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.

[Possibilities of interventional ultrasonography in the differential diagnosis of pancreatic malignancy]. / Mogucnosti interventne ultrasonografije u diferencijalnoj dijagnozi maligniteta pankreasa.

Pancreatic carcinoma is one of the most aggressive visceral malignancies with lethal ending in 99% of cases. Although diagnostic methods make a great progress, the world epidemiologists consider this disease to be increasing. The main reason for this is probably the problem of making early diagnosis. Various diagnostic techniques including ultrasonography often make no difference between benign and malignant changes. The aim of this paper is to consider values of pancreatic functions under the control of ultrasound in a group of patients. The examination included patients with evident pancreatic changes. By cytopathologic analysis of the gathered material clear diagnosis was made. In most cases malignancy was established. The aim of diagnostic examination is to make diagnosis as early as possible, using minimal number of tests which should be the least invasive and traumatic for patients. As a diagnostic method ultrasonography is fast and simple which provides better chances for patients with pancreatic carcinoma.

[Spectrophotometric determination of atropine-sulfate in eyedrops using bromthymol blue]. / Spektrofotometrijsko odredivanje atropin-sulfata u kapima za oci upotrebom bromtimolplavog.

Content of atropine in eye drops of atropine sulfate were determined colorimetrically and spectrophotometricaly using methods of ion pairs with bromtimolblue. The described method is more convenient for routine analysis then non aqueous titration described in various Pharmacopeas.

[Identification of oxymetholone metabolites in the urine using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry]. / Identifikacija metabolita oksimetolona u urinu metodom gasna hromatografija-spektrometrija masa.

Metabolite of 17-methyl-17-hydroxy-2-(hydroxymethylen)-androstan-3-one (oxymetholane) in urine after a single oral administration was monitored by gas chromatography+mass spectrometry. During the investigation prepared TMS-ethers and TMS-enol-ethers of conjugated steroid fraction two new metabolites of oxymetholone have been identified: tetrahydrooxymetholone and tetrahydro-6-hydroxy-oxymetholone.

[Importance of determination of individual hematocrit in the assessment of protoporphyrin IX in erythrocytes using a commercial hematofluorometer (Buchler ZF)]. / Znacaj odredivanja individualnog hematokrita pri odredivanju protoporfirina IX u eritrocitima komercijalnim hematofluorometrom (Buchler ZF).

The erythrocyte content of protoporphyrin IX was measured in a group of 191 battery plant workers. According to the results of biological monitoring the selected workers had increased occupational exposure to lead. Measurements were done with a commercial haematofluorometer Buchler ZF which was calibrated to the average haematocrit value of 0.42. The values measured were then corrected to individual haematocrit values. Haematocrit was determined in the standard manner and the individual values ranged from 0.38 to 0.51. Test results showed a major difference in protoporphyrin IX concentrations directly determined with a haematofluorometer and the ones calculated by correcting to the individual haematocrit.

[Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the atmosphere in the town of Zenica]. / Policiklicki aromatski ugljikovodici u atmosferi grada Zenice.

The content of some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in extracts of particulate matter collected in the city of Zenica in December 1987 was analysed. In addition to the presence of proven carcinogens like benzo(a)pyrene, benzo(a)anthracene, chryzene and dibenzo(a,h)anthracene, the contents of naphthalene, fluorene, fenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene and pyrene were also determined. Those substances were rightly assumed to be precursors of genotoxic products in reactions with atmospheric nitrogen oxides. The determined average concentration of benzo(a)pyrene was higher than those found in other places in Yugoslavia where similar studies were conducted. At the same time, the measured benzo(a)pyrene concentration exceeded the guidelines for inhabited places according to the standards of the Federal Republic Germany and the Netherlands. The observed high variations in naphthalene concentration of as much as two orders of magnitude in two days were likely due to unsolved technological problems.