Annals of translational medicine
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Smoking behavior may have a substantial influence on the overall effect of lung cancer screening. Non-randomized studies of smoking behavior during screening have indicated that computer tomography (CT) screening induces smoking cessation. Randomized studies have further elaborated that this effect has to do with participation in screening alone and not dependent on the CT scan. ⋯ Also low smoking dependency and high motivation to quit smoking at baseline predicted smoking abstinence in screening trials. Lung cancer screening therefore seems to be a teachable moment for smoking cessation. Targeted smoking cessation counselling should be an integrated part of future lung cancer screening trials.
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Previous review reported that the high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over the primary motor area (M1) of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients could alleviate their symptoms. This study aimed to investigate the effect of rTMS over the left M1 of patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA). ⋯ Our results highlight rTMS over M1 induced motor improvement in MSA patients that may be associated with increased activation in the cerebellum.
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Migraine is a common neurovascular disorder in the neurologic clinics whose mechanisms have been explored for several years. The aura has been considered to be attributed to cortical spreading depression (CSD) and dysfunction of the trigeminovascular system is the key factor that has been considered in the pathogenesis of migraine pain. ⋯ Therapies targeting on the neuropeptids and genes may be helpful in the precision medicine of migraineurs. 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) receptor agonists and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonists have demonstrated efficacy in the acute specific treatment of migraine attacks. Therefore, ongoing and future efforts to find new vulnerabilities of migraine, unravel the complexity of drug therapy, and perform biomarker-driven clinical trials are necessary to improve outcomes for patients with migraine.
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In recent years, new strategies for treating melanoma have been introduced, improving the outlook for this challenging disease. One of the most important advances has been the development of immunotherapy. The better understanding of the role of the immunological system in tumor control has paved the way for strategies to enhance the immune response against cancer cells. ⋯ This has marked a new era in the treatment of metastatic melanoma and much research is now ongoing with other drugs targeting checkpoint inhibitors. In addition, the agonist of activating molecules on T cells and their combinations are being investigated. Herein we review the clinical development of checkpoint inhibitors and their approval for treatment of metastatic melanoma.
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In Italy there exists quite a long and rich history in minimally invasive thoracic surgery. Pioneer Italian surgeons have been amongst those who first adopted video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) to perform procedures such as lobectomy and esophagectomy, respectively and quite many others have provided important contributions related to minimally invasive thoracic surgery and have proposed innovative ideas and creative technical refinements. ⋯ An ongoing active investigation in each of these sub-topics is contributing to a better definition of indications advantages and disadvantages of the various surgical strategies. In addition it is likely that combination strategies including adoption of uniportal and nonintubated approaches will lead to define novel ultra-minimally invasive treatment options.