BackgroundChemotherapy administration is a high-risk process. Aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency, type, preventability, as well as potential and actual severity of outpatient chemotherapy prescribing errors in an Oncology Department where electronic prescribing is used.MethodsUp to three electronic prescriptions per patient record were selected from the clinical records of consecutive patients who received cytotoxic chemotherapy between January 2007 and December 2008. Wrong prescriptions were classified as incomplete, incorrect or inappropriate. Error preventability was classified using a four-point scale. Severity was defined according to the Healthcare Failure Mode and Effect Analysis Severity Scale.ResultsEight hundred and thirty-five prescriptions were eligible. The overall error rate was 20%. Excluding systematic errors (i.e. errors due to an initially faulty implementation of chemotherapy protocols into computerized dictionaries) from the analysis, the error rate decreased to 8%. Incomplete prescriptions were the majority. Most errors were deemed definitely preventable. According to error presumptive potential for damage, 72% were classified as minor; only 3% had the potential to produce major or catastrophic injury. Sixty-eight percent were classified as near misses; adverse drug events had no or little effect on clinical outcome.ConclusionsChemotherapy prescribing errors may arise even using electronic prescribing. Although periodic audits may be useful to detect common errors and guide corrective actions, it is crucial to get the computerized physician order entry system and set-ups correct before implementation.

Background Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are a rare group of solid neoplasm including among others liposarcoma, leiomyosarcoma (L-sarcoma) and undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS) entities. The current first-line treatment is represented by anthracycline based- regimens, second-line may include trabectedin. Currently the activity of trabectedin and its mechanism of action is not completely elucidated. Methods Taking the advantages of our 3D patient-derived primary culture translational model we performed genomic-, chemobiogram, proteomic- and in vivo analysis in a UPS culture (S1). Furthermore pharmacological profiling of a UPS and L-sarcoma patient-derived case series and in silico analysis were carried out. Results Trabectedin exhibited an increased activity in 3D respect to 2D cultures suggesting an extracellular matrix (ECM) and timp1 involvement in its mechanism of action. Moreover 3D S1 xenotranspanted zebrafish model showed an increased sensitivity to trabectedin. Finally the results were further validated in a UPS and L-sarcoma case series. Conclusions Taken together these results confirmed the activity of trabectedin in these STS histotypes. Moreover the data underline the ECM involvement in the cytotoxic effect mediated by trabectedin and could open the door for researches aimed to focus on the patient setting that could benefit from this agent.

Myxofibrosarcoma (MFS) is a common entity of adult soft tissue sarcomas (STS) characterized by a predilection of the extremities and a high local recurrence rate. Originally classified as a myxoid variant of malignant fibrous histiocytoma, this musculoskeletal tumor has been recognized since 2002 as a distinct histotype showing a spectrum of malignant fibroblastic lesions with myxoid stroma, pleomorphism and curvilinear vessels. Currently, the molecular pathogenesis of MFS is still poorly understood and its genomic profile exhibits a complex karyotype with a number of aberrations including amplifications, deletions and loss of function. The diagnosis is challenging due to the unavailability of specific immunohistochemical markers and is based on the analysis of cytomorphologic features. The mainstay of treatment for localized disease is represented by surgical resection, with (neo)-adjuvant radio- and chemotherapy. In the metastatic setting, chemotherapy represents the backbone of treatments, however its role is still controversial and the outcome is very poor. Recent advent of genomic profiling, targeted therapies and larger enrollment of patients in translational and clinical studies, have improved the understanding of biological behavior and clinical outcome of such a disease. This review will provide an overview of current diagnostic pitfalls and clinical management of MFS. Finally, a look at future directions will be discussed.

The efficacy of temozolomide (TMZ) plus radiation therapy (RT) in elderly patients with glioblastoma is unclear. We performed a large multicenter retrospective study to analyze prognostic factors and clinical outcome in these patients. Inclusion criteria were age ≥65 years, newly histologically confirmed glioblastoma, ECOG PS 0-2, adjuvant treatment with RT plus TMZ. We enrolled 237 patients; the average age was 71 and ECOG PS was 0-1 in 196 patients; gross total resection was performed in 174 cases. MGMT was analyzed in 151 persons and was methylated in 56 %. IDH1 was assessed in 100 patients and was mutated in 6 %. Seventy-one patients were treated with RT 40 Gy and 166 with RT 60 Gy. Progression-free survival and overall survival (OS) were 11.3 and 17.3 months, respectively. Overall survival was 19.4 vs 13.8 months for patients treated with RT 60 Gy and 40 Gy (p = 0.02); OS was 17.7 versus 16.1 months for patients treated with gross total resection vs partial surgery (p = 0.02); OS was 21.2 versus 13.6 months for methylated and unmethylated MGMT (p < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, gross total resection, RT 60 Gy, methylated MGMT and ECOG PS 0-1 were independent predictors of longer survival. Twenty-five patients (10 %) had grade 3-4 haematological toxicity during the concomitant treatment. We showed that, in elderly patients in good clinical condition treated with concomitant treatment, standard-course irradiation might be more effective than short-course irradiation. Methylated MGMT remains the most important prognostic factor.

Our study confirmed that the independent prognostic role of MGMT methylation status. An average level of methylation between all investigated CpGs of 9% may help discriminating between methylated and unmethylated tumors.

Giant cell tumor of bone (GCTB) and desmoplastic fibroma (DF) are bone sarcomas with intermediate malignant behavior and unpredictable prognosis. These locally aggressive neoplasms exhibit a predilection for the long bone or mandible of young adults, causing a severe bone resorption. In particular, the tumor stromal cells of these lesions are responsible for the recruiting of multinucleated giant cells which ultimately lead to bone disruption. In this regard, the underlying pathological mechanism of osteoclastogenesis processes in GCTB and DF is still poorly understood. Although current therapeutic strategy involves surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, the benefit of the latter is still debated. Thus, in order to shed light on these poorly investigated diseases, we focused on the molecular biology of GCTB and DF. The expression of bone-vicious-cycle- and neoangiogenesis-related genes was investigated. Moreover, combining patient-derived primary cultures with 2D and 3D culture platforms, we investigated the role of denosumab and levantinib in these diseases. The results showed the upregulation of RANK-L, RANK, OPN, CXCR4, RUNX2 and FLT1 and the downregulation of OPG and CXCL12 genes, underlining their involvement and promising role in these neoplasms. Furthermore, in vitro analyses provided evidence for suggesting the combination of denosumab and lenvatinib as a promising therapeutic strategy in GCTB and DF compared to monoregimen chemotherapy. Furthermore, in vivo zebrafish analyses corroborated the obtained data. Finally, the clinical observation of retrospectively enrolled patients confirmed the usefulness of the reported results. In conclusion, here we report for the first time a molecular and pharmacological investigation of GCTB and DF combining the use of translational and clinical data. Taken together, these results represent a starting point for further analyses aimed at improving GCTB and DF management.

Adult rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) represents an uncommon entity with an incidence of less than 3% of all soft tissue sarcomas (STS). Consequently, the natural history and the clinical management of this disease are infrequently reported. In order to fill this gap, we investigated the molecular biology of an adult RMS case series. The expression of epithelial mesenchymal transition-related gene and chemoresistance-related gene panels were evaluated. Moreover, taking advantage of our STS translational model combining patient-derived primary culture and 3D-scaffold, the pharmacological profile of an adult head and neck sclerosing RMS was assessed. Furthermore, NGS, microsatellite instability, and in silico analyses were carried out. RT-PCR identified the upregulation of CDH1, SLUG, MMP9, RAB22a, S100P, and LAPTM4b, representing promising biomarkers for this disease. Pharmacological profiling showed the highest sensitivity with anthracycline-based regimen in both 2D and 3D culture systems. NGS analysis detected RAB3IP-HMGA2 in frame gene rearrangement and FGFR4 mutation; microsatellite instability analysis did not detect any alteration. In silico analysis confirmed the mutation of FGFR4 as a promising marker for poor prognosis and a potential therapeutic target. We report for the first time the molecular and pharmacological characterization of rare entities of adult head and neck and posterior trunk RMS. These preliminary data could shed light on this poorly understood disease.

In the field of nanomedicine a multitude of nanovectors have been developed for cancer application. In this regard, a less exploited target is represented by connective tissue. Sarcoma lesions encompass a wide range of rare entities of mesenchymal origin affecting connective tissues. The extraordinary diversity and rarity of these mesenchymal tumors is reflected in their classification, grading and management which are still challenging. Although they include more than 70 histologic subtypes, the first line-treatment for advanced and metastatic sarcoma has remained unchanged in the last fifty years, excluding specific histotypes in which targeted therapy has emerged. The role of chemotherapy has not been completely elucidated and the outcomes are still very limited. At the beginning of the century, nano-sized particles clinically approved for other solid lesions were tested in these neoplasms but the results were anecdotal and the clinical benefit was not substantial. Recently, a new nanosystem formulation NBTXR3 for the treatment of sarcoma has landed in a phase 2-3 trial. The preliminary results are encouraging and could open new avenues for research in nanotechnology. This review provides an update on the recent advancements in the field of nanomedicine for sarcoma. In this regard, preclinical evidence especially focusing on the development of smart materials and drug delivery systems will be summarized. Moreover, the sarcoma patient management exploiting nanotechnology products will be summed up. Finally, an overlook on future perspectives will be provided.