The clinical importance of micrometastases within the lymphatic system in patients after total gastrectomy.

Background: In spite of radical gastrectomy with resection of the lymphatic system, where no metastases are found during histopathological examination, about 30% of patients have relapse of the neoplastic process. This situation may be caused by micrometastases or isolated neoplastic cells in the lymphatic system which were not identified during a standard histopathological examination.

Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate the clinical importance of micrometastases within the lymphatic system in patients with gastric cancer.

Gene-modified tumor vaccine secreting a designer cytokine Hyper-Interleukin-6 is an effective therapy in mice bearing orthotopic renal cell cancer.

Although renal cell cancer (RCC) is known to be immunogenic, clinical efficacy of various immunotherapeutic approaches remains unsatisfactory. Novel targeted therapies showing cytostatic rather than cytotoxic activity are unable to cure RCC patients. In our studies, we evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of whole-cell vaccine based on irradiated murine RENCA cells genetically modified to secrete designer cytokine--Hyper-IL6 (H6)--comprising IL-6 and soluble IL-6 receptor.

mTOR in renal cell cancer: modulator of tumor biology and therapeutic target.

Elucidation of the crucial role of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway in the pathogenesis of cancer has led to the development of various drugs targeting this signaling cascade at distinct levels. mTOR, a serine/threonine kinase plays a pivotal role in coupling growth stimuli to cell cycle progression. There are two distinct macromolecular complexes of mTOR: mTORC1, which is rapamycin-sensitive and contains raptor; and mTORC2, which is rapamycin-insensitive and contains rictor.

Targeted therapy of renal cell cancer.

Rapid development of treatment strategies for renal cell cancer (RCC) has occurred in recent years. Elucidation of the crucial role of the Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumor suppressor gene in upregulating growth factors associated with angiogenesis has provided new insight into RCC biology and has identified specific targets for novel therapeutic strategies. For almost two decades, cytokine-based immunotherapy has remained a treatment of choice in advanced RCC patients.

The use of high dose rate endobronchial brachytherapy to palliate symptomatic recurrence of previously irriadiated lung cancer.

Endobronchial obstruction associated with lung cancer represents a common and potentially life threatening complication of newly diagnosed or recurrent disease. The vast majority of patients with obstructive lesions are not curable so it is desirable to palliate these patients as quickly as possible without compromising quality of life. High dose rate brachytherapy (HDR-BT) represents a therapeutic option with several advantages over external beam radiotherapy (EBRT), particularly in previous irradiated patients.

Recent developments in renal cell cancer immunotherapy.

Various immunotherapeutic approaches for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) have been developed for > 90 years. Existing immunotherapeutic strategies against RCC include: systemic administration of cytokines; therapeutic vaccines based on tumor cells or dendritic cells; monoclonal antibodies; and adoptive immunotherapy (T cell transfer or allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation). However, the overall efficacy of immunotherapy for advanced RCC remains moderate.

Captopril, an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, promotes growth of immunogenic tumors in mice.

Purpose: Antitumor potential of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors has been shown in different preclinical settings, which always involved immunocompromised organisms or nonimmunogenic tumor models. In our study, we wanted to evaluate the effect of captopril on growth of immunogenic tumors in immunocompetent animals.

Experimental Design: We used different murine tumor models to evaluate the effect of captopril on tumor take and survival of tumor-bearing immunocompetent and immunocompromised mice.

Expression of soluble recombinant TGF-beta type II receptor fused with the Fc portion of human IgG1 (sTbetaRII-Fc) in NS0 cells.

We have constructed and expressed recombinant chimeric soluble TGF-beta type II receptor fused with the Fc portion of human IgG1 (sTbetaRII-Fc) in NS0 mouse myeloma cells and isolated cell lines constitutively secreting very high levels of biologically active protein. The GS-NS0 expression system takes advantage of the strong human cytomegalovirus immediate early promoter expression vector and glutamine synthetase as a selectable marker. The recombinant chimeric receptor could be produced in high amounts and efficiently purified by one step chromatography on a protein A column.

Prediction of radiation pneumonitis: dose-volume histogram analysis in 62 patients with non-small cell lung cancer after three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy.

The purpose of the study was to determine the relation between the incidence of radiation pneumonitis (RP) and available parameters from a dose-volume histogram (DVH) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who underwent three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy treatment. Between January 1999 and August 2003 in the Greatpoland Cancer Center, 62 patients with NSCLC were treated using three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D CRT). All patients were treated 5 days per week with daily fractionation of 2 Gy to total dose of 60 Gy.

Human cancer gene therapy with cytokine gene-modified cells.

Cytokines can impede tumour growth and activate innate and adaptive immune responses, leading to elimination of cancer cells. For many years, it was believed that systemic administration of recombinant cytokines might become a standard treatment of different cancer types. However, due to a high toxicity of therapeutic doses and a low efficacy, even in combination with chemotherapy, this strategy is generally not accepted.

Advanced tracheal carcinoma--a therapeutic significance of HDR brachytherapy in palliative treatment.

The purpose of this study was to determine the benefit of high dose rate endotracheal brachytherapy as an exclusive palliative treatment of obstructive tracheal cancer. Thirty-five patients with advanced tracheal carcinoma were treated between May 1999 and March 2001 in Greatpoland Cancer Center. They were qualified for brachytherapy due to life-threatening situations.

The comparison of radiotherapy techniques for treatment of the prostate cancer: the three-field vs. the four-field.

Our purpose was to compare the three-field and the four-field planning techniques in patients with localized prostate cancer. Twenty patients with localized prostate cancer stage (T1-T2N0M0) were chosen for the analysis of treatment plans. Simulation and CT planning were performed in all cases in the supine position with a "comfortably" full bladder.

The 34th Annual Meeting of the German Society of Immunology with participation of the Polish Society of Experimental and Clinical Immunology.

The 34th Annual Meeting of the German Society of Immunology was held in Berlin on 24 - 27 September 2003. This meeting, organised for the first time in cooperation with the Polish Society for Experimental and Clinical Immunology, gathered 1200 participants, mostly from central Europe. The programme comprised > 30 symposium lectures and > 750 oral and poster presentations.

Vaccine-induced CD8+ T cells eliminate tumors by a two-staged attack.

Data presented here demonstrate that vaccine-induced CD8(+) T cells can eliminate their specific tumor-target with a two-staged attack. First, they release interferon-gamma that results in growth arrest of the tumor cells via induction of antiangiogenic mediators. Then, during the latter stages of the immune response, CD8(+) effector T cells eradicate the remaining tumor cells through perforin-mediated lysis.

Thermoluminescent dosimetry in rotary-dual technique of the total skin electron irradiation.

The aim of the study was to discuss the results of thermoluminescent dosimetry (TLD) in rotary-dual technique of the total skin electron irradiation (TSEI RD), to confirm beam calibration and monitor unit calculations and to provide data for making clinical decisions. Between May 2001 and April 2002, in 3 cases of mycosis fungoides, 736 dosimetric checks were performed in 34 points at the skin. CaF2:MnTLD-400 cubes (1/8"x1/8"x0.

Locoregional recurrence of breast cancer: a retrospective comparison of treatment methods.

The study was made to evaluate the clinical and pathological features of breast cancer patients with locally recurrent breast cancer and to assess the impact of the treatment method on their prognosis. Fifty-four patients with local recurrence after breast cancer were treated in Greatpoland Cancer Center between 1983 and 1995. It constituted 6.

Expression of p16 in sporadic primary uveal melanoma.

Expression of p16 protein, intragenic mutations of CDKN2A and hypermethylation of CDKN2A promoter region in 41 sporadic primary uveal melanomas were studied. There were 2 cases of spindle cell B histological type, 11 of A + B and 28 of mixed type. All melanomas infiltrated sclera but in 28 cases infiltration was superficial while in 13 profound.

Analysis of mutations in the p16/CDKN2A gene in sporadic and familial melanoma in the Polish population.

Mutations in CDKN2A have been found in sporadic cutaneous malignant (CMM), in familial CMM and in other syndromes associated with melanoma. In this study DNA was obtained from 207 individuals and five cell lines. There were 157 CMM patients and 50 healthy members of melanoma patients families.

Expression of PiT1 and PiT2 retroviral receptors and transduction efficiency of tumor cells.

Recombinant retroviral vectors are still the most common gene delivery vehicles for gene therapy purposes, especially for construction of genetically modified tumor vaccines (GMTV). However, these vehicles are characterized by relatively low titre and in the case of many tumor cell lines, low transduction efficiency. We constructed bicistronic retroviral vector pseudotypes of amphotropic murine leukemia virus (A-MuLV) and gibbon ape leukemia virus (GaLV), encoding enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) as a rapid and easily detectable reporter gene.

Tumors and the danger model.

This article reviews the evidence for the danger model in the context of immune response to tumors and the insufficiency of the immune system to eliminate tumor growth. Despite their potential immunogenicity tumors do not induce significant immune responses which could destroy malignant cells. According to the danger model, the immune surveillance system fails to detect tumor antigens because transformed cells do not send any danger signals which could activate dendritic cells and initiate an immune response.

3rd international symposium on genetic anticancer agents.

The 3rd International Symposium on Genetic Anticancer Agents was an initiative of NDDO Research Foundation, which is an internationally operating organisation exclusively devoted to the research and development of new strategies for the treatment of cancer. The meeting focused on the preclinical and clinical development of various genetic agents for cancer treatment. Leading world experts came to Amsterdam to present recent results of their highly advanced research and to discuss novel approaches to cancer treatment.

Bilateral breast cancer.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical and pathological features of breast cancer patients with bilateral breast cancer and to assess the impact of the second breast cancer on their prognosis. Thirty six breast cancer patients with bilateral (metasynchronous) cancer were treated in Greatpoland Cancer Center from 1983 to 1995. It constituted 4.