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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]

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To authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8519.2007.00623.x Byline: ANTONIO G. SPAGNOLO (1), VIVIANA DALOISO (2) Keywords: nanotechnology; nanomedicine; ethical issues Abstract: ABSTRACT Nanotechnologies are an expression of the human ability to control and manipulate matter on a very small scale. Their use will enable an even and constant monitoring of human organisms, in a new and perhaps less invasive way. Debates at all levels - national, European and international - have pointed out the common difficulty of giving a complete, clear definition of nanotechnologies. This is primarily due to the variety of their components, to the fact that there is not just one technology but several. The most significant medical applications of nanotechnologies are in the diagnostic and the therapeutic fields, eg biosensors and molecular imaging, providing diagnosis and drug delivery with no invasive methods involved. Like any other emerging field, such technologies imply new possibilities for improving health but, on the other hand, they are still at an experimental stage and therefore should be implemented under rigorous safety testing before going on general release. For this purpose, the ethical, legal and social implications (ELSI) of nanotechnologies have been elaborated by study groups, in order to develop solutions before the results of the tests are diffused into medical practice. The aim of this paper is to define some of the ethical issues concerning biomedical applications and to evaluate whether there is a need for new or additional guidelines and regulations. Author Affiliation: (1)Dept. of Educational Sciences, University of Macerata (Italy) (2)School of Medicine 'A. Gemelli', UCSC Rome Article note: Antonio G. Spagnolo, Centro di Ateneo di Bioetica, Facolta di Medicina e Chirurgia 'A. Gemelli', UCSC-1, Largo F. Vito, I-00168 ROMA (Italy). Phone +39 06 30154205, Fax +39 06 23310717, E-mail: agspagnolo@rm.unicatt.it; viviana.daloiso@rm.unicatt.it

Copyright of Medicina e Morale is the property of PAGEPress and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)