Monoclonal antibodies at the Oncology Institute of Vojvodina: 5-year expenditure

Background: In the second half of the twentieth century, cancer treatment options evolved with more sophisticated selection of targets for cancer therapy, which led to the development of more intelligent drugs directed against these specific targets. One group of pharmaceutical molecules with specific and unique properties against (or for) a welldefined molecular target is monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). The purpose of this study was to show the expenditure of mAbs at the Oncology Institute of Vojvodina from 2007 to 2011. Next, to display the number of patients treated with mAbs and therapy cycles, for each indication. Methods: We used software programs Lirpis and LWM for collecting the data regarding mAbs expenditure from April 2007 to 2011. The comments about the situation in Serbia were given with the review on the FDA approvals. Results: The results showed the increase in number of ampoules dispensed from the pharmacy from 2007 to 2010, and a slight decrease in 2011 for all mAbs. With 4070 vials of rituximab, 195 patients were treated. The average number of therapy cycles was 7.34. With total number of 4341 of trastuzumab, we treated 310 patients, with average number of cycles 12.27. With 1343 ampoules of bevacizumab, we treated 92 patients. The average number of cycles was 6.63. With 7051 ampoules of cetuximab, we treated 94 patients, with average number of therapy cycle of 5.94. Conclusion: Despite proven benefits of mAbs for many other indications according to FDA, in our Institution (based on the indications approved by Republic Institute of Health Insurance), bevacizumab, and cetuximab are used for colorectal cancer, trastuzumab is only used for breast cancer and rituximab for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The decrease of the number of ampoules dispensed from our pharmacy and the number of patients in 2011 was caused by tightening the criteria indications by Republic Institute of Health Insurance

Lymphoma ovarii case survey

One of the very rare types of the ovarian tumor is lymphoma. The origin of ovarian lymphoma is primary only if it arises from ovarian tissue. The paper describes a case of ovarian lymphoma in a 42-years old patient. The patient was operated; histopthological finding confirmed lymphoma of the ovaries

CD30 - the head of TNF-family… or a successful story of brentuximab vedotin

Hodgkin lymphoma and anaplastic large cell lymphoma are malignancies that highly express CD30 antigen on the cell surface. Both are generally curable by standard chemotherapy but refractory diseases and relapses are treatment problems. Brentuximab-vedotin is a labeled monoclonal antibody against CD30 and it is approved for the treatment of Hodgkin lymphoma relapsed after autologous stem cell transplantation and for relapsed anaplastic large cell lymphoma. This is the first drug approved for the treatment of Hodgkin lymphoma after 30 years

Paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis in a patient with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma

Paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis is uncommon neurological side effect of cancer in the absence of direct effect of primary tumor or metastasis, side effects of treatment or metabolic dysfunctions (6). Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma triggers such side effect very rarely. We present a case of a young adult with complete clinical course of non- Hodgkin's lymphoma with an episode of behavioral disturbances and MRI features which were pathognomonic for paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis

Primary non-Hodgkin lymphoma of the jejunum associated with mesenteric lipodystrophy: A case report

Mesenteric lipodystrophy is a rare condition characterized by a nonspecific inflammatory process that involves the root of the mesentery in a lipoma-like lesion. We reported a case of sclerosing mesenteritis presenting as recurrent abdominal pain, profound weight loss, dilated cardiomyopathy, malabsorption and a mass on computed tomography scan of the abdomen in a 42 years old man with previous history of lymphoma. Because of the wider differential diagnosis in such cases, the patient underwent an extensive workup culminating in a laparoscopy with biopsy. This case illustrated that mesenteric lipodystrophy should be included in the differential diagnosis of retroperitoneal and mesenteric tumor

Primary diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of the breast

Primary breast lymphoma is rare location of this disease. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is the most common histological subtype. We presented two cases of primary diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of the breast and reviewed a literature about this topic

SUMMARY

Primary breast lymphoma is rare location of this disease. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is the most common histological subtype. We presented two cases of primary diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of the breast and reviewed a literature about this topic

Primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the uterine cervix: A case report

Primary uterine cervical non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) are rare. Limited experience dictates careful pretherapy evaluation and multidisciplinary approach in treatment planning. A 53-year-old woman presented with postmenopausal bleeding and PAP smear IIIb. Cervical biopsy and endocervical curettage biopsy revealed NHL of the uterine cervix. Abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral adnexectomy was followed by pelvic lymphadenectomy due to lymph node metastasis, 21 months after the primary operation. Subsequently, the patient received postoperative chemotherapy. Seven years after the onset of NHL she is alive with no evidence of disease recurrence