Integrated strategies for chemotherapy cycles in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients: Real-world data from two epidemic centers guiding decision-making

objective:Two cycles of induction chemotherapy(IC)followed by 2 cycles of platinum-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy(CCRT)(2IC+2CCRT)for locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma(LA-NPC)is widely adopted but not evidence-confirmed.This study aimed to determine the clinical value of 2IC+2CCRT regarding efficacy,toxicity and cost-effectiveness.Methods:This real-world study from two epidemic centers used propensity score matching(PSM)and inverse probability of treatment weighting(IPTW)analyses.The enrolled patients were divided into three groups based on treatment modality:Group A(2IC+2CCRT),Group B(3IC+2CCRT or 2IC+3CCRT)and Group C(3IC+3CCRT).Long-term survival,acute toxicities and cost-effectiveness were compared among the groups.We developed a prognostic model dividing the population into high-and low-risk cohorts,and survivals including overall survival(OS),progression-free survival(PFS),distant metastasis-free survival(DMFS)and locoregional relapse-free survival(LRRFS)were compared among the three groups according to certain risk stratifications.Results:Of 4,042 patients,1,175 were enrolled,with 660,419,and 96 included in Groups A,B and C,respectively.Five-year survivals were similar among the three groups after PSM and confirmed by IPTW.Grade 3-4 neutropenia and leukocytopenia were significantly higher in Groups C and B than in Group A(52.1%vs.41.5%vs.25.2%;41.7%vs.32.7%vs.25.0%)as were grade 3-4 nausea/vomiting and oral mucositis(29.2%vs.15.0%vs.6.1%;32.3%vs.25.3%vs.18.0%).Cost-effective analysis suggested that 2IC+2CCRT was the least expensive,while the health benefits were similar to those of the other groups.Further exploration showed that 2IC+2CCRT tended to be associated with a shorter PFS in high-risk patients,while 3IC+3CCRT potentially contributed to poor PFS in low-risk individuals,mainly reflected by LRRFS.Conclusions:In LA-NPC patients,2IC+2CCRT was the optimal choice regarding efficacy,toxicity and costeffectiveness;however,2IC+2CCRT and 3IC+3CCRT probably shortened LRRFS in high-and low-risk populations,respectively.

Supercritical water oxidation for the destruction of toxic organic wastewaters:A review

The destruction of toxic organic wastewaters from munitions demilitarization and complex industrial chemical clearly becomes an overwhelming problem if left to conventional treatment processes. Two options, incineration and supercritical water oxidation （SCWO）, exist for the complete destruction of toxic organic wastewaters. Incinerator has associated problems such as very high cost and public resentment; on the other hand, SCWO has proved to be a very promising method for the treatment of many different wastewaters with extremely efficient organic waste destruction 99.99% with none of the emissions associated with incineration. In this review, the concepts of SCWO, result and present perspectives of application, and industrial status of SCWO are critically examined and discussed.

Impacts of Chromium from Tannery Effluent and Evaluation of Alternative Treatment Options

The paper has focused on the challenges/impacts of tannery effluent and evaluates the alternative treatment options used to treat, recover or recycle chromium from the waste water. The paper was done entirely on secondary data by consulting literature sources including scientific journals, chapters of books, conference report papers and websites. The results of this review paper indicated that chromium is highly toxic and carcinogenic to human beings, animals, plants and the general environment (soil and water sediment). It is found out that chrome is the primary threat when ever tanning industry comes in to practice. Though many treatment options were evaluated to prevent its consequence on the environment, neither of them could achieve to treat or recover chrome 100%. Treatment options are either;inef-ficient, complicated, energy demanding, costly or applicable to a certain parts of the world due to technology or skilled man power demand. Therefore, to tackle this serious challenge stringent environmental regulation with law enforce-ment has to be exercised to use better treatment system which is widely applicable. Polluters must also know the envi-ronmental cost of their industry and treated according to polluter pay or precautionary principles. Moreover, the gen-eral public has to be aware of it and all concerned organizations and governments has to work hand in hand to reach zero discharge level or at least to attain the EPA chrome discharge

Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy plus surgery in the treatment of potentially resectable thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUNDIn recent years, neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT) combined with surgeryhas been gradually applied in patients with locally advanced thoracic esophagealcancer, but its effectiveness and safety remains unclear. In this clinical trial, weprospectively investigated the efficacy and safety of NCRT plus surgery in thetreatment of thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (TESCC).AIMTo investigate the efficacy and safety of NCRT combined with surgery in thetreatment of potentially resectable TESCC.METHODSThirty patients with advanced TESCC hospitalized in our hospital from July2016 to June 2019 were prospectively studied. All patients received NCRT, whichincluded intensity modulated conformal radiotherapy (40-44 Gy/20-22f, 2 Gy/f)and chemotherapy (paclitaxel 150-175 mg/m2d1, 22 + lobaplatin 25-30 mg/m2d2,23 for two cycles). Surgery was performed after radiotherapy and chemotherapy.The effectiveness and safety of these treatments were observed.RESULTSAmong these 30 patients, complete response was achieved in two cases (6.7%) andpartial response in 26 cases (86.7%), yielding an objective response rate of 100%.All patients underwent radical surgery successfully. The R0 resection rate was100%, and the pathologic complete response rate was 33.3%. The incidence ofgrade III- IV granulocytopenia was 10% during the NCRT, and anastomoticleakage occurred in one patient after surgery.CONCLUSIONFor patients with potentially resectable TESCC, NCRT can effectively reduce thetumor size, increase R0 resection rate, and achieve obvious pathologicaldegradation, with mild adverse reactions. Thus, it is worthy of wider clinicalapplication.

Therapeutic strategies for gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms: State-of-the-art and future perspectives

Although gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms(GEP-NENs)have always been considered rare tumors,their incidence has risen over the past few decades.They represent a highly heterogeneous group of neoplasms with several prognostic factors,including disease stage,proliferative index(Ki67),and tumor differentiation.Most of these neoplasms express somatostatin receptors on the cell surface,a feature that has important implications in terms of prognosis,diagnosis,and therapy.Although International Guidelines propose algorithms aimed at guiding therapeutic strategies,GEP-NEN patients are still very different from one another,and the need for personalized treatment continues to increase.Radical surgery is always the best option when feasible;however,up to 80%of cases are metastatic upon diagnosis.Regarding medical treatments,as GEP-NENs are characterized by relatively long overall survival,multiple therapy lines are adopted during the lifetime of these patients,but the optimum sequence to be followed has never been clearly defined.Furthermore,although new molecular markers aimed at predicting the response to therapy,as well as prognostic scores,are currently being studied,their application is still far from being part of daily clinical practice.As they represent a complex disease,with therapeutic protocols that are not completely standardized,GEP-NENs require a multidisciplinary approach.This review will provide an overview of the available therapeutic options for GEP-NENs and attempts to clarify the possible approaches for the management of these patients and to discuss future perspectives in this field.

Ordered mesoporous materials for water pollution treatment:Adsorption and catalysis

To meet the growing emission of water contaminants,the development of new materials that enhance the efficiency of the water treatment system is urgent.Ordered mesoporous materials provide opportunities in environmental processing applications due to their exceptionally high surface areas,large pore sizes,and enough pore volumes.These properties might enhance the performance of materials concerning adsorption/catalysis capability,durability,and stability.In this review,we enumerate the ordered mesoporous materials as adsorbents/catalysts and their modifications in water pollution treatment from the past decade,including heavy metals(Hg^(2+),Pb^(2+),Cd^(2+),Cr^(6+),etc.),toxic anions(nitrate,phosphate,fluoride,etc.),and organic contaminants(organic dyes,antibiotics,etc.).These contributions demonstrate a deep understanding of the synergistic effect between the incorporated framework and homogeneous active centers.Besides,the challenges and perspectives of the future developments of ordered mesoporous materials in wastewater treatment are proposed.This work provides a theoretical basis and complete summary for the application of ordered mesoporous materials in the removal of contaminants from aqueous solutions.

The transition and current pattern of drug therapy for advanced gastric cancer

Gastric cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in the world.Its incidence ranks fifth among all malignant tumors worldwide and is the third leading cause of death among cancer patients.Surgery is currently considered to be the only radical treatment.However,the low rate of early diagnosis means that most patients have an advanced-stage disease at diagnosis which lost the chance of surgery.Therefore,the main treatment for advanced gastric cancer includes chemotherapy,targeted therapy,immunotherapy.The purpose of this study is to review the transition and current patterns of drug therapy for advanced gastric cancer and to provide assistance for subsequent clinical studies in advanced gastric cancer.

Treatment of tunnel wash waters-experiments with organic sorbent materials. PartⅡ: Removal of toxic metals

In the first part of the article, the column and the bag experiments concerning removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and nonpolar oil (NPO) from tunnel wash waters using organic sorbent materials have been described. This part presents the results of removal of toxic metals. The metals of concern (Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Pb, Mo, Ni, and Zn) were selected based on the priority toxicant pollutants defined in surface water quality criteria. Concentrations of these metals in the collected effluent...

Comparing the efficacy of different dexamethasone regimens for maintenance treatment of multiple myeloma in standard-risk patients non-eligible for transplantation

BACKGROUND Multiple myeloma(MM)is a plasma cell malignancy,while MM outcomes have significantly improved due to novel agents and combinations,MM remains an incurable disease.The key goal of treatment in MM is to achieve a maximal response and the subsequent consolidation of response after initial therapy.Many studies analyzed an improved progression-free survival(PFS)following lenalidomide alone maintenance versus placebo or observation after autologous stem cell transplant(ASCT)in patients with NDMM.In the SWOG S0777 clinical trial,patients newly diagnosed with MM(NDMM)without ASCT received lenalidomide plus low-dose dexamethasone(DXM)maintenance until progressive disease,where PFS and overall survival(OS)were significantly improved.In the present study,we assessed the efficacy and toxicity of the different doses of DXM combined with lenalidomide for maintenance treatment of NDMM for transplant noneligible patients in the standard-risk group.AIM To investigate the efficacy and adverse effects of different administration modes of DXM combined with lenalidomide for maintenance treatment of MM in standard-risk patients ineligible for transplantation.METHODS A total of 96 MM patients were enrolled in this study,among whom 48 patients received maintenance treatment that consisted of oral administration of 25 milligrams(mg)of lenalidomide from days 1-21 and 40 mg of DXM on days 1,8,15,and 22(DXM 40 mg group),repeated every 4 wk.Another group was treated with oral administration of 25 mg of lenalidomide from days 1-21 and 20 mg of DXM on days 1-2,8-9,15-16,and 22-23(DXM 20 mg group),which was also repeated every 4 wk.RESULTS The median PFS was 37.25 mo in the DXM 40.00 mg group and 38.17 mo in the DXM 20 mg group(P=0.171).The median OS was 50.78 mo in the DXM 40 mg group and 51.69 mo in the DXM 20 mg group(P=0.171).Fourteen patients in the DXM 40 mg group and 6 patients in the DXM 20 mg group suffered from adverse gastrointestinal reactions after the oral administration of the DXM tablet(P=0.044).Ten patients suffered from abnormal glucose tolerance(GTA),impaired fasting glucose(IFG),or diabetes mellitus in the DXM 40 mg group during our observation time compared to 19 patients with GTA,IFG,or DM in the DXM 20 mg group(P=0.033).Abnormalβ-crosslaps or higher were found in 5 patients in the DXM 40 mg group and 12 patients in the DXM 20 mg group(P=0.049).Insomnia or an increase in insomnia compared to the previous condition was evident in 2 patients in the DXM 40 mg group after maintenance treatment for more than 6 mo compared to 11 patients in the DXM 20 mg group(P=0.017).CONCLUSION The DXM 40 mg group exhibited efficacy similar to that of the DXM 20 mg group.However,the DXM 40 mg group had significantly decreased toxicity compared with the DXM 20 mg group in the long term.

The Sub Acute Toxicity Evaluation of <i>Stereospermum kunthianum</i>Aqueous Methanolic Stem Bark Extract

Stereospermum kunthianum (Bignoniaceae) is a plant widely used for health benefits. A safety profile evaluation (acute toxicity study) of the plant extract is critical, in a step to the systematic pharmacognostic study of this plant. Thirty-two (32) rats were randomly selected and divided into four groups labelled 1 to 4 with the initial weights of the rats recorded. The animals in group 1 served as control and were administered distilled water, while those in Groups 2, 3 and 4 received 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg respectively, of the Stereospermum kunthianum aqueous methanolic stem bark extract daily. The results indicated no deaths, no observable clinical signs of toxicity, no obvious stress or changes in physical appearance or behaviour in the rats. This general picture of safety is further supported by the multiple comparison post hoc test (Turkey’s) of, the organs weights, the renal (electrolyte, urea and creatinine), the haematological parameters (RBC, HB, PCV, MCV, MCH, MCHC, and Platelet), and the hepatic enzymes (AST and ALT), that all showed the control group to be insignificantly different from the extract treated groups. In conclusion, the extract was deduced to be safe on oral administration for 28 days and it also showed a hepatoprotective quality.

Biotoxicity dynamic change and key toxic organics identification of coal chemical wastewater along a novel full-scale treatment process

It is particularly important to comprehensively assess the biotoxicity variation of industrial wastewater along the treatment process for ensuring the water environment security.However,intensive studies on the biotoxicity reduction of industrial wastewater are still limited.In this study,the toxic organics removal and biotoxicity reduction of coal chemical wastewater(CCW)along a novel full-scale treatment process based on the pretreatment process-anaerobic process-biological enhanced(BE)process-anoxic/oxic(A/O)process-advanced treatment process was evaluated.This process performed great removal efficiency of COD,total phenol,NH_(4)^(+)-N and total nitrogen.And the biotoxicity variation along the treatment units was analyzed from the perspective of acute biotoxicity,genotixicity and oxidative damage.The results indicated that the effluent of pretreatment process presented relatively high acute biotoxicity to Tetrahymena thermophila.But the acute biotoxicity was significantly reduced in BE-A/O process.And the genotoxicity and oxidative damage to Tetrahymena thermophila were significantly decreased after advanced treatment.The polar organics in CCW were identified as the main biotoxicity contributors.Phenols were positively correlated with acute biotoxicity,while the nitrogenous heterocyclic compounds and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were positively correlated with genotoxicity.Although the biotoxicity was effectively reduced in the novel full-scale treatment process,the effluent still performed potential biotoxicity,which need to be further explored in order to reduce environmental risk.

A combined evaluation of the characteristics and antibiotic resistance induction potential of antibiotic wastewater during the treatment process

Antibiotic wastewater contains a variety of pollutant stressors that can induce and promote antibiotic resistance(AR)when released into the environment.Although these substances are mostly in concentrations lower than those known to induce AR individually,it is possible that antibiotic wastewater discharge might still promote the AR transmission risk via additive or synergistic effects.However,the comprehensive effect of antibiotic wastewater on AR development has rarely been evaluated,and its treatment efficiency remains unknown.Here,samples were collected from different stages of a cephalosporin production wastewater treatment plant,and the potential AR induction effect of their chemical mixtures was explored through the exposure of the antibiotic-sensitive Escherichia coli K12 strain.Incubation with raw cephalosporin production wastewater significantly promoted mutation rates(3.6×10^(3)-9.3×10^(3)-fold)and minimum inhibition concentrations(6.0-6.7-fold)of E.coli against ampicillin and chloramphenicol.This may be attributed to the inhibition effect and oxidative stress of cephalosporin wastewater on E.coli.The AR induction effect of cephalosporin wastewater decreased after the coagulation sedimentation treatment and was completely removed after the full treatment process.A Pearson correlation analysis revealed that the reduction in the AR induction effect had a strong positive correlation with the removal of organics and biological toxicity.This indicates that the antibiotic wastewater treatment had a collaborative processing effect of conventional pollutants,toxicity,and the AR induction effect.This study illustrates the potential AR transmission risk of antibiotic wastewater and highlights the need for its adequate treatment.

Toxicity and Carcinogenicity of Ozone in Combination with 4-(N-methyl-N-nitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone and Dibutyl Phthalate in B6C3F1 Mice for 16 and 32 Weeks

Objective To evaluate the toxic and carcinogenic potential of ozone alone or in combination with 4-（N-methyl-N-nitrosamino）-1-（3-pyridyl）-1-butanone （NNK） and/or dibutyl phthalate （DBP）. Methods Male and female B6C3F1 mice were exposed, through inhalation, intravenous administration and diet, to 0.5 ppm of ozone, 1.0 mg/kg of NNK and 5000 ppm of DBP, individually and in combination for 16 and 32 weeks. Results No treatment-related death was seen, but significant differences in body and organ weights between control and treated mice were observed during the study. No incidence of lung tumor incidence was recorded in mice exposed to either ozone alone or combined treatment. Oviductal carcinomas were observed in female mice exposed to ozone or DBP alone for 16 weeks and ozone in combination with NNK and DBP for 32 weeks. Conclusion Although ozone alone and in conjunction with NNK and/or DBP does not induce lung cancer under our experimental conditions, they induce oviductal carcinomas in B6C3F1 mice.

Safety of menstrual blood-derived stromal cell transplantation in treatment of intrauterine adhesion

BACKGROUND Intrauterine adhesion(IUA)can cause serious damage to women’s reproductive health,yet current treatment methods are difficult to achieve satisfactory results.In our previous studies,we demonstrated that menstrual-derived stromal stem cells(MenSCs),with high proliferative capacity and self-renewal ability,have a powerful therapeutic effect in patients with severe IUA.However,safety assessment of MenSCs transplantation is essential for its further application.AIM To evaluate the short-,medium-,and long-term biosafety of MenSCs via intrauterine transplantation in a rat model of IUA,with a focus on toxicity and tumorigenicity.METHODS MenSCs were injected into the sub-serosal layer of the uterus in an IUA rat model,for 3 d,3 mo,and 6 mo separately,to monitor the corresponding acute,sub-chronic,and chronic effects.Healthy rats of the same age served as negative controls.Toxicity effects were evaluated by body weight,organ weight,histopathology,hematology,and biochemistry tests.Tumorigenicity of MenSCs was investigated in Balb/c-nu mice in vivo and by colony formation assays in vitro.RESULTS Compared with the same week-old control group,all of the IUA rats receiving MenSC transplantation demonstrated no obvious changes in body weight,mainorgan weight,or blood cell composition during the acute,sub-chronic,and chronic observation periods.At the same time,serum biochemical tests showed no adverse effects on metabolism or liver and kidney function.After 4 wk of subcutaneous injection of Men SCs in Balb/c-nu nude mice,no tumor formation or cell metastasis was observed.Moreover,there was no tumor colony formation of Men SCs during soft agar culture in vitro.CONCLUSION There is no acute,sub-chronic,or chronic poisoning,infection,tumorigenesis,or endometriosis in rats with IUA after Men SC transplantation.The above results suggest that intrauterine transplantation of Men SCs is safe for endometrial treatment.

Clinical Study of Jiawei Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu Decoction (加味黄芪桂枝五物汤) in Preventing and Treating Peripheral Neuro-sensory Toxicity Caused by Oxaliplatin

Objective： To evaluate the efficacy of Jiawei Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu Decoction （加味黄芪桂枝五物汤, JHGWD） in treating neuro-sensory toxicity induced by oxaliplatin. Methods： A randomized controlled self-crossover trial was performed. Thirty-one patients were randomly divided into AB and BA groups. Patients in A cycle belonged to the treated group, who were treated with chemotherapy combined with oxaliplatin plus JHGWD. Patients in B cycle belonged to the control group and were treated with chemotherapy alone. The peripheral neuro-sensory toxicity was observed and analyzed. Results： The main neurotoxicity was cold-induced paresthesia after the use of oxaliplatin, which included hyperaesthesia, chill, anaesthesia in the extremities, electrified sensation, formication, foreign body sensation and pain that might be exacerbated by exposure to cold. Twenty patients （64.5 % ） suffered from neuro-sensory toxicity in the treated group and 27 cases （87.1% ） in the control group. Symptoms were more serious and lasted longer in the control group than those in the treated group （P〈0.01）. Conclusion： JHGWD could prevent and reduce the occurence and intensity of acute peripheral neuro-sensory toxicity caused by oxaliplatin.

Photocatalysis of Naphthenic Acids in Water

Naphthenic acids (NAs) are soluble in water and are concentrated in oil sand process water (OSPW) as a result of caustic oil sands extraction processes. Significant environmental and regulatory attention has been focused on the naphthenic acids. A laboratory scale photocatalysis system was developed using UV254 florescent lamps. Experiments were conducted to determine the NA degradation efficiency of this system in presence of TiO2 catalyst. Degradation kinetics for total NAs as well as individual z-families was calculated. The developed treatment system was able to degrade OSPW NAs with half life values ranging between 1.55 and 4.80 h. This system also completely reduced the acute toxicity associated with NAs (up to 5 min. IC50 v/v > 90%) based on Microtox assays.

Germicidal Action of Some Metals/Metal Ions in Combating <i>E. coli</i>Bacteria in Relation to Their Electro-Chemical Properties

The germicidal properties of some metals and metal compounds were investigated in relation to their electro-chemical properties that may play a role in the inactivation of E. coli bacteria. These properties included the atomic and ionic radii, ionization energy, oxidation state, energy of formation with hydro-sulfide groups, and the redox potential of the metals. Cultures of E. coli bacteria with predetermined numbers of colony-forming units (CFU’s) were brought in contact with the metals as well as metal compounds, using Eosin methylene blue agar medium and sterilized, distilled water. The rate of inactivation was determined by counting the CFU’s at predefined intervals of time after inoculation. The experimental results showed that the rate of inactivation increases with increasing ionization energy of the metals. While the rate of inactivation increases with decreasing atomic radii for some of the transition metals, there is no apparent relationship between ionic radius and rate of inactivation for the metal compounds. In addition, non-transition group III metals such as aluminum and indium showed higher rates of inactivation that are comparable to the action of silver. This is probably due to the increase in coagulation potential and the resulting adsorption of bacteria, because a larger number of ions are able electrons carried by these atoms. In general, there is a difference between the atoms and the ions in terms of their rate of inactivation. This difference increases amongst the transition metals that have lower oxidation potential, lower ionization potential as well as larger ionic radius. The results also showed that for the metals, adsorption through coagulation is an important fact or that is responsible for inactivation of E. coli. For the metal compounds, additional mechanisms such as direct reaction through complex formation, physico-chemical distortion of the cell structure through direct entry of the ions into the cell, may contribute towards greater inactivation.

Evolving role of salvage reirradiation: Is global harmonization required before treatment guidelines can be developed?

Up to 90% of patients initially treated with curativeintent radiotherapy(RT) will experience locoregional failure. Historically, reirradiation(Re RT) was offered purely with palliative intent, if considered at all, due to concerns surrounding toxicity, tolerance of normal tissues, and choice of appropriate dose schedule. With technological advancements in RT delivery, coupled with longer survival in many malignancies secondary to improvements in systemic therapy, a small subset of patients presenting with localized recurrence is increasingly being offered salvage Re RT. However, this is largely on an ad hoc basis, guided mainly by small retrospective, single-institution reports. The patient population retreated, RT modality, dose received, degree of attrition and follow-up are extremely variable. The opportunity presently exists to apply lessons learned from the harmonization of the research efforts within the bone metastases community to the salvage Re RT situation: the adoption of common endpoints, minimum features to be incorporated into clinical trial design, and methods of data analysis and reporting. The Re RT data available must be harmonized so that valid, clinically applicable conclusions can be drawn. Collaboration in the form of an international registry of prospectively collected outcomes of patients reirradiated for cure for a variety of tumour sites would further support the evolution of Radiation Oncology towards personalized medicine, and away from the current "one-dose-fits-all" approach.

Prevention and Treatment of Radiation Induced Skin Damage in Breast Cancer

Introduction: Skin toxicity is a frequent side effect of radio and chemo-treatments in patients treated for breast cancer after conservative surgery. The aim of this paper is to report our experience in the management of skin toxicity evaluating radiotherapy planning and using preventive local aids. Materials and Methods: We have observed 300 patients undergoing radiotherapy. All received the prescription of a prophylactic moisturizing cream. Skin toxicity was valuated according to Acute Radiation Morbidity Scoring Criteria of the RTOG. Moreover, in a subgroup of 100 patients, we correlated the study of breast volume and features of treatment plans, with the addition of topic prophylactic treatment, using an oral therapy based on Resveratrol, Lycopene, Vitamin C and Anthocyanins (Ixor?). In another subgroup, 100 patients were subjected to corneometry assessing numerically skin hydration before, during and after radiotherapy. Results: In all patients, we related skin toxicity and the type of cream used. All patients completed the radiotherapy treatment, and G4 cutaneous toxicity was not observed in any of them. In patients treated with topic treatment and therapy based on Resveratrol, Lycopene, Vitamin C and Anthocyanins (Ixor?), the protective effect of (Ixor?) is more detected in patients with PTV (Planning Target Volume) <500 ml, when Dmax reaches values lower or equal to 107%, but not exceeding 110% of the prescribed dose, and in patients undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy with anthracyclines and taxanes. The values of corneometry allow us to evaluate the moisturizing effect for products used, and identify cases of skin toxicity in a first phase. Conclusions: Our study confirms the value of moisturizers in the prevention and resolution of radiotherapy-induced skin damage. An instrumental assessment of skin hydration with corneometry can help the radiation oncologist to use strategies that prevent the onset of toxicity of high degree.

Glyco-sphingo biology: a novel perspective for potential new treatments in Huntington's disease

Huntington＇s disease （HD） is the most common dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disorder, mainly characterized by the progressive striatal and cortical neurodegeneration and as- sociated motor, cognitive and behavioural disturbances （Zuccato et al., 2010）. The disease-causing mutation is an expansion of a GAG trinucleotide repeat （〉 36 repeats） encoding a polygluta- mine stretch in the N-terminal region ofhuntingtin （Htt） （Zuc- cato et al., 2010）, a ubiquitous protein whose function is still unclear （Zuccato et al., 2010）. Expansion of the polyQ stretch endows mutant Htt （mHtt） with toxic properties, and results in the development of a broad array of undesirable effects in both neuronal and non-neuronal cells （Zuccato et al., 2010）. Among all cellular dysfunctions and biochemical imbalances classically associated with HD, perturbed metabolism of （glyco） sphingolipids appears to play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of the disease. Over the last years, we and other have extensively contributed to these findings （Desplats et al., 2007;