Impact of season of diagnosis on mortality among breast cancer survivors.

Introduction: There is mounting evidence that the time of breast cancer diagnosis and the start of treatment can improve survival rates. The aim of this study was to test the relationship between the season of breast cancer diagnosis and the survival of women patients receiving standard surgery treatment with radiotherapy.

Materials And Methods: The nonmetastatic breast cancer patients (n = 991) were followed from the date of diagnosis until death.

Second primary malignancies after high-dose-rate Co photon or Cf neutron brachytherapy in conjunction with external-beam radiotherapy for endometrial cancer.

Purpose: Second primary malignancies (SPMs) may occur in organs after radiotherapy (RT). This study aimed to determine the rate and distribution of SPMs for photon- or neutron-emitting radiotherapy sources for patients treated for primary endometrial cancer.

Methods And Materials: The cohort comprised 426 patients with 5334 patient-years of observation.

The changes of radiotherapy in Lithuania: infrastructure, utilization rate, and cost.

The aim of this study was to evaluate radiation therapy (RT) productivity, capacity, and cost in Lithuania. An electronic questionnaire was prepared and sent to the country's RT centres. The data was collected for the years 2011-2014.

Californium versus cobalt brachytherapy combined with external-beam radiotherapy for IIB stage cervical cancer: long-term experience of a single institute.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper was to observe and compare long-term curative effects and complications of FIGO stage IIB cervical cancer patients (n = 232) treated with high-dose-rate (HDR) californium ((252)Cf) neutron or cobalt ((60)Co) photon intracavitary brachytherapy (ICBT) combined with external-beam radiotherapy (EBRT).

Material And Methods: The EBRT dose to the small pelvis was 50 Gy in both groups. The brachytherapy component of (252)Cf or (60)Co was added in the 3(rd) week of EBRT, 5 fractions were performed once per week resulting in a total ICBT dose of 40 Gy/Gyeq (point A).

Second primary malignancies after radiotherapy including HDR (252)Cf brachytherapy for cervical cancer.

Purpose: Second primary malignancies (SPMs) are among the most serious late adverse effects after radiotherapy experienced over time by the increasing population of cancer survivors worldwide. The study aim was to determine the rate and distribution of SPMs for neutron- and photon-emitting brachytherapy (BT) sources for patients treated for cervical cancer.

Methods And Materials: The cohort comprised 662 patients with invasive cervical cancer (Stages IIB and IIIB) and contributed 5,224 patient-years (PY) of observation.

Assessment of annual average effective dose status in the cohort of medical staff in Lithuania during 1991-2013.

The use of radiation sources for various medical purposes is closely related to irradiation of the medical staff, which causes harmful effects to health and an increased risk of cancer. In total, 1463 medical staff who have been occupationally exposed to sources of ionising radiation (IR) had been monitored. Records with annual dose measurements (N = 19 157) were collected and regularly analysed for a 23-y period: from 01 January 1991 to 31 December 2013.

Molecular alterations in signal pathways of melanoma and new personalized treatment strategies: Targeting of Notch.

Despite modern achievements in therapy of malignant melanomas new treatment strategies are welcomed in clinics for survival of patients. Now it is supposed that personalized molecular therapies for each patient are needed concerning a specificity of molecular alterations in patient's tumors. In human melanoma, Notch signaling interacts with other pathways, including MAPK, PI3K-AKT, NF-kB, and p53.

Cancer education in Lithuania.

The aim of this article is to describe cancer education in Lithuania according to the data of 2013. In Lithuania, there are the following stages of education for physicians: basic education through integrated studies of medicine (six years), postgraduate education through residency studies (four to five years), and continuing professional development. In recent years, integrated studies of medicine have been the most popular specialty.

Postmastectomy internal mammary nodal irradiation: a long-term outcome.

Background And Objective: The internal mammary lymph nodes (IMN) have been recognized as a potential site of regional breast cancer spread. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of internal mammary node radiotherapy (RT) to on clinical outcomes in breast cancer patients treated with mastectomy and postoperative radiation therapy.

Materials And Methods: This cohort study included 588 patients with breast cancers located in the central and medial quadrants.

Radiotherapy equipment and departments in the European countries: final results from the ESTRO-HERO survey.

Background: Documenting the distribution of radiotherapy departments and the availability of radiotherapy equipment in the European countries is an important part of HERO - the ESTRO Health Economics in Radiation Oncology project. HERO has the overall aim to develop a knowledge base of the provision of radiotherapy in Europe and build a model for health economic evaluation of radiation treatments at the European level. The aim of the current report is to describe the distribution of radiotherapy equipment in European countries.

Radiotherapy staffing in the European countries: final results from the ESTRO-HERO survey.

Background: The ESTRO Health Economics in Radiation Oncology (HERO) project has the overall aim to develop a knowledge base of the provision of radiotherapy in Europe and build a model for health economic evaluation of radiation treatments at the European level. The first milestone was to assess the availability of radiotherapy resources within Europe. This paper presents the personnel data collected in the ESTRO HERO database.

Postgraduate Cancer Education and Training in Lithuania: Harmonization According to the EU Rules.

The purpose of this article is to discuss Lithuanian postgraduate cancer education according to the data of 2013. In Lithuania, a specialization in an area called clinical oncology is absent; as independent specialities in oncology, there are both medical oncologists and radiation oncologists. These types of oncologists complete rigorous residency training in the clinics.

Guidelines for equipment and staffing of radiotherapy facilities in the European countries: final results of the ESTRO-HERO survey.

Background And Purpose: In planning to meet evidence based needs for radiotherapy, guidelines for the provision of capital and human resources are central if access, quality and safety are not to be compromised. A component of the ESTRO-HERO (Health Economics in Radiation Oncology) project is to document the current availability and content of guidelines for radiotherapy in Europe.

Materials And Methods: An 84 part questionnaire was distributed to the European countries through their national scientific and professional radiotherapy societies with 30 items relating to the availability of guidelines for equipment and staffing and selected operational issues.

Radiation exposure received by the medical radiation workers in Lithuania at the Institute of Oncology, Vilnius University, 2004-2011.

The occupational radiation exposure of medical radiation workers at the Institute of Oncology, Vilnius University (IOVU) was analysed. Quartile dose measurements were collected and routinely analysed for a period of 8 y from 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2011. A total of 193 medical radiation workers were monitored, comprising 34 % physicians (radiologists and radiotherapists), 8 % physicists, 42 % radiological technologists and 16 % ancillary staff.

Second malignancies following conventional or combined ²⁵²Cf neutron brachytherapy with external beam radiotherapy for breast cancer.

We retrospectively evaluated the risk of second malignancies among 832 patients with inner or central breast cancer treated with conventional external beam schedule (CRT group), or neutron brachytherapy using Californium-252 (²⁵²Cf) sources and hypofractionated external beam radiotherapy (HRTC group), between 1987 and 1996 at the Institute of Oncology, Vilnius University. Patients were observed until the occurrences of death or development of a second malignancy, or until 31 December 2009, whichever was earlier. Median follow-up time was 10.

[Microsatellite instability and loss of heterozygosity in cancer].

Literature review on genetic alterations (microsatellite instability and loss of heterozygosity) in different types of cancer is presented. Microsatellite instability and loss of heterozigosity are significant processes in carcinogenesis. The evaluation of microsatellite instability in cancer patients might be of clinical importance as a prognostic and predictive factor.

Long-term results of high-dose-rate brachytherapy and external-beam radiotherapy in the primary treatment of endometrial cancer.

In this report we update our long-term follow-up results of the prospective study whose aim was to evaluate the efficacy of high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy in combination with external-beam radiotherapy (EBRT) in the treatment of medically inoperable endometrial cancer. Between 1995 and 1998, 29 patients with stages I-III medically inoperable carcinoma of endometrium were treated with definitive irradiation. All patients underwent combined intracavitary HDR brachytherapy and EBRT.

[Treatment outcome of locally advanced stage IIIA/B lung cancer].

Objective: To determine survival of patients with stage IIIA/B non-small cell lung cancer considering disease stage and treatment methods.

Material And Methods: A total of 304 patients with non-small cell lung cancer were treated at the Department of Thoracic Surgery and Oncology, Institute of Oncology, Vilnius University, in 2000-2004. Stage IIIA (T3N1-2M0) cancer was diagnosed for 193 (63.

The risk of cancer among Lithuanian medical radiation workers in 1978-2004.

Objectives: To describe the cohort of Lithuanian medical radiation workers and to estimate the risk of cancer during 1978-2004.

Methods: Analysis of cancer risk evaluation was done using the retrospective cohort method, an indirect standardization. The observed numbers of cancer cases were obtained from the National Cancer Registry.

Enhancement of photodynamic tumor therapy effectiveness by electroporation in vitro.

The aim of our study was to determine if electroporation could improve the efficacy of photodynamic tumor therapy. A disadvantage of photodynamic therapy is a slow and in some cases insufficient accumulation of photosensitizer in tumor tissue, which could restrict the achievement of an efficient dose. Under the action of electric pulses, cells undergo membrane electroporation, which results in an increased permeability to various exogenous molecules.

Occupational exposure of medical radiation workers in Lithuania, 1950-2003.

This study presents the summary of historical exposures, measurement practice and evolution of the recording of the individual doses of medical radiation workers during 1950-2003 in Lithuania. The aim of this study is to present occupational exposure of medical radiation workers in Lithuania since the earliest appearance period. Data from publications have been used for the earliest two periods prior to 1969; data from the archives of the largest hospitals, for the period 1970-1990 and data from Lithuanian Subdivision of Individual Dosimetry of Radiation Protection Center, for the period 1991-2003.

[Development of research at the Institute of Oncology of Vilnius University].

Today the Institute of Oncology of Vilnius University continues the scientific activities of the former Lithuanian cancer research institutions. The main mission of the Institute is to perform fundamental and applied research in the field of oncology. In addition, the Institute helps Vilnius University to train oncology specialists and researchers as well as provides health care services.

Dose coverage evaluation for lung cancer radiation therapy.

Unlabelled: Purpose of the study was to evaluate adequacy of target volume coverage with conventional two-dimensional radiotherapy; and to estimate potential of three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy for increasing dose to the target.

Material And Methods: Analysis was performed for 34 lung cancer patients referred for curative intend two-dimensional radiation therapy. For the same patients two independent specialist teams created conventional two-dimensional plans according to "gold standard" radiotherapy and three-dimensional conformal plans.