Treatment and Prognosis of Male Breast Cancer: A Multicentric, Retrospective Study Over 11 Years in the Czech Republic.

PURPOSE: Male breast cancer (MBC) is a rare, but increasingly common disease, and lacks prospective studies. Collaborative efforts are needed to understand and address MBC, including its prognosis, in different countries. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical, histopathological, and molecular-genetic characteristics, treatments, and survival outcomes of MBC diagnosed between 2007 and 2017 in the Czech Republic. Prognostic factors of overall survival (OS), recurrence-free interval (RFi), and breast cancer-specific mortality (BCSM) were analyzed and indirectly compared to international data. RESULTS: We analyzed 256 patients with MBC (median age 66 years), including 12% with de novo metastatic (M1). Of 201 non-metastatic (M0) patients, 6% were <40 years old, 29% had stage I, 55% were cN0, and 54% underwent genetic testing. Overall, 97% of tumors had estrogen receptor expression ≥10%, 61% had high Ki67 index, 40% were high-grade (G3), and 68% were luminal B-like (HER2-negative). Systemic therapies included endocrine therapy (90%) and chemotherapy (53%). Few (5%) patients discontinued adjuvant endocrine therapy for reasons other than disease relapse or death. Patients treated with aromatase inhibitors alone had significantly shorter RFi (P < .001). OS, RFi, and BCSM were associated with disease stage, T stage, N stage, progesterone receptor expression, grade, and Ki67 index. Median OS reached 122 and 42 months in M0 and de novo M1 patients, respectively. CONCLUSION: Due to the rarity of MBC, this study highlights important findings from real clinical practice. Although the number of patients with MBC with unfavorable features was higher in this Czech dataset than in international studies, the prognosis remains consistent with real-world evidence.

Molecular pathology of cholangiocellular carcinomas.

Cholangiocellular carcinoma is a relatively rare malignant tumor, originating from cholangiocytes, with poor prognosis and late diagnosis. It is a malignancy with a variable biological etiology, numerous genetic and epigenetic changes. Its incidence in the Czech Republic is about 1.4 per 100,000 people per year. For good prognosis and long-term survival, early diagnosis with surgical treatment is important. In these cases, a 5-year survival rate is about 20-40 %. In the early diagnosis imaging methods and histopathological verification play an essential role, whereas laboratory oncomarkers are not yet sufficiently accurate. The same applies for genetic markers. This leads to the search of new molecular targets and the high effort in the introduction of cytological and molecular-biological methods with high specificity and sensitivity into routine practice. Current early diagnosis is based on the use of efficient imaging methods. The use of genetic testing, and especially knowledge of the molecular basis of this disease, will be of a great benefit. The observation of the association between the genetic pathways, IDH1, RAS-MAPK etc., and genetic mutations of genes, such as TP53, KRAS, SMAD4, BRAF, IDH1/2, may be significant. From the molecular point of view, it is also interesting to monitor oncogenic potential in HBV/HCV infection.

Surgery for cholangiocarcinoma.

Cholangiocarcinoma represents the second most common primary liver malignancy. Despite it comprises only 3 % of all gastrointestinal malignancies, its incidence has been increasing recently. Cholangiocarcinomas are hepatobiliary cancers with features of cholangiocyte differentiation and from clinical point of view they are classified anatomically as intrahepatic or extrahepatic form. The only curative treatment with aim of long term and disease-free survival is surgery - liver resection or liver transplantation. Current progress in perioperative treatment and increased surgical skills has changed old treatment algorithms and widen number of patients suitable for curative treatment. On the other hand, surgical intervention is connected with not negligible morbidity and mortality. A rigorous knowledge of the disease extent and all prognostic factors is main condition for proper treatment decision.

The current role of radiotherapy and systemic therapy in the multidisciplinary treatment of cholangiocarcinoma.

Cholangiocarcinoma is a cancer with very poor prognosis. The only potentially curative approach is surgical resection of tumor. However, the rate of local and distant recurrence after radical surgery is still high. Benefit of adjuvant therapy is not clearly defined, nevertheless patients at high risk of recurrence are indicated to chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy. Locally advanced, unresectable disease can also be treated with chemotherapy alone, or with her combination with radiotherapy. Required radiation doses are relatively high, therefore it is necessary to use highly conformal radiation therapy. Treatment of metastatic disease is currently based on systemic therapy, combination of gemcitabine and cisplatin as standard of care. Benefit of targeted molecular therapy is not clear at present, but ongoing research in genetic profiling of tumor may help to improve current clinical practice. Patients with cholangiocarcinoma have to be discussed during multidisciplinary team meetings.

Second cancers in Hodgkin's lymphoma long-term survivals: A 60-year single institutional experience with real-life cohort of 871 patients.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Appropriate surveillance guidelines for patients after successful treatment of Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) are needed to reduce mortality of iatrogenic secondary cancers (SC). This large single institutional retrospective study analyses the risk of SC in HL patients treated outside of clinical trials over past decades. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Consecutive series of HL patients were analysed with median follow-up 12 years. Standardised incidence ratio (SIR) and absolute excess risk (AER) were calculated for site-specific risk of SC. RESULTS: In total of 871 patients (491 men; median age 34 years), chemotherapy alone, radiotherapy alone, and combined treatment underwent 36%, 40%, and 24% patients. 154 SC were found with significantly increased SIR = 2.9 and AER = 80.8 for all cancers except of nonmelanoma-skin cancer. SC-related death occurred in 71 patients (15% of those who died, 8% of whole cohort). The most common SC were lung (17.5% of all malignancies, SIR = 3.2), breast carcinoma (15.6%, SIR = 4.4), and haematological malignancy (non-Hodgkin's lymphoma SIR = 13.1; leukaemia SIR = 5.8). For SC within radiation field, the highest AER was in breast (AER = 46.9), colorectal (AER = 22.8), and lung cancer (AER = 17). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with HL are generally at great risk of developing SC, which is significantly increased especially by the use of radiotherapy. We suggested special follow-up schema for patients after initial HL treatment suitable for daily real-world clinical practice. The system depends on gender, form of HL treatment and especially the form of radiation therapy in terms of location of radiation fields.

Prognostic Significance of Inflammation-based Scores in Pancreatic Cancer Patients Treated With Palliative Chemotherapy: A Single Institution Experience.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Inflammation-based prognostic scores have shown prognostic significance and have been associated with clinical outcomes in various types of cancer. Inflammation is known to promote tumor progression leading to reduced survival. In pancreatic cancer, systemic inflammation is common and contributes to its dismal prognosis. Although the prognosis of pancreatic cancer is improving with the introduction of new drugs, the prognostic indicators are still poorly understood. The present study aimed to evaluate inflammation-based prognostic scores in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer receiving first-line chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 43 patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer undergoing first-line chemotherapy (gemcitabine+nab-paclitaxel and mFOLFIRINOX) in our institution were analyzed. Baseline clinicopathological and pre-treatment laboratory data were collected. Survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and survival differences were evaluated using the log-rank test. RESULTS: In the whole cohort, we identified lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio ≥3, systemic inflammatory response index <2.3, carcinoembryonic antigen <2.5, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio <5, Memorial Sloane Kettering score <2, and prognostic index <2 as prognostic markers associated with improved overall survival in patients receiving first-line chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: The current analysis showed an association between inflammatory-based prognostic markers and overall survival in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer treated in a real-world setting at a single institution.

Metastatic Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma at the Base of the Tongue and Duplicate Breast Cancer Diagnosed During Restaging.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Adenoid cystic carcinoma (AdCC) is a rare malignant tumor that primarily affects the salivary glands but can also occur in other organs. Low incidence and unpredictable clinical behavior make AdCC one of the most difficult head and neck tumors to treat. CASE REPORT: We present the case of a 54-year-old woman with AdCC localized at the base of the tongue, following radical surgical and oncological therapy. Due to advances in palliative oncological treatment, there is a more than five-year survival period before the progression of metastatic disease. Considering the rare occurrence of this disease, a literature search was also conducted, and therapy options are discussed. Ensuring a sufficient extent of the surgical procedure is still a challenge, and most specialists agree that subsequent postoperative radiotherapy reduces the risk of local recurrence. The effective dose of radiotherapy to the area of the primary tumor and lymph nodes is not clearly defined. CONCLUSION: The distinct biological behavior of AdCC results in varying sensitivity to chemotherapy or radiotherapy compared to treatments commonly used for head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. Treatment recommendations for these rarer tumors are based mainly on case reports and small clinical trials. The acquired therapeutic experience can contribute to prolonging the survival period of patients and improving their prognosis and quality of life.

High PD-L1 expression on immune cells along with increased density of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes predicts a favorable survival outcome for patients with loco-regionally advanced head and neck cancer: early results from a prospective study.

Introduction: In the era of personalized medicine and treatment optimization, use of immune biomarkers holds promise for estimating the prognosis of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) undergoing definitive treatment. Methods: To evaluate the prognostic potential of immune biomarkers, we conducted a prospective monocentric cohort study with loco-regionally advanced HNSCC patients indicated for definitive radiotherapy/radiochemotherapy at the Department of Oncology, Ostrava University Hospital, Czech Republic, between June 2020 and August 2023. We focused on the expression of programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) relative to overall survival (OS) and specific survival rates. Associations between biomarkers and survival rates were assessed by crude and adjusted hazard ratios (cHR, aHR, respectively) obtained from Cox proportional hazards regression. Results: Among a total of 55 patients within a median follow-up of 19.7 months, there were 21 (38.2%) all-cause deaths and 15 (27.3%) cancer-related deaths. An overall survival (OS) rate of 61.8% and a disease-specific survival (DSS) rate of 72.7% were recorded. A significant association between survival rates and a ≥10% difference in PD-L1 expression on immune versus tumor cells (high PD-L1IC expression) was documented regardless of the type of analysis (univariate or multivariate). In addition, a stronger association was confirmed for OS and the composite biomarker high PD-L1IC expression along with either median-higher CD8+ TIL count or increased TIL density ≥30%, as indicated by an aHR of 0.08 (95% CI, 0.01 to 0.52) and 0.07 (95% CI, 0.01 to 0.46), respectively. Similar results were demonstrated for other specific survival rates. Discussion: The early outcomes of the present study suggest the utility of a strong prognostic factor involving a composite biomarker high PD-L1IC expression along with increased TIL density in HNSCC patients undergoing definitive radiotherapy and radiochemotherapy. Trial registration: The study is registered with Clinicaltrials.gov. - NCT05941676.

Programmed Cell Death Ligand 1 Expression on Immune Cells and Survival in Patients With Nonmetastatic Head and Neck Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Importance: The failure or success of radical treatment in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is associated with many known and unknown factors; hence, there is a search for further prognostic markers to help optimize therapeutic strategy and improve treatment outcomes. Objective: To assess the association of programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression on immune or tumor cells, including its composite expression on both cell types, with overall survival (OS) or specific survival. Data Sources: MEDLINE, Embase, PQSciTech, and HCAPlus databases were systematically searched for cohort studies focused on the prognostic role of PD-L1 expression in patients with HNSCC in curative stages of the disease. Search results generated publications from January 1, 2010, to January 6, 2023. Study Selection: Of 3825 publications identified, a total of 17 cohort studies in the English language met inclusion criteria of this systematic review and meta-analysis. Eligible studies reported adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) with 95% CIs for the association of PD-L1 expression levels with OS and arbitrary specific survival. Data Extraction and Synthesis: Data from studies were extracted independently by 2 researchers strictly adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses reporting guidelines and recommendations. The risk of bias was assessed using the Quality in Prognosis Studies tool and Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Pooled effect estimates were obtained using a random-effect or fixed-effect model based on homogeneity of studies. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was to investigate whether there was an association between PD-L1 expression on immune or tumor cells and OS. Results: In 17 cohort studies of the association of PD-L1 expression with survival in 3190 patients with HNSCC, high PD-L1 expression on immune cells was associated with a favorable OS (pooled aHR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.25-0.59). There was no association between composite PD-L1 expression on immune and tumor cells and OS (pooled aHR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.55-1.14) or between PD-L1 expressed only on tumor cells and OS (pooled aHR, 1.22; 95% CI, 0.87-1.70). A high level of PD-L1 expression on immune cells was associated with favorable specific survival (pooled aHR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.38-0.72). There were no interactions between tumor location or type of primary treatment (ie, surgery vs radiotherapy or radiochemotherapy) and the association between PD-L1 expression and OS. Conclusions and Relevance: This study's findings suggest that PD-L1 expression on immune cells may serve as a new prognostic biomarker in patients with HNSCC. However, future studies may be warranted to verify this potential role given the limited number of studies on this topic conducted and published to date.

Radiotherapy in the treatment of epididymal adenocarcinoma - case report.

BACKGROUND: Primary epididymal carcinoma is an extremely rare disease with a bad prognosis. We describe the first report of radiotherapy for definitive treatment of such a tumour. CASE REPORT: A 35-year-old man with a tumour of the epididymis underwent orchiectomy and elective retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy. Adenocarcinoma of the epididymis and lymph node metastasis were confirmed. The patient refused the suggested adjuvant chemotherapy and returned to our centre with a local recurrence after 6 months. We indicated palliative radiotherapy to the scrotal and groin region. Complete remission was achieved and continues 3.5 years after treatment. Late effects included teleangiectasia, fibrosis and thickening of subcutaneous tissue, and depigmentation in the groin, but the patient enjoys very good quality of life including penile erection. CONCLUSION: We presented very good results of radiotherapy in the treatment of this rare malignant disease. We achieved complete remission with a good quality of life and with tolerable chronic toxicity.

Long term results of HDR brachytherapy in men older than 75 with localized carcinoma of the prostate.

BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer is an illness with a high incidence, especially among older men. The choice of a treatment option among men above 75 years is, however, not clear. Radical prostatectomy in this age group is connected with a relatively high morbidity. A further possibility of curative treatment is radiotherapy which can be administered in the form of external beam or in combination with high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy. AIM: The aim of our work was to evaluate how HDR brachytherapy is tolerated among men older than 75 and how associated diseases can influence the tolerance to this treatment. Of interest to us were the treatment results and mortality from other diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed a sample of 20 men above 75 years old (median 77 years) who were undergoing treatment by a combination of external radiotherapy and brachytherapy. Sixteen (80%) of them had prostate cancer with an intermediate and high risk of recurrence, four had low risk prostate cancer. Most patients, 14 (70%), had less than two comorbidities. RESULTS: The median observation period was 57 months. No perioperative complications were recorded. Acute genitourinary toxicity (GU) to a maximum grade of 1-2 manifested in 60% of cases. Acute gastrointestinal toxicity (GIT) was observed only at grade 1 and in 25% of cases. Late GU toxicity occurred in 35% of patients, with only one showing grade 3; late GIT toxicity was recorded at grade 1 only in 3 patients (15%). 70% of the men lived longer than 3 years after treatment, at present, 50% lived more than 5 years. Long-term biochemical remission was achieved in 18 patients (90%). CONCLUSIONS: HDR BRT is possible and well-tolerated in older men above 75 years in good condition and without serious intercurrence. Well-selected older patients with higher-risk tumours and without serious comorbidities undoubtedly benefit from radical treatment when compared with watchful waiting.

Intensity-modulated radiotherapy in the treatment of subhepatic carcinomas.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim of our study was to evaluate preliminary results of intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) in patients with inoperable subhepatic tumors. METHODOLOGY: Thirteen patients with inoperable cholangiocarcinoma or gall bladder carcinoma were treated by biliary drainage and intensity modulated radiotherapy. In patients with tumors limited to the biliary duct only tumor stenosis was irradiated to the dose of 50-60 Gy. In patients with bulky extraductal tumors the dose was 50 Gy/25 fractions to the whole tumor and an integrated boost was used to raise the dose to the malignant stenosis to 60 Gy/25 fractions. RESULTS: Doses to organs at risk (duodenum, small intestine, liver) were in tolerable limits. In four patients transient fever occurred; one patient had duodenal bleeding that resolved after conservative treatment. Recurrent dilatation of the biliary tract was observed in 4 patients and was managed by exchange of the internal biliary drainage. Median survival was 10.4 months, 5 patients survived for more than one year following diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: IMRT of inoperable extrahepatic biliary tract tumors allows application of high doses of radiation to the tumor with effective sparing of healthy tissues. The control of jaundice is good. In selected cases IMRT may prolong overall survival.

Circulating Tumor Cells, Circulating Tumor DNA and Other Blood-based Prognostic Scores in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma - Mini-Review.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma represents a disease with increasing incidence. Its prognosis is the worst among all malignancies despite the aggressive combined multimodal treatment across all stages. In metastatic disease, median survival is approximatelly one year. The mainstay of treatment is chemotherapy (neo/adjuvant, palliative) and in selected subgroups of patients even radiotherapy. Nevertheless, nowadays there are very few prognostic and/or predictive biomarkers available that can be used to identify and better stratify patients based on risk to tailored treatment. Potentially, promising areas of research are circulating tumor cells and circulating tumor DNA, which can be easily obtained from peripheral blood - so called liquid biopsy. They may serve as a tool to assess response to applied treatment, and to detect the emergence of treatment-resistant clones or early disease relapse. Moreover, their study may allow identification of potentially tumor-specific alterations, which may serve as target structures for targeted (tailored) therapy. Alternatively, different prognostic indexes/scores calculated by analysis of selected parameters of blood and/or biochemistry can be used to better stratify patients based on risk and better predict prognosis. The aim of this mini-review is to provide a basic overview of the current state of the art in this area and its potential significance for clinical practice.

Dose escalation in advanced floor of the mouth cancer: a pilot study using a combination of IMRT and stereotactic boost.

PURPOSE: We evaluated the efficiency and toxicity of stereotactic hypofractionated boost in combination with conventionally fractionated radiotherapy in the treatment of advanced floor of the mouth cancer. METHODS: Thirty-seven patients with advanced stage of the floor of the mouth cancer, histologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma (p16 negative) ineligible for surgical treatment, were indicated for radiochemotherapy or hyperfractionated accelerated radiotherapy (HART). The radiotherapy protocol combined external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and a stereotactic hypofractionated boost to the primary tumor. The dose delivered from EBRT was 70-72.5 Gy in 35/50 fractions. The hypofractionated boost followed with 10 Gy in two fractions. For the variables-tumor volume, stage and grade a multivariate analysis was performed to find the relationship between overall survival, local progression and metastasis. Toxicity was evaluated according to CTCAE scale version 4. RESULTS: After a median follow-up of 16 months, 23 patients (62%) achieved complete remission. The median time to local progression and metastasis was 7 months. Local control (LC) at 2 and 5-years was 70% and 62%, respectively. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 57% and 49% at 2 years and 41% and 27% at 5 years, respectively. Statistical analysis revealed that larger tumors had worse overall survival and a greater chance of metastasis. Log-Rank GTV > 44 ccm (HR = 1.96; [95% CI (0.87; 4.38)]; p = 0.11). No boost-related severe acute toxicity was observed. Late osteonecrosis was observed in 3 patients (8%). CONCLUSION: The combination of EBRT and stereotactic hypofractionated boost is safe and seems to be an effective option for dose escalation in patients with advanced floor of the mouth tumors who are ineligible for surgical treatment and require a non-invasive approach.

Perioperative hyperfractionated high-dose rate brachytherapy for the treatment of soft tissue sarcomas: multicentric experience.

BACKGROUND: Low-dose rate brachytherapy is a well-established adjuvant treatment for soft tissue sarcomas (STS). The experience with high-dose rate brachytherapy (HDR BT) in this indication is limited. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the viability of perioperative hyperfractionated HDR BT for STS. METHODS: Forty-five patients with primary (17 cases) or recurrent (28 cases) STS were treated with resection and HDR BT between 1998 and 2007. Eleven patients were treated with HDR BT alone (mean dose 40 Gy; 30-54 Gy) and 34 were treated with a combination of HDR BT (mean dose 24 Gy; 15-30 Gy) and external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) (40-50 Gy). Hyperfractionation, 3 Gy twice daily, was used for HDR BT with plastic tubes. Adjuvant chemotherapy was indicated for patients with high risk of dissemination. RESULTS: Local control (LC) was achieved in 17 patients (100%) treated for primary tumor and in 18 of 28 patients (64%) treated for recurrence; this difference was statistically significant (p = 0.004). Distant metastases occurred in seven patients (15.6%). The 5-year overall survival was 70%; the 5-year local control was 74%. LC was significantly better for extremities sarcomas in comparison with trunk tumors, for patients treated with EBRT and BT in comparison with BT alone, and for doses >65 Gy. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that perioperative HDR BT is a promising method for achieving high biological doses with good LC in the postoperative radiotherapy of STS and that combination of BT and EBRT provides better tumor control than BT alone.

Three-dimensional conformal external beam radiotherapy versus the combination of external radiotherapy with high-dose rate brachytherapy in localized carcinoma of the prostate: comparison of acute toxicity.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: Radiotherapy represents one of the basic therapeutic methods in treatment of localized carcinoma of the prostate. Optimal irradiation dose is the cornerstone of a successful treatment. Along with local control of the disease and overall survival of the patient, possible acute and long-term side effects need to be monitored very closely. METHODS: A non-randomized prospective study comparing the acute genitourinary and gastrointestinal toxicity in patients irradiated for localized carcinoma of the prostate. Fifty-seven patients were treated with three-dimensional conformal external beam radiotherapy alone, and in the second treatment arm a combination of external beam radiotherapy and high-dose rate brachytherapy was employed in 40 patients. RESULTS: Three-dimensional conformal external beam radiotherapy. Acute G1 genitourinary toxicity was recorded in 35.1% of patients, G2 in 22.8%, and G2-3 in one patient (1.7%). Acute gastrointestinal toxicity was experienced by 54.4% of patients, G1 in 28.1%, G2 in 17.5%, and G3 in 8.8%. Three-dimensional conformal external beam radiotherapy + brachytherapy. Acute G1 genitourinary toxicity was recorded in 37.5% and grade 2 in 15% of the patients. Only G1 acute gastrointestinal toxicity was recorded in 40% of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: Acute G1 genitourinary toxicity was experienced by a similar percentage of patients in both treatment arms. Acute G2 genitourinary toxicity was more frequent in the three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy arm. Higher acute genitourinary toxicity, G3 or G4, was recorded only in one patient per treatment arm. Acute gastrointestinal toxicity was more frequent in the three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy arm. Higher acute gastrointestinal toxicity, G2 and G3, was only observed in the three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy arm. The acute toxicity observed was of a low grade. The combination of external beam radiotherapy with brachytherapy resulted in a lower incidence of gastrointestinal toxicity than external beam radiotherapy alone.

Pancreatic paraganglioma - a rare and dangerous entity. Vascular anatomy and impact on management.

Pancreatic paragangliomas are extremely rare with less than 20 cases ever described in the world literature. There is no detailed report of the vascular anatomy in this entity and its possible impact on patient management. We present a case of large pancreatic head paraganlioma in a 53-year-old woman. The tumour had a predominant arterial blood supply via both the hepatic artery and the superior mesenteric artery. Complex inflow was complemented by supplementary branches from the right renal artery. The arteriovenous communications within the lesion represented the most dangerous aspect of excision and the tumour removal was accompanied with a considerable blood loss. After pancreaticoduodenectomy, patient experienced transient elevation of liver function tests with no other identifiable cause than a change in portal haemodynamics. It is advisable that the precise knowledge of vascular anatomy in pancreatic head paraganglioma should be obtained prior to any intervention.

Giant adrenocortical carcinoma with 27-month disease-free survival by surgical resection alone: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Adrenocortical cancer (ACC) is a rare disease with an estimated incidence of 1-2/million/year. The tumour stage and completeness of surgical resection have the biggest impact on survival. Whereas stage I-II patients survive in 55-64% of cases, only 0-5% of patients with stage IV disease are still alive at 5 years. A median survival of 33 months can be expected after curative surgery. Incomplete surgery leads to a significant drop in survival. METHOD: We present a 40-year-old man who underwent a technically demanding complete surgical excision of a giant (26 cm, 2372 g) ACC and experienced a 27-month disease-free survival without any systemic treatment. Detailed description of the surgical anatomy in relation to tumour size and patient body constitution is provided. The surgical strategy and exposure pitfalls under such extreme circumstances are discussed. CONCLUSION: To achieve R0 resection in locally advanced disease, en bloc resection with neighbouring organs is widely recommended. Giant tumours may however pose a technical challenge due to space constraints.

Laparoscopic abdominoperineal resection with intraoperative radiotherapy for locally advanced low rectal cancer.

AIMS: Intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) for locally advanced rectal cancer as an integral part of multimodal treatment, may lead to reduced local recurrence but it is not routinely used. The aim of this paper is to describe our experience with IORT in the treatment of patients with locally advanced adenocarcinoma of the lower third of the rectum. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Laparoscopic abdominoperineal amputation of the rectum with intraoperative radiotherapy was performed on 17 patients, 13 men and 4 women, median age 64 years (49-75 years) between 2010-2011. All patients underwent complete therapy according to the treatment protocol. RESULTS: In one patient, the laparoscopic procedure had to be converted to an open resection. The duration of the surgical procedure with IORT was 185 to 345 min (median 285 min). In 14 cases, the intraoperative dose was 10 Gy and in two patients a dose of 12 Gy was used. There were no severe intraoperative complications. Blood loss ranged from 30 to 500 mL (median 100 mL). There were postoperative complications in 4 patients (23.5%); 2 necessitated surgical reintervention (11.8%). The duration of postoperative hospitalization was 6 to 35 days (median 7 days). In the follow-up of 2 to 16 months (median 12 months), no local recurrence or disease generalization have been found to date. CONCLUSIONS: The results show the technical feasibility of laparoscopically assisted abdominoperineal amputation of the rectum in combination with IORT in the treatment of locally advanced rectal carcinoma with an acceptable risk of postperative complications.

Evaluation of laparoscopic resection of colorectal carcinoma from the viewpoint of molecular biology.

AIM: Detection of the possible impact of surgical management on the occurrence of minimal residual disease (MRD) in patients with colorectal carcinoma (CRC) in bone marrow samples, portal and peripheral blood samples. Comparison of MRD prevalence in patients with laparoscopic resection of CRC and those with open colorectal resection. Assessment of the potential impact of MRD on the relapse of the disease and overall survival of patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 124 patients with primary CRC without proven distant metastases indicated for elective laparoscopic resection and operated on between September 21, 2006 and December 31, 2008 at the Department of Surgery, Hospital and J.G. Mendel Oncological Centre Novy Jicin. 6 samples were collected from each patient to determine MRD (system venous blood and bone marrow at the beginning of surgery, venous blood from mesenteric bloodstream, system venous blood after the resection, system venous blood and bone marrow 1 month after the surgery). Detection of MRD on the basis of CEA expression was performed by real-time RT-PCR technique. The results were compared with those obtained within the similar research using the same methodology at the 2(nd) Department of Surgery, University Hospital in Olomouc (the group included 230 patients treated with open resection of CRC). RESULTS: In the group of patients treated with laparoscopic resection, a correlation between positive MRD in the sample of bone marrow collected before the surgery and the stage of the disease was found (p < 0.035). We also recorded the impact of surgical management on MRD occurrence in system venous blood in primary negative patients (p < 0.025). However, in the course of the short period of time we have not found a statistically significant correlation between the finding in patients with stage I-III, and the period prior to the relapse of the disease (p < 0.59). With regard to the results obtained, we can expect a potential direct correlation between a positive MRD finding in system venous blood taken prior to surgery in patients with stage I-III CRC and shorter time of survival (p < 0.075). In the group of patients treated with open resection of CRC, no statistically significant relationship between the stage of the disease and MRD occurrence was found. Incidence of circulating tumour cells (CTC) in the samples of venous blood taken prior to surgery is a prognostically important factor (p < 0.05) from the viewpoint of disease-free survival (DFS). Another prognostically important factor with regard to DFS seems to be the occurrence of disseminated tumour cells (DTC) in the bone marrow taken 1 month after the surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The data recorded suggest a relationship between MRD finding and the disease prognosis. Collection of samples as well as evaluation of results continue as we strive to include more patients in our study and to obtain more data within 5-10 years of the follow-up. The comparison between the data obtained in the laparoscopic approach and the data obtained in open resection performed from the viewpoint of molecular biology did not show a significant difference in MRD detection in the samples collected after the surgery.