[Fine needle aspiration biopsy of mediastinal masses guided by computed tomography--summary of 63 patients].

Progress in diagnostic radiology and pathology during the past decade has changed the approach to diagnosis of mediastinal masses. Diagnosis by CT-guided needle biopsy (CTNB) has replaced open biopsy and mediastinoscopy, CTNB of mediastinal masses is accurate, reliable and safe. It is done under local anesthesia, in ambulatory patients and is tolerated well.

[Analysis of the effectiveness of repeated radiation treatment of lung cancer].

In spite of a direct effect obtained in radiotherapy of lung cancer, tumor growth often resumes afterwards, metastases appear, all these causing death of most patients within the first 1-2 yrs. It is worth nothing that a considerable number of patients die from tumor recurrences in the absence of generalization. Therefore a question arises as to the therapeutic tactics for such patients, including the potentialities and appropriateness of repeated irradiation.

[Standard grid diaphragms in the telegammatherapy of malignant tumors].

The paper is concerned with the problem of uneven irradiation of tumors using standard grid diaphragms on Soviet gamma-apparatuses. It has been shown that the utmost spatial heterogeneity is formed by using the C-4 grid with the source-surface distance (SSD) of 47 cm. The degree of spatial heterogeneity formed by the C-3, C-2, C-1 and C-5 grids is less pronounced.