Use of complementary and alternative medicine among Polish cancer patients

Introduction. The aim of this prospective study was to estimate the perception and popularity of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) subtypes and the reasons for usage among adult Polish cancer patients. Material and methods. The validated questionnaire was conducted among 310 patients. 24.1% of the patients used CAM during their oncological treatment. Risk factors for CAM usage were: female gender, university degree and radical treatment. The most common reasons for CAM usage were: boosting the immune system (46.1%), improving well-being/ counteracting the ill effects of cancer and its treatment (40.8%). The average level of satisfaction with CAM was high (≥3/5 on a Likert scale). Nearly half of the patients (46.6%) admitted not informing their doctors about their CAM usage. Conclusions. The growing popularity and heterogeneity of CAM methods make it an important issue for patient–doctor relations in Poland and other Central European countries. The results of this study indicate what topics should be covered while introducing patient education programs

Use of complementary and alternative medicine among Polish cancer patients

Introduction. The aim of this prospective study was to estimate the perception and popularity of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) subtypes and the reasons for usage among adult Polish cancer patients. Material and methods. The validated questionnaire was conducted among 310 patients. 24.1% of the patients used CAM during their oncological treatment. Risk factors for CAM usage were: female gender, university degree and radical treatment. The most common reasons for CAM usage were: boosting the immune system (46.1%), improving well-being/ counteracting the ill effects of cancer and its treatment (40.8%). The average level of satisfaction with CAM was high (≥3/5 on a Likert scale). Nearly half of the patients (46.6%) admitted not informing their doctors about their CAM usage. Conclusions. The growing popularity and heterogeneity of CAM methods make it an important issue for patient–doctor relations in Poland and other Central European countries. The results of this study indicate what topics should be covered while introducing patient education programs

Relationship between HER2 gene status and selected potential biological features related to trastuzumab resistance and its influence on survival of breast cancer patients undergoing trastuzumab adjuvant treatment

Agnieszka Adamczyk,1 Anna Kruczak,1 Agnieszka Harazin-Lechowska,1 Aleksandra Ambicka,1 Aleksandra Grela-Wojewoda,2 Małgorzata Domagała-Haduch,2 Anna Janecka-Widła,1 Kaja Majchrzyk,1 Anna Cichocka,1 Janusz Ryś,1 Joanna Niemiec1 1Department of Tumour Pathology, 2Department of Systemic and Generalized Malignancies, Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Centre and Institute of Oncology, Cracow Branch, Cracow, Poland Background: The aim of the study was to investigate if parameters associated with human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (HER2) status (HER2 gene copy number, HER2/CEP17 ratio or polysomy of chromosome 17) are related to various biological features potentially responsible for trastuzumab resistance (PTEN, IGF-1R, MUC4, EGFR, HER3, HER4, and mutation status of PIK3CA) as well as their influence on survival of HER2-positive breast cancer patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy and trastuzumab. Patients and methods: The investigated group consisted of 117 patients with invasive ductal breast cancer (T≥1, N≥0, M0) with overexpression of HER2, who underwent radical surgery between 2007 and 2014. Status of ER, PR, and HER2 expression was retrieved from patients’ files. HER2 gene copy number was investigated by fluorescence in situ hybridization using PathVysion HER-2 DNA Probe Kit II. Expression of PTEN, IGF-1R, MUC4, EGFR, HER3, and HER4 was assessed immunohistochemically on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue sections. PIK3CA mutation status was determined by qPCR analysis. Results: Overexpression of HER2 protein (IHC 3+) and ER negativity corresponded to higher HER2 copy number and HER2/CEP17 ratio (p<0.001). Tumors with polysomy were characterized by higher HER2 gene copy number but lower HER2/CEP17 ratio (p<0.026, p<0.001). Patients with tumors featuring HER3 immunonegativity or low HER2/CEP17 ratio (≤4) were characterized by 100% metastasis-free survival (p=0.018, p=0.062). Conclusion: Presence of both unfavorable factors, ie, HER3 expression and high HER2/CEP17 ratio, allowed to distinguish a group of patients with worse prognosis (p=0.001). Keywords: HER2-overexpressing breast cancer, HER2 amplification, HER2 gene copy number, HER2/CEP17 ratio, HER3 expression, trastuzuma

Państwo i Społeczeństwo 2021, nr 1 Medycyna i zdrowie publiczne

Z wprowadzenia: "Po raz trzeci mam przyjemność oddać w Państwa ręce numer „Państwa i Społeczeństwa” poświęcony medycynie i zdrowiu publicznemu. Ze względu na zbliżającą się 40. rocznicę śmierci profesora Jana Oszackiego, Redakcja zdecydowała się poświęcić numer pamięci tego wielkiego chirurga i naukowca. Profesor Jan Oszacki pozostawił po sobie ogromny dorobek publikacyjny oraz własną szkołę nowoczesnej chirurgii opartej na znajomości patofizjologii. Być może najtrwalszą legacją Profesora są jego liczni uczniowie i doktoranci, którzy przez wiele lat nadawali ton chirurgii, torakochirurgii, chirurgii dziecięcej i onkologicznej, anestezjologii i biochemii klinicznej w Krakowie i w całej Polsce."(...