFFS, LRFFS, and DMFS can be achieved with definitive CRT. Adequacy of time-to-event endpoints is paramount
Definitive intensity-modulated radiation therapy in elderly patients with locally advanced oropharyngeal cancer
No full textTo evaluate the treatment tolerance and clinical outcomes in patients aged 70 years and older with locally advanced oropharyngeal cancer treated by definitive intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)
Disease control, survival, and toxicity outcome after intensified neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced rectal cancer: a single-institution experience
No full textDevelopment of distant metastasis remains high in locally advanced rectal cancer patients treated with a
trimodal approach. We intensified the neoadjuvant treatment regimen by adding oxaliplatin to the standard 5-
fluorouracil. Five-year follow-up data were encouraging, with excellent disease control rates and long-term
survival. An oxaliplatin-based combination in the neoadjuvant setting could be a valid treatment option.
Purpose: To report the long-term follow-up data and determine the toxicity rate concerning patients with locally
advanced rectal cancer (LARC) treated with an intensified neoadjuvant treatment regimen. Patients and Methods:
Patients with histologically proven stage II to III adenocarcinoma of the rectum were included and treated with a
trimodal approach. Intensified neoadjuvant treatment (chemoradiotherapy [CRT]) consisted of radiotherapy (total dose
50.4/54 Gy) and concomitant oxaliplatin (50 mg/m2
/week) and 5-fluorouracil (200 mg/m2
/5 daily continuous infusion).
Surgery was planned 7 to 9 weeks after the end of CRT. Adjuvant chemotherapy was recommended in those patients
with lymph node metastasis at diagnosis. Results: One hundred patients (median age, 64 years) were eligible. Overall,
the 5-year overall survival and disease-free survival (DFS) were 76.4% and 74.5%, respectively. CRT was well
tolerated, with only 17% grade 3/4 acute toxicity. Twenty-four patients (24%) had a pathologic complete response
(pCR), and only 1 patient had perioperative metastasis. The 5-year DFS were 95.7% and 66.7% for pCR and no-pCR
tumor histology, respectively (P 1⁄4 .0275). Conclusion: Although oxaliplatin is not considered to be a standard
treatment, the high 5-year rate of overall survival and DFS, the low severe toxicity rates, and the effective benefit on
pCR and perioperative metastasis support an intensified treatment regimen for LAR
Hypofractionated radiotherapy combined with cetuximab in vulnerable elderly patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
No full textThis study was designed to evaluate the objective response after hypofractionated radiotherapy (HFRT) combined with cetuximab (HFBRT) in vulnerable elderly patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Vulnerable elderly patients with histologically proven HNSCC received HFRT (total dose 60 Gy, 3 Gy/fraction) with concurrent cetuximab (250 mg/m2 with a loading dose of 400 mg/m2 1 week before HFRT). Elderly patients were categorized as vulnerable based on mini-cog test and adult comorbidity evaluation-27 score. All patients completed the programmed HFRT and two patients received the planned cetuximab infusion. Severe acute toxicity, observed in four patients, was gastrointestinal (oral mucositis in four cases; nausea/vomiting in one case) and dermatological (acneiform eruption in three cases; radiation dermatitis in one case). Three serious adverse events were recorded in three out of six patients Overall, three patients had a partial response and three patients had progression disease 3 months after the end of the treatment. No complete response was observed. HFBRT seems to be not a safer alternative approach for vulnerable elderly patients with locally advanced HNSCC. Further prospective trials are needed to define better tumor control with less incidence of toxic effects in vulnerable elderly HNSCC patients
Target volume delineation based on diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging for locally advanced head and neck cancer
No full textTo compare gross tumor volume (GTV) definition in locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (LAHNSCC) using diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) and computed tomography (CT) with intravenous contrast
Successful Treatment of Anal Canal Cancer Metastasis to the Cranial Bones: A Case Report and Literature Review
No full textSingle metastasis to the cranial bone represents a very uncommon occurrence that can arise from an anal canal cancer. No cases of cranial bone metastasis from anal canal carcinoma are available in the literature. Herein, we present a case of a unique metastatic lesion to the right parietal bone that occurred after curative chemoradiotherapy of primary squamous cell anal canal carcinoma. The patient received radiotherapy and systemic platinum-based chemotherapy, with optimal local control, high compliance and a well tolerable level of toxicity
Influence of organ invasion in clinical outcomes for locally advanced rectal cancer
No full textAIM: To evaluate whether patients with external sphincter invasion have a better prognosis than patients with invasion of other organs.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with cT4b adenocarcinoma of the rectum were treated with a tri-modality approach, including neo-adjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT), surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. Patients with external sphincter invasion were classified as cT4b1, whereas patients with invasion of other organs as cT4b2. Survival curves were compared for cT4b sub-stage.
RESULTS: Between January 2008 and December 2014, a total of 21 consecutive patients with cT4b disease (14 with cT4b1 and seven with cT4b2) were treated with CRT, followed by surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. In total, the overall survival rate at 5 years was 57.4%, whereas 5-year disease-free survival was 52%. The 5-year overall survival rates were 65.3% and 44.4% for patients with cT4b1 and cT4b2 disease, respectively.
CONCLUSION: External sphincter invasion seems to be associated with a better prognosis when compared to primary lesion with extension to other organs
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