Patient-reported experiences of cancer care related to the COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland

Purpose This study aims to describe the experience of Swiss oncological patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A national multi-center study including five hospitals covering the three main language regions of Switzerland was conducted between March and July 2021. Patients with melanoma, breast, lung, or colon cancer receiving active systemic anti-cancer treatment at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic were included. We conducted semi-structured telephone or onsite interviews alongside the administration of distress and resilience-validated questionnaires. Thematic analysis was performed for the qualitative data and descriptive statistics for the quantitative data. Results Sixty-two cancer patients with a mean age of 61 (SD=14) (58% female) were interviewed. Based on the interviews, we identified that the experience of having cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic was related to five dimensions: psychological, social, support, healthcare, and vaccination. Three themes transverse the five dimensions: (a) needs, (b) positive changes, and (c) phases of the pandemic. In general, patients did not experience delays or disruptions in their cancer treatment nor felt additionally burdened by the pandemic. Lockdown and isolation were reported as mixed experiences (positive and negative), and access to vaccination reassured patients against the risk of infection and instilled hope to return to normalcy. Additionally, we found low distress levels (M=2.9; SD=2.5) and high resilience scores (M=7; SD=1.3) in these patients. Conclusion Swiss patients with cancer did not express major needs or disruptions in their care during this period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results identify the mixed experiences of patients and highlight the high resilience levels

Routine Genetic Testing of Germline Breast Cancer Susceptibility ─ Challenges and Opportunities

Information on germline BRCA (g*BRCA*) 1/2 pathogenic or likely pathogenic mutations has predictive value for response to platinating agents and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) and survival outcomes of breast cancer (BC) patients. In the OlympiA trial, the benefits of adjuvant olaparib for high-risk patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative BC and g*BRCA* mutations were demonstrated. These results highlight that, in addition to establishing BC risk, determining g*BRCA1/2* status has a broader role in treatment decision-making, particularly for BC patients who may benefit from PARPi. Notably, olaparib is the only PARPi currently approved in Switzerland for treating early high-risk BC patients with g*BRCA1/2* mutations. Rates of germline genetic testing in people with and without cancer are suboptimal in Switzerland and worldwide. Nowadays, despite the favorable OlympiA results, testing criteria for BC remain mostly restricted to patients fulfilling certain high-risk criteria for being mutation carriers, and few studies describe *BRCA* testing in BC patients with characteristics excluded in the OlympiA trial. Many unsolved questions remain, such as the number of patients who could potentially benefit from PARPi, whether to use treatment decision as a testing criterion for screening, and whether universal genetic testing for all BC patients is warranted. This review provides an overview of the rationale for targeting *BRCA1/2*. In addition, unmet needs and opportunities for testing *BRCA1/2* status are discussed, and differences in the testing criteria in existing guidelines are summarized

TU-CULT : rivelazioni architettoniche nelle chiese di Santa Giustina e di Santa Maria dei Servi a Padova = Architectural revelations in the churches of Santa Giustina and Santa Maria dei Servi in Padova

IL CONTRIBUTO ESPONE l RISULTATI DELLA RICERCA TU-CULT, OGGI IN CORSO, CHE MIRA AD ACQUISIRE, ARCHIVIARE, ELABORARE E DIVULGARE DATI RELATIVI A DUE MONUMENTI DELLA CITT\uc0 DI PADOVA: LA CHIESA DI S. MARIA DEl SERVI E LA BASILICA DI S. GIUSTINA. ATTRAVERSO IL TEMA DELL'ARCHITETTURA NASCOSTA E DELLA SUA RIVELAZIONE MULTIMEDIALE, LA RICERCA VUOLE COSTITUIRE UN SUPPORTO ALLA CREAZIONE DI SISTEMI INNOVATIVI DI DIFFUSIONE MULTILIVELLO DEL BENE CULTURALE, AFFRONTANDO SPECIFICI TEMI NEL CAMPO DEL RILIEVO, ELABORAZIONE 3D, VISUALIZZAZIONE E ARCHIVIAZIONE INTERATTIVA DEL DATO E FRUIZIONE DEL BENE. THIS PAPER SHOWS THE RESULTS OF THE ONGOING RESEARCH PROJECT ENTITLED TU-CULT, WHICH HAS THE PURPOSE TO ACQUIRE, STORE, PROCESS AND DISSEMINATE DATA REGARDING TWO MONUMENTS OF THE CITY OF PADUA: THE CHURCH OF S. MARIA DEl SERVI AND THE BASILICA OF S. GIUSTINA. FOLLOWIG THE THEME OF THE HIDDEN ARCHITECTURE ANO ITS MULTIMEDIA REVELATION, THE RESEARCH AIMS TO SUPPORT THE CREATION OF INNOVATIVE MULTILEVEL USES OF THE CULTURAL HERITAGE, DEALING WITH SPECIFIC TOPICS IN THE FIELDS OF RELIEF, 3D PROCESSING, INTERACTIVE DATA ARCHIVING ANO VISUALIZATION, AND ACCESSIBILITY OF THE GOOD

TU-CULT. Rivelazioni architettoniche nelle chiese di Santa Giustina e di Santa Maria dei Servi a Padova.

8nonenoneBORTOT, ALESSIO; Boscaro, Cristian; CECCHINI, CRISTINA; Francesca Condorelli; CUNDARI, MARIA ROSARIA; PALMA, VALERIO; PANAROTTO, FEDERICO; SIVIERO, LUIGIBortot, Alessio; Boscaro, Cristian; Cecchini, Cristina; Francesca, Condorelli; Cundari, MARIA ROSARIA; Palma, Valerio; Panarotto, Federico; Siviero, Luig

DIETARY SALT EXCESS UNMASKS BLUNTED ALDOSTERONE SUPPRESSION AND SODIUM RETENTION IN THE STROKE-PRONE PHENOTYPE OF THE SPONTANEOUSLY HYPERTENSIVE RAT

Objective: The mechanisms underlying the accelerating effect of high salt intake on the development of vascular injury in the stroke-prone phenotype of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP) are still not clear. The aim of the present study was to determine whether young SHRSP can excrete a dietary excess of sodium and to characterize the associated hormonal responses. Methods: Sodium balance and hormonal parameters were studied during a 1-week high-salt diet (4% NaCl) in 6-week-old SHRSP (n = 84), in age-matched spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR; n = 73) and in normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats (n = 52). Results: Baseline systolic blood pressure (SBP) was similar in SHR and SHRSP and did not change significantly during the high-salt diet. SBP also remained unchanged in WKY rats during the high-salt diet. Despite similar daily sodium intakes in the three groups during the diet, the response of urinary sodium excretion to sodium loading was reduced significantly in SHRSP compared with SHR or WKY rats (F = 4.09, P < 0.001). Plasma renin activity was suppressed significantly by high salt intake in each group to a comparable extent. Plasma aldosterone concentrations were also reduced significantly by sodium loading in all strains. However, a lesser degree of aldosterone suppression was observed in the SHRSP than in both SHR and WKY rats (F = 3.01, P < 0.01). Conclusions: Young SHRSP show a blunted suppression of plasma aldosterone and a defective sodium excretion during high salt intake

Anticancer oral therapy: Emerging related issues

The use of oral anticancer drugs has shown a steady increase. Most patients prefer anticancer oral therapy to intravenous treatment primarily for the convenience of a home-based therapy, although they require that the efficacy of oral therapy must be equivalent and toxicity not superior than those expected with the intravenous treatment. A better patient compliance, drug tolerability, convenience and possible better efficacy for oral therapy as compared to intravenous emerge as the major reasons to use oral anticancer agents among oncologists. Inter- and intra-individual pharmacokinetic variations in the bioavailability of oral anticancer drugs may be more relevant than for intravenous agents. Compliance is particularly important for oral therapy because it determines the dose-intensity of the treatment and ultimately treatment efficacy and toxicity. Patient stands as the most important determinant of compliance. Possible measures for an active and safe administration of oral therapy include a careful preliminary medical evaluation and selection of patients based on possible barriers to an adequate compliance, pharmacologic issues, patient-focused education, an improvement of the accessibility to healthcare service, as well as the development of home-care nursing symptom-focused interventions. Current evidences show similar quality of life profile between oral and intravenous treatments, although anticancer oral therapy seems to be more convenient in terms of administration and reduced time lost for work or other activities. Regarding cost-effectiveness, current evidences are in favor of oral therapy, mainly due to reduced need of visits and/or day in hospital for the administration of the drug and/or the management of adverse events. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd

miR-212 increases tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand sensitivity in non-small cell lung cancer by targeting the antiapoptotic protein PED.

PED/PEA-15 (PED) is a death effector domain family member of 15 kDa with a broad antiapoptotic function found overexpressed in a number of different human tumors, including lung cancer. To date, the mechanisms that regulate PED expression are unknown. Therefore, we address this point by the identification of microRNAs that in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) modulate PED levels. In this work, we identify miR-212 as a negative regulator of PED expression. We also show that ectopic expression of this miR increases tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)-induced cell death in NSCLC cells. In contrast, inhibition of endogenous miR-212 by use of antago-miR results in increase of PED protein expression and resistance to TRAIL treatment. Besides, in NSCLC, we show both in vitro and in vivo that PED and miR-212 expressions are inversely correlated, that is, PED is upregulated and miR-212 is rarely expressed. In conclusion, these findings suggest that miR-212 should be considered as a tumor suppressor because it negatively regulates the antiapoptotic protein PED and regulates TRAIL sensitivity