Contributo al femminile all’educazione tecnica e scientifica per le materie STEM. Fare rete tra scienziate/i, enti, università, associazioni, media e portatori d’interesse

Questo “contributo al femminile” è stato realizzato da un gruppo di perso- ne che ambisce a contribuire al miglioramento dell’educazione scolastica; è destinato a donne, uomini, ragazze, ragazzi, bambine e bambini per mettere in luce potenzialità, diseguaglianze, specificità di vita e professionali e favorire la parità di genere soprattutto negli ambiti tecnico-scientifici, in particolar modo nelle discipline STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics)

Vaginal Mucosal Melanoma: a Complete Remission after Immunotherapy and '0-7-21' Radiotherapy Regimen (24 Gy/3 fractions/21 days)

We present the case of a patient with vaginal mucosal melanoma who underwent complete remission after immunotherapy and ‘0-7-21’ radiotherapy regimen (24 Gy/3 fractions/21 days). An 80-year-old woman had a biopsy of a voluminous vaginal lesion and received a histological diagnosis of melanoma with angiomatoid aspects. The patient underwent immunotherapy with pembrolizumab 2 mg/kg every 3 weeks and was sent to our attention for planning radiotherapy as the extent of the lesion did not make it susceptible to surgery.Considering the concomitant administration of pembrolizumab, we chose to treat this patient with a modulated intensity radiation therapy technique delivering a hypofractionated dose of 24 Gy in 3 fractions delivered on days 0, 7, and 21. We observed a complete clinical remission of the melanoma 12 months after radiotherapy and she has been alive for 18 months with no clinical signs of local recurrence

Simultaneous Integrated Boost Radiotherapy in Unresectable Stage IV (M0) Head and Neck Squamous Cell Cancer Patients: Daily Clinical Practice

AimTo evaluate clinical outcome in locally-advanced stage IV (M0) head and neck cancer patients treated using intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) with simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) in daily clinical practice.BackgroundDespite SIB-IMRT has been reported as a feasible and effective advanced head and neck cancer treatment, there are few data about its concurrent use with systemic therapies.Material and MethodsWe reviewed 41 staged IV (M0) head and neck cancer patients treated in two radiotherapy units in the city of Messina (Italy) during the last six years, using intensity modulated techniques-SIB. 22/41 patients had concomitant chemotherapy or cetuximab. Acute and late toxicities, objective response (OR) rate, local control (LC) and overall survival (OS) have been evaluated.Results37/41 patients received the planned doses of radiotherapy, 2 patients died during the therapy. The major acute regional toxicities were skin reaction and mucositis. A case of mandibular osteoradionecrosis was recorded. At completion of treatment, OR was evaluated in 38 patients: 32/38 patients (84.2%) had complete (55.3%) and partial (28.9%) response. The 1- and 5-year LC rates were 73.4% and 69.73%, respectively. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates were 85.93%, 51.49% and 44.14%, respectively. No statistically significant differences in outcomes have been observed in patients treated with radiotherapy alone vs. irradiation concomitant to chemo/biotherapy. The median OS was 45 months.ConclusionSIB-IMRT is safeand can be used with concomitant chemotherapy/biotherapy in real-life daily clinical practice. SIB-IMRT alone is a valid alternative in patients unfit for systemic therapies

Disease-specific and general health-related quality of life in newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients: The Pros-IT CNR study

BACKGROUND: The National Research Council (CNR) prostate cancer monitoring project in Italy (Pros-IT CNR) is an observational, prospective, ongoing, multicentre study aiming to monitor a sample of Italian males diagnosed as new cases of prostate cancer. The present study aims to present data on the quality of life at time prostate cancer is diagnosed. METHODS: One thousand seven hundred five patients were enrolled. Quality of life is evaluated at the time cancer was diagnosed and at subsequent assessments via the Italian version of the University of California Los Angeles-Prostate Cancer Index (UCLA-PCI) and the Short Form Health Survey (SF-12). RESULTS: At diagnosis, lower scores on the physical component of the SF-12 were associated to older ages, obesity and the presence of 3+ moderate/severe comorbidities. Lower scores on the mental component were associated to younger ages, the presence of 3+ moderate/severe comorbidities and a T-score higher than one. Urinary and bowel functions according to UCLA-PCI were generally good. Almost 5% of the sample reported using at least one safety pad daily to control urinary loss; less than 3% reported moderate/severe problems attributable to bowel functions, and sexual function was a moderate/severe problem for 26.7%. Diabetes, 3+ moderate/severe comorbidities, T2 or T3-T4 categories and a Gleason score of eight or more were significantly associated with lower sexual function scores at diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Data collected by the Pros-IT CNR study have clarified the baseline status of newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients. A comprehensive assessment of quality of life will allow to objectively evaluate outcomes of different profile of care

Disease-specific and general health-related quality of life in newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients: the Pros-IT CNR study

Background: The National Research Council (CNR) prostate cancer monitoring project in Italy (Pros-IT CNR) is an observational, prospective, ongoing, multicentre study aiming to monitor a sample of Italian males diagnosed as new cases of prostate cancer. The present study aims to present data on the quality of life at time prostate cancer is diagnosed. Methods: One thousand seven hundred five patients were enrolled. Quality of life is evaluated at the time cancer was diagnosed and at subsequent assessments via the Italian version of the University of California Los Angeles-Prostate Cancer Index (UCLA-PCI) and the Short Form Health Survey (SF-12). Results: At diagnosis, lower scores on the physical component of the SF-12 were associated to older ages, obesity and the presence of 3+ moderate/severe comorbidities. Lower scores on the mental component were associated to younger ages, the presence of 3+ moderate/severe comorbidities and a T-score higher than one. Urinary and bowel functions according to UCLA-PCI were generally good. Almost 5% of the sample reported using at least one safety pad daily to control urinary loss; less than 3% reported moderate/severe problems attributable to bowel functions, and sexual function was a moderate/severe problem for 26.7%. Diabetes, 3+ moderate/severe comorbidities, T2 or T3-T4 categories and a Gleason score of eight or more were significantly associated with lower sexual function scores at diagnosis. Conclusions: Data collected by the Pros-IT CNR study have clarified the baseline status of newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients. A comprehensive assessment of quality of life will allow to objectively evaluate outcomes of different profile of care

Pros-IT CNR: an Italian prostate cancer monitoring project

Aims: The Pros-IT CNR project aims to monitor a sample of Italian males \ue2\u89\ua518\uc2 years of age who have been diagnosed in the participating centers with incident prostate cancer, by analyzing their clinical features, treatment protocols and outcome results in relation to quality of life. Methods: Pros-IT CNR is an observational, prospective, multicenter study. The National Research Council (CNR), Neuroscience Institute, Aging Branch (Padua) is the promoting center. Ninety-seven Italian centers located throughout Italy were involved. The field study began in September 1, 2014. Subjects eligible were diagnosed with biopsy-verified prostate cancer, na\uc3\uafve. A sample size of 1500 patients was contemplated. A baseline assessment including anamnestic data, clinical history, risk factors, the initial diagnosis, cancer staging information and quality of life (Italian UCLA Prostate Cancer Index; SF-12 Scale) was completed. Six months after the initial diagnosis, a second assessment evaluating the patient\ue2\u80\u99s health status, the treatment carried out, and the quality of life will be made. A third assessment, evaluating the treatment follow-up and the quality of life, will be made 12\uc2 months after the initial diagnosis. The 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th assessments, similar to the third, will be completed 24, 36, 48 and 60\uc2 months after the initial diagnosis, respectively, and will include also a Food Frequency Questionnaire and the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly. Discussion: The study will provide information on patients\ue2\u80\u99 quality of life and its variations over time in relation to the treatments received for the prostate cancer