The importance of circulating tumor products as „liquid biopsies” in colorectal cancer

Liquid biopsies represent an array of plasma analysis tests that are studied to evaluate and identify circulating tumor products, especially circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). Examining such biomarkers in the plasma of colorectal cancer patients has attracted attention due to its clinical significance in the treatment of malignant diseases. Given that tissue samples are sometimes challenging to procure or unsatisfactory for genomic profiling from patients with colorectal cancer, trustworthy biomarkers are mandatory for guiding treatment, monitoring therapeutic response, and detecting recurrence. This review considers the relevance of flowing tumor products like circulating tumor cells (CTCs), circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), circulating messenger RNA (mRNA), circulating micro RNA (miRNA), circulating exosomes, and tumor educated platelets (TEPs) for patients with colorectal cancer

Current Management Strategies in Hepatitis B During Pregnancy

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a major health problem worldwide and a major risk factor for end-stage liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma. Notable differences of chronic hepatitis B prevalence were observed in geographic area. In highly endemic areas, at least 50 % of HBV infections are most commonly acquired either perinatally or in early childhood, during the first 5 years of life. The prevalence of chronic HBV infection in pregnant women is expected to mirror those in the general populations of each geographic area. Chronic hepatitis B during pregnancy is associated with high risk of maternal complications and an increased risk of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT). Thus, chronic hepatitis B during pregnancy can now be considered an important contributor to new HBV infections and to the global burden of disease. As a result, HBV infection during pregnancy requires management strategies for both the mother and the fetus/neonate, including prevention/elimination of MTCT and lessening the HBV effects on maternal and fetal health. This chapter will review current management strategies for hepatitis B in the pregnancy and the postpartum period, including special considerations on the effects of pregnancy on the course of HBV infection, MTCT, and antiviral therapy during the pregnancy

Clinical-evolutional particularities of the cryoglobulinemic vasculitis in the case of a patient diagnosed with hepatitis C virus in the predialitic phase

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) represents a fundamental issue for public health, with long term evolution and the gradual appearance of several complications and associated pathologies. One of these pathologies is represented by cryoglobulinemic vasculitis, a disorder characterized by the appearance in the patient’s serum of the cryoglobulins, which typically precipitate at temperatures below normal body temperature (37°C) and dissolve again if the serum is heated. Here, we describe the case of a patient diagnosed with HCV that, during the evolution of the hepatic disease, developed a form of cryoglobulinemic vasculitis. The connection between the vasculitis and the hepatic disorder was revealed following treatment with interferon, with the temporary remission of both pathologies and subsequent relapse at the end of the 12 months of treatment, the patient becoming a non-responder. The particularity of the case is represented by both the severity of the vasculitic disease from its onset and the deterioration of renal function up to the predialitic phase, a situation not typical of the evolution of cryoglobulinemia. Taking into account the hepatic disorder, the inevitable evolution towards cirrhosis, and the risk of developing the hepatocellular carcinoma, close monitoring is necessary

Endoscopic Treatment of Gastrointestinal Bleedings

Digestive endoscopy represents an essential diagnostic and curative tool used when presented with a suspicion of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. Its role is not only confined to primary detection but also to establishing the severity of a lesion and providing relevant information regarding its risk of bleeding. New endoscopic techniques, accessories and compounds make the minimally invasive treatment suitable for a vast array of lesion types. Our main goal in this chapter is to summarize the main presentation of lesions at risk of bleeding, briefly classify them according to the gastrointestinal segment and finally detail the endoscopic treatment options currently available

Enhancing Lung Cancer Detection through Dual Imaging Modality Integration

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, highlighting the urgent need for more effective diagnostic tools. Probe-based confocal laser endomicroscopy (pCLE) provides real-time, high-resolution imaging of lung tissue at a microscopic level, yet its diagnostic precision could be further enhanced. This study explores a dual transfer learning (TL) strategy that incorporates histological imaging data to refine the accuracy of pCLE-based lung cancer classification. The research involved patients undergoing lung cancer surgery, from whom both histological and pCLE images were obtained. These images were compiled into balanced datasets containing both benign and malignant samples. Three convolutional neural network (CNN) models—AlexNet, GoogLeNet, and ResNet—originally trained on ImageNet, were either fine-tuned using only pCLE images (confocal TL) or underwent a dual TL process, where they were first trained on histological images before adapting to pCLE data. Results demonstrated that the dual TL methodology consistently outperformed the confocal TL approach. Among the models, AlexNet achieved the highest accuracy at 94.97% with an AUC of 0.98, outperforming GoogLeNet and ResNet. All models exhibited statistically significant performance enhancements with dual TL (Student’s t-test, p < 0.001). Additionally, models trained using dual TL showed reduced false positive and false negative rates, with class activation mapping confirming improved focus on diagnostically critical areas. By integrating histological and pCLE imaging, the dual TL framework significantly improves classification accuracy for lung cancer detection, making it a promising technique for further developments