Malignancies in adult kidney transplant candidates and recipients: current status.

Posttransplant malignancies, particularly recurrent and de novo, in solid organs including kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) are a significant complication associated with substantial mortality, largely attributed to the long-term immunosuppression necessary to maintain allograft tolerance. Older age at transplantation and oncogenic virus infection along with pretransplant malignancies are among the main factors contributing to the risk of cancer in this population. As the mean age of transplant candidates rises, the rate of transplant recipients with pretransplant malignancies also increases. The eligibility criteria for transplantation in patients with prior cancer have recently changed. The overall risk of posttransplant malignancies is at least double after transplantation, including KTRs, relative to the general population, and is most pronounced for skin cancers associated with UV radiation and virally mediated tumors. The risk of renal cell carcinoma is specifically increased in the kidney transplant population. The therapy for cancer in transplant patients is associated with risk of higher toxicity, and graft rejection and/or impairment, which poses a unique challenge in its management. Reduction of immunosuppression and the use of mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors are common after cancer diagnosis, although optimal immunosuppression for transplant recipients with cancer remains undefined. Suboptimal cancer treatment contributing to a worse prognosis has been reported for malignancies in this population. In this article, we focus on the prevalence and outcomes of posttransplant malignancies, cancer therapy including a short overview of immunotherapy, cancer screening and prevention strategies, and immunosuppression as a cancer risk factor. The 2020/2021 recommendations of the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes and the American Society of Transplantation for transplant candidates with a history of cancer are presented.

Aromatase inhibitor therapy for endometrial stromal sarcoma - two-centre experience.

OBJECTIVES: Endocrine therapy is the recommended systemic treatment for steroid receptor positive endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS). There is no current consensus on the optimal hormonal therapy for ESS. The literature offers several reports on advanced/recurrent/metastatic ESS patients treated with progestins, whereas data on the efficacy of aromatase inhibitors are scarce. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively identified cases treated for ESS with aromatase inhibitors at our institutions. There were five patients with advanced or unresectable recurrent estrogen, progesterone and androgen receptor-positive ESS, treated with aromatase inhibitors: letrozole or anastrozole (at a daily dose of 2.5 mg and 1 mg, respectively), as first-line endocrine therapy in all but one case treated following progression with megestrol acetate. RESULTS: Disease stabilization was achieved in four cases (80%), including two with long-term progression-free survival for up to 10 years attained under letrozole treatment, and one case after prior progestin treatment. During therapy, no substantial toxicity was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Aromatase inhibitors as first- or second-line endocrine treatment achieve disease control in most steroid receptor positive ESS. Our series of cases is evidence of aromatase inhibitors efficacy as long-term endocrine treatment option for ESS patients.

Systemic therapy for cervical carcinoma - current status.

Two major treatment modalities in cervical cancer are radiation therapy (RT) and surgery. Chemotherapy continues to be the main form of systemic therapy adjunctive to definitive local therapies, and is used for palliation. Platinum-based regimens, administered concurrently with both definitive and postoperative RT, were demonstrated to provide significant survival benefits, whereas the beneficial effect of concurrent chemoradiotherapy in later-stage disease was smaller. The role of chemotherapy in addition to RT in IB1/IIA1 cervical cancer patients not undergoing surgery remains undefined. Likewise, the role of chemotherapy in combination with postoperative RT for patients with intermediate-risk factors for recurrence has not yet been verified. The recent standard for chemoradiotherapy is cisplatin alone administered weekly. Other cisplatin-based or non-cisplatin-based regimens have not been subjected to large clinical studies. The benefits of consolidation chemotherapy after chemoradiation for locally advanced cervical cancer are still undetermined. Neoadjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy followed by surgery has shown survival benefits, however its role in the era of chemoradiotherapy remains unclear. The combination of cisplatin and paclitaxel is considered a standard regimen in the palliative setting. There is no standard of care for second-line systemic therapy in advanced cervical cancer. Bevacizumab combined with palliative chemotherapy (cisplatin/paclitaxel or topotecan/paclitaxel) in the first-line treatment for recurrent/metastatic cervical cancer significantly improves overall survival when compared to chemotherapy alone. The role of immunotherapy in cervical cancer remains to be established. The optimal combined modality treatment including systemic therapy for cervical tumors of non-squamous histology remains a matter of debate. Ongoing accumulation of data on genomic and proteomic characteristics provides insight into the molecular heterogeneity of cervical cancer and paves the way for developing molecularly targeted therapies.

Systemic therapy for endometrial stromal sarcomas: current treatment options.

Uterine endometrial stromal sarcomas including true low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma (LG-ESS) and high-grade (HG-ESS) or undifferentiated endometrial sarcoma (UES) constitute a group of rare, aggressive malignancies. Most LG-ESSs express steroid receptors. Surgery is the principal primary therapy for endometrial stromal sarcomas and should be considered in all cases. These malignancies are relatively radio- and chemoresistant. Chemotherapy is used in recurrent and advanced HG-ESS and UES. Currently, the combination of gemcitabine and docetaxel is considered the most effective regimen, but at the expense of substantial toxicity. In steroid receptor positive advanced LG-ESS hormonal therapy, mainly with progestins, allows in some patients for a long-term survival. Aromatase inhibitors seem to be equally effective as first- and subsequent-line of treatment, and are well tolerated. The role of molecular-targeted therapies in endometrial stromal sarcomas remains to be established.

Castleman's disease mimicking lymph node metastases in a young woman with laryngeal cancer.

Laryngeal cancer occurs rarely in adolescents and young people. Castleman's disease is a rare lymphoproliferative disorder of uncertain etiopathogenesis and heterogeneous clinicopathological forms. Involved lymph nodes and extranodal lesions in the course of Castleman's disease may mimic malignant involvement. We report a case of an 18-year-old woman with T2N0M0 laryngeal glottis cancer treated with definitive radiotherapy. During the irradiation, the patient underwent an excision of incidentally discovered left-sided enlarged cervical lymph nodes located outside the irradiated area. Coincidental hyaline vascular type of Castleman's disease was diagnosed. During six-year follow-up she has been free of cancer relapse and Castleman's disease symptoms.

[Chemosensitivity testing in ovarian cancer--prospects for the future]. / Metody okreslajace chemiowrazliwosc komórek raka jajnika in vitro--perspektywy na przyszlosc.

Individualization of treatment on the basis of in vitro chemosensitivity testing constitutes one of the aims of contemporary oncology Although previous studies report advantages resulting from chemosensitivity laboratory tests, the issue remains an area of interest. The aim of this study was to discuss chemosensitivity assay methods of ovarian cancer cells. ATP-TCA (ATP-based tumor chemosensitivity assay) is the most investigated chemosensitivity test in ovarian cancer with well-documented efficacy Potentially it is possible to use the xCELLigence system to evaluate chemosensitivity of ovarian cancer cells by measuring their colony volume but application of this method remains in the experimental phase. Optimization of ovarian cancer treatment would improve chemotherapy results, thus increasing the overall survival, improving the quality of patient life, decreasing chemotherapy-related toxicity and resulting in economic benefits owing to better drug use.

The role of hormonal factors and endocrine therapy in ovarian cancer.

The efficacy of the second-line chemotherapy commonly used in both relapsed ovarian cancer patients and those with primary treatment failure remains unsatisfactory. This therapy has a small effect on survival, whereas associated toxicity may diminish the patient's quality of life. Hormonal factors play a role in ovarian tumorigenesis, and inhibition of the stimulating effects of estrogens may exert a clinical benefit. The role of hormonal therapy as a palliative therapeutic alternative for ovarian cancer remains undetermined. This modality may result in long-term stabilization of disease in individual patients and less frequently in tumor remission. In this article the role of hormonal factors and recent literature of various forms of hormonal therapy for ovarian cancer are presented.

[Uterine carcinosarcoma]. / Miesakorak trzonu macicy.

Uterine carcinosarcoma is a rare, metaplastic subtype of endometrial cancer comprised of two distinct malignant components - epithelial and mesenchymal, with phenotypic features. This tumor shows very aggressive behavior including both local recurrence and distant metastases. Surgery consisting of total hysterectomy bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and dissection of pelvic and para-aortic lymph node, with detailed examination of the entire abdominopelvic cavity and maximal cytoreduction of the lesions, is the principal treatment. The optimal postoperative therapy has not been determined, and is individualized. In a randomized trial a postoperative radiotherapy was shown to improve local control but no survival benefit. High rate of distant metastases suggests a potential role of the systemic therapy However the benefit of postoperative chemotherapy in high-risk patients has not been confirmed in randomized studies. This method, in addition to palliative radiotherapy and surgery is used in recurrent and advanced disease. Currently chemotherapy including the combination of paclitaxel with ifosfamide or carboplatin is considered the most effective regimen, with the latter having a better toxicity profile.

Paclitaxel and cisplatin chemotherapy for ovarian cancer during pregnancy: case report and review of the literature.

The safety of chemotherapy during pregnancy is debatable. We present a case of advanced ovarian cancer, diagnosed at week 28 of gestational age, treated with 2 cycles of paclitaxel/cisplatin (TC) chemotherapy during pregnancy, with no serious toxicity. At week 34, the patient underwent a caesarean section and delivered a healthy girl. Four additional cycles of TC were administered. Three months after completing chemotherapy, the patient developed abdominal progression and subsequently a huge metastatic cystic mass in the brain. Despite subsequent therapies, the patient died of progressive disease 35 months after the diagnosis. The infant had normal growth and development by 73 months of her age. This is another reported case of ovarian cancer diagnosed during the second trimester of the pregnancy treated with TC chemotherapy without apparent teratogenic effect.

Adjuvant vaginal cuff brachytherapy in surgically treated endometrial carcinoma patients - in view of the recent evidence.

Vaginal cuff brachytherapy is an essential component of adjuvant post-operative therapy in endometrial carcinoma. Brachytherapy boost, as a part of adjuvant pelvic radiotherapy, including concomitant chemoradiotherapy combined with four cycles carboplatin/paclitaxel chemotherapy, is used in early-stage high-risk and advanced stage disease. This strategy is widely accepted and recommended by international guidelines, despite the fact that combined therapy has never been verified in randomized trials. Brachytherapy alone is the adjuvant treatment of choice for many patients with early-stage endometrial cancer, with high-intermediate features, replacing external beam pelvic radiotherapy. It provides equivalent vaginal control with a lower risk of toxicity, and minimal impact on health-related quality of life. Available evidence did not demonstrate the superiority of sole vaginal brachytherapy combined with three cycles of carboplatin/paclitaxel chemotherapy, over the standard pelvic irradiation for patients with early-stage, high-intermediate-, and high-risk endometrial cancer. This article summarized the available evidence on the role of post-operative vaginal cuff brachytherapy in endometrial cancer patients. Additionally, the risk groups definition, some aspects of brachytherapy technique, and the importance of pathological and molecular risk factors for endometrial cancer risk stratification were presented. Furthermore, the role of brachytherapy according to the European Society of Gynecological Oncology/European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology/European Society of Pathology 2021 guidelines for the management of patients with endometrial carcinoma was presented.

Radiation dose to the left anterior descending coronary artery during interstitial pulsed-dose-rate brachytherapy used as a boost in breast cancer patients undergoing organ-sparing treatment.

PURPOSE: To assess dose received by the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery during interstitial pulsed-dose-rate brachytherapy (PDR-BT) boost for left-sided breast cancer patients undergoing organ-sparing treatment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty consecutive pT1-3N0-1M0 breast cancer patients boosted between 2014 and 2015 with 10 Gy/10 pulses/hour PDR-BT following a computed tomography (CT) simulation with the multi-catheter implant were included. The most common localization of primary tumor were upper quadrants. Patients were implanted with rigid tubes following breast conserving surgery and whole breast external beam irradiation (40 Gy/15 or 50 Gy/25 fractions). Computed tomography scans were retrospectively reviewed and LADs were contoured without and with margin of 5 mm (LAD5mm). Standard treatment plan encompassed tumor bed determined by the surgical clips with margin of 2 cm. Dosimetric parameters were extracted from the dose-volume histograms. RESULTS: The mean D90 and V100 were 10.3 Gy (range: 6.6-13.3), and 42.0 cc (range: 15.3-109.3), respectively. The median dose non-uniformity ratio (DNR) was 0.50 (range: 0.27-0.82). The mean doses to LAD and LAD5mm were 1.0 Gy and 0.96 Gy, and maximal doses were 1.57 Gy and 1.99 Gy, respectively. Dose to the 0.1 cc of the LAD and LAD5mm were 1.42 Gy and 1.85 Gy (range: 0.01-4.98 Gy and 0.1-6.89 Gy), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Interstitial multi-catheter PDR-BT used as a boost for left-sided breast cancer is generally associated with low dose to the LAD. However, higher dose in individual cases may require alternative approaches.

EPR/alanine dosimetry in LDR brachytherapy--a feasibility study.

In this study, we present the results of in vivo dosimetry, using electron paramagnetic resonance in l-alanine, performed on 13 patients treated for gynaecological cancers. The doses from (137)Cs (12 samples) and (192)Ir (one sample) brachytherapy sources were determined inside vagina. The detectors had a form of small cellulose capsules tightly filled with crystalline alanine. The positions of the detectors were reconstructed from two orthogonal radiographs. The planned doses were calculated with a computer planning system (PLATO, Nucletron). The relative deviations between planned and measured doses ranged from -23 to +14%. The mean deviation from the prescribed dose was relatively low (-5%) with SD of 10%. The main sources of differences between the measured and calculated doses were attributed to uncertainty in the determination of the detector position inside the patient's body and to uncontrolled changes in the detector position during the treatment.

Endocrine disrupting chemicals as potential risk factor for estrogen-dependent cancers.

Civilization, industrialization, and urbanization create an environment where humans are continuously exposed to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Some of breast cancers and endometrial cancer, which are the most common female malignant neoplasms, are estrogen-dependent tumors. Prolonged exposure to estrogens or substances with estrogenic properties may be a risk factor for their development. This paper aimed to discuss the potential adverse effect of EDCs on human health, including the role of EDCs in hormone-dependent carcinogenesis. A review of literature regarding the sources of environmental exposure to EDCs and molecular mechanisms of their action was performed. We analyzed the possible mechanisms of how these substances alter the function of the endocrine system, resulting in adverse health effects. Hundreds of substances with endocrine disrupting potential have been identified in our environment. There is accumulating evidence linking exposure to EDCs with the development of mammary and endometrial cancer. By interacting with steroid receptors, EDCs can impact the cellular processes potentially leading to carcinogenesis. There are also data showing the effect of EDCs on immune dysfunction. During lifespan, people are usually exposed to a mixture of various EDCs, which complicates the assessment of individual substances or compounds implicated in cancer development. As the prevalence of hormone-dependent tumors among women continues to increase, their successful prevention is of human benefit. Institutions representing medicine, science, industry, and governments should develop joint strategies to decrease exposure to EDC, and thus to reduce the risk of hormonedependent tumors in women.

Pulsed-dose-rate peri-operative brachytherapy as an interstitial boost in organ-sparing treatment of breast cancer.

PURPOSE: To evaluate peri-operative multicatheter interstitial pulsed-dose-rate brachytherapy (PDR-BT) with an intra-operative catheter placement to boost the tumor excision site in breast cancer patients treated conservatively. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between May 2002 and October 2008, 96 consecutive T1-3N0-2M0 breast cancer patients underwent breast-conserving therapy (BCT) including peri-operative PDR-BT boost, followed by whole breast external beam radiotherapy (WBRT). The BT dose of 15 Gy (1 Gy/pulse/h) was given on the following day after surgery. RESULTS: No increased bleeding or delayed wound healing related to the implants were observed. The only side effects included one case of temporary peri-operative breast infection and 3 cases of fat necrosis, both early and late. In 11 patients (11.4%), subsequent WBRT was omitted owing to the final pathology findings. These included eight patients who underwent mastectomy due to multiple adverse prognostic pathological features, one case of lobular carcinoma in situ, and two cases with no malignant tumor. With a median follow-up of 12 years (range: 7-14 years), among 85 patients who completed BCT, there was one ipsilateral breast tumor and one locoregional nodal recurrence. Six patients developed distant metastases and one was diagnosed with angiosarcoma within irradiated breast. The actuarial 5- and 10-year disease free survival was 90% (95% CI: 84-96%) and 87% (95% CI: 80-94%), respectively, for the patients with invasive breast cancer, and 91% (95% CI: 84-97%) and 89% (95% CI: 82-96%), respectively, for patients who completed BCT. Good cosmetic outcome by self-assessment was achieved in 58 out of 64 (91%) evaluable patients. CONCLUSIONS: Peri-operative PDR-BT boost with intra-operative tube placement followed by EBRT is feasible and devoid of considerable toxicity, and provides excellent long-term local control. However, this strategy necessitates careful patient selection and histological confirmation of primary diagnosis.

Chemotherapy in the primary treatment of cervical carcinoma.

Two major treatment modalities in cervical cancer include radiotherapy and surgery. In an attempt to improve the outcome, these modalities have been increasingly supplemented by chemotherapy. Chemotherapy can be combined with local therapies in various sequences. Of the two possible strategies using chemotherapy and radiotherapy (sequential or concomitant), the latter seems to be more effective. Platinum-based regimens applied concurrently with both definitive and post-operative radiation therapy were demonstrated to provide survival benefit in five of the six recently published randomised trials. The positive impact of chemotherapy added to radiotherapy has also been shown in a meta-analysis including 1894 patients in 19 randomised studies. This strategy, however, is accompanied by increased early toxicity. The benefit of chemotherapy applied prior to surgery remains debatable. The role of new cytotoxic and biological substances, as well as agents combating tumour hypoxia, warrants further clinical investigation.

Prediction of mesorectal nodal metastases after chemoradiation for rectal cancer: results of a randomised trial: implication for subsequent local excision.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: For patients with rectal cancer treated with full thickness local excision the risk of mesorectal nodal metastases has to be very low. The aim was to assess this risk after preoperative radiotherapy in relation to pathological T-category. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Three hundred sixteen patients with resectable cT3-4 low rectal carcinoma were randomised to receive either pre-operative 5 x 5 Gy irradiation with subsequent surgery performed within 7 days or chemoradiation (50.4, 1.8 Gy per fraction plus bolus 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin) followed by surgery after 4-6 weeks. The pathological reports of patients who fulfilled entry criteria and had preoperative irradiation followed by transabdominal surgery were analysed. RESULTS: Significant downstaging of primary tumour (P<0.001) and of nodal disease (P=0.007) was observed after chemoradiation in comparison with short-course irradiation. In chemoradiation group, for patients with complete pathological response and for ypT1 category, the rate of nodal metastases was low - 5% (95% confidence interval [CI] 0-14%) and 8% (95% CI 0-24%), respectively. The rate of ypN-positive disease in chemoradiation group was similar to that recorded in short-course irradiation group for ypT2 category 26% (95% CI 14-38%) vs. 28% (95% CI 16-40%), P=0.83 and for ypT3-4 category 55% (95% CI 41-69%) vs. 64% (95% CI 54-74%), respectively, P=0.37. For ypT2 category after chemoradiation, the rate of nodal disease remained high even in subgroup with low residual cancer cells density (20%, 95% CI 4-36%). CONCLUSIONS: For patients with tumours downstaged by chemoradiation to ypT0 and ypT1 full thickness local excision may be considered as an acceptable approach, because the risk of mesorectal lymph nodes metastases is low. The selection criteria for preoperative radio(chemo)therapy and local excision are discussed.

[The role of radiotherapy in the management of esophageal cancer]. / Rola radioterapii w leczeniu chorych na raka przelyku.

Surgery remains the standard radical therapy of esophageal cancer. Esophagectomy is accompanied by high proportion of morbidity and mortality, and on overall provides relatively poor results. Recently in esophageal cancer, radiation therapy has been more frequently combined with other modalities including chemotherapy and surgery. Survival benefit following preoperative chemoradiotherapy was demonstrated in only one randomized trial including patients with adenocarcinoma. Similarly, no survival benefit following postoperative chemoradiotherapy was demonstrated. Therefore, such two-modality strategies are not recommended as a standard management. Definitive radiotherapy is indicated in early-stage esophageal cancer patients not amenable to surgery because of comorbid conditions, in those who refused surgery, and in selected patients with locally advanced disease. Improved survival rates, yet at the expense of increased toxicity, were reported by the combining of radiotherapy with chemotherapy including 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin. Both brachytherapy and external beam radiotherapy are the main palliative approaches in patients with dysphagia.

[Adjuncts to surgery in cervical cancer]. / Leczenie uzupelniajace zabieg operacyjny u chorych na raka szyjki macicy.

Beside radiotherapy, radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymph node dissection is the cornerstone of early cervical cancer management. Surgery allows for more accurate evaluation of tumor extension as compared to non-invasive procedures preceding definite radiotherapy. Treatment failures after surgery include local-regional recurrences and distant metastases, and their proportion varies in particular series. In this study, we address the risk factors for recurrence in early-stage cervical cancer patients managed with primary surgery: lymph node positivity, deep stromal invasion, lymphovascular space involvement and positivity of surgical margins. Based on both retrospective and randomized studies, currently two adjuncts to surgery: radiotherapy and chemotherapy, used alone or in combination are employed. The indications for these approaches are reviewed. Additionally, the recommendations of American Brachytherapy Society for the use of postoperative brachytherapy are presented.

Concurrent weekly cisplatin and radiotherapy in routine management of cervical cancer: a report on patient compliance and acute toxicity.

PURPOSE: To evaluate patient compliance and acute toxicity accompanying concurrent weekly cisplatin and radiotherapy (RT) in the routine management of cervical cancer. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Locally advanced or high-risk early-stage cervical cancer patients treated with RT and concurrent weekly cisplatin at a dose of 40 mg/m(2) i.v. (maximum dose, 70 mg) for five cycles. Definitive RT included whole pelvis external beam RT to the International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements reference dose of 40 Gy plus a 10-Gy boost to the parametrium and two brachytherapy applications of 20 Gy to point A each. Postoperative RT consisted of pelvic external beam RT to the International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements reference dose of 50 Gy and one brachytherapy application of 30 Gy at a depth of 0.5 cm from the applicator surface. RESULTS: Included in this analysis were 112 consecutive cervical cancer patients treated at one institution with concurrent cisplatin and RT between May 1999 and September 2002. The median age was 48 years (range, 28-79 years). Definitive RT was administered to 57 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics "bulky" Stage IB or IIB-IVA patients, and 53 patients underwent postoperative RT; 2 patients underwent RT for stump carcinoma. All but 2 patients (both administered definitive RT) completed RT. A total of 454 cisplatin cycles were administered (median 4 cycles/patient, range 1-6). Overall, 74% of patients received at least four cycles of cisplatin. The planned five cisplatin cycles were administered to 50 patients (45%); 42% were irradiated definitively and 47% postoperatively. The full and timely planned cisplatin dose was administered to 29 patients (26%). For 29% of patients, the interval between cycles was prolonged because of toxicity (n = 11; 10%) or for reasons not related to toxicity (n = 10; 9%). Of the 112 patients, 62 (55%) did not undergo the planned five cycles of cisplatin because of treatment toxicity (n = 35; 31%) or noncompliance with the treatment schedule because of delayed administration of the first cycle or omission of a cycle for reasons other than toxicity (n = 23; 21%). The most common side effects resulting in chemotherapy discontinuation included GI complications (n = 7) and impaired renal function (n = 5). Of the 112 patients, 49 (44%) experienced Grade 1 or 2 leukopenia and 6 (5%) Grade 3 or 4 leukopenia. CONCLUSION: Our results show that pelvic RT combined with weekly cisplatin in cervical cancer patients is accompanied by considerable acute toxicity. Furthermore, a number of patients were unable to comply with the treatment schedule owing to reasons unrelated to treatment toxicity. Thus, administration of the full chemotherapy dose may be difficult, although the delivery of planned RT was generally not compromised. Additional follow-up is needed to assess the late toxicity of combined modality treatment.

[Brachytherapy--own, preliminary experiences in the treatment of head and neck neoplasms with the use of pulsed brachytherapy]. / Brachyterapia--wstepne doswiadczenia wlasne w leczeniu nowotworów glowy i szyi za pomoca brachyterapii pulsacyjnej.

The historical development of brachytherapy from the beginning of the 20th century until nowadays is presented. On the basis of the literature the authors presented indications, advantages and the technical aspects of brachytherapy. Early own experience with the use of pulsed brachytherapy was also reported.