[Trabectedin registry]. / Lékový registr--trabectedin.

BACKGROUNDS: The Yondelis (trabectedin) project was initiated in January 2011 with the aim to obtain basic epidemiological information on patients with soft tissue sarcomas, standard treatment procedures, and results of trabectedin therapy in routine clinical practice. Expert patronage is provided by the Czech Society for Oncology, CzMA JEP. The project covers a representative sample of Comprehensive Cancer Care centres established to provide systematic treatment to patients with soft tissue sarcoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 45 patients diagnosed with soft tissue sarcoma were retrospectively included in the database. Median age at the initiation of trabectedin therapy was 51 years (23-72 years). Leiomyosarcoma was the most frequent tumour (35.6%), synovial sarcoma occurred in 13.3% of patients; liposarcoma, peripheral nerve sheath tumours and unspecified sarcomas contributed 6.7% each. 62.2% of sarcomas were larger than 5 cm. Trabectedin was administered in a dose of 1.5 mg/m2 once in 3 weeks. 40% of patients received trabectedin as the 2nd line treatment, 35.6% as the 3rd line, and 34.4% as the 4th line. RESULTS: Median number of administered cycles was 4 (1-10 cycles). Neutropenia (28.9% of patients) and elevated liver enzymes (26.7% of patients) were the most frequent adverse affects. 73.8% of patients terminated the therapy due to disease progression. Treatment response was recorded in 6.6% of patients (complete and partial remission), stable disease in 26.7%, and progression in 53.3%. Median overall survival (95% CI) was 11.7 months (9.6; 13.8), median progression-free survival (95% CI) was 3 months (2.4; 3.6). CONCLUSION: Expert cancer societies have recently recommended trabectedin as the 2nd line palliative treatment for soft tissue sarcomas with documented effectiveness, particularly in liposarcomas and leiomyosarcomas, and good safety profile.

[IKARUS Project--incidence of bone events in breast cancer: retrospective analysis of patients in oncological centres in the Czech Republic and Slovakia]. / Projekt IKARUS--zjistení incidence kostních príhod u karcinomu prsu: retrospektivní analýza nemocných dispenzarizovaných v onkologických centrech Ceské a Slovenské republiky.

BACKGROUND: Bone incidents today represent, in terms of frequency and the overall effect on the quality of life of patients with breast cancer, a serious health problem. In a number of clinical studies bisphosphonates have been shown to have a positive impact on reducing the risk of bone events and therefore to be effective in the prevention of bone events. The primary objective of this project was to identify the incidence of bone events in patients with metastatic breast cancer treated in the Czech and Slovak Republics. SUBJECTS: Retrospective, multi-centre, non-interventional, epidemiological and explorative studies to identify the incidence of bone events in the defined group of patients and a description of the practice of prevention and treatment of skeletal events in the years 2000-2005. Enrolled were patients with advanced metastatic breast cancer diagnosed in 2000. METHODS AND RESULTS: Analysis of overall survival and survival to disease progression, analysis of patterns of treatment of bone events and the practice of the use of bisphosphonates in the prevention of bone events in metastatic skeleton affection in the normal conditions of clinical practice, analysis of patient compliance in the treatment with bisphosphonates, analysis of the time interval between the occurrence of bone metastases and the occurrence of bone events and, last but not least, survival analysis of patients in relation to bone events. CONCLUSION: This work has shown that the practice of treatment with bisphosphonates since 2000 and assessed the survival of patients with metastatic breast cancer.

[Chronic post-mastectomy pain]. / Chronická bolest po operaci prsu.

BACKGROUND: Surgery results in chronic pain in 7-80 percent. One of the most studied is chronic post-mastectomy pain. The prevalence was 40-50 percent in studies performed abroad. As this problem has not yet been studied in the Czech Republic, a retrospective prevalence study was performed to asses the extent of the problem and risk factors for development of chronic post-mastectomy pain. METHODS AND RESULTS: After ethic committee approval an anonymous questionnaire was developed and distributed in various oncology department and patients'organisations. Response rate was 100 percent, 330 questionnaires were processed. Chronic post-mastectomy pain (lasting longer than 3 months after surgery) was described by 69 (20.9 per cent) women. The pain was permanent in 17 and transient in 46 cases, not specified in 6 cases. The pain intensity was predominantly mild or moderate. Risk factors were younger age (below 55-60 years, p=0.0098), less extensive surgery (tumourectomy vs. mastectomy, p=0.0017), intensive post operative pain (p=0.0002) and radiotherapy (p=0.0174). Trend in chemotherapy (p=0.0778) was observed. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of chronic post-mastectomy pain was lower in our study comparing to studies in other countries. The reason remains obscure in spite of detailed analysis.