Practical differences between luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonists in prostate cancer: perspectives across the spectrum of care.

Background: Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) with luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonists is well established for the treatment of men with metastatic prostate cancer. As clear differences in efficacy, safety, or tolerability between the available LHRH agonists are lacking, the healthcare management team needs to look to practical differences between the formulations when selecting therapy for their patients. Moreover, as the economic burden of prostate cancer rises alongside earlier diagnosis and improved survival, the possibility for cost savings by using products with specific features is growing in importance.

Testosterone suppression with a unique form of leuprorelin acetate as a solid biodegradable implant in patients with advanced prostate cancer: results from four trials and comparison with the traditional leuprorelin acetate microspheres formulation.

Background: There are two slow-release ready-to-use forms of leuprorelin acetate (1-month and 3-month) that are available as solid, biodegradable implants for the treatment of advanced, hormone-sensitive prostate cancer. These implants have been shown to be as effective as traditional leuprorelin acetate microspheres for achieving successful testosterone suppression (⩽0.5 ng/ml) and lowering prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels.

[Clinical guidelines for diagnosing, treatment and monitoring patients with prostate cancer--Croatian Oncology Society and Croatian Urology Society, Croatian Medical Association].

Prostate adenocarcinoma is the second most common solid neoplasm in male population in Croatia. It rarely causes symptoms unless it is advanced. The finding of PSA rise is the most common reason for diagnostic workout.

[Clinical guidelines for diagnosing, treatment and monitoring patients with bladder cancer--Croatian Oncology Society and Croatian Urology Society, Croatian Medical Association].

Urothelial cancer is the most common bladder cancer. Hematuria is the most common presenting symptom in patients with bladder cancer. The most common diagnostics of bladder cancer is performed by transurethral resection of bladder after which pathohistological diagnosis is set.

[Clinical guidelines for diagnosing, treatment and monitoring patients with testicular cancer--Croatian Oncology Society and Croatian Urology Society, Croatian Medical Association].

Testicular tumors are the most common solid tumors in men between 15 and 34 years of age. The worldwide incidence of these tumors has doubled in the past 40 years. Germ cell tumors comprise 95% of malignant tumors arising in the testes and they are classified either as seminoma or nonseminoma.

[New primary malignancies after breast cancer diagnosis: interplay of genetics, risk factors and treatment modalities].

Significant advances in early breast cancer detection and increased quality of care within developed countries resulted in longer than five years survival in almost 90% of women diagnosed and treated for breast cancer. One in twenty women diagnosed with breast cancer will develop a new primary non-breast malignancy within 10 years from initial diagnosis. Mutations in BRCA 1 i 2, RAD51C, MMR, p53, CDKN2A and 113insArg genes are linked with increased risk of breast cancer and other cancer sites.

[Hormonal therapy of prostate cancer: are there any dilemmas left?].

The strategy for treating prostate cancer patients depends on the assessment of disease extent, assessment of the risk of disease relapse, assessment of life expectancy, comorbidities, affinities and life-style. Since the activity and survival of prostate cancer cells is at least initially dependent on androgen stimulation, hormonal therapy is one of the several standard treatment modalities. Hormonal therapy is aimed at decreasing this androgen stimulation either by lowering androgen production or by blocking receptor binding.

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 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.

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.

[Comparative study of the effectiveness of thermocoagulation, sclerotherapy and a combination of sclerotherapy and thermocoagulation in the treatment of acute peptic ulcer hemorrhage].

During the 3 years of the trial (June, 1988--December, 1990), 128 patients underwent urgent diagnostic endoscopy and hemostasis for acute peptic-ulcer bleeding. In the first group consisting of 57 patients, hemostasis was carried out by thermocoagulation (heat probe), in the second one (54 patients) by injection sclerotherapy and in the third group, hemorrhage was controlled by a combination of heater probe and sclerotherapy. The first and second groups did not differ significantly in age, sex, hemoglobin values, size, location of an ulcer, and kind of bleeding lesions classified according to Forrest.