Influence of Cleft Lip and Palate on Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in Northern Italy: Exploring Both the Children’s and Caregivers’ Perspectives

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine whether parents/caregivers’ perceptions of oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) differ from that of their cleft children, exploring the impact of demographic variables and cleft type on their agreement. Fifty-three primary and secondary schoolchildren, with non-syndromic orofacial cleft, and their parents answered the Child Oral Health Impact Profile (COHIP) questionnaire. Concordance between caregivers’ and children’s reports was low to moderate. Parents/caregivers had worse perceptions of OHRQoL compared to that of their children, peer interaction and functional well-being domains being statistically significantly different (p = 0.033 and p = 0.005, respectively). Cleft type, gender and parents’ country of origin seemed to be potential contributing factors of disagreement. Parents overestimated the impact of unilateral (p = 0.047) and bilateral cleft lip and palate (p = 0.021) on OHRQoL, and they rated more poorly than their male children did. Italian parents were more concerned about the functional well-being of their children (p = 0.014), and foreign parents about peer interaction (p = 0.010) and school environment (p = 0.012) dimensions. These findings suggest that parental assessment of OHRQoL cannot replace that of school-aged children, but they are complementary as they cover different, but equally relevant perspectives

Prostate cancer biomarkers: a practical review based on different clinical scenarios

Traditionally, diagnosis and staging of prostate cancer (PCa) have been based on prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, digital rectal examination (DRE), and transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) guided prostate biopsy. Biomarkers have been introduced into clinical practice to reduce the overdiagnosis and overtreatment of low-grade PCa and increase the success of personalized therapies for high-grade and high-stage PCa. The purpose of this review was to describe available PCa biomarkers and examine their use in clinical practice. A nonsystematic literature review was performed using PubMed and Scopus to retrieve papers related to PCa biomarkers. In addition, we manually searched websites of major urological associations for PCa guidelines to evaluate available evidence and recommendations on the role of biomarkers and their potential contribution to PCa decision-making. In addition to PSA and its derivates, thirteen blood, urine, and tissue biomarkers are mentioned in various PCa guidelines. Retrospective studies have shown their utility in three main clinical scenarios: (1) deciding whether to perform a biopsy, (2) distinguishing patients who require active treatment from those who can benefit from active surveillance, and (3) defining a subset of high-risk PCa patients who can benefit from additional therapies after RP. Several validated PCa biomarkers have become commercially available in recent years. Guidelines now recommend offering these tests in situations in which the assay result, when considered in combination with routine clinical factors, is likely to affect management. However, the lack of direct comparisons and the unproven benefits, in terms of long-term survival and cost-effectiveness, prevent these biomarkers from being integrated into routine clinical use

Detection of HPV in oral leukoplakia by brushing and biopsy: prospective study in an Italian cohort

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of HPV infection in oral leukoplakia, specifying the HPV genotypes eventually involved. We also compared the micro-biopsy and brushing HPV detecting efficacy

Foggia Prostate Cancer Risk Calculator 2.0: A Novel Risk Calculator including MRI and Bladder Outlet Obstruction Parameters to Reduce Unnecessary Biopsies

Risk calculator (RC) combining PSA with other clinical information can help to better select patients at risk of prostate cancer (PCa) for prostate biopsy. The present study aimed to develop a new Pca RC, including MRI and bladder outlet obstruction parameters (BOOP). The ability of these parameters in predicting PCa and clinically significant PCa (csPCa: ISUP GG ≥ 2) was assessed by binary logistic regression. A total of 728 patients were included from two institutions. Of these, 395 (54.3%) had negative biopsies and 161 (22.11%) and 172 (23.6%) had a diagnosis of ISUP GG1 PCa and csPCa. The two RC ultimately included age, PSA, DRE, prostate volume (pVol), post-voided residual urinary volume (PVR), and PIRADS score. Regarding BOOP, higher prostate volumes (csPCa: OR 0.98, CI 0.97,0.99) and PVR ≥ 50 mL (csPCa: OR 0.27, CI 0.15, 0.47) were protective factors for the diagnosis of any PCa and csPCa. AUCs after internal validation were 0.78 (0.75, 0.82) and 0.82 (0.79, 0.86), respectively. Finally, decision curves analysis demonstrated higher benefit compared to the first-generation calculator and MRI alone. These novel RC based on MRI and BOOP may help to better select patient for prostate biopsy after prostate MRI

MRI anatomy of parametrial extension to better identify local pathways of disease spread in cervical cancer

This paper highlights an updated anatomy of parametrial extension with emphasis on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) assessment of disease spread in the parametrium in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer. Pelvic landmarks were identified to assess the anterior and posterior extensions of the parametria, besides the lateral extension, as defined in a previous anatomical study. A series of schematic drawings and MRI images are shown to document the anatomical delineation of disease on MRI, which is crucial not only for correct image-based three-dimensional radiotherapy but also for the surgical oncologist, since neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by radical surgery is emerging in Europe as a valid alternative to standard chemoradiation