Connexin 43 Expression in Primary Colorectal Carcinomas in Patients with Stage III and IV Disease.

Background/aim: Protein connexin 43 (Cx43), a part of intercellular gap junctions, is frequently down-regulated in tumors. The aim of the study was to compare Cx43 expression in primary colorectal tumors of patients with stage III and IV disease.

Patients And Methods: Immunohistochemical expression of Cx43 was analyzed in 50 colorectal adenocarcinomas from surgically-treated patients of stage pT3N1-2 without metastases (M0) and 50 specimens of the same pTN stage from patients with synchronous liver metastases (M1).

Results of National Colorectal Cancer Screening Program in Croatia (2007-2011).

Aim: To study the epidemiologic indicators of uptake and characteristic colonoscopic findings in the Croatian National Colorectal Cancer Screening Program.

Methods: Colorectal cancer (CRC) was the second leading cause of cancer mortality in men (n = 1063, 49.77/100,000), as well as women (n = 803, 34.

Religiosity and quality of life in breast cancer patients.

Our aim was to assess relations between the quality of life and religiosity in breast cancer patients. The participants were 115 consecutively admitted female in-patients with breast cancer in the radiotherapy unit in the course of six months. The measures used were Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire (SCSORF), World Health Organisation Well-Being Index Five (WHO-WBI 5) and International Breast Cancer Study Group Quality of Life (IBCSG-QL) Questionnaire.

One year efficacy and safety of oral sildenafil treatment in severe pulmonary hypertension.

Severe pulmonary hypertension is a progressive disease which leads to limitations of functional status and poor survival. We evaluated efficacy and safety of a short (3 months) and a long term (12 months) sildenafil treatment in patients with severe pulmonary hypertension. We treated 12 patients with pulmonary hypertension with oral sildenafil.

Efficacy and safety of budesonide/formeterol combination therapy in asthma patients.

Budesonide/formoterol as single inhaler was developed for treating asthma patients who are not adequately controlled on glucocorticoides alone. The aim of this study was to evaluate efficacy, safety and patient/physician satisfaction of budesonide/formoterol therapy.Total of 268 asthma patients (120 men, mean age 38.

Immunohystochemical expression of cancer/testis antigens (MAGE-A3/4, NY-ESO-1) in non-small cell lung cancer: the relationship with clinical-pathological features.

The aim of this study was to explore the expression of cancer/testis tumor associated antigens (C/T TAAs) MAGE-A 3/4 and NY-ESO-1 in lung squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma, and to evaluate their association with the standard clinical-pathological features of surgically treated lung cancer patients. The study included 80 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (40 adenocarcinomas, 40 squamous cell carcinomas) who had undergone surgery in the period between 2002 and 2005. The MAGE-A3/4 and NY-ESO-1 antigen expression was analyzed immunohistochemically (IHC).

Efforts in fighting against cancer in Croatia have to be focused on the primary health care.

This manuscript is a comprehensive review of the long-lasting tradition and the state-of-the-art in the prevention and early detection of cancer in Croatia. Compared with other European countries, Croatia holds a high and unfavourable position in cancer morbidity and mortality. Global experience in implementation of national programmes for the early detection of cancer clearly shows that such approach is the most successful and in the long-term the least expensive method for fighting against cancer.

Efficacy and safety of transdermal buprenorphine: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial in 289 patients with severe cancer pain.

Strong opioids are recommended for treating severe cancer pain in the advanced stages of the disease. Few data are available concerning the efficacy of buprenorphine in cancer pain. We compared transdermal buprenorphine 70 microg/h (BUP TDS) to placebo in an enriched design study.

[Croatian guidelines for use of eicosapentaenoic acid and megestrol acetate in cancer cachexia syndrome].

Among many oncological patients we can notice a substantial loss of body weight, fat and proteins with significant proinflammatory activity at the time of diagnosis. This wasting condition is well known as cancer cachexia syndrome. Anorexia is important part of this syndrome.

Detection of disseminated melanoma cells by reverse-transcription - polymerase chain reaction.

Detection of circulating melanoma cells by reverse transcriptase - polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is a molecular diagnostic procedure which is used to predict prognosis in melanoma patients. The most widely used specific marker for detection of circulating melanoma cells by RT-PCR is expression of tyrosinase gene. This procedure has shown high specificity and low threshold for detection of melanoma cells.

Combined action of virus injection and local tumor irradiation on tumor growth in mice.

The dynamics of SCCVII transplantable tumor growth in C3H/H mice was determined after local tumor irradiation and/or virus (NDV LaSota) i.p. injection.

Expression and possible prognostic role of MAGE-A4, NY-ESO-1, and HER-2 antigens in women with relapsing invasive ductal breast cancer: retrospective immunohistochemical study.

Aim: To evaluate the possible prognostic role of the expression of MAGE-A4 and NY-ESO-1 cancer/testis antigens in women diagnosed with invasive ductal breast cancer and determine the expression of HER-2 antigen.

Methods: The expression of MAGE-A4, NY-ESO-1, and HER-2 antigens was evaluated immunohistochemically on archival paraffin-embedded samples of breast cancer tissue from 81 patients. All patients had T1 to T3, N0 to N1, M0 tumors and underwent postoperative radiotherapy and, if indicated, systemic therapy (chemotherapy and hormonal therapy).

Gemcitabine in the first and second-line chemotherapy of advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Aim of this study was to estimate efficacy of gemcitabine in first and the second-line chemotherapy for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (stage III and IV). In first-line chemotherapy, 120 patients were treated with different chemotherapy regimens. Fifty-nine patients were treated with gemcitabine / cisplatin (PG), 41 with cisplatin / etoposide (PE) and 20 with mitomycin / ifosfamide / cisplatin (MIC).

Present state and possibilities for improvement of cancer prevention and early detection in the Osijek-Baranya county.

Cancer morbidity and mortality are on a steady increase in Croatia. Technologic possibilities for appropriate management are available for four cancer sites, i.e.

Religiosity, depression and pain in patients with breast cancer.

There is a growing body of evidence that religiosity can buffer depression and support the healing process. Our objective was to assess the relationship between religiosity, depression and pain in patients with breast cancer. Participants in our study were 115 breast cancer female patients recruited from a radiotherapy unit of a cancer teaching hospital, surveyed during the course of 6 months.

Radiotherapy of stage IEA primary breast lymphoma: case report.

A 47-year-old woman was referred for the treatment to our Hospital because of a palpable nodule in the upper medial quadrant of her right breast. After tumor excision, pathohistological examination showed a follicular center cell lymphoma grade 2, B-cell type (CD20+, bc16+, CD10+, bcl2+). The final diagnosis was stage IEA primary extranodal non-Hodgkin s breast lymphoma.

Expression of MAGE tumour-associated antigens is inversely correlated with tumour differentiation in invasive ductal breast cancers: an immunohistochemical study.

MAGE (Melanoma antigen E) family gene products encompass tumour-associated antigens (TAAs) recognised by human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-restricted specific T-cells. Agents inducing DNA demethylation, an event typically detectable in cellular de-differentiation processes, were shown to induce the expression of MAGE genes. By using a monoclonal antibody specific for MAGE family gene products, we have studied the expression of these TAAs in a group of 144 patients with invasive ductal breast cancers.

RT-PCR detection of tyrosinase, gp100, MART1/Melan-A, and TRP-2 gene transcripts in peripheral blood of melanoma patients.

Aim: To detect the expression of genes encoding tyrosinase, gp100, MART-1/Melan A, and tyrosinase-related protein-2 (TRP-2) in peripheral blood of melanoma patients by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

Methods: Nineteen peripheral blood samples were obtained from 17 melanoma patients. When tested, 15 of them presented with clinically detectable metastatic disease.

[Radiotherapy treatment of lymphoma].

Radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy are primary treatment modalities in the therapy of lymphoma. The treatment depends on the lymphoma type, stage of disease and patients general condition. Radiation therapy is applied with curative or palliative intent, either as a single or combined modality treatment.

[Radiotherapy of lung cancer].

The paper is aimed at approaching radiation therapy methods to physicians of other specialties and pointing to the potential of radiation therapy in the management of lung cancer patients. With the reference to its incidence and mortality rates, lung cancer ranks among the most frequent human malignant tumors. Therapy procedures for lung cancer depend upon tumor histology type, stage of disease and patient general condition.

Combined modality therapy of rectal cancers.

Rectal cancer accounts for about 10% of new cancer cases each year. It strikes men and women at nearly the same rate, generally in the range of 50-80 years of age, with rising incidence with age. Despite simple screening procedures rectal cancer is often advanced when discovered.

Combined modality therapy of non-small cell lung cancers.

Lung cancer represents the leading cause of cancer mortality. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for about 75% to 80% of lung cancer cases and carries a 5-year survival of about 10% to 15% for all stages. Approximately one third of NSCLC patients present with stage III disease, which is defined as locally advanced tumour confined to the chest without distant metastasis.

The comparison of isodose plans: radiotherapy techniques in the treatment of thyroid ophtalmopathy.

Thyroid ophthalmopathy is listed among benign disorders as the fourth indication for radiotherapy. Radiation reduces symptoms and signs of the disease in 46-93% of patients. Except for the lenses, the orbital content is resistant to the usual radiation dose of 20 Gy in 10 fractions.

Nitric oxide-independent inhibitory effects of L-arginine analog NG-monomethy-L-arginine on the generation of interleukin-2 activated cytotoxic activity in humans.

Nitric oxide (NO) derived intracellularly from L-arginine (Arg) is indispensable for optimalgeneration of lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cell activity in rodents. Still unclear, however, is its role in humans. To address this question human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from healthy donors were cultured in L-arginine free medium supplemented with recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) and in the presence of exogenous L-arginine analog NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (NMMA), a specific inhibitor of the NO synthetic pathway.