Publications database

Advanced germ cell tumors (GCT) with bulky retroperitoneal lymph node metastases (>= 5 cm, clinical stage [CS] IIC) or distant metastases (CS III) remain among the solid tumors with the highest cure rates despite an unfavorable prognosis. Pulmonary metastases are associated with better outcomes, whereas non-pulmonary visceral involvement indicates a poorer prognosis. [...]

Recent advancements in data science and robotic surgery have introduced significant opportunities and challenges in the field of healthcare. To assess their implications, a multidisciplinary panel of experts in medicine and computer science convened to evaluate the potential benefits, risks, and ethical considerations associated with these technologies. [...]

The assessment of estrogen/progesterone receptors (ER/PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is essential for managing breast cancer (BC) patients, as these biomarkers guide targeted therapies. Traditional methods such as immunohistochemistry (IHC) and in situ hybridisation (ISH) are widely used, but they are resource-intensive and time-consuming. [...]

The phase II GeparNuevo trial investigated whether adding durvalumab to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) only in patients with early triple-negative breast cancer cT1b-cT4a-d would improve pathologic complete response (pCR) rate and patient survival. Hundred and seventy-four patients were randomly assigned to receive durvalumab or placebo concurrently with nab-paclitaxel once per week and followed by dose-dense epirubicin and cyclophosphamide. [...]

We previously conducted the TONE study (Treatment of optic neuritis with erythropoietin, NCT01962571), which analysed 103 patients with acute optic neuritis and no prior history of multiple sclerosis after randomization to receive high-dose erythropoietin or placebo as an adjunct to methylprednisolone pulse therapy. All visual system-related outcomes yielded negative results. [...]

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) exhibits pronounced desmoplasia, primarily attributed to the activation of pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) from a quiescent state (quiescent PSCs [qPSCs]) to an activated form (activated PSCs [aPSCs]), which facilitates tumor progression and therapeutic resistance. This study investigates the potential of the vitamin D3 (VD) analog calcipotriol (Cal) to modulate this activation process and its impact on PDAC cell malignancy, with a particular focus on the thrombospondin 1/cluster of differentiation 47 (THBS1/CD47) signaling axis. [...]

Intracranial sarcomas can arise secondarily from primary brain tumors, including gliomas and meningiomas, either spontaneously or following radiotherapy. The current WHO classification recognizes sarcomatous transformation in several tumor entities; however, sarcomas arising from meningiomas remain poorly characterized and are regarded as a possible histological manifestation within the spectrum of anaplastic meningiomas. [...]