Radiotherapy(R) Integration(I) Strategy for Small(S)-Cell Lung Cancer in Extensive(E) Stage (RISE) with up to 10 metastases- a study protocol of a randomized phase II trial.

Background: The current standard of care (SoC) for patients with extensive-disease small-cell lung cancer (ED-SCLC) is chemo-immunotherapy. The efficacy of radiotherapy (RT) for chest consolidation has been established for patients with ED-SCLC who have responded to chemotherapy. There is a lack of data on incorporating RT as chest consolidation and metastasis-directed therapy for ED-SCLC.

Nivolumab in patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck: Results of Polish multicenter observational study.

Patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) who have progressed following primary treatment (PT) have a poor prognosis. In this group, nivolumab has been demonstrated to significantly improve outcomes. This study presents the efficacy of nivolumab in Polish patients with recurrent and/or metastatic (R/M) HNSCC using real-world data.

Imaging and Metabolic Diagnostic Methods in the Stage Assessment of Rectal Cancer.

Rectal cancer (RC) is a prevalent malignancy with significant morbidity and mortality rates. The accurate staging of RC is crucial for optimal treatment planning and patient outcomes. This review aims to summarize the current literature on imaging and metabolic diagnostic methods used in the stage assessment of RC.

Actual, Personalized Approaches to Preserve Cognitive Functions in Brain Metastases Breast Cancer Patients.

Breast cancer (BC) is the most often diagnosed cancer among women worldwide and second most common cause of brain metastases (BMs) among solid malignancies being responsible for 10-16% of all BMs in oncological patients. Moreover, BMs are associated with worse prognosis than systemic metastases. The quality of life (QoL) among brain metastases breast cancer (BMBC) patients is significantly influenced by cognitive functions.

Application of two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis to identify protein changes between center, margin, and adjacent non-tumor tissues obtained from non-small-cell lung cancer with adenocarcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma subtype.

Lung cancer is responsible for the most cancer-related mortality worldwide and the mechanism of its development is poorly understood. Proteomics has become a powerful tool offering vital knowledge related to cancer development. Using a two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) approach, we sought to compare tissue samples from non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients taken from the tumor center and tumor margin.

The Learning Curve and Inter-Observer Variability in Contouring the Hippocampus under the Hippocampal Sparing Guidelines of Radiation Therapy Oncology Group 0933.

Hippocampal-sparing brain radiotherapy (HS-BRT) in cancer patients results in preservation of neurocognitive function after brain RT which can contribute to patients' quality of life (QoL). The crucial element in HS-BRT treatment planning is appropriate contouring of the hippocampus. Ten doctors delineated the left and right hippocampus (LH and RH, respectively) on 10 patients' virtual axial images of brain CT fused with T1-enhanced MRI (1 mm) according to the RTOG 0933 atlas recommendations.

Is There an Interplay between Oral Microbiome, Head and Neck Carcinoma and Radiation-Induced Oral Mucositis?

Head and neck carcinoma is one of the most common human malignancy types and it ranks as the sixth most common cancer worldwide. Nowadays, a great potential of microbiome research is observed in oncology-investigating the effect of oral microbiome in oncogenesis, occurrence of treatment side effects and response to anticancer therapies. The microbiome is a unique collection of microorganisms and their genetic material, interactions and products residing within the mucous membranes.

The Ability of Metabolomics to Discriminate Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Subtypes Depends on the Stage of the Disease and the Type of Material Studied.

Identification of the NSCLC subtype at an early stage is still quite sophisticated. Metabolomics analysis of tissue and plasma of NSCLC patients may indicate new, and yet unknown, metabolic pathways active in the NSCLC. Our research characterized the metabolomics profile of tissue and plasma of patients with early and advanced NSCLC stage.

Pre-Processing Method for Contouring the Uptake Levels of [18F] FDG for Enhanced Specificity of PET Imaging of Solitary Hypermetabolic Pulmonary Nodules.

Background: The paper presents a pre-processing method which, based on positron-emission tomography (PET) images of F-fluorodeoxyglucose ([18F] FDG) hypermetabolic pulmonary nodules, makes it possible to obtain additional visual characteristics and use them to enhance the specificity of imaging.

Material And Methods: A retrospective analysis of 69 FDG-PET/CT scans of solitary hypermetabolic pulmonary nodules (40 cases of lung cancer and 29 benign tumours), where in each case, the standardised uptake value of the hottest voxel within the defined volume of interest was greater than 2.5 (SUVmax > 2.

Elevated Microparticles, Thrombin-antithrombin and VEGF Levels in Colorectal Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy.

Hypercoagulable state and neoangiogenesis are common phenomena associated with malignancy. Cancer patients have increased levels of circulating endothelium-derived microparticles (EMPs), which have been hypothesized to be involved in numerous pathophysiological processes. Hemostasis and angiogenesis are also activated in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients.

Thromboprophylaxis in the End-of-Life Cancer Care: The Update.

Cancer patients are at increased risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE), which further increases with advanced stages of malignancy, prolonged immobilization, or prior history of thrombosis. To reduce VTE-related mortality, many official guidelines encourage the use of thromboprophylaxis (TPX) in cancer patients in certain situations, e.g.

Usefulness of Hybrid PET/MRI in Clinical Evaluation of Head and Neck Cancer Patients.

(1) Background: The novel hybrid of positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance (PET/MR) examination has been introduced to clinical practice. The aim of our study was to evaluate PET/MR usefulness in preoperative staging of head and neck cancer (HNC) patients (pts); (2) Methods: Thirty eight pts underwent both computed tomography (CT) and PET/MR examination, of whom 21 pts underwent surgical treatment as first-line therapy and were further included in the present study. Postsurgical tissue material was subjected to routine histopathological (HP) examination with additional evaluation of p16, human papillomavirus (HPV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and Ki67 status.

Identification of protein changes in the blood plasma of lung cancer patients subjected to chemotherapy using a 2D-DIGE approach.

A comparative analysis of blood samples (depleted of albumin and IgG) obtained from lung cancer patients before chemotherapy versus after a second cycle of chemotherapy was performed using two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE). The control group consisted of eight patients with non-cancerous lung diseases, and the experimental group consisted of four adenocarcinoma (ADC) and four squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) patients. Analyses of gels revealed significant changes in proteins and/or their proteoforms between control patients and lung cancer patients, both before and after a second cycle of chemotherapy.

PET/MRI-guided GTV delineation during radiotherapy planning in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to evaluate the usefulness and accuracy of 18-fluorine-labeled fluorodeoxyglucose (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) hybrid in gross tumor volume (GTV) delineation during radiotherapy planning in patients with carcinoma of the tongue.

Methods: Ten patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the tongue underwent computed tomography (CT) and PET/MRI examination. The GTV for primary tumor and lymph nodes (nGTV) were defined on CT (GTV-CT) and compared to GTVs obtained from PET (GTV-PET) and MRI (GTV-MRI) images.

Co-localization of Coagulation Factor X and its Inhibitory System, PZ/ZPI, in Human Endometrial Cancer Tissue.

Background/aim: Hemostatic system components contribute to cancer progression independently from their roles in hemostasis. It has been shown that protein Z (PZ)/protein Z-dependent protease inhibitor (ZPI) inhibit coagulation factor X (FX). The aim of the study was to analyze the expression of PZ/ZPI in relation to the main coagulation factor - FX in human endometrial cancer tissue.

Personalized Radiation Therapy in Cancer Pain Management.

The majority of advanced cancer patients suffer from pain, which severely deteriorates their quality of life. Apart from analgesics, bisphosphonates, and invasive methods of analgesic treatment (e.g.

Endothelial Microparticles and Blood Coagulation Activation in Head and Neck Cancer Patients Undergoing Radiotherapy or Radiochemotherapy.

Background/aim: Endothelial microparticles (EMP) are small vesicles which are released from the endothelium and contribute to blood coagulation activation in various clinical settings. The aim of this study was to examine whether EMP influence blood coagulation activation in cancer patients during radiotherapy/radiochemotherapy (RT/RCT).

Materials And Methods: Sixteen head and neck cancer (HNC) patients undergoing RT/RCT and 10 controls were examined.

Endothelial Microparticles and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer Undergoing Radiotherapy or Radiochemotherapy.

Background: Endothelial microparticles (EMPs) released from activated or apoptotic endothelial cells may play a role in coagulation and thrombus formation. However, there is insufficient evidence regarding the impact of EMPs on angiogenesis in patients with cancer.

Materials And Methods: Sixteen patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) undergoing radiotherapy/radiochemotherapy (RT/RCT) and 10 healthy controls were studied.

Endothelial Protein C Receptor (EPCR), Protease Activated Receptor-1 (PAR-1) and Their Interplay in Cancer Growth and Metastatic Dissemination.

Endothelial protein C receptor (EPCR) and protease activated receptor 1 (PAR-1) by themselves play important role in cancer growth and dissemination. Moreover, interactions between the two receptors are essential for tumor progression. EPCR is a cell surface transmembrane glycoprotein localized predominantly on endothelial cells (ECs).

Awareness of head and neck cancer - a multicentre survey among young respondents in Poland.

Purpose: Head and neck cancer (HNC) is frequently diagnosed at an advanced stage of the disease, which results in suboptimal treatment outcomes, and leads to aesthetic and functional side-effects. Many risky behaviours associated with this type of cancer start at a young age. The aim of the study was to evaluate the level of HNC awareness in the young population in Poland.

Thromboprophylaxis in cancer patients in hospice.

Advanced cancer patients in hospice are at notably increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) due to age, local and distal advancement of the malignancy and bed confinement, among other factors. Asymptomatic VTE prevalence among palliative care patients has been found to reach 50%, whereas the clinically overt form occurs in 10%. Hospice patients are frequently given medications increasing VTE risk, for instance megestrol which is a drug commonly used in cancer cachexia.

Antiplatelet agents for cancer treatment: a real perspective or just an echo from the past?

The association between coagulation and cancer development has been observed for centuries. However, the connection between inflammation and malignancy is also well-recognized. The plethora of evidence indicates that among multiple hemostasis components, platelets play major roles in cancer progression by providing surface and granular contents for several interactions as well as behaving like immune cells.