Sonosensitive theranostic liposomes for preclinical in vivo MRI-guided visualization of doxorubicin release stimulated by pulsed low intensity non-focused ultrasound.

The main goal of this study was to assess the theranostic performance of a nanomedicine able to generate MRI contrast as a response to the release from liposomes of the antitumor drug Doxorubicin triggered by the local exposure to pulsed low intensity non focused ultrasounds (pLINFU). In vitro experiments showed that Gadoteridol was an excellent imaging agent for probing the release of Doxorubicin following pLINFU stimulation. On this basis, the theranostic system was investigated in vivo on a syngeneic murine model of TS/A breast cancer. MRI offered an excellent guidance for monitoring the pLINFU-stimulated release of the drug. Moreover, it provided: i) an in vivo proof of the effective release of the liposomal content, and ii) a confirmation of the therapeutic benefits of the overall protocol. Ex vivo fluorescence microscopy indicated that the good therapeutic outcome was originated from a better diffusion of the drug in the tumor following the pLINFU stimulus. Very interestingly, the broad diffusion of the drug in the tumor stroma appeared to be mediated by the presence of the liposomes themselves. The results of this study highlighted either the great potential of US-based stimuli to safely trigger the release of a drug from its nanocarrier or the associated significant therapeutic improvement. Finally, MRI demonstrated to be a valuable technique to support chemotherapy and monitoring the outcome. Furthermore, in this specific case, the theranostic agent developed has a high clinical translatability because the MRI agent utilized is already approved for human use.

Colon cancer prevalence and estimation of differing care needs of colon cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Cancer prevalence-the proportion of people in a population with a diagnosis of cancer-includes groups with widely differing cancer care needs. We estimated the proportions of the prevalent colon cancer cases requiring initial care, terminal care and follow-up. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Prevalence by year since diagnosis was estimated from incidence and vital status data on 243,471 colon cancer cases collected by EUROPREVAL from 36 European population-based cancer registries. The proportions of cured and fatal cases were estimated by applying 'cure' survival models to the dataset. The proportion of recurrence-free cases was estimated by analysis of a representative sample of 278 colon cancer patients from the Lombardy Cancer Registry (LCR), northern Italy. RESULTS: The proportions of total prevalence requiring initial care was estimated at 12% in the LCR and 10% in Italy and Europe. Recurrence-free patients formed 89% of the total prevalence in the LCR and 91% in Italy and Europe. Eleven per cent (LCR) and 9% (Italy, Europe) of the total prevalence had recurred and consisted of patients in the terminal phase of their illness. CONCLUSIONS: In 1992, 660,000 people were living with a diagnosis of colon cancer in Europe. We have estimated the proportions of this prevalence requiring particular types health care in the years following diagnosis, providing data useful for planning the allocation of health-care resources.

[A sustained response in chronic hepatitis C treated with interferon]. / La risposta sostenuta nella epatite cronica C trattata con interferone.

We analyzed 27 subjects with long-term response, from a group of 110 interferon treated patients with biopsy-proven chronic hepatitis and serum anti-HCV antibodies. The following variables were assessed as potential predictors: sex, age, ALT level before the therapy was started, liver structure, type of interferon, total amount of interferon. Total amount of administered interferon statistically correlated with long-term response by univariate analysis. Nevertheless upon stepwise logistic multivariate analysis none of them was independently predictive of long-term response. Additional studies would be needed in order to develop a model capable of predicting from pre-treatment features which patients are likely to have long-term response.

Time trends of lung and larynx cancers in Italy.

During the period 1970-1989, age-adjusted mortality rates for lung cancer in Italy increased by more than 50%, while rates for larynx cancer in males decreased by approximately 13%. This study aims to interpret this difference, which seems to contradict the finding that cigarette smoking is a common major risk factor for both lung and larynx cancer. To this end, we jointly analyzed the time trends of incidence, survival and mortality. We first examined survival data taken from the population-based Lombardy Cancer Registry (northern Italy). Based on data referring to 880 incident cases of larynx cancer, diagnosed during the period 1976-1987, we estimated a 3% annual increase in relative survival. By contrast, no significant period effect was observed for survival rates of 2,259 incident cases of lung cancer. National incidence rates were estimated using official mortality data and the above-described survival data. Age-adjusted estimated incidence rates increased, from 1970 to 1989, for both cancer sites: +55% for male lung, +56% for female lung, and +22% for male larynx. Moreover, the patterns of birth-cohort effect, which are diverging for mortality, are nearly parallel with regard to incidence. This analysis suggests that a substantial improvement in survival of larynx cancer patients may largely explain the differences in mortality trends for cancer of lung and larynx.

Familial aggregation of blood pressure in a paediatric population.

Familial aggregation of blood pressure in childhood and the difference between males and females were studied in a random sample of a nursery and school-age population in Milan. Age, sex, height, weight, skinfold thicknesses and heart rate were obtained. Blood pressure was measured in accordance with the recommendations of the Task Force of Blood Pressure Control in Children. After adjusting for age, significant correlation coefficients were found between mother and son (r = 0.17 and r = 0.11), mother and daughter (r = 0.11 and r = 0.15), and father and son (r = 0.16 and r = 0.17) for systolic and diastolic pressure, respectively; the father-daughter correlations were not statistically different (r = 0.08 and r = 0.03). Multiple regression analysis underlined the difference between males and females; height was an important determinant in the males and body weight in the females. In conclusion, anthropometric measurements should be considered in evaluations of blood pressure status. Our results suggest important differences between males and females. The BP pattern of the parents also seems more important for sons, and there seems to be a lower correlation between fathers and daughters.