Pathologic complete remission after preoperative high-dose-rate brachytherapy in patients with operable cervical cancer: preliminary results of a prospective randomized multicenter study.

The role of preoperative intrauterine brachytherapy (BT) in the multidisciplinary treatment of early stage cervical carcinoma (ESCC) is controversial. In 2005, a prospective randomized multicenter study was initiated in Hungary in order to explore the potential advantages of preoperative high-dose-rate (HDR) BT. In this article we evaluate the efficiency of preoperative HDR BT by the rate of pathologic complete remission (pCR) in the first 185 patients enrolled in the study at the National Institute of Oncology and at the Uzsoki Municipal Cancer Center in collaboration with the 1st Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.

[Complete pathologic remission after preoperative high-dose brachytherapy in patients with operable cervical cancer: preliminary results of a prospective randomized study].

The purpose of the study was a preliminary evaluation of the efficacy of preoperative intracavitary high-dose-rate brachytherapy (HDR BT) in sterilization of the specimen of operable cervical cancer patients enrolled into a prospective, randomized study. Between 2005 and 2010, 100 operable cervical cancer patients of FIGO stage I/A2 (n=4), I/B1 (n=51), I/B2 (n=19), IIA (n=17), and proximal II/B (n=9) were randomized in two arms: in arm "A" (n=50) allocated treatment was 2x8 Gy preoperative intracavitary HDR BT followed by radical surgery, in arm "B" (n= 50) no preoperative treatment was given before the planned radical Wertheim hysterectomy. The rates of pathologic complete remission (pCR) were compared using the Fisher-exact test.

[Evaluation of second-line chemotherapies most often used in recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer].

Introduction: Second-line chemotherapies result in a progression-free interval of 2,3-42 months.

Aim: The authors evaluated the efficacy of second-line paclitaxel-carboplatin, topotecan, and cisplatin-epirubicin-etoposide combinations.

Methods: Paclitaxel-carboplatin (175 mg/m2 and AUC 5) in 3-week intervals and topotecan (1.

[Frequency of blood transfusions for anemia caused by chemotherapy in ovarian cancer patients. Thoughts about the guidelines modified in 2006 for the treatment of anemic cancer patients by the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer].

Introduction: The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer distributed the modified guidelines for blood transfusions and erythropoietic drugs in the treatment of cancer anemia in the year 2006. According to this document the blood transfusions are indicated at the level of 9 g/dL of hemoglobin. Up to this year a definitive limit for applying blood transfusion in chemotherapy-induced anemia has not been determined in Hungary.

[About the infrequent thrombotic events during erythropoietin therapy of anemia in ovarian cancer patients treated with chemotherapy].

Introduction: Thrombotic events are infrequently observed in erythropoietin treatments for the anemia in tumorous patients with chemotherapy. The manufacturers call attention to this possible side effect of all kind of such drugs.

Aim: To estimate the amount of thrombotic events in erythropoietin administrations during epoetin treatments for ovarian cancer patients treated with antineoplastic drugs.

[Survival reflecting the effectiveness of primary operation in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer].

Introduction: Primary operation of ovarian cancer patients has a great implication in treatment. The survival of patients operated on optimally is better than in those patients, who have tumor residuum after the operation. The optimal result is more frequent in operations performed by gynecologist oncologists as is in surgery administered by general gynecologists or general surgeons.

[The results of ovarian cancer therapy in the Hungarian Centers in 2002-2003].

Unlabelled: Authors presented data of treatment results and course of disease in 487 ovarian cancer patients treated by primary surgery and paclitaxel-carboplatin combination chemotherapy between July 1, 2002 and December 31, 2003.

Patients: Most of our patients (87.8%) belonged to the age-group between 40-70 years.

[Effectiveness of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin in relapsed ovarian cancer].

Aims: Pegylated liposomal doxorubicin is considered as one of the treatment options proposed nowadays for recurrent ovarian cancer patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate toxicity profile and effectiveness of this treatment in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer.

Materials And Methods: Thirteen patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian carcinoma were treated by pegylated liposomal doxorubicin of 50 mg/m2 dose in 4-week courses.

[Experience with gemcitabine-carboplatin chemotherapy in relapsed ovarian cancer].

Unlabelled: Despite the progress that has been achieved in the primary therapy of ovarian cancer, unfortunately, the disease relapses resulting death in a lot of patients. This is the rationale for several new chemotherapy trials, however the expected results are awaited yet. The pyrimidine analogue drug gemcitabine belongs also to this group of hopeful therapies to increase the outcomes.

[First observations of the dose-dense weekly docetaxel therapy in relapsed ovarian cancer].

Unlabelled: Weekly docetaxel therapy is a new therapeutical form of relapsed ovarian cancer. Phase I and II trials of this administration form are rare in the literature of this tumor type. The authors report on a retrospective study of this treatment.

[Evaluation of progression-free interval in patients with ovarian cancer treated by first-line chemotherapy with paclitaxel and carboplatin].

Unlabelled: Combination therapy with paclitaxel is widely proposed for first-line adjuvant treatment in ovarian cancer patients in Hungary as well as worldwide. The authors summarize the results of paclitaxel-carboplatin therapy of the years from 2000 to 2002, and compare them to the results observed in 2002.

Material And Methods: 86 patients with ovarian cancer of stage I-IV were treated with the combination with paclitaxel (175 mg/m2, 3 hours) and carboplatin (AUC 5) at the Gynecological Department, National Institute of Oncology, Budapest.

[Atypical glandular cells (AGC) on Papanicolaou smears--the great challenge of cervix screening programs].

Unlabelled: The "grey zone" diagnostic category for glandular cells in the Bethesda System 2001 (TBS 2001) has undergone significant modification since its last version in 1991.

Patients: The aim of the study was to follow up patients with "atypical glandular cells of undetermined significance" (AGUS)/ "atypical glandular cells" (AGC), and adenocarcinoma cytological interpretation, based on a three-year material between 2000-2002 at the Department of Cytopathology of National Institute of Oncology, Hungary. The smears were reviewed and interpreted according to TBS 2001.

Recurrent giant fibroepithelial stromal polyp of the vulva associated with congenital lymphedema.

Background: The relatively site-specific mesenchymal lesions of the vulvovaginal region can exhibit superficially overlapping histological features and can be diagnostically challenging. Fibroepithelial stromal polyp is generally an easily recognizable entity, but certain cases cause differential diagnostic problems.

Case: We present a case of a 16-year-old girl with a 10-cm polypoid lesion localized to the left labium.

[Results of docetaxel therapy in patients with relapsed ovarian cancer].

Unlabelled: Successful treatment of relapsed ovarian cancer has not been solved. Docetaxel, being one of the medicines of special interest in Hungary from 2002, has been ranked with the other well known treatment forms. In this study the authors evaluated the results of the docetaxel-carboplatin combination treatment in two oncological centers.

[Status report on the chemotherapy of ovarian cancer at special cancer centers in Hungary (2002-2003)].

Data on the first-line treatment of ovarian cancer in special centers of Hungary 2002 and 2003 are presented, involving 283 and 416 patients, respectively. Patients' age, clinical stage and histological type of the tumor were highly similar to literature data, while grades were different. Surgical effectiveness in case of IIIc staged tumors with >1 cm residual mass was 37%.

[Role of Caelyx in second line treatment of ovarian cancer].

The authors published their own experiences and results of Caelyx treatment based on 40 ovarian cancer patients treated in 9 different institutions. Patients had been treated with platinum based or platinum-taxol combination chemoterapy. Their average age was 57.

Does increasing the steroid dose enhance the efficacy of the antiemetic combination of granisetron and methylprednisolone in gynecologic cancer patients--a randomized study.

Objective: The authors administered two doses of oral methylprednisolone in combination with 3mg granisetron intravenously for the prophylaxis of cisplatin-induced emesis in gynecologic cancer patients.

Materials And Methods: Thirty-nine patients received 100mg (group A) and 25 received 200mg (group B) methylprednisolone in the antiemetic combination in a randomized prospective trial.

Results: No vomiting in 90.

[Frequency of anemia in patients with ovarian cancer: assessment of our own data in connection with the European Cancer Anemia Survey (ECAS)].

The authors summarized the hemoglobin values of 174 patients in 850 chemotherapy courses with ovarian cancer in the year 2001 on the base of the European Cancer Anemia Survey's results. Chemotherapy was given in first-line in 88, in second-in 68 and in third- and fourth-line in 16 and 2 patients. Patients were divided into 2 treatment (cisplatin and non-cisplatin) groups according to the different anemia-producing characteristics.

[Metastatic breast cancer in the uterine cervix: two cases of a rare occurrence].

Authors report on the recurrence of breast cancer to the uterine cervix in two patients. In the first patient the tumor recurrence was suspected by cytology 43 months after she was cured for breast cancer. An ultrasound examination revealed the recurrence in the second patient who have been cured for the breast cancer for 53 months.

[Early results of first-line chemotherapy with paclitaxel and carboplatin in patients with epithelial ovarian carcinoma].

Introduction: Paclitaxel-carboplatin combination chemotherapy has been administered worldwide in the first-line adjuvant treatment of epithelial ovarian cancers since the mid 1990's.

Aim: Goal was to evaluate the early results of the first-line paclitaxel-carboplatin treatment practiced at the Gynecological Department of National Institute of Oncology, Budapest between November 2000 and August 2002.

Patients And Methods: Paclitaxel and carboplatin were administered in the doses of 175 mg/m2/3 h and AUC 5, respectively.

[Experience in first-line chemotherapy with paclitaxel for the treatment of ovarian carcinomas].

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible benefit of the paclitaxel based combined chemotherapy introduced as an "up front" chemotherapy in Hungary for the treatment of ovary cancer.

Methods: Data of four Hungarian Ovary Cancer Treatment Center was collected, evaluated and presented here as a preliminary retrospective study. Data of 67 patients was included into the investigation who underwent laparatomy followed with paclitaxel/carboplatin or paclitaxel/cisplatin combined chemotherapy between 1st of July 1999 and 31st of December 2000.

[Endometrial cancer in a young woman taking oral contraceptives for a long time].

The authors report a rare case of endometrial adenocarcinoma occurred in a 35-year old woman, who had taken oral contraceptives for 13 years. She came for consultation with irregular vaginal bleeding. Diagnostic curettage and histologic examination confirmed the diagnosis as endometrial adenocarcinoma.

[Reinduction of paclitaxel therapy after a successfully treated hypersensitivity reaction].

Introduction: Paclitaxel containing chemotherapy is considered to be the first-line adjuvant treatment of epithelial ovarian cancers. Hypersensitive reaction is its most serious side effect including hypotension, respiratory distress, extensive urticaria or an intense cardiotoxicity. Due to these signs several physicians abandon of the otherwise hopeful chemotherapy.

[PET scan and double-independent pathologic investigations effectively support the detection of occult primary tumors].

Following the failure of conventional diagnostic procedures, whole-body FDG-PET investigations were carried out in 42 metastatic cancer patients to localize occult primary carcinomas. During the clinical follow-up, the presence of malignant tumor was ruled out in 3 cases, and 2 patients originally believed to have carcinoma were confirmed to be suffering from a malignant hematological disease. These false diagnoses were associated with the use of imaging methods only (2 cases) or cytology only (1 case), lack of double, independent pathological investigations (2 cases) or immunophenotyping (2 cases) and the occurrence of an unrecognized rare tumor in a hospital with a small patient turnover (1 case).

[Early results of topotecan therapy in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer].

Introduction: Topotecan inhibits the topoisomerase-I enzyme resulting its stabilisation on the DNA and the suspension of replication and transcription.

Aims: The authors summarized their first experience on second-line topotecan treatment in a prospective non-randomized study.

Method: Topotecan was given for recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer in the dose of 1.