I. Improta
Vita-Salute San Raffaele University
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Publication
Featured researches published by I. Improta.
Radiotherapy and Oncology | 2016
F. Palorini; Tiziana Rancati; C. Cozzarini; I. Improta; V. Carillo; B. Avuzzi; Valeria Casanova Borca; A. Botti; Claudio Degli Esposti; Pierfrancesco Franco; E. Garibaldi; G. Girelli; C. Iotti; A. Maggio; M. Palombarini; A. Pierelli; Emanuele Pignoli; Vittorio Vavassori; Riccardo Valdagni; C. Fiorino
PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE Prospectively assessing clinical/dosimetry factors affecting the acute worsening of urinary functionality after radiotherapy for prostate cancer. MATERIAL/METHODS DUE01 population was considered, including patients treated with conventional or moderate hypo-fractionation (2.2-2.7 Gy/fr). Relevant clinical factors were collected, urinary symptoms were self-reported through the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) before and at the end of radiotherapy; while absolute weekly dose-surface histograms (DSHw) were chosen as dosimetry descriptors. An IPSS increase of at least 10 and 15 points (ΔIPSS ⩾ 10 and ΔIPSS ⩾ 15) were chosen as endpoints. Patients with baseline IPSS>20 were excluded. Relevant factors were chosen through a bootstrap-based in silico methodology. RESULTS Complete information was available for 380 patients: 77/380 (20%) and 28/380 (7%) with ΔIPSS ⩾ 10 and ΔIPSS ⩾ 15, respectively. Neoadjuvant hormone was protective (OR=0.49 and 0.69). DSHw at 8.5 Gy/week and 12 Gy/week were risk factors, with additional risk for patients who use cardiovascular drugs and anti-hypercholesterolemia drugs. In the hypo-fractionated subgroup (n=209) the role of cardiovascular drugs (OR=2.16) for ΔIPSS ⩾ 10 and anti-hypercholesterolemia drugs (OR=2.80) for ΔIPSS⩾15, together with DSHw (10 Gy/week and 12.5 Gy/week, respectively), was confirmed. CONCLUSION Current study shows a dose-surface/volume effect for acute large worsening of urinary functionality; several clinical variables largely impact the risk and especially all the factors related with vascular diseases.
Physica Medica | 2016
I. Improta; F. Palorini; C. Cozzarini; T. Rancati; B. Avuzzi; Pierfrancesco Franco; C. Degli Esposti; E. Del Mastro; G. Girelli; C. Iotti; V. Vavassori; Riccardo Valdagni; C. Fiorino
PURPOSE To assess bladder spatial-dose parameters predicting acute urinary toxicity after radiotherapy for prostate cancer (PCa) through a pixel-wise method for analysis of bladder dose-surface maps (DSMs). MATERIALS & METHODS The final cohort of a multi-institutional study, consisting of 539 patients with PCa treated with conventionally (CONV:1.8-2Gy/fr) or moderately hypo-fractionated radiotherapy (HYPO:2.2-2.7Gy/fr) was considered. Urinary toxicity was evaluated through the International Prostate Symptoms Score (IPSS) administered before and after radiotherapy. IPSS increases ⩾10 and 15 points at the end of radiotherapy (ΔIPSS⩾10 and ΔIPSS⩾15) were chosen as endpoints. Average DSMs (corrected into 2Gy-equivalent doses) of patients with/without toxicity were compared through a pixel-wise method. This allowed the extraction of selected spatial descriptors discriminating between patients with/without toxicity. Previously logistic models based on dose-surface histograms (DSH) were considered and replaced with DSM descriptors. Discrimination power, calibration and log-likelihood were considered to evaluate the impact of the inclusion of spatial descriptors. RESULTS Data of 375/539 patients were available. ΔIPSS⩾10 was recorded in 76/375 (20%) patients, while 30/375 (8%) experienced ΔIPSS⩾15. The posterior dose at 12mm from the bladder base (roughly corresponding to the trigone region) resulted significantly associated to toxicity in the whole/HYPO populations. The cranial extension of the 75Gy isodose along the bladder central axis was the best DSM-based predictor in CONV patients. Multi-variable models including DSM descriptors showed better discrimination (AUC=0.66-0.77) when compared to DSH-based models (AUC=0.58-0.71) and higher log-likelihoods. CONCLUSION DSMs are correlated with the risk of acute GU toxicity. The incorporation of spatial descriptors improves discrimination and log-likelihood of multi-variable models including dosimetric and clinical parameters.
Radiotherapy and Oncology | 2016
A. Botti; F. Palorini; V. Carillo; I. Improta; Stefano Gianolini; C. Iotti; T. Rancati; C. Cozzarini; C. Fiorino
ESTRO 35 2016 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Purpose or Objective: Contrast enhancement and respiration management are widely used during image acquisition for radiotherapy treatment planning of liver tumors along with respiration management at the treatment unit. However, neither respiration management nor intravenous contrast is commonly used during cone-beam CT (CBCT) image acquisition for alignment prior to radiotherapy. In this study, the authors investigate the potential gains of injecting an iodinated contrast agent in combination with respiration management during CBCT acquisition for liver tumor radiotherapy.
Radiotherapy and Oncology | 2016
F. Palorini; T. Rancati; A. Cicchetti; I. Improta; C. Cozzarini; V. Casanova Borca; C. Degli Esposti; Pierfrancesco Franco; E. Garibaldi; G. Girelli; A. Maggio; R. Micera; M. Palombarini; A. Pierelli; E. Pignoli; N. Simoni; V. Vavassori; S. Villa; Riccardo Valdagni; C. Fiorino
Conclusion: The delivery of a voxel by voxel iso-effective plan, if different RBE models are employed, is not feasible; it is however possible to minimize differences in dose deposited in the target. Dose prescription is a clinical task which ultimately depends only on the radiation oncologist clinical decision; in this study we made an attempt to avoid systematic errors which could potentially compromise tumor control. Initial clinical data on local control of adenoid cystic carcinoma treated in our facility confirms the validity of this approach.
International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics | 2015
T. Rancati; C. Cozzarini; I. Improta; F. Palorini; E. Garibaldi; Pierfrancesco Franco; B. Avuzzi; C. Degli Esposti; G. Girelli; C. Iotti; V. Vavassori; Riccardo Valdagni; C. Fiorino
Strahlentherapie Und Onkologie | 2016
C. Cozzarini; Tiziana Rancati; F. Badenchini; F. Palorini; B. Avuzzi; Claudio Degli Esposti; G. Girelli; I. Improta; Vittorio Vavassori; Riccardo Valdagni; C. Fiorino
Radiotherapy and Oncology | 2017
E. Onjukka; C. Fiorino; F. Palorini; A. Cicchetti; I. Improta; C. Cozzarini; C. Degli Esposti; Pietro Gabriele; Riccardo Valdagni; G. Gagliardi; T. Rancati
Radiotherapy and Oncology | 2017
C. Cozzarini; N. Bedini; E. Garibaldi; D. Balestrini; Pierfrancesco Franco; G. Girelli; I. Improta; F. Palorini; V. Vavassori; T. Rancati; Riccardo Valdagni; C. Fiorino
Strahlentherapie Und Onkologie | 2016
C. Cozzarini; Tiziana Rancati; F. Badenchini; F. Palorini; B. Avuzzi; Claudio Degli Esposti; G. Girelli; I. Improta; Vittorio Vavassori; Riccardo Valdagni; C. Fiorino
Strahlentherapie Und Onkologie | 2016
C. Cozzarini; Tiziana Rancati; F. Badenchini; F. Palorini; B. Avuzzi; Claudio Degli Esposti; G. Girelli; I. Improta; Vittorio Vavassori; Riccardo Valdagni; C. Fiorino