Intensive anticancer therapy in elderly patients – does it make sense? A case report

Anticancer therapy in elderly patients poses a great challenge for doctors since not all available therapeutic modalities can improve the wellbeing, alleviate symptoms or improve prognosis in this patient population. The paper presents a case of a 75-year-old woman diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer who, despite advanced age, received intensive anticancer therapy, i.e. surgical treatment (modified posterior exenteration with the resection of pelvic peritoneum and tumor invasion in the diaphragmatic peritoneum along with its fragment, subtotal colectomy, resection of the omentum, spleen and gastric fragment along with the gastro-transverse ligament and an end ileostomy) as well as adjuvant chemotherapy. Severe complications occurring during treatment were not directly related to the therapy, but resulted from the lack of proper patient care in a home setting

Pilot testing and preliminary psychometric validation of the Polish translation of the EORTC INFO25 questionnaire : validation of the Polish version of INFO25-pilot study

The quality of information that oncological patients receive from health care professionals is an underestimated issue in Poland and Eastern European countries. There is lack of sufficient data on this subject. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) supplies a new tool for measuring the quality of information provided to cancer patients. The purpose of the study is the translation into Polish, pilot testing and preliminary validation of the EORTC information module (INFO25). Following the EORTC translation procedures, forward and back translations of the questionnaire were performed (English → Polish, Polish → English). The intermediate version of the INFO25 was pilot-tested together with the general questionnaire of quality of life (EORTC QLQ-C30). Reliability, validity and known-group comparison tests were performed. A total of 21 patients with different cancer diagnoses were recruited into the study (7 women and 14 men; mean age of 60,2 years, age range 25–73 years). Apart from filling out the INFO25, patients were interviewed about the difficulties with answering every questionnaire item. Patients' comments were analyzed and minor language changes were made to the initial translation. The internal consistency of the INFO25 showed a reliability of 0,78. The final version of the Polish translation of the INFO25 module was obtained and approved by the EORTC Quality of Life Department. It can now be used in clinical setting and for scientific purposes

Bowel or ovarian cancer? : ambiguous diagnosis and non-standard treatment with good outcomes : a case report

Leczenie pacjentów z chorobą nowotworową staje się w ostatnich latach coraz bardziej skomplikowane i jest dla onkologów dużym wyzwaniem. W niniejszej pracy zaprezentowano przypadek 54-letniej chorej leczonej z powodu raka gruczołowego jelita cienkiego – po pierwotnym zabiegu operacyjnym i chemioterapii uzupełniającej – u której stwierdzono rozsiew procesu nowotworowego w obrębie jamy brzusznej. Początkowo zastosowano chemioterapię według schematu XELOX, a następnie wykonano zabieg wielonarządowej resekcji w interdyscyplinarnym zespole chirurgiczno-ginekologicznym oraz wdrożono chemioterapię dootrzewnową w hipertermii (HIPEC). Leczenie było powikłane upośledzonym gojeniem rany i powstaniem przetoki skórno-jelitowej. Obecnie chora pozostaje w obserwacji, bez cech wznowy procesu nowotworowego. Rany po zabiegu i przetokach są zagojone, przewód pokarmowy funkcjonuje prawidłowo.The treatment of patients with cancer has recently become more complex and challenging for oncologists. The paper presents a case of a 54-year-old woman treated due to small bowel adenocarcinoma, who underwent primary surgical procedure and adjuvant therapy, and who developed intra-abdominal cancer dissemination. Initially, XELOX regimen was administered, followed by multiorgan resection performed by an interdisciplinary team of gynecologists and surgeons as well as hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). The therapy was complicated by impaired wound healing and an enterocutaneous fistula. Currently, the patient is under a follow-up and shows no evidence of recurrence. The wounds after the surgery and fistulas are healed, normal gastrointestinal function is preserved

The relationship between breast cancer molecular subtypes and mast cell populations in tumor microenvironment

Mast cells (MCs) are a part of the innate immune system. The MC functions toward cancer are partially based on the release of chymase and tryptase. However, the MC effect on breast cancer is controversial. The aim of our study was to investigate the presence of MCs in breast cancer tumors of different molecular subtypes and their relationships with other pathological prognostic factors. Tryptase- and chymase-positive mast cell densities were evaluated by immunohistochemistry in 108 primary invasive breast cancer tissue samples. Positive cells were counted within the tumor bed and at the invasive margin. For all analyzed MC subpopulations, we observed statistically significant differences between individual molecular subtypes of breast cancer. The significantly higher numbers of intratumoral chymase- and tryptase-positive mast cells were observed in luminal A and luminal B tumors compared to triple-negative and HER2+ non-luminal lesions. A denser MC infiltration was associated with lower tumor grade, higher ER and PR expression, lower proliferation rate as well as the lack of HER2 overexpression. The results obtained in our study indicate a possible association of chymase- and tryptase-positive MCs with more favorable cancer immunophenotype and with beneficial prognostic indicators in breast cancer

The role of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the management of advanced ovarian cancer in geriatric patients

It is increasingly common for ovarian cancer to affect older women, with over half of all cases involving patients aged 65 years and older. Unfortunately, elderly patients with ovarian malignancy tend to be treated less aggressively than younger patients, with less extensive surgery and less intensive chemotherapy regimens. This is due to a variety of factors, such as overall medical fitness and the function of specific organs. Moreover, multiple morbidities are typical for geriatric patients and affect their eligibility for certain forms of cancer therapy as well as their treatment outcomes, which are commonly less satisfactory than in younger patients. Additionally, for fear of complications, treating physicians sometimes limit the extent of the necessary surgery, or adjust chemotherapy doses, even though such a course of management tends to be largely misguided. One available management option is neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by a surgical treatment known as interval debulking surgery. This type of combination therapy is associated with fewer postoperative complications, thus increasing the patient's chances of receiving a full course of adjuvant treatment. The decision to begin treatment with neoadjuvant chemotherapy tends to restrict later surgical therapy; however, under certain circumstances, this therapy can be a valid therapeutic option and, in fact, facilitate surgery. Prior to initiating therapy in elderly patients, their eligibility for combination therapy must be evaluated and the geriatric assessment of their performance and condition must be considered during the course of interdisciplinary preoperative management

Wybrane aspekty funkcjonowania Sejmu w latach 1997–2007

Praca recenzowana / peer-reviewed paperPraca naukowa finansowana ze środków na naukę w latach 2006–2008 jako projekt badawczy własny Nr 1 H02E 052 3

Impact of CoreValve size selection based on multi-slice computed tomography on paravalvular leak after transcatheter aortic valve implantation

Background: Paravalvular leak (PVL) has significant impact on long-term outcomes in patients after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). This study sought to determine whether multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT)-guided valve selection reduces PVL after CoreValve implantation. Methods: The analysis encompassed 69 patients implanted with CoreValve and were divided into two groups. In Group I (30 patients), valve selection was based on standard procedures, in Group II (39 patients), on MSCT measurements. Paravalvular leak was assessed with angiography and echocardiography. Results: Multi-slice computed tomography results influenced a change of decision as to the size of the implanted valve in 12 (30.9%) patients in Group II and would have caused the decision to change in 9 (37.5%) patients in Group I. The degree of oversizing in Group I and II was 12.8% ± ± 7.6% vs. 18.6% ± 5.1% (p = 0.0006), respectively. The oversizing among the patients with leak degree of 0–1 and ≥ 2 was 18.1% ± 6.0% and 12.8% ± 7.4% (p = 0.0036). Angiographic assessment indicated post-procedural PVL ≥ 2 in 50% of patients in Group I and 20.5% in Group II (p = 0.01), while echocardiographic assessment indicated the same in 73.3% of patients in Group I and 45.6% in Group II (p = 0.0136). The composite endpoint occurred in 26.6% (8/30) patients in Group I vs. 5.1% (2/39) patients in Group II (p = 0.0118). Conclusions: Selecting the CoreValve device based on MSCT resulted in smaller rates of PVL and less frequent composite endpoint. In 1/3 of patients MSCT led to a change of the valve size. The degree of oversizing had a significant impact on PVL