Cervical cancer represents a genuine health issue in Romania.The courses of treatment applied are complex, and the accompanying biochemical mechanisms are yet to be fully understood. Thus, radiotherapy, which induces reactive oxygen species, can lead to failure of treatment in hypoxic tissues,tissues which are difficult to identify due to the small quantity in which these cytotoxic species are produced. As a result, the aim of this paper is to identify the production and role of reactive oxygen species, as well as the manner of activation of endogenous antioxidant defense mechanisms in cervical cancer patients admitted to the Oncologic Institute of Bucharest. To this purpose the biochemical parameters of oxidative stress were identified in 30 patients with cervical tumour localization, prior to surgery. The results obtained have showed that a production of reactive oxygen species is identifiable in these patients, having lipids as a primary target and leading to their peroxidation. The extension of protein oxidative degradation takes place at a much lower value, as well as the activation of endogenous antioxidant defence systems, comparing to our expectations. To conclude,we consider that when the production of active oxygen metabolites takes place in small concentrations, associated with hypoxia, the signals transmitted are towards modifying the phenotype under anaerobic conditions into one activating neo vascularization, angiogenesis initiation, new cell growth and proliferation. The moment that this phase is overcome anew oxidative stress is installed, one potentially destructive for biomolecules essential to life, but also useful for further treatment, such as radiotherapy.
Background and Objectives: This study aimed to assess the impact of clinical prognostic factors and propose a prognostic score that aids the clinician’s decision in estimating the risk for patients in clinical practice. Materials and Methods: The study included 195 patients diagnosed with ovarian adenocarcinoma. The therapeutic strategy involved multidisciplinary decisions: surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy (80%), neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery (16.4%), and only chemotherapy in selected cases (3.6%). Results: After a median follow-up of 68 months, in terms of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 1 and 2 vs. 0 (hazard ratio—HR = 2.71, 95% confidence interval—CI, 1.96–3.73, p < 0.001 for PFS and HR = 3.19, 95%CI, 2.20–4.64, p < 0.001 for OS), menopausal vs. premenopausal status (HR = 2.02, 95%CI, 1.35–3,0 p < 0.001 and HR = 2.25, 95%CI = 1.41–3.59, p < 0.001), ascites (HR = 1.95, 95%CI 1.35–2.80, p = 0.03, HR = 2.31, 95%CI = 1.52–3.5, p < 0.007), residual disease (HR = 5.12, 95%CI 3.43–7.65, p < 0.0001 and HR = 4.07, 95%CI = 2.59–6.39, p < 0.0001), and thrombocytosis (HR = 2.48 95%CI = 1.72–3.58, p < 0.0001, HR = 3.33, 95%CI = 2.16–5.13, p < 0.0001) were associated with a poor prognosis. An original prognostic score including these characteristics was validated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves (area under the curve—AUC = 0.799 for PFS and AUC = 0.726 for OS, p < 0.001). The median PFS for patients with none, one, two, three, or four (or more) prognostic factors was not reached, 70, 36, 20, and 12 months, respectively. The corresponding median overall survival (OS) was not reached, 108, 77, 60, and 34 months, respectively. Conclusions: Several negative prognostic factors were identified: ECOG performance status ≥ 1, the presence of ascites and residual disease after surgery, thrombocytosis, and menopausal status. These led to the development of an original prognostic score that can be helpful in clinical practice.
acestei rare anomalii de traseu a arterei hepatice comune, incidenţă ce este evaluată în literatură la aproximativ 0,1%.Studiul a avut două componente, pe de o parte verificarea înregistrărilor din documentele medicale (condici de operaţii, în principal), pe de altă parte discuţii de tip focus-grup cu cei 19 medici chirurgi ai secţiei privind experienţa operatorie personală a fiecăruia.Am identificat două cazuri în care s-a întâlnit această anomalie de traseu al arterei hepatice comune, adică variantă de traseu retroportal.Cazurile sunt complet documentate, inclusiv imagistic şi
Abstract Introduction A new area of research has highlighted a possible link between the use of hair dyes and an increased risk of bladder cancer in people working in the beauty industry. Materials and methods The present study is a systematic review, the data being collected from PubMed database and selected according to predetermined eligibility criteria. Results and discussion The results show that in the period prior to 1980 the incidence of bladder cancer was increased in male barbers, while after 1980 the risk was higher in female hairdressers. Conclusion At this moment, the research seems to reveal that hair dyes represent a possible occupational risk factor for bladder cancer, but further research is needed in order to confirm this conclusion.
Anal cancer represents a rare neoplasia, accounting for approximately 1.5% of all digestive cancers, but remains an important concern due to its association to sexually-transmitted infections and still dismal prognosis. This review focuses on the main diagnostic and treatment aspects concerning anal canal cancer. Anal cancer incidence has been increasing in the last years, probably due to the rise in the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, such as HPV and HIV infections. Although many risk factors have been associated to anal cancer (HPV, HIV infection, immunocompromised status, tobacco smoking), anal cancer biology is only partly understood. The most frequent histopathologic type of anal canal cancer is represented by squamous-cell carcinoma (80% of all anal canal cancers). Anal canal cancer should be distinguished from anal margin cancer, which is of better prognosis. Anal cancer diagnosis is usually delayed, due to its resemblance to benign perianal pathology that justifies the need for a better screening. Anal canal carcinoma therapeutic management has witnessed a major shift in time from a radical surgical (abdominoperineal resection) to multimodal approach. Nowadays, the standard treatment of anal carcinoma is represented by radiochemotherapy that is an effective therapy although can associate an important toxicity. Surgical treatment is reserved only to very small anal lesions and especially to residual disease or tumor recurrences after primary therapy, representing a salvage therapy (abdominoperineal rectal amputation) for these cases. Although approximately 10-30% of the patients present with inguinal lymph node metastases at initial diagnosis, prophylactic inguinal lymphadenopathy is not recommended, due to its associated complications and better response to radiotherapy. Inguinal lymphadenectomy is only indicated for voluminous lymphadenopathy blocks and inguinal lymph node metastases appeared after radiochemotherapy.
Anal cancer represents a rare neoplasia, accounting for approximately 1.5% of all digestive cancers, but remains an important concern due to its association to sexually-transmitted infections and still dismal prognosis. This review focuses on the main diagnostic and treatment aspects concerning anal canal cancer. Anal cancer incidence has been increasing in the last years, probably due to the rise in the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, such as HPV and HIV infections. Although many risk factors have been associated to anal cancer (HPV, HIV infection, immunocompromised status, tobacco smoking), anal cancer biology is only partly understood. The most frequent histopathologic type of anal canal cancer is represented by squamous-cell carcinoma (80% of all anal canal cancers). Anal canal cancer should be distinguished from anal margin cancer, which is of better prognosis. Anal cancer diagnosis is usually delayed, due to its resemblance to benign perianal pathology that justifies the need for a better screening. Anal canal carcinoma therapeutic management has witnessed a major shift in time from a radical surgical (abdominoperineal resection) to multimodal approach. Nowadays, the standard treatment of anal carcinoma is represented by radiochemotherapy that is an effective therapy although can associate an important toxicity. Surgical treatment is reserved only to very small anal lesions and especially to residual disease or tumor recurrences after primary therapy, representing a salvage therapy (abdominoperineal rectal amputation) for these cases. Although approximately 10-30% of the patients present with inguinal lymph node metastases at initial diagnosis, prophylactic inguinal lymphadenopathy is not recommended, due to its associated complications and better response to radiotherapy. Inguinal lymphadenectomy is only indicated for voluminous lymphadenopathy blocks and inguinal lymph node metastases appeared after radiochemotherapy.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common human malignancies, affecting one of 20 persons in areas with high socio-economic standard. In Romania, the frequency of colorectal cancer is growing rapidly placing the country among countries with an average incidence of the disease. There are some etiologic factors involved and treatment of disease is carried out after proper staging. Biochemical mechanisms underlying malignant transformation in colorectal cancer are not all fully understood, therefore our work trying to enter in the path of oxygen metabolism at patients surgically treated. The aim of the study is to follow the production of active metabolites of oxygen, in the dynamics of the surgical procedure, and how the endogenous natural protection systems are activated, following the invasive procedure. Oxidative stress biochemistry assays, realized before and after surgical excision showed a direct relationship between the production of reactive oxygen species and the presence of tumor, without being able to distinguish exactly if malignant tissue is able to induce oxidative stress, or the latter occurs due to neoplastic changes. Based on the results we can say with certainty that the reactive oxygen species ROS primary attack occurs in the lipids, and then the proteins, following activation of endogenous antioxidant defence.
