Changes in cancer awareness in the Polish population, 1976-1990.

Background: Public awareness of cancer plays a major role in its prevention. Knowledge of changes in public awareness provides a good foundation for public health education interventions and facilitates their evaluation.

Methods: Three nationwide studies of representative samples of the Polish population were carried out in 1976, 1986, and 1990.

Survival of patients with limited small cell lung cancer in whom complete remission was obtained (a non-randomised retrospective study of 124 consecutive patients.

The aim of this study was to assess whether thoracic radiotherapy (TRT) is necessary for those patients (pts) with limited small cell lung cancer (SCLC) who obtained CR after induction chemotherapy (ChT). The analysis include retrospective material of 124 consecutive pts with limited SCLC. All pts had induction ChT (3-5 courses): 78 with CAVE (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicine, etoposide) and 46--with other regimens without etoposide.

[The role of radiotherapy in combined treatment of limited small cell lung cancer in relation to results of induction chemotherapy].

The comparison between results of chemotherapy (ChT) and ChT plus radiotherapy (RT) was performed in the group of 124 patients with limited SCLC. After induction ChT 25% pts obtained CR, 54%-PR and 21% did not respond. In 69 pts ChT was continued and in 55 others RT was added to ChT.

Over 400 years of cancer control efforts in Poland.

The history of the struggle against cancer in Poland is presented from its beginning, marked by the first hospital for cancer patients established four centuries ago in Warsaw, to the implementation of the main goal of National Cancer Programmes, i.e., the recent construction of a large, modern Cancer Centre in Warsaw.

[Role of radiotherapy on tumor and mediastinum as a combined treatment with chemotherapy in patients with limited small cell lung carcinoma].

A group of 154 limited small cell lung cancer patients was studied. 107 of them were treated with chemo- radiotherapy on tumor and mediastinum, 47 patients were treated with chemotherapy only. A significantly higher rate of complete remission and duration of the remission, longer survival time and lower rate of local relapses were found in the group treated with chemo- radiotherapy.

[Our first experience with allogeneic and autologous transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells].

The main problems and difficulties in transplantation of haematogenous stem cells are discussed. The problems include: organization of a team of specialists and bone marrow transplantation centre, preparation of the recipient (patient) complications connected with preparation for transplantation, graft taking, graft versus host disease, recurrence of the underlying disease. In the analysis only those patients (8 cases) are included who had received marrow transplantation after chemotherapeutic-radiotherapeutic preparation (3 patients are alive).

[Evaluation of results in radical treatment of breast cancer in men].

A group of 43 men with breast cancer were retrospectively evaluated. They were treated radically, and they were a part of 77 men treated in the Warsaw Institute of Oncology in the years 1947-1984. The five-year survival rate of the patients treated in these years was 39.

Treatment of penis carcinoma with interstitially administered iridium; comparison with radium therapy.

The results of treatment of 30 patients with penis carcinoma cured with radium and 18 patients treated with 192Ir were compared. In both groups of patients, core assessed at 3 years was obtained for a similar percentage of patients (89% and 83%). After treatment with 192Ir, radiation necrosis was observed in 16%, and after treatment with radium in 50% of patients.