Survival of patients with liver metastases from colorectal cancer treated with bevacizumab and FOLFOX4.

Purpose: In patients with colorectal liver metastases (CLM) a long term survival and a probability of cure might be achieved with the surgical treatment of metastatic sites after prior application of systemic treatment. The purpose of this study was to assess the survival of patients with unresectable CLM treated with bevacizumab (bev) and FOLFOX4 (FOLFOX-bev) and to compare survival according to patient, disease and treatment characteristics. Methods: This research included 110 patients with unresectable CLM treated with FOLFOX-bev.

Current and future targets and therapies in metastatic colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer and the second cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Despite early diagnosis and treatment improvement, the majority of patients will still suffer from metastatic disease (mCRC), which has a poor prognosis. Molecular diversity of CRC requires personalized targeted approach for improving patient outcomes.

Do we really know how to overcome trastuzumab resistance in hormone sensitive metastatic breast cancer?

Purpose: This article focuses on how the status of hormone receptors (HR) influences the efficacy of trastuzumab in patients with metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer treated with first-line trastuzumab in combination with taxane-based chemotherapy.

Methods: A prospective study was carried out at the Clinic for Oncology, Clinical Centre in Nis, from January 2015 to until June 2018. A total of 121 patients were treated with first-line trastuzumab in combination with taxane-based chemotherapy.

Synchronous mantle cell lymphoma and prostate adenocarcinoma-is it just a coincidence?

Introduction: Synchronous occurrence of lymphomas and other cancers, mostly carcinomas are well established. The most of cases describe chronic lymphocytic leukemia as the leading lymphoproliferative disease with the tendency towards secondary malignancies development. Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) has been described in only 2 cases to co-occur with prostate adenocarcinoma (PAC).

Rubella immune status of neonates - a window towards seroprevalence among childbearing women.

Background: When contracted in pregnancy, rubella may cause serious chronic infection of the fetus and development of Congenital Rubella Syndrome. Despite widespread application of rubella vaccination, periodical outbreaks are still being reported worldwide. The aim of this study was to determine rubella seroprevalence and antibody levels in neonates in Serbia as a proxy of maternal serostatus.

Clinicopathological characteristics, diagnosis and treatment of melanoma in Serbia--the Melanoma Focus Study.

Background/aim: Treatment options for metastatic melanoma in Serbia are limited due to the lack of newly approved biologic agents and the lack of clinical studies. Also, there is a paucity of data regarding the treatment approaches in different tertiary centers and efficacy of available chemotherapy protocols. The aim of this study was to obtain more detailed data about treatment protocols in Serbia based on structured survey in tertiary oncology centers.

Stressful life events and breast cancer risk: a hospital-based case-control study.

Purpose: Elucidation of the factors contributing to the incidence of breast cancer is of crucial importance for the development of preventive or therapeutic strategies targeting the disease. Research on stress and breast cancer has been documented by various studies published over the years. In view of breast cancer importance as the most commonly occurring malignancy in females in Serbia, this study was undertaken to examine the association between stressful life events and breast cancer risk.

Mantle cell lymphoma-current literature overview.

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a distinct subtype of lymphoma identified as a particular entity in the early 1990s. The prognosis of MCL is generally poor, and is considered one of the worst among all B-cell lymphomas. In general, conventional chemotherapy is only palliative and the median duration of remissions is only 1-2 years.

Clinical benefit of cetuximab and prognostic value of cetuximab-related skin toxicity in metastatic colorectal cancer: a single institution analysis.

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical benefits of cetuximab (CTX) and the prognostic value of CTX-related skin toxicity in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients.

Methods: Sixty patients were tested for KRAS mutation at the Department of Oncology, Clinical Centre Nis. We assessed 34 wild-type KRAS mCRC patients treated with CTX.

Are we a step forward with targeted agents in resolving the enigma of mantle cell lymphoma?

Mantle cell lymphoma has been recognized as a distinct entity from the other non-Hodgkin lymphomas in middle 1990's. It carries a worst prognosis among all mature B-cell malignancies. Cyclin D1 and recently SOX11 are the hallmarks for this disease.

Safety and efficacy of addition of bevacizumab to oxaliplatin-based preoperative chemotherapy in colorectal cancer with liver metastasis- a single institution experience.

Purpose: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the addition of bevacizumab to oxaliplatin-based preoperative chemotherapy in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients.

Methods: Between August 2008 and December 2011, 51 patients with histologically documented CRC and liver metastases were treated with first-line oxaliplatin-based therapy plus bevacizumab: FOLFOX 4 (oxaliplatin, folinic acid and 5-FU) plus bevacizumab or OXFL mod.Mayo (folinic acid, oxaliplatin and 5-FU) plus bevacizumab.

Current and future anti-HER2 therapy in breast cancer.

The therapeutic strategy for breast cancer with the use of targeted drugs is, at present, mainly focused on coping with HER2. Currently, lapatinib and trastuzumab are in widespread use. Virtually all completed and in progress clinical trials have demonstrated a significant enhancement in the rate of pathologic complete response (pCR), the primary endpoint in these studies, in cases of patients with HER2-positive breast cancer that received trastuzumab in the neoadjuvant setting.

Breast cancer in women under 40 years of age.

Purpose: It is widely believed that breast cancer in young women is characterized by a relatively unfavorable prognosis and unusual pathological features. The aim of this study was to investigate clinicopathological and biological characteristics in young patients with breast cancer.

Methods: The study enrolled 1029 consecutive female breast cancer patients who were admitted to the Clinical Centre Nis between July 2002 and December 2008.

The application of magnetic resonance imaging in preoperative evaluation of patients with endometrial carcinoma.

Purpose: The aim of this paper was to assess the usefulness of the preoperative application of magnetic resonance (MRI) imaging in patients with confirmed endometrial carcinoma.

Methods: This prospective study included 50 patients with endometrial cancer. MRI was used for preoperative disease staging and in planning the operative treatment.

[Significance of serum tumor markers monitoring metastases in carcinomas of unknown primary site].

Background/aim: Unknown primary tumors represent a heterogeneous group of malignancies that are indicative of ominous prognosis. Cancer of unknown primary site (CUP) is defined as the lack of any detectable primary site after full evaluation, and accounts for approximately 3-5% of all newly diagnosed patients with malignancies. The aim of this report was to present the prognostic and predictive value of 8 serum tumor markers in this group of patients.

Concurrent chemoimmunotherapy: is it still the best option for the treatment of metastatic melanoma in patients with good performance status?

Purpose: To determine the efficacy, toxicity and survival of metastatic melanoma patients with Eastern Cooperative Oncology group good performance status (ECOG PS 0-1) receiving concurrent chemotherapy and immunotherapy.

Methods: From March 2003 to August 2008, 25 patients with metastatic melanoma were enrolled in the study. No patient had previously received chemotherapy or immunotherapy.

Does the gestation age of newborn babies influence the ultrasonic assessment of hip condition?

Introduction: Ultrasound represents a method of examination of hips of newborn babies capable of defining hip condition and distinguishing stable and unstable hips based on morphological elements. It is accepted in a large number of countries as a method of examination of high risk newborns, or as a method of systematic screening.

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate correlation between ultrasonically estimated hip maturity and respective gestation maturity both in premature and term-born babies, and to investigate the influence of different delivery types on hips condition.

Therapy of stage IV B anaplastic thyroid carcinoma: single institution experience.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of radiotherapy and chemotherapy in stage IV B anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC).

Patients And Methods: From 1997 to 2007, 16 inoperable patients (12 females, 4 males, median age 60 years, range 27-71) with pathologically confirmed ATC without distant metastases (UICC stage IV B) were treated with radiotherapy and chemotherapy at our Institution. Five patients had Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 1, and 11 ECOG 2.

Simultaneous or sequential chemotherapy for locally advanced breast cancer.

Chemotherapy of breast cancer is still an area of intensive research. Based on mathematical model of tumor cell growth kinetics, a novel concept of chemotherapy in breast cancer was launched which implies dose-densification of chemotherapy through the use of sequential non crossresistant single agents or regimens. The relative infrequency of locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) has limited the speed of clinical progress in this area.

Adjuvant chemotherapy of premenopausal breast cancer patients and patients under 35 years of age.

Micrometastases in patients with primary breast cancer are the rationale for adjuvant systemic treatment. The Early Breast Cancer Trialists' Collaborative Group (EBCTCG) sequential studies have shown that adjuvant systemic therapy decreases recurrence and prolongs survival. According to tumour and patient-related prognostic factors, the risk for relapse could be evaluated.

Chemotherapy in carcinomas of unknown primary site.

Purpose: Carcinomas of unknown primary site (CUPS) are highly malignant diseases with a usually ominous prognosis. We report on the efficacy of chemotherapy in the treatment and survival of patients with CUPS.

Patients And Methods: The study involved 63 patients with metastatic CUPS.

[Continuous ambulatory monitoring of blood pressure and the left ventricular mass index in children with kidney diseases].

Introduction: Numerous epidemiological studies have shown that blood pressure (BP) is positively related to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Although the relationship between BP and the incidence of morbid events is consistent and highly significant, it is difficult to predict the absolute risk. Several studies have shown that the organ damage associated with hypertension correlate to a greater degree with 24 h average BP than with clinic BP and the most of them evaluated left ventricular hypertrophy in these patients.