Browsing by Author "Sampaio-Alves, M"
Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy as a Complementary Treatment in Glioblastoma—A Scoping ReviewPublication . Alpuim Costa, D; Sampaio-Alves, M; Netto, E; Fernandez, G; Oliveira, E; Teixeira, A; Daniel, PM; Bernardo, GS; Amaro, CGlioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and aggressive malignant brain tumor in adults. The mainstay of management for GBM is surgical resection, radiation (RT), and chemotherapy (CT). Even with optimized multimodal treatment, GBM has a high recurrence and poor survival rates ranging from 12 to 24 months in most patients. Recently, relevant advances in understanding GBM pathophysiology have opened new avenues for therapies for recurrent and newly diagnosed diseases. GBM's hypoxic microenvironment has been shown to be highly associated with aggressive biology and resistance to RT and CT. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) may increase anticancer therapy sensitivity by increasing oxygen tension within the hypoxic regions of the neoplastic tissue. Previous data have investigated HBOT in combination with cytostatic compounds, with an improvement of neoplastic tissue oxygenation, inhibition of HIF-1α activity, and a significant reduction in the proliferation of GBM cells. The biological effect of ionizing radiation has been reported to be higher when it is delivered under well-oxygenated rather than anoxic conditions. Several hypoxia-targeting strategies reported that HBOT showed the most significant effect that could potentially improve RT outcomes, with higher response rates and survival and no serious adverse events. However, further prospective and randomized studies are necessary to validate HBOT's effectiveness in the ‘real world' GBM clinical practice.
- Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy as a Complementary Treatment in Glioblastoma—A Scoping ReviewPublication . Alpuim Costa, D; Sampaio-Alves, M; Netto, E; Fernandez, G; Oliveira, E; Teixeira, A; Daniel, PM; Bernardo, GS; Amaro, CGlioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and aggressive malignant brain tumor in adults. The mainstay of management for GBM is surgical resection, radiation (RT), and chemotherapy (CT). Even with optimized multimodal treatment, GBM has a high recurrence and poor survival rates ranging from 12 to 24 months in most patients. Recently, relevant advances in understanding GBM pathophysiology have opened new avenues for therapies for recurrent and newly diagnosed diseases. GBM's hypoxic microenvironment has been shown to be highly associated with aggressive biology and resistance to RT and CT. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) may increase anticancer therapy sensitivity by increasing oxygen tension within the hypoxic regions of the neoplastic tissue. Previous data have investigated HBOT in combination with cytostatic compounds, with an improvement of neoplastic tissue oxygenation, inhibition of HIF-1α activity, and a significant reduction in the proliferation of GBM cells. The biological effect of ionizing radiation has been reported to be higher when it is delivered under well-oxygenated rather than anoxic conditions. Several hypoxia-targeting strategies reported that HBOT showed the most significant effect that could potentially improve RT outcomes, with higher response rates and survival and no serious adverse events. However, further prospective and randomized studies are necessary to validate HBOT's effectiveness in the 'real world' GBM clinical practice.
- Hyperbaric oxygen therapy as a complementary treatment in neuroblastoma — a narrative reviewPublication . Alpuim Costa, D; Gonçalves-Nobre, JG; Sampaio-Alves, M; Guerra, N; Arana Ribeiro, J; Espiney Amaro, C
- Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Breast Cancer Management in Portugal: A Cross-Sectional Survey-Based Study of Medical OncologistsPublication . Alpuim Costa, D; Nobre, JG; Fernandes, JP; Batista, MV; Simas, A; Sales, C; Gouveia, H; Ribeiro, LA; Coelho, A; Brito, M; Inácio, M; Cruz, A; Mariano, M; Savva-Bordalo, J; Fernandes, R; Oliveira, A; Chaves, A; Fontes-Sousa, M; Sampaio-Alves, M; Martins-Branco, D; Afonso, NAbstract Introduction: Cancer care providers have faced many challenges in delivering safe care for patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional survey-based study investigated the impact of the pandemic on clinical practices of Portuguese medical oncologists caring for patients with breast cancer. Methods: An anonymous online survey comprising 42 questions gathered information regarding COVID-19 testing, treatment in (neo)adjuvant and metastatic settings, and other aspects of breast cancer management. Practices before and during the pandemic were compared, and potential differences in outcomes according to respondents' regions, case volumes, and practice type were explored. Results: Of 129 respondents, 108 worked in the public health system, giving a representative national picture of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on breast cancer management. Seventy-one percent of respondents reported a reduction in visits for new cases of breast cancer, and there was a shift towards increased use of telemedicine. Clinical decision-making was largely unaffected in the most aggressive indications (i.e., triple-negative, HER2-positive, visceral crisis). The use of neoadjuvant therapy increased when access to surgery was difficult, whereas dose-dense regimens decreased, and cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitor treatment decreased for less aggressive disease and increased for more aggressive disease. The use of oral formulations and metronomic chemotherapy regimens increased, and clinical trial participation decreased. Some differences by respondents' region and case volume were noted. Conclusion: Medical oncologists in Portugal implemented many changes during the COVID-19 pandemic, most of which were logical and reasonable responses to the current healthcare emergency; however, the true impact on patient outcomes remains unknown.
- Influence of HER2 expression on prognosis in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer—results from an international, multicenter analysis coordinated by the AGMT Study GroupPublication . Gampenrieder, SP; Dezentjé, V; Lambertini, M; de Nonneville, A; Marhold, M; Le Du, F; Cortés Salgado, A; Alpuim Costa, D; Vaz Batista, M; Chic Ruché, N; Tinchon, C; Petzer, A; Blondeaux, E; Del Mastro, L; Targato, G; Bertucci, F; Gonçalves, A; Viret, F; Bartsch, R; Mannsbart, C; Deleuze, A; Robert, L; Saavedra Serrano, C; Gion Cortés, M; Sampaio-Alves, M; Vitorino, M; Pecen, L; Singer, C; Harbeck, N; Rinnerthaler, G; Greil, RBackground: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is associated with poor prognosis, and new treatment options are urgently needed. About 34%-39% of primary TNBCs show a low expression of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2-low), which is a target for new anti-HER2 drugs. However, little is known about the frequency and the prognostic value of HER2-low in metastatic TNBC. Patients and methods: We retrospectively included patients with TNBC from five European countries for this international, multicenter analysis. Triple-negativity had to be shown in a metastatic site or in the primary breast tumor diagnosed simultaneously or within 3 years before metastatic disease. HER2-low was defined as immunohistochemically (IHC) 1+ or 2+ without ERBB2 gene amplification. Survival probabilities were calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method, and multivariable hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated by Cox regression models. Results: In total, 691 patients, diagnosed between January 2006 and February 2021, were assessable. The incidence of HER2-low was 32.0% [95% confidence interval (CI) 28.5% to 35.5%], with similar proportions in metastases (n = 265; 29.8%) and primary tumors (n = 425; 33.4%; P = 0.324). The median overall survival (OS) in HER2-low and HER2-0 TNBC was 18.6 and 16.1 months, respectively (HR 1.00; 95% CI 0.83-1.19; P = 0.969). Similarly, in multivariable analysis, HER2-low had no significant impact on OS (HR 0.95; 95% CI 0.79-1.13; P = 0.545). No difference in prognosis was observed between HER2 IHC 0/1+ and IHC 2+ tumors (HR 0.89; 95% CI 0.69-1.17; P = 0.414). Conclusions: In this large international dataset of metastatic TNBC, the frequency of HER2-low was 32.0%. Neither in univariable nor in multivariable analysis HER2-low showed any influence on OS.