SCIENTIFIC REPORT 2010 - 2011 - IOV

Peritoneal Carcinomatosis Melanoma and Soft Tissue Tumors Unit, Clinical Oncology1, Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine, Radiology - IOV
Clinical Surgery II - University Hospital of Padua
Tumors of the Urinary
System and Male genital
organs
Family Cancer Clinics
Medical Oncology I, Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine, Radiology - IOV
Urology, Pathology, Cryopreservation of Male Gametes - Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences - University
Hospital of Padua
Pancreatic tumors Clinical Oncology 1, Radiology - IOV
Clinical Surgery I & II - University Hospital of Padua
Pediatric Soft tissue
sarcomas and Pediatric
brain tumors
Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine, Clinical Oncology 1, Anesthesiology - IOV
Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Unit - University Hospital of Padua
The interest in heredo-familial tumors originated in the late
’90s, much before the birth of IOV, thanks to the illuminated
idea of a group of researchers of the Department of Oncology and
Surgical Sciences of the University of Padua (Emma D’Andrea,
Marco Montagna, Chiara Menin), who subsequently joined the
IOV. At the beginning, the interest was centered on breast and
ovary tumors, where inheritable alterations of the BRCA1-2
genes had been first documented. Later on, the attention was
extended to heredo-familial melanoma, and a further drive was
given when an academic endocrinologist (Giuseppe Opocher)
with a strong interest and expertise in inheritable neuroendocrine
tumors joined the IOV. At that time (2009) an operative Unit
was founded, denominated “Family Cancer Clinics”. This Unit,
coordinated by Professor Opocher, collects the entire expertise on
the field of heredo-familial tumors expressed within the Institute
(and partly outside, as we shall see later). The Family Cancer
Clinics structure has the responsibility for managing the afflux
of patients to the structures where specific genetic testing and
counseling is performed, organizing blood sampling for genetic
CLINICAL ACTIVITY ORGANIZATION - CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER REPORT
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tests, distributing these samples to the concerned laboratories,
and collecting results for further contacts with the patients. Even
though the interest in heredo-familial cancers is widespread
among Italian IRCCS, the IOV Family Cancer Clinics is the sole
structure collecting in a single operating unit the management of
these conditions, thus contributing to increase the critical mass
in the field. In addition, the Family Cancer Clinics works in
strict contact and collaboration with a research group dedicated
to the study of heredo-familial colorectal cancer. This surgical
group, wich operates at the University of Padova-Padova General
Hospital under the direction of Professor Donato Nitti, over
the last 10 years has focused his interest on these neoplasms; its
activity entails counseling, genetic testing, and most importantly a
certified tissue bank which has collected over the years more than
20,000 biological samples from about 2,000 patients. It is a firm
auspice and hope of the Scientific Direction of the IOV that these
structures could soon converge into a single inter-institutional
Unit, where the critical mass, the mechanistic knowledge, and the
quality of assistance could undergo a terrific growth.