Clinical trials

Caring for people with pancreatic cancer requires good coordination between hospital care and care at home, with different healthcare professionals working closely together. Patients are also becoming more involved in managing their own care on a daily basis. However, this active involvement can be difficult if there is poor communication with healthcare teams, differences in skills or familiarity with digital tools, or systems that do not support patient participation. The PancreasPlus app was developed to support patients and caregivers by providing reliable information, self-monitoring tools, and a communication channel with healthcare professionals. The study aims to assess the feasibility, patient engagement, and perceived quality of routine use of the app. It is hypothesized that its use will improve engagement, perceived quality, reduce anxiety and unplanned hospital visits, without introducing technological or privacy risks. The app supports information and data collection but does not replace clinical decision-making. Objectives Primary objectives: Assess feasibility and patient engagement through questionnaire completion. Evaluate perceived service quality using the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ-8). Secondary objectives: Monitor unplanned hospital visits and adherence to chemotherapy. Assess anxiety (HADS-A), nutritional status, and global quality of life (PROMIS Global). Evaluate usability and acceptability of the app (SUS, UTAUT2 short version). Endpoints Primary endpoints include questionnaire completion rates and perceived quality (CSQ-8 score). Secondary endpoints include unplanned hospital access, chemotherapy adherence, anxiety levels, nutritional status, quality of life, and app usability/acceptability. Methods This is a prospective, interventional, multicenter study with consecutive enrollment of eligible patients. Each participant will be followed for 3 months, with most activities conducted remotely via the app. At baseline (T0), patients receive study information, provide consent, undergo training, register in the app, and complete initial assessments (clinical, socio-demographic, PROMIS Global, HADS-A). At 12 weeks (W12), follow-up includes all outcome questionnaires and data on unplanned hospital visits. The app includes features such as a personal diary (symptoms, weight, BMI, appointments), interactive questionnaires with tailored feedback, and educational content on nutrition, prevention, emotional support, and patient rights. Population Inclusion criteria: adults (≥18 years) with pancreatic cancer, access to a smartphone/tablet (or caregiver support), ability to consent, and understanding of Italian. Exclusion criteria include severe cognitive impairment, inability to use the app or complete follow-up, or withdrawal of consent. Sample Size and Analysis A total of 185 patients will be enrolled (accounting for 10% dropout), based on an expected 70% engagement rate. Analyses will be conducted on both intention-to-observe and per-protocol populations. Engagement will be analyzed as questionnaire completion rates, while other outcomes will be analyzed using appropriate statistical models (e.g., logistic regression, ANCOVA, descriptive statistics). An interim analysis at 50% enrollment is planned to address potential low engagement.

This single-institution pilot study uses a pre- and post-implementation design to evaluate the implementation of ICG fluorescent imaging for sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in an Italian hospital.

Study type and design This is an observational, exploratory, prospective, longitudinal (cohort), multicenter, non-profit study. Its purpose is to observe changes in sexual function over time without modifying standard clinical care pathways. Background and rationale Sexual dysfunctions and the psychological impact of gynecological cancers are often underestimated in clinical practice, despite the World Health Organization recognizing sexual health as a fundamental right. Cultural, personal, and educational barriers frequently hinder an open and systematic discussion of sexual health. Available literature highlights a significant deterioration in sexual quality of life and couple relationships among these patients; however, clear guidance on validated assessment tools and structured sexual counseling pathways is still lacking. Study objectives Primary objective: to evaluate whether and how sexual function questionnaire scores in patients and their partners change over time at different assessment time points. Secondary objective: to identify the proportion of patients and partners who would perceive sexual counseling as useful, as well as the preferred timing for such support. Endpoints Primary endpoint: variation in Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) scores in female patients and International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-15) scores in male partners between assessment time points (T0-T1, T1-T2, T0-T2). Secondary endpoint: perceived usefulness of sexual counseling support and preferred timing, based on questionnaire responses. Procedures and assessment timeline Patients are enrolled at the time of diagnosis communication (T0). The same questionnaire is administered again six months after the start of treatment (T1) and twelve months after completion of therapy or surgery (T2). Participation requires written informed consent, and all data are collected in a pseudo-anonymized format. Partners are enrolled and assessed at the same time points. Assessment tools Patients: the validated Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) questionnaire, plus an additional structured section exploring sexual experience, satisfaction, and difficulties. Partners: the IIEF-15 questionnaire for male partners; for female partners, the same instruments used for patients are administered. Collected variables Sociodemographic and clinical data, lifestyle habits, sleep quality, marital status, parity, ongoing or previous therapies, and FSFI and IIEF-15 questionnaire scores. Sample size A total of 200 patients and 200 corresponding partners are expected to be enrolled. Statistical analysis Data will be analyzed descriptively and longitudinally across the three time points. The primary analysis will use linear mixed-effects models for repeated measures, including random effects for subjects and fixed effects for time and relevant clinical covariates. Predefined subgroup analyses are planned. Statistical significance is set at p \< 0.05.

This research study aims to retrospectively and prospectively analyze the clinical, anamnestic, functional, biological data of patients who have performed or will perform non-contrast chest photon count CT. The use of contrast medium is evaluated by the physician. Main objective The study aims to understand how many people who undergo non-contrast photon-counting chest CT have: lung nodules, chest tumors, and other non-cancerous lung diseases. Secondary objectives * Analyze the data with the help of artificial intelligence to create a "digital twin" of the lung, that is, a virtual copy of the lung that allows you to study and simulate the behavior of the lung for research and analysis purposes, without directly intervening on the patient. * Follow any suspicious lung changes over time to understand how they change and whether they are linked to clinical, biological, or laboratory parameters. The enrollment phase will last 12 months and will begin with the approval of the study. At this stage, clinical data already present in the patient's medical record and data relating to the photon count CT examination will be collected. After the enrollment phase, the patient will be observed for a further total duration of 10 years: in particular, a follow-up visit will be arranged at two, five and ten years. More specifically, if there are no radiological elements that require scheduling a visit to the center, the patient will be contacted by telephone for a telematic update of the data. If, however, pulmonary alterations are identified during the study, the patient will be referred to the Reference Operating Unit, as per clinical practice, to continue with the most appropriate personalized diagnostic-therapeutic process. In these cases, the patient will be contacted by telephone and an appointment with the institution will be suggested.

The main aim of this study is to evaluate nutritional knowledge and adherence to the Mediterranean diet through the administration of questionnaires in patients with type 2 Diabetes Mellitus belonging to Outpatient Diabetology Service of the Hospital.

An observational, prospective, multicenter study conducted on patients of childbearing age undergoing laparoscopic surgery for early-stage benign or malignant gynecological disease. The study does not include changes to the standard care pathway.

The study involves recording personal, clinical, and instrumental information. The acquisition of the above-mentioned personal and clinical information will be carried out in conjunction with the usual follow-up visits scheduled as part of normal clinical practice. At the end of the study, a statistical analysis of the data will be carried out.

This study aims to analyze the effects of physical activity in patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing dialysis or conservative treatment. Patients will be randomized into two groups: combined exercise (high-intensity aerobic resistance + strength training) and control group

The prospective experimental study aims to take an instantaneous photograph of the subject at time T0 and after 24 hours of intestinal permeability and dysbiosis indices in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) which include unstable coronary artery disease (unstable angina) and acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The aim is to verify whether essential oils in particular formulations with high bioavailability are able to re-establish intestinal eubiosis after 2 months, confirmed by tests laboratory specifics such as metabolomics.

This is a prospective, randomized, double-blind, single-center clinical trial designed to evaluate the effects of Clostridium butyricum CBM588 supplementation on postoperative diarrhea, gastrointestinal symptoms, and quality of life in patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy for periampullary neoplasms. Oncological outcomes, including disease-free survival and overall survival, will be monitored as secondary endpoints during follow-up.

Pancreatic surgery is a complex discipline with a high risk of post-operative morbidity such as pancreatic fistula (POPF) with variable impact on clinical outcome. Controversies on ID placement have emerged from both randomized and non-randomized clinical studies investigating its possible role in increasing POPF and postoperative morbidity. The optimal timing for drain removal after PD is still a subject of debate: most studies have shown that outcomes are best when ID are removed in postoperative day (POD) 3 when POPF is excluded. AIM we aim to compare postoperative surgical outcomes after PD in patients with low/medium risk for POPF (ISGPS risk class A-B-C), who undergo POD1 drains removal versus POD3 removal. Primary aim: 1) grade B/C POPF; 2) post-pancreatectomy hemorrhage (PPH). Secondary aims: occurrence of fluid collection, sepsis, SSI, need for reintervention, length of stay, CD\>3, 90 days mortality, re-admission. Study Design: This is a randomized, controlled, open-label study. All patients will be randomized on POD1, using computer-generated randomization codes. Group A: Drain removal on POD 1 (in case of POD 1 DFA\< 300 U/L) Group B: Drain removal on POD 3 (in case of POD 1 DFA\< 300 U/L)