Management of patients with cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic: The Italian perspective on the second wave.

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been an overwhelming challenge for worldwide health systems. Since the beginning of year 2020, COVID-19 has represented a potential harm for cancer patients and has often hindered oncology care. The Collegio Italiano dei Primari Oncologi Medici (CIPOMO) is an Italian association of head physicians in oncology departments, which promotes working and research activities in oncology on a national basis. During the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic, the CIPOMO promoted a national survey aiming to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on oncologists' clinical activity and what changes have been made compared with the Italian situation during the first wave of the pandemic. Overall, 138 heads of medical oncology departments participated in this survey: 75 (54%) from the North, 24 (17%) from the Centre and 39 (28%) from the South of Italy and islands. This survey provides an overview of Italian oncologists facing the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic. The lesson learned during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic has led to a better organisation of clinical activities, and regular testing among healthcare practitioners, with better chances to grant patients' protection. However, the lack of standardised informatic platforms results in serious challenges in replacing frontal visits, often making a concrete reduction of patients' hospital accesses unfeasible. Oncologists need to keep preserving the continuum of care of patients. Standardisation of safety measures, together with the implementation of informatic platforms, can significantly improve oncology pathways during this second wave of COVID-19 pandemic.

Clinical benefit of gemcitabine-cisplatin in advanced non-small cell lung cancer elderly patients.

BACKGROUND: Cisplatin-based chemotherapy seems to improve the control of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)-related symptoms, but assessment of symptomatic gain in these patients is often difficult. This study was designed to test a method for the assessment of clinical benefit in elderly advanced NSCLC patients, after weekly cisplatin-gemcitabine chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Evaluation of clinical benefit was the primary end-point. Clinical benefit derived from the evaluation of eight parameters: PS, cough, dyspnea, pain and hemoptysis were considered primary parameters. Weight loss, asthenia and anorexia were secondary parameters. RESULTS: Twenty-nine patients aged > 65 years, symptomatic at study entry, were enrolled. Responses were calculated according to the intent-to treat principle. Fifteen patients were considered as clinical benefit responders for an overall clinical benefit response rate of 52% (95% C.I. = 33.5% to 70%). The median duration of clinical benefit was 9 months (range 2-36). Tumour objective responses, according to WHO criteria, were 14, for an overall response rate of 48% (95% C.I. = 31% to 65%). Ten patients (34%) obtained both clinical benefit and tumour response. The median survival-time was 10 months (range 1-36). Chemotherapy was well-tolerated with low incidence of WHO grade III-IV toxicities. CONCLUSION: Evaluation of clinical benefit in advanced, symptomatic, elderly NSCLC patients is feasible and could be used together with tumor response and quality of life questionnaires to assess the efficacy of chemotherapy. It could reasonably be extended to non-elderly NSCLC patients. Our results suggest that weekly cisplatin-gemcitabine seems to be able to improve the principal NSCLC-related symptoms in elderly patients.

[Treatment of posterior instability of the shoulder joint using an acromial stop with a pediculated deltoid flap]. / Le traitement des instabilités postérieures de l'épaule par butée acromiale pédiculée à un lambeau deltoïdien.

Our purpose has been to describe an original surgical technique without describing all the problems concerning the posterior instability. The original technique has a double effect: active with the muscular flap and passively mechanic, if necessary, by the bone graft. Five patients have been treated with this technique with a follow-up of one year and a half. 4 females and 1 male with an average age of 32 years 1/2. 2 were recurrent posterior instability, one unintentional and 2 intentional subluxations. 2 were epileptics. In all cases, the disparition of the instability was obtained. Full range of movement and sport were resumed at the former level. On X-rays, the humeral head was centered. By its double mechanism, active with the muscular flap and possibly passive with the bone graft, this technic is reliable to treat the majority of posterior instability. It combines the way of action searched in physiotherapy and capsulomyoplasties to center the humeral head and this one by the bone graft in case of posterior glenoid fracture or dysplasia. It doesn't have the insufficiencies of physiotherapy or capsulomyoplasties in posterior traumatic instabilities, nor from the classical bone graft over the glenoid posterior wall, cause of osteoarthritis and pain.