Decade of lung cancer in Serbia: tobacco abuse and gender differences.

OBJECTIVE: Lung cancer (LC) is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers and the leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. The aim of this study was to get a comprehensive insight into the epidemiology of LC among patients in Vojvodina, the Northern Serbian region, during the ten-year period. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective study was performed using LC hospital registry data of the Institute for Pulmonary Diseases of Vojvodina (IPBV) from 2011 to 2020. All patients reported in the registry with a place of residence in Vojvodina were included in this study. The data used in this research were: date of diagnosis, gender, age at diagnosis, place of residence, smoking habits at diagnosis, the intensity of smoking (pack/years), ECOG performance (0-5), histological cancer type, TNM classification and disease stage. RESULTS: A total of 12,055 LC patients were included, 69.6% of whom were male. The percentage of female LC patients significantly increased, from 26.9% in 2011 to 35.9% in 2020 (p<0.001). Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was diagnosed in 80.8% of patients, while 15.4% of patients had small cell lung cancer (SCLC). The most common histological type was adenocarcinoma (41.9%), followed by squamous cell carcinoma (30.0%) and SCLC (15.4%). CONCLUSIONS: The number of diagnosed LC patients in the Northern Serbian region increased over the past decade and is significantly higher in females. There was a strong correlation between smoking habits and LC in both genders. Our results also indicate the importance of introducing and promoting LC screening programs for all risk populations, particularly current and ex-smokers of younger age.

Risk factors and clinical outcomes for intensive care unit patients with mul-tidrug-resistant Acinetobacter spp. bacteremia.

BACKGROUND: Multidrug-resistant (MDR) isolates of Acinetobacter spp. have been reported worldwide. This study aimed to analyze clinical features and outcomes of intensive care unit (ICU) patients with MDR Acinetobacter spp. bacteremia and to determine factors influencing survival by using 30-day mortality as the primary endpoint. METHODS: A case-control study included a total of 164 patients with MDR Acinetobacter spp. bacteremia hospitalized in ICUs in Vojvodina Province, Serbia, from January 2013 through March 2016. Medical records were reviewed, and patients' demographic and clinical characteristics were collected. Predictors of 30-day mortality were identified by logistic regression analysis.  Results: The overall 30-day mortality rate was 48.2 % (79 of 164 patients). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that independent predictors of 30-day mortality were two or more co-morbidities, diabetes mellitus, and inappropriate use of antimicrobials.  Conclusion: Early implementation of appropriate antimicrobial therapy, particularly in critically ill ICU patients with MDR Acinetobacter spp. bacteremia, with two or more co-morbidities and diabetes mellitus, can be crucial for survival. HIPPOKRATIA 2020, 24(1): 21-26.

Epidemiological characteristics of malignant ovarian tumors in Vojvodina.

PURPOSE: Ovarian cancer ranks 6th in relation to new cases of malignant diseases among females and 2nd concerning gynecological cancers. The purpose of this study was to determine the epidemiological situation of ovarian cancer in Vojvodina, Serbia. METHODS: In our study, we used a descriptive epidemiological method for the analysis of incidence and mortality of ovarian cancer in Vojvodina, based on the data of the Cancer Registry of Vojvodina. RESULTS: In the period 1987-2006, the average incidence rate of ovarian cancer was 15.28%/100,000 with an average annual increase of 1.15%; the average mortality rate for the same period was 9.24/100,000 with an average annual increase of 0.95%. The values of crude incidence rate (15.28/100,000) and standardized incidence rate (range 7.47 - 12.55/100,000) in Vojvodina correspond to the values in eastern and southern Europe. CONCLUSION: In the observed period of 20 years, the incidence and mortality rate indicate a tendency for increase, which can be characterized as an unfavorable epidemiological situation. New markers are being studied in order to find a solution for ovarian cancer screening.

Linear trend analysis of patients with cervical cancer treated at the Institute of Oncology Vojvodina in 2001-2007.

PURPOSE: Cervical cancer is the leading cause of death in women with gynecological cancers in Vojvodina. Serbia currently holds the leading place in Europe regarding the incidence of cervical carcinoma and comes second in terms of mortality. METHODS: Data were retrieved from the Register for malignant neoplasms of the Institute of Oncology Vojvodina for the period 2001-2007. The patients were divided in 3 groups according to the stage of disease based on the FIGO classification for cervical cancer. Data were analysed using linear trend and t-test. RESULTS: The linear trend of the number of registered cases in the group of stage I-IIA patients during 7 years showed no significant change in the prevalence of the disease. In the group of women diagnosed with stage IIB no statistical difference regarding either a rising or a decreasing trend was observed. The observed trend in an advanced disease stage (III and IV) showed a slight decrease in the number of patients, but without statistical significance. CONCLUSION: The linear trend of the number of patients with cervical carcinoma during a 7-year period points to the fact that the number of newly detected cases of advanced disease stages did not decrease significantly despite the affordable and simple methods of early detection. This result underlines the importance of implementation of a National screening programme in the general population for early detection of cervical neoplasms. The excellent results of National screening programmes in other European countries lend support to this approach.