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Papers by Benedetta Montagna

Journal of Chromatography B Analytical Technologies in the Biomedical and Life Sciences, Jan 11, 2009

Anticancer Research, Dec 1, 2010

Anticancer Research, May 1, 2012

Introduction: Clostridium difficile infection is very commonly related to antibiotic therapy. The... more Introduction: Clostridium difficile infection is very commonly related to antibiotic therapy. The spectrum of clinical manifestation of C. difficile infection may include, in an increasing order of severity, absence of symptoms, colitis without formation of pseudomembranes and pseudomembranous colitis (PMC). PMC is a severe but rare complication of the infection. It is related to the bacterial production of enterotoxin A and B. Its clinical features include diarrhea, abdominal tenderness and fever. In the worst case, it may progress to toxic megacolon and colonic perforation. Ascites is an infrequent direct complication of most severe cases of PMC. Case Report: We report a case of ascites arising two weeks after the resolution of C. difficile infection, in which hypoalbuminemia, caused by protein losing enteropathy, was the most likely pathogenetic mechanism. The patient recovered completely after human albumin intravenous support and diuretics. Conclusion: Protein losing syndrome r...

International Journal of Case Reports and Images, 2013

Anticancer research, 2013

Thermal ablative techniques have gained increasing popularity as safe and effective options for p... more Thermal ablative techniques have gained increasing popularity as safe and effective options for patients with unresectable solid malignancies. Microwave ablation has emerged as a relatively new technique with the promise of larger and faster ablation areas without some of the limitations of radiofrequency thermal ablation. Herein, we report our preliminary results on the feasibility and efficacy of thermal ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with a new 2.45-MHz microwave generator. Under ultrasound guidance 194 HCCs in 144 patients were treated through a percutaneous approach. The median diameter of lesions was 2.7 cm (range=2.0-11.0 cm); 68 lesions had a diameter greater than 30 mm. We used a microwave generator (AMICA-GEM, Apparatus for MICrowave Ablation) connected to a 14- or 16-gauge coaxial antenna endowed with a miniaturized sleeve choke to reduce back heating effects and increase the sphericity of the ablated area. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan was carri...

Anticancer research, 2010

Image-guided transcatheter hepatic chemoembolization (TACE) is accepted worldwide as an effective... more Image-guided transcatheter hepatic chemoembolization (TACE) is accepted worldwide as an effective treatment for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and for adequate preservation of liver function. Although considered relatively safe, TACE has been associated with several complications. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of the complications associated with TACE therapy and to correlate it with certain risk factors, either well-known or not yet evaluated. A total of 330 chemoembolization procedures performed in 170 patients (117 males and 53 females) over a period of 64 months were retrospectively analysed. Among the patients, 123 had hepatocellular carcinoma, 10 had intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and 37 had hepatic metastases. The variables considered were: tumour histotype, bilioenteric anastomosis, previous or combined treatment with radiofrequency thermal ablation, antibiotic prophylaxis, chemotherapeutic agents, use of new drug-eluting m...

Anticancer research, 2012

The purpose of this study was the pharmacokinetic (PK) profile assessment in the serum of patient... more The purpose of this study was the pharmacokinetic (PK) profile assessment in the serum of patients affected by hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) with drug-eluting beads. This study included 20 patients, 12 treated with DC Bead® and 8 with HepaSphere Microsphere®, preloaded with epirubicin. No patient randomization was used for the inclusion in one group or in the other. Peripheral blood samples were obtained from all patients after the treatment, until 24 hours past the procedure. The pharmacokinetic study showed low peak serum epirubicin concentrations with greater drug exposure for the DC Bead® group (p<0.05). The highest drug concentration after microsphere injection was observed at 5 minutes in all 20 patients. In the time interval between 1 and 24 hours after TACE, persisting levels of epirubicin were detected in peripheral blood samples. A persistent and sustained drug elution for both types of microparticles was found.

European Journal of Cancer Supplements, 2009

Gastroenterology Research and Practice, 2009

$Research paper thumbnail of Hepatic intra-arterial cetuximab in combination with 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin as salvage treatment for sorafenib-refractory hepatocellular carcinoma$

Anticancer research, 2011

Sorafenib is the only therapy approved for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma no longer eligible f... more Sorafenib is the only therapy approved for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma no longer eligible for transcatheter arterial chemoembolization. Hepatic intra-arterial chemotherapy has been shown to be an effective and safe therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Cetuximab has been administered intravenously to patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, showing encouraging results in terms of its safety and toxicity profile. Our purpose was to evaluate the safety and feasibility of hepatic arterial chemotherapy with cetuximab, cisplatin and 5-fluoruracil for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, not responsive or not eligible for sorafenib therapy. From January 2010 to January 2011, 12 patients received a 2-day course of chemotherapy consisting of repeated daily hepatic arterial administration of 20 mg of cisplatin as 2-h infusion, 5-fluorouracil at 500 mg/m(2) as 5-h infusion and cetuximab 500 mg/m(2) as 12-h infusion. Cycles were repeated every 14 days. After ...

Open Journal of Gastroenterology, 2013

Clinical breast cancer, 2012

The purpose of this study was to assess the activity and safety of the combination of vinorelbine... more The purpose of this study was to assess the activity and safety of the combination of vinorelbine (VNR) and capecitabine (CAP) as first-line treatment in HER2-negative (HER(-)) metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Patients (42) enrolled in trial A received intravenous (i.v.) VNR 25 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8 of a 21-day cycle combined with CAP 1000 mg/m2 twice daily for 14 consecutive days followed by 1 week of rest. Trial B (46 patients) followed trial A when the oral formulation of VNR became available at our institution. Patients received oral VNR (60 mg/m(2) on days 1-8) combined with the same CAP schedule as in trial A. The response rate (RR) in trial A was 73.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 56.4-82.8), including 12.2% complete responses (CRs). Clinical benefit was achieved in 78% of patients (95% CI, 63.2-87.9). In trial B, overall RR was 76% (95% CI, 62.0-86.0), with 13% CRs and clinical benefit of 80.4% (95% CI, 66.8-89.3). In trial A, median progression-free survival (PFS) was 8.2 ...