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We retrospectively investigated the role of (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with primary, localized angiosarcoma. We selected all patients with primary, localized angiosarcoma, who had received radical surgery between January 2005 and December 2019 at 33 European sarcoma reference centers. The primary objective was to compare the outcome of patients who received (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy versus those who did not, in terms of overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS). To reduce the risk of confounding due to imbalance, a propensity-score matching(PSM) was performed. Finally, subgroups analysis was performed according to tumor site, tumor size (< 50 mm or ≥ 50 mm) and patients predicted 10-years OS according to the nomogram sarculator (two different cutoff-values were applied: ≤ 33% or > 33% and < 60% or ≥ 60%). 362 patients were analyzed: 149 (41.2%; treated group) received (neo) adjuvant chemotherapy and 213 (58.6%; control group) did not. The median follow-up for the OS endpoint was 5.1 years (95% CI: 4.0–5.5). The OS-HR was 0.58 (95%CI: 0.40–0.83; p-value = 0.003) in the univariate analysis and 0.74 (95% CI: 0.38–1.43; p = 0.367) in the PSM analysis. The DFS-HR was 0.75 (95% CI: 0.57–0.98; p-value = 0.036) in the univariate analysis, and 0.91 (95% CI:0.56–1.48; p-value = 0.7) in the PSM analysis. The DMFS-HR was 0.75 (95% CI: 0.55–1.02; p-value = 0.065) in univariate analysis and 0.92 (95% CI: 0.53–1.61; p-value = 0.769) in the PSM analysis. Subgroup analysis revealed no heterogeneity of results in strata of tumor site. On the contrary, there was a trend for heterogeneity according to tumor size and patient's risk of death. For all the endpoints analyzed, patients with tumors smaller than 50 mm or at lower risk of death seem to have no benefit from chemotherapy, while patients with larger tumors or at higher risk of death at 10 years seem to derive substantial benefit. This large, retrospective study suggests that patients affected by > 50 mm and/or high-risk primary, localized angiosarcoma could benefit from (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy. • Localized angiosarcoma of any site. • Effectiveness of (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy. • High risk angiosarcoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Obesity represents the second preventable mortality cause worldwide, and is very often associated with type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). The first line treatment is lifestyle modification to weight-loss, but for those who fail to achieve the goal or have difficulty in maintaining achieved results, pharmacological treatment is needed. Few drugs are available today, because of their side effects., Objective: We aim to review actual pharmacological management of obese patients, highlighting differences between Food and Drug Administration - and European Medicine Agency-approved molecules, and pointing out self-medications readily obtainable and widely distributed., Methods: Papers on obesity, weight loss, pharmacotherapy, self- medication and diet-aid products were selected using Medline. Research articles, systematic reviews, clinical trials and meta-analyses were screened., Results: Anti-obesity drugs with central mechanisms, such as phentermine and lorcaserin, are available in USA, but not in Europe. Phentermine/topiramate and naltrexone/bupropion combinations are now available, even though the former is still under investigation from EMA. Orlistat, with peripheral mechanisms, represents the only drug approved for weight reduction in adolescents. Liraglutide has been approved at higher dose for obesity. Anti-obesity drugs, readily obtainable from the internet, include crude-drug products and supplements for which there is often a lack of compliance to national regulatory standards., Conclusions: Mechanisms of weight loss drugs include the reduction of energy intake or the increase in energy expenditure and sense of satiety as well as the decrease of hunger or the reduction in calories absorption. Few drugs are approved, and differences exist between USA and Europe. Moreover, herbal medicines and supplements often sold on the internet and widely used by obese patients, present a risk of adverse effects., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)