My Clinical Research Activities 2008-2010

This book describes my recent clinical research activities. The first work “Glutatione-S-Transferase (GSTP1): a Plasma Molecular Marker to Define the Risk of Prostate Cancer” is a prospectively planned case-control study to evaluate the performance of the GSTP1 promoter methylation assay in blood samples as a new diagnostic marker to improve the early diagnosis of prostate cancer. The combined analysis of PSA levels, age and GSTP1 hypermethylation could improve prostate cancer diagnosis. The second project “MGMT promoter methylation status and Poly (ADP-Ribose) Polymerase (PARP)-1 expression in Advanced Melanoma” aims to assess MGMT promoter methylation and PARP-1 expression status in the tissue samples of advanced melanoma patients. PARP-1 appears to increase melanoma chemosensitivity and shows potential as a new therapeutic strategy. The last part of the book is dedicated to my activity of clinical trials coordinator; the report on 36 heavily pretreated metastatic patients treated at my Institution (IRCCS IRST, Meldola) with Ipilimumab in 4 international clinical trials and a compassionate use program describes unusually long-lasting responses evaluated according to novel irRC.