8 research outputs found
Renal cell carcinoma: molecular pathways and targeted therapy
Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is not a single disease. A number of different types of cancer occur in the kidney and each is caused by different genes with different histology and clinical course. Studies of hereditary kidney cancer sydromes have led to identification of the main kidney cancer genes: VHL, MET, FH, SDH, FLCN, TSC1 and TSC2. Mutations in each of these genes lead to dysregulation of at least one metabolic pathway that is mediated by oxygen, iron, energy and nutrient sensing suggesting that renal cell cancer is a disease of dysregulated cellular metabolism. A more improved understanding of molecular pathways has led to development of targeted therapies. Targeted agents against VEGF, VEGFR and mTOR continue to
play a crucial role in the management of metastatic RCC. However, complete response is extremely rare, resistance in tumor cells develops frequently and adverse effects of therapy are not unusual finding. For that reason further genetic and epigenetic changes, metabolic aberrations as well as immune response are beeing investigated in numerous studies to find new targets for more personalized therapy
THE FIRST WAVE OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND ITS IMPACT ON THE LEVEL OF DISTRESS IN PATIENTS WITH BREAST CANCER, A MULTICENTRIC STUDY
Background: Information on the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), later termed coronavirus
disease (COVID-19), first emerged by the end of 2019. As the pandemic spread, cancer patients were immediately recognized as a
high-risk population with regard to COVID-19 infection. Moreover, epidemiological measures, like social distancing and lockdowns,
additionally burdened patients with cancer. Even outside pandemic breast cancer patients are prone to psychological distress with
prevalence ranging approximately 20-40%. This multicentric study aimed to examine the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the level
of distress among breast cancer patients in Croatia while the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic.
Subjects and methods: Fife hundred forty-five breast cancer patients were offered to participate in the study. A total of two
hundred and one patient, with disease stages ranging I-IV, completed the questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of disease and
socio-demographic characteristics followed by the Distress Thermometer and a problem list. The cut off value of 4 was used to
define the high level of distress within Distress Thermometer.
Results: High distress level was reported in 54.2% of patients. The most significant problems reported by the participants of our
study affected emotions, causing worry, sadness, depression, fear, and nervousness. Additionally, specific practical problems
emerged (e.g., child care, housing, and work/school), most probably partly due to the lockdowns and social distancing. Interestingly
enough, none of the socio-demographic or disease characteristics were linked to the level of distress.
Conclusions: During first wave of COVID-19 pandemic more than half of breast cancer patients, undergoing active oncologic
treatment, experienced a high level of distress. Therefore, distress driven by the COVID-19 pandemic should be promptly addressed
and additional psychological and social support, targeting specific practical and emotional problems, should be provided for those
patients. All the more so as global COVID-19 pandemic far exceeded the duration of the first wave
PraÄenje onkoloÅ”kih bolesnika ā kliniÄke preporuke Hrvatskog druÅ”tva za internistiÄku onkologiju HLZ-a 1. Dio: rak dojke, rak tijela maternice, rak vrata maternice, rak jajnika [Cancer patients follow-up ā Croatian society of medical oncology clinical guidelines Part I: breast cancer, uterine cancer, cervical cancer, ovarian cancer]
Treatment of oncological patients must be based upon multidisciplinary approach, and takes place in specialized oncological centers. By the end of a speciļ¬ c oncological treatment further follow-up is managed mostly by the oncologists, but the role of the general practitioners becomes more important every day and therefore should be precisely deļ¬ ned. Nowadays, most of the existing follow-up guidelines are not based on prospective studies, but on the experts opinion of a particular oncological center or specialists. The aim of the Croatian Society of Medical Oncology (CSMO) with these recommendations is to standardise and rationalise the diagnostic procedures algorithm in the follow-up of oncological patients after primary treatment
THE FIRST WAVE OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND ITS IMPACT ON THE LEVEL OF DISTRESS IN PATIENTS WITH BREAST CANCER, A MULTICENTRIC STUDY
Background: Information on the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), later termed coronavirus
disease (COVID-19), first emerged by the end of 2019. As the pandemic spread, cancer patients were immediately recognized as a
high-risk population with regard to COVID-19 infection. Moreover, epidemiological measures, like social distancing and lockdowns,
additionally burdened patients with cancer. Even outside pandemic breast cancer patients are prone to psychological distress with
prevalence ranging approximately 20-40%. This multicentric study aimed to examine the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the level
of distress among breast cancer patients in Croatia while the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic.
Subjects and methods: Fife hundred forty-five breast cancer patients were offered to participate in the study. A total of two
hundred and one patient, with disease stages ranging I-IV, completed the questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of disease and
socio-demographic characteristics followed by the Distress Thermometer and a problem list. The cut off value of 4 was used to
define the high level of distress within Distress Thermometer.
Results: High distress level was reported in 54.2% of patients. The most significant problems reported by the participants of our
study affected emotions, causing worry, sadness, depression, fear, and nervousness. Additionally, specific practical problems
emerged (e.g., child care, housing, and work/school), most probably partly due to the lockdowns and social distancing. Interestingly
enough, none of the socio-demographic or disease characteristics were linked to the level of distress.
Conclusions: During first wave of COVID-19 pandemic more than half of breast cancer patients, undergoing active oncologic
treatment, experienced a high level of distress. Therefore, distress driven by the COVID-19 pandemic should be promptly addressed
and additional psychological and social support, targeting specific practical and emotional problems, should be provided for those
patients. All the more so as global COVID-19 pandemic far exceeded the duration of the first wave
Mjesto i važnost nekliniÄkih bolniÄkih centara u lijeÄenju bolesnika sa zloÄudnim bolestima u Republici Hrvatskoj
Onkologija predstavlja važan segment sveukupnoga hrvatskoga zdravstvenog sustava. Sama onkologija
jedna je od trenutaÄno najpropulzivnijih medicinskih struka te smo svakodnevno svjedoci ekspanzivnog rasta
novih modaliteta onkoloÅ”kog lijeÄenja. Ove Äinjenice nameÄu imperativ stvaranja onkoloÅ”ke mreže koja bi kao
zadatak imala standardiziranje onkoloÅ”kog lijeÄenja i osiguravanje dostupnosti novih modaliteta lijeÄenja za sve
oboljele od zloÄudnih bolesti, neovisno o njihovom mjestu boravka.Ā¹ Hrvatska veÄ ima prepoznate i definirane
regionalne onkoloÅ”ke centre u sklopu kliniÄkih bolniÄkih centara u Zagrebu, Rijeci, Osijeku i Splitu. NasreÄu, u
Hrvatskoj postoji tradicija, stara nekoliko desetljeÄa, razvoja onkoloÅ”kih centara u opÄim i županijskim bolnicama.
Poimence, to su nekliniÄki onkoloÅ”ki centri u Županijskoj bolnici Äakovec, OpÄoj bolnici Dubrovnik, OpÄoj bolnici
Karlovac, OpÄoj bolnici Koprivnica, OpÄoj bolnici Pula, OpÄoj bolnici Slavonski Brod, OpÄoj bolnici Å ibenik, OpÄoj
bolnici Varaždin i OpÄoj bolnici Zadar. Svrha ovoga istraživanja, provedenog u svim nekliniÄkim onkoloÅ”kim
centrima
Hrvatske te koriŔtenjem podataka Državnog zavoda za statistiku i Hrvatskog zavoda za zdravstveno osiguranje,
bila je uvidjeti kako je trenutno organizirana onkoloÅ”ka skrb u Republici Hrvatskoj i koja je uloga nekliniÄkih
onkoloÅ”kih centara u lijeÄenju bolesnika sa zloÄudnim bolestima u Republici Hrvatskoj
CANCER PATIENTS FOLLOW-UP ā CROATIAN SOCIETY OF MEDICAL ONCOLOGY CLINICAL GUIDELINES Part I: breast cancer, uterine cancer, cervical cancer, ovarian cancer
LijeÄenje onkoloÅ”kih bolesnika mora se temeljiti na multidisciplinarnom pristupu, a provodi se u specijaliziranim onkoloÅ”kim centrima. Nakon zavrÅ”etka specifiÄnog onkoloÅ”kog lijeÄenja daljnje praÄenje uglavnom provode onkolozi, ali je uloga lijeÄnika primarne zdravstvene zaÅ”tite (PZZ) sve važnija i potrebno ju je jasno definirati. TrenutaÄno se veÄina preporuka za praÄenje ne temelji na prospektivnim studijama, veÄ se zasniva na struÄnim miÅ”ljenjima pojedinih onkoloÅ”kih centara ili specijalista. Hrvatsko druÅ”tvo za internistiÄku onkologiju (HDIO) ovim preporukama želi standardizirati i racionalizirati dijagnostiÄke postupke u praÄenju onkoloÅ”kih bolesnika nakon zavrÅ”etka primarnog lijeÄenja.Treatment of oncological patients must be based upon multidisciplinary approach, and takes place in specialized oncological centers. By the end of a specific oncological treatment further follow-up is managed mostly by the Āoncologists, but the role of the general practitioners becomes more important every day and therefore should be precisely defined. Nowadays, most of the existing follow-up guidelines are not based on prospective studies, but on the experts Āopinion of a particular oncological center or specialists. The aim of the Croatian Society of Medical Oncology (CSMO) with these recommendations is to standardise and rationalise the diagnostic procedures algorithm in the follow-up of oncological patients after primary treatment
Impact of the coronavirus disease pandemic on cancer care in Croatia: a multicentre cross-sectional study
Purpose: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has greatly affected the oncology community worldwide. Lockdowns, an epidemiological measure, have made it difficult for oncologists to provide care. In this study, we analysed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Croatian cancer care.
-----
Methods: This was a multicentre cross-sectional observational study of 422 patients who received systemic oncology therapy during the pandemic. The patients completed a survey to capture their views on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their cancer care. Univariate descriptive and bivariate analyses were performed to analyse the relationship between the patients' perspective on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer care and the quality of Croatian cancer care and their clinical and sociodemographic data.
-----
Results: Discontinuation or change in cancer treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic was observed in 10.2% of cases. Most did not change their place of treatment owing to the lockdown (97.6%). 14.7% of the patients felt that the quality of cancer care received had changed during the pandemic.
-----
Conclusions: In the first few months of the pandemic, Croatia had a favourable epidemiological situation. However, 25% of patients with cancer reported that the pandemic affected cancer treatment and the quality of cancer care