Maria Luisa Gasparri

@hsr.it

IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele

119

Scopus Publications

Scopus Publications

  • Assessment of sentinel Lymph node mapping with different volumes of Indocyanine green in early-stage ENdometrial cancer: the ALIEN study
    Jessica Mauro, Diego Raimondo, Giampaolo Di Martino, Maria Luisa Gasparri, Stefano Restaino, Daniele Neola, Luca Clivio, Carmelo Calidona, Robert Fruscio, Giuseppe Vizzielli,et al.

    BMJ
    ObjectiveTo evaluate the impact of different volumes of indocyanine green (ICG) on the detection rate and bilateral mapping of sentinel lymph nodes in patients with apparent uterine-confined endometrial cancer.MethodsAll patients who underwent surgical staging with sentinel node mapping in six reference centers were included. Two different protocols of ICG intracervical injection were used: (1) 2 mL group: total volume of 2 mL injected superficially; (2) 4 mL group: total volume of 4 mL, 2 mL deeply and 2 mL superficially. Logistic regression was used to analyze factors that could influence dye migration and detection rates. A sensitivity analysis was carried out to determine how independent variables could affect the sentinel node detection rate.ResultsOf 442 eligible patients, 352 were analyzed (172 in the 2 mL group and 180 in the 4 mL group). The bilateral detection rates of the 2 mL and 4 mL groups were 84.9% and 86.1%, respectively (p=0.76). The overall detection rate was higher with a volume of 4 mL than with 2 mL (92.4% vs 97.8%, respectively; p=0.024). In the univariate analysis the rate of bilateral mapping fell from 87.5% to 73.5% when the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) 2009 tumor stage was >IB (p=0.018). In the multivariate analysis, for both overall and bilateral detection rates a statistically significant difference emerged for the volume of ICG injected and FIGO 2009 stage >IB. Increasing body mass index was associated with worse overall detection rates on univariate analysis (p=0.0006), and significantly decreased from 97% to 91% when the body mass index exceeded 30 kg/m2(p=0.05).ConclusionsIn patients with early-stage endometrial cancer, a volume of 2 mL ICG does not seem to compromise the bilateral detection of sentinel lymph nodes. In women with obesity and FIGO 2009 stage >IB, a 4 mL injection should be preferred.

  • Latissimus dorsi flap for breast reconstruction: a large single-institution evaluation of surgical outcome and complications
    Maggie Banys-Paluchowski, Laura Brus, Natalia Krawczyk, Sophie Valeria Kopperschmidt, Maria Luisa Gasparri, Nana Bündgen, Achim Rody, Lars Hanker, Franziska Hemptenmacher, and Peter Paluchowski

    Springer Science and Business Media LLC
    Abstract Purpose The use of autologous tissues is considered gold standard for patients undergoing breast reconstruction and is the preferred method in the post-radiation setting. Although the latissimus dorsi flap (LDF) has been replaced by abdominal flaps as technique of choice, it remains a valuable option in several specific clinical situations and its use has been regaining popularity in recent years. In this work, we present an 18-year retrospective analysis of a single-institution single-surgeon experience with LDF-based reconstruction with focus on early complications and reconstructive failures. Methods Hospital records of all patients undergoing breast surgery for any reason in the Certified Breast Cancer Center, Regio Klinikum Pinneberg, Germany between April, 1st 2005 and October, 31st 2022 were reviewed. 142 consecutive LDF-based reconstructive procedures were identified. Detailed information was gathered on patient characteristics, treatment-related factors, and complications. Results One hundred forty patients (139 female, 1 male) received 142 LDF-based surgeries. The flap was used mainly for immediate breast reconstruction with or without implant (83% of patients), followed by defect coverage after removal of a large tumor (7%), implant-to-flap conversion with or without placement of a new implant (6%), and delayed post-mastectomy reconstruction (4%). The use of LDF decreased between 2005 and 2020 (2005: 17, 2006: 13, 2007: 14, 2008: 16, 2009: 5, 2010: 9, 2011: 8, 2012: 3, 2013: 10, 2014: 8, 2015: 8, 2016: 7, 2017: 7, 2018: 4, 2019: 4, 2020: 2, 2021: 6, 2022: 4). Surgery was performed for invasive breast cancer in 78%, ductal carcinoma in situ in 20% and other reasons such as genetic mutation in 1% of patients. Ipsilateral radiation therapy was received by 12% of patients prior to LDF surgery and by 37% after the surgery. 25% of patients were smokers. The median duration of surgery, including all procedures conducted simultaneously such as e.g., mastectomy, axillary surgery, or implant placement, was 117 min (range 56–205). Patients stayed in the hospital for a median of 7 days (range 2–23 days). The most common complication was seroma (26%), followed by wound dehiscence (8%), surgical site infection (7%), partial skin and/or nipple necrosis of any size (7%) and hematoma requiring surgical evacuation (2%). 19% of all patients required seroma aspiration or drainage, mostly at the donor site and performed under ultrasound guidance in the ambulatory setting. Flap loss due to necrosis occurred in 2% of patients. Conclusions Latissimus dorsi flap is a well-established surgical technique commonly used for immediate breast reconstruction as well as defect coverage in locally advanced breast cancer. To the best of our knowledge, this is one of the largest single-surgeon analyses of early complications in patients receiving LDF. As expected, seroma was the most common complication observed in nearly one third of patients and requiring a therapeutic intervention in every fifth patient. Serious adverse events occurred rarely, and flap loss rate was very low.

  • Whole-Body Composition Features by Computed Tomography in Ovarian Cancer: Pilot Data on Survival Correlations
    Giorgio Raia, Maria Del Grande, Ilaria Colombo, Marta Nerone, Lucia Manganaro, Maria Luisa Gasparri, Andrea Papadia, Filippo Del Grande, and Stefania Rizzo

    MDPI AG
    Background: The primary objective of this study was to assess the associations of computed tomography (CT)-based whole-body composition values with overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) patients. The secondary objective was the association of body composition with chemotherapy-related toxicity. Methods: Thirty-four patients (median age 64.9 years; interquartile range 55.4–75.4) with EOC and thorax and abdomen CT scans were included. Clinical data recorded: age; weight; height; stage; chemotherapy-related toxicity; and date of last contact, progression and death. Automatic extraction of body composition values was performed by dedicated software. Sarcopenia was defined according to predefined cutoffs. Statistical analysis included univariate tests to investigate associations of sarcopenia and body composition with chemotoxicity. Association of body composition parameters and OS/PFS was evaluated by log-rank test and Cox proportional hazard model. Multivariate models were adjusted for FIGO stage and/or age at diagnosis. Results: We found significant associations of skeletal muscle volume with OS (p = 0.04) and PFS (p = 0.04); intramuscular fat volume with PFS (p = 0.03); and visceral adipose tissue, epicardial and paracardial fat with PFS (p = 0.04, 0.01 and 0.02, respectively). We found no significant associations between body composition parameters and chemotherapy-related toxicity. Conclusions: In this exploratory study, we found significant associations of whole-body composition parameters with OS and PFS. These results open a window to the possibility to perform body composition profiling without approximate estimations.

  • Hysterectomy alone vs. hysterectomy plus sentinel node mapping in endometrial cancer: Perioperative and long-term results from a propensity-score based study
    Giorgio Bogani, Violante Di Donato, Andrea Papadia, Alessandro Buda, Jvan Casarin, Francesco Multinu, Francesco Plotti, Maria Luisa Gasparri, Ciro Pinelli, Anna Myriam Perrone,et al.

    Elsevier BV

  • COVID-19-related medicine utilization study in pregnancy: The COVI-PREG cohort
    Guillaume Favre, Eva Gerbier, Emeline Maisonneuve, Léo Pomar, Ursula Winterfeld, Karine Lepigeon, Kitty W. M. Bloemenkamp, Odette de Bruin, Eimir Hurley, Hedvig Nordeng,et al.

    Wiley
    The objective of this study was to describe the use of COVID‐19‐related medicines during pregnancy and their evolution between the early/late periods of the pandemic.

  • Current trends in diagnostic and therapeutic management of the axilla in breast cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant therapy: results of the German-wide NOGGO MONITOR 24 survey
    Maggie Banys-Paluchowski, Michael Untch, Natalia Krawczyk, Maria Thurmann, Thorsten Kühn, Jalid Sehouli, Maria Luisa Gasparri, Jana de Boniface, Oreste Davide Gentilini, Elmar Stickeler,et al.

    Springer Science and Business Media LLC
    Abstract Purpose In the last 2 decades, the optimal management of the axilla in breast cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) has been one of the most frequently discussed topics. Little is known about the attitudes of surgeons/radiologists towards new developments such as targeted axillary dissection. Therefore, the NOGGO conducted a survey to evaluate the current approach to axillary management. Methods A standardized digital questionnaire was sent out to > 200 departments in Germany between 7/2021 and 5/2022. The survey was supported by EUBREAST. Results In total, 116 physicians completed the survey. In cN0 patients scheduled to receive NACT, 89% of respondents recommended sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) after NACT. In case of ypN1mi(sn), 44% advised no further therapy, while 31% proposed ALND and 25% axillary irradiation. 64% of respondents recommended a minimally invasive axillary biopsy to cN + patients. TAD was used at the departments of 82% of respondents and was offered to all cN + patients converting to ycN0 by 57% and only to selected patients, usually based on the number of suspicious nodes at time of presentation, by 43%. The most common marking technique was a clip/coil. 67% estimated that the detection rate of their marker was very good or good. Conclusion This survey shows a heterogenous approach towards axillary management in the neoadjuvant setting in Germany. Most respondents follow current guidelines. Since only two-thirds of respondents experienced the detection rate of the marker used at their department as (very) good, future studies should focus on the comparative evaluation of different marking techniques.

  • Maternal and perinatal outcomes following pre-Delta, Delta, and Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variants infection among unvaccinated pregnant women in France and Switzerland: a prospective cohort study using the COVI-PREG registry
    Guillaume Favre, Emeline Maisonneuve, Léo Pomar, Charlotte Daire, Christophe Poncelet, Thibaud Quibel, Cécile Monod, Begoña Martinez de Tejada, Leonhard Schäffer, Andrea Papadia,et al.

    Elsevier BV

  • Localization Techniques for Non-Palpable Breast Lesions: Current Status, Knowledge Gaps, and Rationale for the MELODY Study (EUBREAST-4/iBRA-NET, NCT 05559411)
    Maggie Banys-Paluchowski, Thorsten Kühn, Yazan Masannat, Isabel Rubio, Jana de Boniface, Nina Ditsch, Güldeniz Karadeniz Cakmak, Andreas Karakatsanis, Rajiv Dave, Markus Hahn,et al.

    MDPI AG
    Background: Surgical excision of a non-palpable breast lesion requires a localization step. Among available techniques, wire-guided localization (WGL) is most commonly used. Other techniques (radioactive, magnetic, radar or radiofrequency-based, and intraoperative ultrasound) have been developed in the last two decades with the aim of improving outcomes and logistics. Methods: We performed a systematic review on localization techniques for non-palpable breast cancer. Results: For most techniques, oncological outcomes such as lesion identification and clear margin rate seem either comparable with or better than for WGL, but evidence is limited to small cohort studies for some of the devices. Intraoperative ultrasound is associated with significantly higher negative margin rates in meta-analyses of randomized clinical trials (RCTs). Radioactive techniques were studied in several RCTs and are non-inferior to WGL. Smaller studies show higher patient preference towards wire-free localization, but little is known about surgeons’ and radiologists’ attitudes towards these techniques. Conclusions: Large studies with an additional focus on patient, surgeon, and radiologist preference are necessary. This review aims to present the rationale for the MELODY (NCT05559411) study and to enable standardization of outcome measures for future studies.

  • Validation of the Persian version of the satisfaction with life scale (SWLS) in Iranian women with breast Cancer
    Roghieh Nooripour, Simin Hosseinian, Nikzad Ghanbari, Shahpar Haghighat, Joshua J. Matacotta, and Maria Luisa Gasparri

    Springer Science and Business Media LLC

  • Low neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and pan-immune-inflammation-value predict nodal pathologic complete response in 1274 breast cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy: a multicenter analysis
    Maria Luisa Gasparri, Sara Albasini, Marta Truffi, Karin Favilla, Barbara Tagliaferri, Francesca Piccotti, Daniela Bossi, Giulia Armatura, Arianna Calcinotto, Corrado Chiappa,et al.

    SAGE Publications
    Background: Systemic inflammatory markers draw great interest as potential blood-based prognostic factors in several oncological settings. Objectives: The aim of this study is to evaluate whether neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and pan-immune-inflammation value (PIV) predict nodal pathologic complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in node-positive (cN+) breast cancer (BC) patients. Design: Clinically, cN+ BC patients undergoing NAC followed by breast and axillary surgery were enrolled in a multicentric study from 11 Breast Units. Methods: Pretreatment blood counts were collected for the analysis and used to calculate NLR and PIV. Logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate independent predictors of nodal pCR. Results: A total of 1274 cN+ BC patients were included. Nodal pCR was achieved in 586 (46%) patients. At multivariate analysis, low NLR [odds ratio (OR) = 0.71; 95% CI, 0.51–0.98; p = 0.04] and low PIV (OR = 0.63; 95% CI, 0.44–0.90; p = 0.01) were independently predictive of increased likelihood of nodal pCR. A sub-analysis on cN1 patients ( n = 1075) confirmed the statistical significance of these variables. PIV was significantly associated with axillary pCR in estrogen receptor (ER)−/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)+ (OR = 0.31; 95% CI, 0.12–0.83; p = 0.02) and ER−/HER2− (OR = 0.41; 95% CI, 0.17–0.97; p = 0.04) BC patients. Conclusion: This study found that low NLR and PIV levels predict axillary pCR in patients with BC undergoing NAC. Registration: Eudract number NCT05798806.

  • Elective surgery system strengthening: development, measurement, and validation of the surgical preparedness index across 1632 hospitals in 119 countries
    James C Glasbey, Tom EF Abbott, Adesoji Ademuyiwa, Adewale Adisa, Ehab AlAmeer, Sattar Alshryda, Alexis P Arnaud, Brittany Bankhead-Kendall, M K Abou Chaar, Daoud Chaudhry,et al.

    Elsevier BV

  • Body composition as a predictor of chemotherapy-related toxicity in ovarian cancer patients: A systematic review
    Stefania Rizzo, Giorgio Raia, Maria Del Grande, Maria Luisa Gasparri, Ilaria Colombo, Lucia Manganaro, Andrea Papadia, and Filippo Del Grande

    Frontiers Media SA
    ObjectivesThe main objective of this systematic review was to examine the literature evaluating association of image-based body composition with chemotherapy-related toxicity in ovarian cancer patients. A secondary objective was to evaluate the different definitions of sarcopenia across studies.MethodsThis systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA-DTA statement and the protocol was registered on Prospero. A comprehensive literature search of 3 electronic databases was performed by two authors. For each eligible article, information was collected concerning the clinical setting; basic study data; population characteristics; technical aspects; body composition features; chemotherapy drugs administered; association of body composition values and toxicities. The overall quality of the included studies was critically evaluated.ResultsAfter the initial retrieval of 812 articles, the systematic review included 6 articles (5/6 studies were retrospective; one was prospective). The number of patients ranged between 69 and 239; mean/median age ranged between 55 and 65 years; the percentage of sarcopenic patients ranged between 25% and 54%. The cut-off values to define sarcopenia and the vertebral levels for evaluation of body composition were different. Five studies included chemotherapy based on carboplatin and paclitaxel, 1 included chemotherapy based on pegylated liposomal doxorubicin. Among the studies including carboplatin and paclitaxel, 3/5 demonstrated an association with toxicity, whereas 2/5 did not. Altogether, 4/6 papers demonstrated an association between the body composition values and the development of chemotherapy-related toxicities.ConclusionsThere is a wide variability of results about the association of body composition and chemotherapy-related toxicity in ovarian cancer patients. Therefore further studies, possibly including a comprehensive assessment of body compartments and where the definition of body composition cut-offs is constant, are warranted to better understand this association.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42022337753, identifier (CRD42022337753).

  • Is it time to leave multi- for single-port laparoscopy in benign gynecologic surgery? A systematic review of randomized clinical trials
    Marta BONOLLO, Serena BELLAMINUTTI, Maria L. GASPARRI, and Andrea PAPADIA

    Edizioni Minerva Medica
    INTRODUCTION Conventionally, laparoscopic surgery in gynecology requires multiple accesses in the abdominal cavity. Laparo-Endoscopic Single-Site surgery (LESS) is a more recent technique consisting in a laparoscopy in which the abdominal cavity is reached by a single umbilical incision. The aim of this systematic review is to summarize and comment the benefits and drawbacks in benign gynecological surgeries, including hysterectomy, myomectomy, and adnexal surgery, by LESS and conventional Multi-Port Laparoscopy (MPL), respectively. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION A systematic review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Randomized Control Trials (PRISMA) was performed by researching articles in PubMed, Medline, Web of Science, and Cochrane library. The terms searched were "single port laparoscopy" or "laparo-endoscopic single site surgery" or "single site laparoscopy" or "single-incision laparoscopic surgery" and "hysterectomy", or "myomectomy", or "adnexal surgery". Only randomized-controlled trials (RCTs) comparing LESS and MPL in benign gynecology were included. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS Thirteen RCTs including 1088 women undergoing gynecological surgery for benign disease through LESS versus MPL were included in the analysis of which 620 underwent hysterectomy, 154 myomectomy, 314 adnexal surgery. LESS approach was performed in 531/1088 (48.8%) procedures. All studies compared the surgical outcomes for length of operative time, hemoglobin drop, length of hospitalization, rate of conversion, post-operative pain, intra and post-operative complications. For hysterectomy, a longer operating time and a higher conversion rate were shown in the LESS group, but no significant differences were found for the other outcomes. For myomectomy, the only significant difference was found for a higher conversion rate in the LESS group. For adnexal surgery, no significant differences were found. Globally there was no difference in pain based on the Visual Analog Scale score. Cosmetic outcome was reported in 6/13 of the studies included, 4/6 demonstrated a superior cosmetic satisfaction in the LESS group. CONCLUSIONS Despite cosmetic result is intuitively the main advantage for LESS technique, current evidence does not seem to demonstrate a clear superiority of LESS compared to MPL in benign gynecological surgery.

  • Axillary surgery after neoadjuvant therapy in initially node-positive breast cancer: international EUBREAST survey
    Maria Luisa Gasparri, Jana de Boniface, Philip Poortmans, Oreste D Gentilini, Orit Kaidar-Person, Maggie Banys-Paluchowski, Rosa Di Micco, Laura Niinikoski, David Murawa, Eduard Alexandru Bonci,et al.

    Oxford University Press (OUP)
    Abstract Background There is no consensus on axillary management after neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) in patients with clinically node-positive (cN+) breast cancer. To investigate current clinical practice, an international survey was conducted among breast surgeons and radiation oncologists. The aim of the first part of the survey was to provide a snapshot of international discrepancies regarding axillary surgery in this context. Methods The European Breast Cancer Research Association of Surgical Trialists (EUBREAST) developed a web-based survey containing 39 questions describing clinical scenarios in the setting of axillary management in patients with cN1 disease converting to ycN0 after NAT. The survey was then distributed to breast surgeons and radiation oncologists via 14 breast cancer societies between April and October 2021. Results Responses from 349 physicians in 45 countries were recorded. The most common post-NAT axillary surgery in patients with cN1 disease converting to ycN0 was targeted axillary dissection (54.2 per cent), followed by sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) alone (20.9 per cent), level 1–2 axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) (18.4 per cent), level 1–3 ALND (4 per cent), and targeted lymph node biopsy (2.5 per cent). For SLNB alone, dual tracers were most commonly used (62.3 per cent). Management varied widely in patients with ambiguous axillary status before initiation of treatment or a residual metastatic burden in the axilla after NAT. In patients with ycN+ tumours, ALND was the preferred surgical approach for 66.8 per cent of respondents. Conclusion These results highlight the wide heterogeneity in surgical approaches to the axilla after NAT. To standardize the guidelines, further data from clinical research are urgently needed, which underlines the importance of the ongoing AXSANA (EUBREAST-3) study.

  • Evaluating long-term outcomes of three approaches to retroperitoneal staging in endometrial cancer
    Giorgio Bogani, Violante Di Donato, Andrea Papadia, Alessandro Buda, Jvan Casarin, Francesco Multinu, Francesco Plotti, Ilaria Cuccu, Tullio Golia D'Auge, Maria Luisa Gasparri,et al.

    Elsevier BV

  • Endometrial Cancer and BRCA Mutations: A Systematic Review
    Maria Luisa Gasparri, Serena Bellaminutti, Ammad Ahmad Farooqi, Ilaria Cuccu, Violante Di Donato, and Andrea Papadia

    MDPI AG
    This systematic review identifies, evaluates, and summarises the findings of all relevant individual studies on the prevalence of BRCA mutation (BRCAm) in endometrial cancer patients and the incidence of endometrial cancer in BRCAm women patients. Consequently, the benefits and limits of a prophylactic hysterectomy at the time of the risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy are analysed and discussed. A systematic literature search was performed in the databases of PubMed, Cochrane, and Web of Science until May 2022; 13 studies met the eligibility criteria. Overall, 1613 endometrial cancer patients from 11 cohorts were tested for BRCA1/2 mutation. BRCA1/2m were identified in 4.3% of women with endometrial cancer (70/1613). BRCA1m was the most represented (71.4%) pathogenic variant. Alongside, a total of 209 BRCAm carriers from 14 studies were diagnosed with endometrial cancer. Only 5 out of 14 studies found a correlation between BRCAm and an increased risk of endometrial cancer. Nevertheless, two studies found a statistical difference only for BRCA1m women. The present systematic review does not provide strong evidence in favour of performing routine hysterectomy at the time of risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy; however, it provides epidemiological data that can be useful for counselling patients in order to offer a tailored approach.

  • Brain metastases in breast cancer
    Maria Luisa Gasparri, Rosa Di Micco, Arianna Siconolfi, Ammad Ahmad Farooqi, Gabrielle Di Bartolomeo, Veronica Zuber, Donatella Caserta, Filippo Bellati, Ilary Ruscito, Andrea Papadia,et al.

    Elsevier

  • Ovarian reserve of women with and without BRCA pathogenic variants: A systematic review and meta-analysis
    Maria Luisa Gasparri, Rosa Di Micco, Veronica Zuber, Katayoun Taghavi, Giampaolo Bianchini, Serena Bellaminutti, Francesco Meani, Rossella Graffeo, Massimo Candiani, Michael D. Mueller,et al.

    Elsevier BV
    Introduction Preliminary clinical evidence suggests a detrimental effect of pathogenic variants of BRCA1 and 2 genes on fertility outcome. This meta-analysis evaluates whether women carrying BRCA mutations (BRCAm) have decreased ovarian reserve, in terms of Anti-Muellerian Hormone (AMH), compared to women without BRCAm (wild-type). Material and methods Systematic searches of PubMed, Medline, Scopus, Embase, Science Direct and the Cochrane Library from inception until July 2020 were conducted. All studies comparing AMH level in fertile age women, with and without BRCA pathogenic variants were considered. Sub-analyses were performed according to age, presence of breast cancer, and type of mutation. Results Among 64 studies, 10 series were included. For the entire cohort, a trend of reduced AMH level were found between BRCAm carriers and women without pathogenic variants. BRCAm carriers aged 41-years or younger had lower AMH levels compared to 41-years or younger wild type women (OR: 0.73 [95%CI-1.12;-0.35]; p = 0.0002). This finding was confirmed for BRCA1m carriers (OR: 1 [95%CI-1.96;-0.05]; p = 0.004) whereas no difference was observed between BRCA2m carriers and wild type women. The same analysis on breast cancer patients with and without BRCAm achieved the same results. Conclusion Young BRCA1m carriers seem to have lower AMH level compared with wild type women and therefore a potential decreased ovarian reserve.

  • Development of a novel nomogram-based online tool to predict axillary status after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in cN+ breast cancer: A multicentre study on 1,950 patients
    Fabio Corsi, Sara Albasini, Luca Sorrentino, Giulia Armatura, Claudia Carolla, Corrado Chiappa, Francesca Combi, Annalisa Curcio, Angelica Della Valle, Guglielmo Ferrari,et al.

    Elsevier BV
    BACKGROUND Type of axillary surgery in breast cancer (BC) patients who convert from cN + to ycN0 after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is still debated. The aim of the present study was to develop and validate a preoperative predictive nomogram to select those patients with a low risk of residual axillary disease after NAC, in whom axillary surgery could be minimized. PATIENTS AND METHODS 1950 clinically node-positive BC patients from 11 Breast Units, treated by NAC and subsequent surgery, were included from 2005 to 2020. Patients were divided in two groups: those who achieved nodal pCR vs. those with residual nodal disease after NAC. The cohort was divided into training and validation set with a geographic separation criterion. The outcome was to identify independent predictors of axillary pathologic complete response (pCR). RESULTS Independent predictive factors associated to nodal pCR were axillary clinical complete response (cCR) after NAC (OR 3.11, p < 0.0001), ER-/HER2+ (OR 3.26, p < 0.0001) or ER+/HER2+ (OR 2.26, p = 0.0002) or ER-/HER2- (OR 1.89, p = 0.009) BC, breast cCR (OR 2.48, p < 0.0001), Ki67 > 14% (OR 0.52, p = 0.0005), and tumor grading G2 (OR 0.35, p = 0.002) or G3 (OR 0.29, p = 0.0003). The nomogram showed a sensitivity of 71% and a specificity of 73% (AUC 0.77, 95%CI 0.75-0.80). After external validation the accuracy of the nomogram was confirmed. CONCLUSION The accuracy makes this freely-available, nomogram-based online tool useful to predict nodal pCR after NAC, translating the concept of tailored axillary surgery also in this setting of patients.

  • Factors predicting morbidity in surgically-staged high-risk endometrial cancer patients
    Giorgio Bogani, Andrea Papadia, Alessandro Buda, Jvan Casarin, Violante Di Donato, Francesco Plotti, Maria Luisa Gasparri, Chiara Cimmino, Ciro Pinelli, Anna Myriam Perrone,et al.

    Elsevier BV
    OBJECTIVE To investigate factors predicting the risk of developing 90-day postoperative complications and lymphatic-specific morbidity in patients undergoing surgical staging for high-risk endometrial cancer. METHODS This is a multi-institutional retrospective cohort study. Patients affected by apparent early-stage high-risk endometrial cancer (endometrioid FIGO grade 3 with deep myometrial invasion and non-endometrioid endometrial cancer) undergoing surgical staging between 2007 and 2019. Complications were graded according to the Clavien-Dindo classification system. Martin criteria were applied to improve quality of complications reporting. RESULTS Charts of 279 patients were evaluated. Lymphadenectomy, sentinel node mapping (SNM), and SNM followed by back-up lymphadenectomy were performed in 83 (29.7%), 50 (17.9%), and 146 (52.4%) patients, respectively. The former group of patients included 13 patients who had lymphadenectomy after the failure of the SNM technique. Thirteen (4.6%) patients developed severe postoperative events (grade 3 or worse). At multivariate analysis, body mass index (OR: 1.08 (95%CI: 1.01, 1.17)) and open abdominal surgery (OR: 2.27 (95%CI: 1.02, 5.32)) were the two independent factors predictive of surgery-related morbidity. Seven severe lymphatic complications occurred. The adoption of laparoscopic approach (p < 0.001, log-rank test) and SNM (p = 0.038, log-rank test) correlated with a lower risk of developing surgery-related events. Independently, open abdominal surgery was associated with an increased risk of developing lymphatic morbidity (OR: 37.4 (95%CI: 4.38, 319.5); p = 0.001). CONCLUSION The adoption of the laparoscopic approach and SNM technique were associated with lower 90-day complication rates than open surgery in high-risk endometrial cancer undergoing staging surgery.

  • SARS-CoV-2 vaccination modelling for safe surgery to save lives: data from an international prospective cohort study
    GlobalSurg Collaborative Covidsurg Collaborative, Ergin Erginöz, Juan J. Segura-Sampedro and Fardis Vosoughi

    Oxford University Press (OUP)
    Abstract Background Preoperative SARS-CoV-2 vaccination could support safer elective surgery. Vaccine numbers are limited so this study aimed to inform their prioritization by modelling. Methods The primary outcome was the number needed to vaccinate (NNV) to prevent one COVID-19-related death in 1 year. NNVs were based on postoperative SARS-CoV-2 rates and mortality in an international cohort study (surgical patients), and community SARS-CoV-2 incidence and case fatality data (general population). NNV estimates were stratified by age (18–49, 50–69, 70 or more years) and type of surgery. Best- and worst-case scenarios were used to describe uncertainty. Results NNVs were more favourable in surgical patients than the general population. The most favourable NNVs were in patients aged 70 years or more needing cancer surgery (351; best case 196, worst case 816) or non-cancer surgery (733; best case 407, worst case 1664). Both exceeded the NNV in the general population (1840; best case 1196, worst case 3066). NNVs for surgical patients remained favourable at a range of SARS-CoV-2 incidence rates in sensitivity analysis modelling. Globally, prioritizing preoperative vaccination of patients needing elective surgery ahead of the general population could prevent an additional 58 687 (best case 115 007, worst case 20 177) COVID-19-related deaths in 1 year. Conclusion As global roll out of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination proceeds, patients needing elective surgery should be prioritized ahead of the general population.

  • Pet/mri for staging the axilla in breast cancer: Current evidence and the rationale for snb vs. pet/mri trials
    Rosa Di Micco, Letizia Santurro, Maria Luisa Gasparri, Veronica Zuber, Giovanni Cisternino, Sara Baleri, Manuela Morgante, Nicole Rotmensz, Carla Canevari, Francesca Gallivanone,et al.

    MDPI AG
    Axillary surgery in breast cancer (BC) is no longer a therapeutic procedure but has become a purely staging procedure. The progressive improvement in imaging techniques has paved the way to the hypothesis that prognostic information on nodal status deriving from surgery could be obtained with an accurate diagnostic exam. Positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI) is a relatively new imaging tool and its role in breast cancer patients is still under investigation. We reviewed the available literature on PET/MRI in BC patients. This overview showed that PET/MRI yields a high diagnostic performance for the primary tumor and distant lesions of liver, brain and bone. In particular, the results of PET/MRI in staging the axilla are promising. This provided the rationale for two prospective comparative trials between axillary surgery and PET/MRI that could lead to a further de-escalation of surgical treatment of BC. • SNB vs. PET/MRI 1 trial compares PET/MRI and axillary surgery in staging the axilla of BC patients undergoing primary systemic therapy (PST). • SNB vs. PET/MRI 2 trial compares PET/MRI and sentinel node biopsy (SNB) in staging the axilla of early BC patients who are candidates for upfront surgery. Finally, these ongoing studies will help clarify the role of PET/MRI in BC and establish whether it represents a useful diagnostic tool that could guide, or ideally replace, axillary surgery in the future.

  • Correction to: The impact of low-volume metastasis on disease-free survival of women with early-stage cervical cancer (Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology, (2020), 10.1007/s00432-020-03435-z)
    Alessandro Buda, Jvan Casarin, Michael Mueller, Francesco Fanfani, Ignacio Zapardiel, Liliana Mereu, Andrea Puppo, Elena De Ponti, Marco Adorni, Debora Ferrari,et al.

    Springer Science and Business Media LLC

  • The impact of low-volume metastasis on disease-free survival of women with early-stage cervical cancer
    Alessandro Buda, Jvan Casarin, Michael Mueller, Francesco Fanfani, Ignacio Zapardiel, Liliana Mereu, Andrea Puppo, Elena De Ponti, Marco Adorni, Debora Ferrari,et al.

    Springer Science and Business Media LLC

  • Fibrin sealants and axillary lymphatic morbidity: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 23 clinical randomized trials
    Maria Luisa Gasparri, Thorsten Kuehn, Ilary Ruscito, Veronica Zuber, Rosa Di Micco, Ilaria Galiano, Siobana C. Navarro Quinones, Letizia Santurro, Francesca Di Vittorio, Francesco Meani,et al.

    MDPI AG
    Background: use of fibrin sealants following pelvic, paraaortic, and inguinal lymphadenectomy may reduce lymphatic morbidity. The aim of this meta-analysis is to evaluate if this finding applies to the axillary lymphadenectomy. Methods: randomized trials evaluating the efficacy of fibrin sealants in reducing axillary lymphatic complications were included. Lymphocele, drainage output, surgical-site complications, and hospital stay were considered as outcomes. Results: twenty-three randomized studies, including patients undergoing axillary lymphadenectomy for breast cancer, melanoma, and Hodgkin’s disease, were included. Fibrin sealants did not affect axillary lymphocele incidence nor the surgical site complications. Drainage output, days with drainage, and hospital stay were reduced when fibrin sealants were applied (p &lt; 0.0001, p &lt; 0.005, p = 0.008). Conclusion: fibrin sealants after axillary dissection reduce the total axillary drainage output, the duration of drainage, and the hospital stay. No effects on the incidence of postoperative lymphocele and surgical site complications rate are found.