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Electrochemotherapy (ECT) is an emerging therapeutic approach gaining growing interest for its potential immunomodulatory effects in cancer treatment. This narrative review systematically examines the current state of knowledge regarding the interplay between ECT and the immune system. Through an analysis of preclinical and clinical studies, the review highlights ECT capacity to induce immunogenic cell death, activate dendritic cells, release tumor antigens, trigger inflammatory responses, and occasionally manifest systemic effects—the abscopal phenomenon. These mechanisms collectively suggest the ECT potential to influence both local tumor control and immune responses. While implications for clinical practice appear promising, warranting the consideration of ECT as a complementary treatment to immunotherapy, the evidence remains preliminary. Consequently, further research is needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms, optimize treatment protocols, explore potential synergies, and decipher the parameters influencing the abscopal effect. As the field advances, the integration of ECT's potential immunomodulatory aspects into clinical practice will need careful evaluation and collaboration among clinical practitioners, researchers, and policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this paper is to evaluate the impact on the quality of life of the treatment of nasal vestibule tumors by interventional radiotherapy (IRT-brachytherapy) through a patient reported outcome questionnaire. Methods: We prospectively collected data about patients undergoing IRT according to our institutional schedule of 44 Gy delivered in 14 fractions twice a day. We recorded both acute toxicity data, using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 5.0, and quality of life data, using the 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22) at baseline (T0), at 1 month (T1), at 3 months (T3), and at 6 months (T6). Results: We enrolled 10 consecutive patients treated between February 2023 and October 2023. The decrease in terms of SNOT-22 mean value was statistically significant from T0 and T6 with a p-value < 0.001. A noteworthy clinical finding is that quality of life improved regardless of the occurrence of G1-G2 side effects. Conclusions: Using SNOT-22 on patients with nasal vestibule carcinoma treated with IRT has shown an improvement in quality of life that is not strictly dependent on the occurrence of expected G1-G2 side effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Peri-operative interventional radiotherapy (POIRT) entails tumor resection, catheter implantation in the same surgery, and irradiation within the peri-operative period. It allows for maximal tumor burden reduction, better tumor bed identification, more flexible implant geometry, highly conformal irradiation, and treatment delay minimization. We reviewed the published local control, survival, toxicity, and quality of life (QOL) outcomes with POIRT for head and neck cancers (HNCs) in primary and re-irradiation settings. Materials and Methods. A systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, and other databases, supplemented by bibliography scanning and hand-searching, yielded 107 titles. Fifteen unique articles were eligible, five of which were merged with more updated studies. Of the ten remaining studies, four reported on primary POIRT, and seven reported on reirradiation POIRT. Given data heterogeneity, only qualitative synthesis was performed. Results. Primary POIRT in early tongue cancer results in 6-year recurrence-free (RFS) and overall survival (OS) of 92% for both; in advanced HNCs, the 9-year RFS and OS rates are 52% and 55%. Grade 1–2 toxicity is very common; grade 3–4 toxicity is rare, but grade 5 toxicity has been reported. POIRT re-irradiation for recurrent HNCs results in 5y RFS and OS rates of 37–55% and 17–50%; better outcomes are achieved with gross total resection (GTR). QOL data are lacking. Conclusions. Primary POIRT is safe and effective in early tongue cancers; its use in other HNC sites, especially in advanced disease, requires careful consideration. Re-irradiation POIRT is most effective and safe when combined with GTR; toxicity is significant and may be limited by careful case selection, implant planning and execution, use of smaller fraction sizes, and adherence to homogeneity constraints. Study Registration Number. PROSPERO Registry Number CRD42024548294. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most prevalent primary intraocular tumor in adulthood, with an important risk of metastasis, notably to the liver, rendering standard chemotherapy ineffective. Cases of UM onset during pregnancy are rare but can exhibit accelerated tumor growth. For these cases the best conservative treatment is interventional radiotherapy (IRT) also known as brachytherapy (BT). It is a form of radiotherapy that demonstrates efficacy comparable to the more common enucleation, while mitigating any risks of intrauterine toxicity. Objective: We reported the case of M., a 39-year-old pregnant patient, diagnosed with UM and undergoing brachytherapy treatment. Our aim is to make pertinent ethical considerations about: a. The ethical and clinical approach favouring a treatment strategy that preserves the affected organ and its functionality, b. The advance care planning process conducted within a multidisciplinary team. Case discussion: With the objective of preserving the mother's health and ensuring the protection of the foetus, the team unanimously agreed, through a collaborative decision-making process, to proceed with the viable brachytherapy intervention. This approach results in a lower burden and maximizes benefits for both the patient and the unborn child. Conclusions: Considering a holistic evaluation, especially considering the patient's pregnancy, the multidisciplinary approach proves fundamental. Collaboration between bioethicists and health-care professionals facilitated the development of a shared document for healthcare ethics planning, expressing the team's ethical-clinical considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Nasal vestibule cancer is considered to be a rare form of cancer. There are several different staging systems in place for categorizing these tumors, which can result in inconsistencies and unreliable data due to variations in registration. The "Rome" classification is the most recent addition. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of this new staging system and to compare it to the UICC/AJCC system. One hundred and forty-nine patients with a squamous cell carcinoma of the nasal vestibule were included. There was a significant association between an increased disease stage as staged per the Rome classification and decreased survival. This association persisted when correcting for various covariates (i.e., age at the time of diagnosis, sex, the presence of lymph node metastases, and treatment modality) in multivariable analysis. The Rome classification appears to be capable of adequately categorizing and stratifying patients for different outcome measures. Nevertheless, additional research with a larger number of patients is required before any definitive conclusions can be drawn. Squamous cell carcinoma of the nasal vestibule is considered a rare malignancy that differs from other sinonasal malignancies in many respects. Four staging systems currently exist for this disease, the most recent addition being the "Rome" classification. This study assesses the use of this new classification and its prognostic value regarding various outcome measures. A retrospective multicenter cohort study of patients with a primary squamous cell carcinoma of the nasal vestibule who were treated in three tertiary head and neck oncology referral centers was conducted. A total of 149 patients were included. The median follow-up duration was 27 months. Five-year locoregional control (LRC), disease-specific survival (DSS), and overall survival (OS) were 81.6%, 90.1, and 62.5% respectively. A statistically significant association was observed between the Rome classification and all survival outcomes in both univariable and multivariable analyses. Moreover, it appeared to perform better than the Union for International Cancer Control TNM classification for tumors of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses. The new Rome classification can be used effectively and is associated with LRC, DSS, and OS. However, it requires further validation in a larger (prospective) study population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Periocular malignancies may be clinically different from the examples arising at other sites, with possible delayed diagnosis and greater challenges for treatment and repair. Line-field confocal optical coherence tomography (LC-OCT) is a recently developed technique characterized by an unprecedented capacity to acquire high-definition images in vertical and horizontal modes. In this study, we aimed to investigate the LC-OCT morphological features of a series of eyelid skin lesions, correlating them to histopathological findings. Methods: Patients with biopsy-proven equivocal skin lesion in the eyelid area, previously investigated by means of LC-OCT, were included in the study. Percentage overall agreement was estimated for LC-OCT and histopathological diagnosis for study cases. Results: A total of 51 patients (28 women, 23 men; mean age 66.4 years old), for a total of 51 skin lesions, were assessed. The histopathological diagnosis consisted of 30 malignant and 21 benign tumors. Different entities were characterized by peculiar findings in LC-OCT, alike to histopathological features, allowing for an accurate "in vivo" classification in almost all cases, with a diagnostic concordance with histopathology of 92.1% (47/51). Conclusions: By integrating this new imaging technique into the assessment of suspicious tumors in this area, diagnostic accuracy may increase, improving strategies adopted in multidisciplinary meetings and patient-centered care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]