[en] Background and purpose: Clinical studies indicate that patients with HPV/p16-associated head & neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) represent a subgroup with a better prognosis and improved response to conventional radiotherapy. Involvement of immune-based factors has been hypothesized. In the present study, we investigated radiation-induced differences in release of damage associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), cytokines and activation of dendritic cells (DCs) in HPV-positive and negative HNSCC cancer cell lines. Material and methods: Calreticulin (CRT) exposure was detected on cancer cell surface. ATP, HMGB1 and cytokines were measured in culture supernatants. Maturation marker CD83 surface exposure was determined on DCs after co-incubation with irradiated tumor cells. Results: There was no increase in DAMPs and cytokine profiles after radiation treatment and no difference between HPV+ and HPV− cell lines. The HPV/p16-positive SCC90 cells showed a trend for increased total CRT, HMGB1, and number of cytokines compared to all other cell lines. None of the irradiated cancer cell lines could affect DC maturation. Conclusions: Radiation treatment did not increase immunogenicity of HNSCC cell lines assessed by membrane CRT, ATP, HMGB1, cytokines production, and by activation of immature DCs. There was no difference between HPV-positive and HPV-negative cell lines.

[en] The effect of Paclitaxel (PAC), Epirubicin (EPR) and Tamoxifen (TAM) on ''3H-thymidine labelling index (''3H-TdR LI) of Ehrlich ascites tumor cells (EAT) was investigated in cultured. In the present study, an estrogen receptor positive ER(+) hyper diploid cell lines were studied. We used optimum doses of PAC, EPR and TAM (12 mg/ml, 12 mg/ml and 2 mg/ml, respectively). Cells were treated with these doses for 0, 4, 8, 16 and 32 hours. At the end of these periods, both control and treated cells were labelled for 5 mCi/ml 3H-thymidine for 30 minutes. The results showed that inhibition of DNA synthesis in cultured EAT cells were increased in the combined treatment of two drugs when compared to the treatment of a single drug (p<0.01). In the treatment of three drugs, however, this effect reached a maximum (p<0.001). As a result, PAC+EPR+TAM treatment's had a maximum synergistic effect at 4 hours treatment

[en] In this paper, I will not describe in detail the biochemical, biological, or oncogenetic aspects of tumor makers, but will limit my discussion to the clinical applications of tumor markers, and, in some instances, comment on some specific aspects or methodology. The biological characteristics of tumor makers can be observed in the differences between normal and cancerous cells. For clinical diagnostics, the improtant question is whether or not we can detect these changes by in vitro tests. By immunological means, we are able to detect changes on cell surfaces by measuring either differentiated antigens or cell specific antigens. (Author)

[en] Indolent B-cell lymphomas comprise a heterogeneous group of diseases. For patients with limited disease is local radiotherapy the treatment of choice.Watch and wait is the standard of care for patients with asymptomatic advanced stage disease. Standard first line treatment for symptomatic patients is chemo immunotherapy. The recent rediscovery of the „old“ chemotherapeutic agent bendamustin enhanced therapeutic options in indolent B-cell lymphomas. Thanks its favourable therapeutic index and effectiveness it is increasingly used in the in the first line and relapse setting as well. In patients with follicular lymphoma, the maintenance with rituximab after effective chemo immunotherapy is indicated. Earlier or later the relapse occurs in indolent lymphomas. It is the reason to have a wide variety of treatment options. In the last years we witness marked progress in the new drugs development. The new promising drugs are novel monoclonal antibodies, proteasome inhibitors, novel agents targeting a certain level of B-cell receptor signaling pathways, bcl-2 inhibitors or immunomodulatory agents. Novel agents may change our treatment approach to indolent lymphomas in the near future. (author)

[en] The possibilities to enhance the lethal effect of ionizing radiation on hypoxic cells by electron-affinic compounds have stimulated the investigations for finding new chemicals with radiobiological and pharmacological features as adequate as possible. On the other hand, the experimental studies and clinical trials had shown that the aerobic toxicity seems to be the major limiting factor in the use of large doses of radiosensitizers required to achieve significant therapeutic efficiency. The investigations in the present paper were attempted to join these two main directions of research and comprised the syntheses of new nitroheterocyclic compounds with potential radiosensitization properties and the knowledge of biochemical alterations involved in the producing of aerobic toxicity of radiosensitizers aiming to find practical solutions to enhance the efficiency of radiotherapy. Several newly synthesized compounds were tested for their radiosensitizing effect. The experiments carried out on hypoxic cells V 79 showed that only 1-(hydroxyethyl-2'-phosphate)-2-methyl-5-nitroimidazole, dipotassium salt displayed an enhancement ratio of 1.17 (at 8 mM), but lower than in case of parent compound, metronidazole (enhancement ratio = 1.53). It was shown that hypoxic cell radiosensitizers interfere with the cellular energy metabolism. These interferences were found dependent on the electron affinity of drugs. In addition, those radiosensitizers producing a decrease in oxygen consumption caused a supplementary oxygenation of both normal and tumour tissues. It is concluded that the improvement of therapeutic efficiency of radiosensitizers by reducing their aerobic toxicity might be achieved by diminishing their effects on the energy metabolism or by the stimulation of this metabolism and restoration of tissue redox equilibrium

[en] Although firmly established, the role of chemotherapy in locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma presents several unresolved questions. Historically, we can follow the longest trek in induction chemotherapy which still remains experimental outside organ preservation setting. Concomitant platinum-based chemotherapy is supported by strong evidence and is considered a standard treatment of inoperable tumours, in larynx preservation and postoperatively in presence of high risk factors. No clear conclusion can be drawn regarding optimal type of concomitant chemotherapy, number of cycles and the total dose. Cetuximab administered with radiotherapy has not been compared directly with concomitant chemotherapy but offers different approach in systemic treatment. Clinical research is focused to optimal combination and intensity of treatment modalities in favourable HPV associated head and neck tumours and in outcomes improvement in high risk cancers. (author)

[en] Prostate cancer (PC) is the most frequent solid neoplasm in Europe and therefore is regarded as one of the major medical problem of the male population. PC is extremely complicated and interindividual different tumor. The method of treatment depends on several factors, but mainly on the stage of prostate cancer. The term Hormone resistant (refractory) prostate cancer (HRPC) was used in older terminology. HRPC is cancer that progresses despite castrate levels of testosterone achieved androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), which is resistant to any hormonal therapy. Currently is increasingly used (instead of name HRPC) name CRPC – so called PC resistant for castration (CRPC – castration resistant prostate cancer), which is still able to respond to certain hormonal manipulation, although it meets the the criteria for HRPC. This state probably arises from either clonal selection of androgen – independent cell lines or increased ligand – independent activation of androgen receptors. Men with CRPC are quite a heterogeneous group; they include men with increasing prostate specific antigen (PSA) only and no demonstrable metastases, and men who have many bone and/ or visceral metastases, pain and poor functional status. Survival can range from only a few months to 4 years or more. Historically, therapy had little effect beyond modest palliation. More recently, significantly more options have become available and there are now several treatments that not only improve quality of life and pain palliation, but also increase overall survival. Some of the trials with important results for the treatment of CRPC are summarized in this paper. Objectives of article: provide information to the general medical community (and especially urologists and oncologists) about the possible pathogenesis of CRPC, complicated issues of treatment and evaluation of its effectiveness in patients with CRPC. The article presented basic data on the current and future possibilities of such therapy. Increasing basic knowledge about treating CRPC should improve the care of patients with advanced PC. (author)

[en] Human cancers are often sequenced to identify mutations. However, cancers are spatially heterogeneous populations with public mutations in all cells and private mutations in some cells. Without empiric knowledge of how mutations are distributed within a solid tumor it is uncertain whether single or multiple samples adequately sample its heterogeneity. Using a cohort of 12 human colorectal tumors with well-validated mutations, the abilities to correctly classify public and private mutations were tested (paired t-test) with one sample or two samples obtained from opposite tumor sides. Two samples were significantly better than a single sample for correctly identifying public (99 % versus 97 %) and private mutations (85 % versus 46 %). Confounding single sample accuracy was that many private mutations appeared “clonal” in individual samples. Two samples detected the most frequent private mutations in 11 of the 12 tumors. Two spatially-separated samples efficiently distinguish public from private mutations because private mutations common in one specimen are usually less frequent or absent in another sample. The patch-like private mutation topography in most colorectal tumors inherently limits the information in single tumor samples. The correct identification of public and private mutations may aid efforts to target mutations present in all tumor cells. The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12885-016-2202-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

[en] A series of malignant small cell tumors primarily involve the soft tissue of the chest wall and lung was described by Askin in 1970. This rate tumor has a neuroepithelial origin and affects children and young adult, characteristically. Histologic overlap between other small cell neoplasms usually makes differentiation difficult, and immunochemical and electron microscopic features play a role in differentiation. Radiologic appearance was chest wall or pleural based mass with or without rib destruction and/or pleural change. Authors experienced two cases of malignant small cell tumor of the thoracopulmonary region, and report with review of literatures

[en] The radio-therapeutics's problem in tumor is the repeated return of radio-resistant tumor cells during radiotherapy. Therefore, many studies have been accomplished to develop many modulators regulating this mechanism. Besides, sensitizing agents have actively been exploited to enhance the radio-therapeutic efficacy for cancer. The combination anticancer radiotherapeutic cure with telomerase inhibition is useful to sensitize tumor cells to radiation, depending on telomere dysfunction and eventual genomic instability. In our studies, we showed that there was absence of radio-sensitization mediated by telomerase deficiency in clonal cell population