480 research outputs found

    Laparoscopic indocyanine green sentinel lymph node mapping in endometrial cancer. Papadia A, Imboden S, Siegenthaler F, Gasparri ML, Mohr S, Lanz S, Mueller MD.

    No full text
    Abstract BACKGROUND: In endometrial cancer (EMCA), indocyanine green (ICG) sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping has been reported, mainly in conjunction with robotic surgery. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate detection rates, sensitivity, and false negative (FN) rate of laparoscopic ICG SLN mapping in EMCA, and to evaluate differences in surgical outcomes between patients subjected to SLN biopsy only versus lymphadenectomy. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of EMCA patients undergoing ICG SLN mapping ± pelvic (PLND) and/or para-aortic lymphadenectomy (PALND) was performed. Detection rates were calculated for the entire cohort. Sensitivity and FN rates were calculated for patients undergoing lymphadenectomy after SLN mapping, and surgical outcome was compared among patients undergoing SLN mapping only versus lymphadenectomy. RESULTS: Of 75 patients, 33 underwent SLN mapping and 42 underwent SLN mapping followed by PLND/PALND. Overall and bilateral detection rates were 96 % (72/75) and 88 % (66/75), respectively, and the median number of removed SLNs, pelvic non-SLNs (NSLN) and para-aortic NSLNs was 3, 27, and 19, respectively. With a FN rate of 8.3 %, only one patient had bilateral FN SLNs and a metastatic para-aortal NSLN. Estimated blood loss (EBL) and operative (OR) time were significantly lower in patients undergoing SLN mapping only. No differences in complication rates between patients undergoing SLN mapping only and patients undergoing lymphadenectomy were recorded. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic ICG SLN mapping has excellent overall and bilateral detection rates and a low FN rate. Compared with lymphadenectomy, SLN biopsy is associated with significantly lower EBL and shorter OR time

    Elena Papadia, La Rinascente, Bologna, Il Mulino

    No full text
    La recensione analizza lo studio di Elena Papadia che ricostruisce la storia di un grande magazzino italiano: la Rinascente dalle sue origini ottocentesche fino ai giorni nostri

    Biopolymeric Carriers for Nanomedical Applications

    No full text
    Nanomedicine offers the opportunity to develop novel nano and microcarriers for targeted drug therapy, reducing the undesirable side effects. This communication will discuss about multifunctional, highly biodegradable and biocompatible, (natural) biopolymeric drug carriers, having the following functionalities: 1) protection of drugs from chemical and biological degradation; 2) control of in vivo and in vitro distribution; 3) specific cell targeting. Several type of carriers will be examined. The first type is composed of biodegradable polyelectrolyte pairs (e.g. polysaccharides) with opposite charges, subsequently dissolved to obtain hollow capsules ready to encapsulate drugs [1, 2]. Selected fluorophores and magnetic nanoparticles have been included in the coating to allow in vitro and in vivo monitoring of microcapsule fate. In order to obtain cellular targeting, specific ligands can also be conjugated to the coating layers. The second type of carriers is represented by novel monodisperse micro and nanogels [3]. These are challenging drug delivery systems for the release of bioactive molecules, able to undergo reversible volume transition, when triggered by environmental factors such as temperature, ionic strength, or pH [4]. Nanogels, internalised inside cells through phagocytic pathways, release natural or synthetic drugs inside endosomes by pH-induced polymer removal. Biomolecules and biopolymers are therefore protected and released in a controlled manner. The third category of carriers discussed is the naturally “green” and cytocompatible halloysite nanotubes [5], used as novel hydrophobic drug carriers for targeted delivery into neoplastic cells. The internalisation and cytotoxicity of drug-loaded carriers has been evaluated in vitro on different cell lines. Acknowledgments: “Con il contributo del Ministero degli Affari Esteri, Direzione Generale per la promozione e la Cooperazione Sociale ” (Large Scale ITA –USA Bilateral Project “Nano-trasportatori per la terapia del cancro”). G.L. thanks Regione Puglia for "Ritorno al Futuro" Fellowship INCANTO. References [1] V. Vergaro, F. Scarlino, C. Bellomo, R. Rinaldi, D. Vergara, M. Maffia, F. Baldassarre, G. Giannelli, X. Zhang, Y. M. Lvov and S. Leporatti Advanced Drug Delivery Review (2011), 63, 847-864. [2] I.E Palamà, S. Leporatti, E. de Luca, N. Di Renzo, M. Maffia, C. Gambacorti-Passerini, R.Rinaldi, G. Gigli, R. Cingolani, A.ML Coluccia Nanomedicine Future Medicine Lt (2010) 5(3), 419-431. [3] S. Argentiere, L. Blasi, G. Ciccarella, G. Barbarella, A. Cazzato, R. Cingolani, G. Gigli Small (2009) 4101-4103. [4] S. Argentiere, L. Blasi, G. Ciccarella, G.Barbarella, R.Cingolani, G. Gigli Journal of Applied Polymer Science (2010), 116(5), 2808-2815. [5] V.Vergaro, E.Abdullayev, Y.M. Lvov, A.Zeitoun, R. Cingolani, R. Rinaldi and S. Leporatti Biomacromolecules (2010) 11, 820–826

    FIGO stage IIIC endometrial cancer identification among patients with complex atypical hyperplasia, grade 1 and 2 endometrioid endometrial cancer: laparoscopic indocyanine green sentinel lymph node mapping versus frozen section of the uterus, why get around the problem?

    No full text
    PURPOSE To compare two surgical strategies used to identify lymph node metastases in patients with preoperative diagnosis of complex atypical hyperplasia (CAH), grade 1 and 2 endometrial cancer (EC). METHODS Data on patients with preoperative diagnosis of CAH, grade 1 and 2 EC undergoing laparoscopic indocyanine green (ICG) sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping followed by frozen section of the uterus were collected. When risk factors were identified at frozen section, patients were subjected to a systematic lymphadenectomy. False negative (FN) rates, negative predictive values (NPV), positive predictive values (PPV) and correlation with stage IIIC EC were calculated for the systematic lymphadenectomy based on frozen section of the uterus and for the SLN mapping. RESULTS Six (9.5%) out of 63 patients had lymph nodal metastases. Based on frozen section of the uterus, 22 (34.9%) and 15 (22.2%) patients underwent a pelvic and a pelvic and paraaortic lymphadenectomy, respectively. Five patients with stage IIIC disease were identified with a FN rate of 16.7% and a NPV and PPV of 97.6 and 27.3%, respectively. Overall and bilateral detection rates of ICG SLN mapping were 100 and 97.6%, respectively; no FN were recorded. The identification of patients with stage IIIC disease with ICG SLN mapping showed a NPV and PPV of 100%. Correlation between indication to lymphadenectomy and stage IIIC disease was poor (κ = 0.244) when based on frozen section of the uterus and excellent (κ = 1) when based on SLN mapping. CONCLUSIONS ICG SLN mapping reduces the number of unnecessary systematic lymphadenectomies and the risk of underdiagnosing patients with metastatic lymph nodes
    corecore