[Ultrasonic tomography in the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer]. / Ul'trazvukovaia tomografiia v diagnostike raka podzheludochnoi zhelezy.

The results of an ultrasonic tomographic study of 77 patients are presented. Cancer of the pancreas was identified in 50 patients. The diagnosis was verified by a complex examination and surgical evidence. The histological pattern of tumor was identified in 28 cases. The diagnosis of pancreatic carcinoma was confirmed by ultrasonic tomography in 42 cases, the sensitivity of the procedure being 88%, specificity-81%. In cases of chronic pancreatitis, the sensitivity proved 70%, thus requiring a complex approach to differential diagnosis between the two pathologies.

[Potential ultrasonic study in the early diagnosis of rectal cancer recurrence]. / Vozmozhnosti ul'trazvukovogo issledovaniia v rannei diagnostike retsidiva raka priamoi kishki.

The paper is concerned with the results of ultrasonic tomography carried out in 487 radically-operated cases of rectal cancer. Tumor was detected in 103 out of 136 patients with clinically manifest recurrence (76.9%) (group 1). False-negative reports were made in 19 cases of intraintestinal relapse (14.2%). The procedure provided most information in male patients who had undergone extirpation of the rectum; a correct diagnosis was made in 86.2%. In application of ultrasonic tomography, early tumor recurrence was detected in 67 out of 353 surgical cases with unfavorable prognosis who were free of relapse symptoms (18.9%) (group 2). Misinterpretation of data obtained by complex scanning procedures may be avoided thanks to application of "real-time" regimen.

[Possibility of evaluating the degree of dissemination of malignant tumors of the bladder using ultrasonic tomography]. / Vozmozhnosti mestnoi otsenki rasprostraneniia zlokachestvennoi opukholi mochevogo puzyria s pomoshch'iu ul'trazvukovoi tomografii.

The paper discusses the results of an analysis of degree of bladder cancer expansion with the aid of ultrasonic tomography. The results of tomography were compared with surgical and pathohistologic findings. The study group included 94 patients with bladder cancer. Stages A, B, and C were distinguished on the basis of tomographic features, which correspond to T1, T2, T3 and T4 according to TNM system. Application of ultrasonic tomography in conjunction with other diagnostic procedures offers more advantage in selecting an adequate stage-oriented treatment. The tomographic examination findings were confirmed in 80.7% for stage A (T1), 81.9%--stage B (T2) and 93.4% for stage T (T3 and T4).

[Evaluation of the effectiveness of preoperative polychemotherapy of nephroblastomas in children by angiography, ultrasonic tomography and computed tomography]. / Otsenka éffektivnosti predoperatsionnoi polikhimoterapii nefroblastom u detei metodami angiografii, ul'trazvukovoi i komp'iuternoi tomografii.

The results of preoperative polychemotherapy of nephroblastoma in 14 children are presented. Ultrasonic tomography, computed tomography and angiography were performed in all the patients before and after medication. The findings on the efficacy of polychemotherapy were assessed on the basis of surgical evidence and, in particular, resected material examination. A high diagnostic value of all the methods was demonstrated and criteria of the effectiveness of preoperative polychemotherapy as evaluated by application of ultrasonic and computed tomography and angiography were worked out. Optimal terms of carrying out diagnostic procedures in patients with nephroblastoma during preoperative treatment are suggested.

[Ultrasound tomography in the topical diagnosis and evaluation of results in the treatment of patients with stage III and IV ovarian cancer]. / Ul'trazvukovaia tomografiia v topicheskoi diagnostike i otsenke rezul'tatov lecheniia bol'nykh rakom iaichnikov III i IV stadii.

The paper describes an experience with ultrasonic tomography of the abdominal cavity and small pelvis in 34 cases of stage III and IV ovarian cancer who received polychemotherapy. In application of the said procedure, the topography and size of primary and disseminated tumors were ascertained and the immediate effect of medication assessed. The results of ultrasonic tomography were analysed in combination with other methods of research.

[Ultrasonic tomography in the diagnosis of diseases of the thyroid gland]. / Ul'trazvukovaia tomografiia v diagnostike zabolevanii shchitovidnoi zhelezy.

The paper deals with the characteristics of application of microwave computed tomography in diagnosis of most frequent tumors of the thyroid gland in 146 surgical cases. The role and scope of microwave studies carried out in dynamic monitoring thyroid cancer patients to assure early detection of metastasis and recurrence are discussed.

[Potentials for the ultrasonic diagnosis of laryngopharyngeal cancer metastases to the cervical lymph nodes]. / Vozmozhnosti ul'trazvukovoi diagnostiki metastazov raka gortanoglotki v limfaticheskie uzly shei.

The potentialities of ultrasonic tomography in diagnosis of metastases into cervical lymph nodes were assessed in 15 patients with laryngopharyngeal cancer before surgery. The data were compared with those obtained in the course of morphologic examination of resected lymph nodes. Ultrasonic tomography provided reliable information on the extent and site of lymph node involvement in 71.4% of node--positive cases of laryngopharyngeal cancer. Correct ultrasonographic diagnosis of lymph node involvement was made in only 42% of cases of impalpable node disease.

[Ultrasonic tomography in the diagnosis of non-discrete retroperitoneal tumors]. / Ul'trazvukovaia tomografiia v diagnostike zabriushinnykh neorgannykh opukholei.

The ultrasonic tomography has been used among other methods to diagnose nonorganic extraperitoneal tumours in 114 patients. The results have shown the ultrasonic tomography to be an efficient method permitting one to diagnose the tumours in 91.4% of cases studied. The high diagnostic accuracy of the method (87.7%), the absence of irradiation load noninvasiveness and economy of ultrasonic tomography make it a useful method for screening extraperitoneal nonorganic tumours at early stages of patients observation.

[Ultrasonic tomography in the diagnosis of recurrences of rectal cancer]. / Ultraschalltomographie in der Diagnostik von Rektumkarzinomrezidiven.

The results of ultrasonography in 616 patients after radical surgery of rectal carcinoma are committed. In the first group, patients with clinical symptoms of a recidive, the method detected a tumour in 146 (80.2%) of 182 patients. The error rate was 12.1%. In the second group, patients with unfavourable postoperative prognosis, ultrasound follow-up detected recidives previous to their clinical manifestation in 73 (16.8%) of 434 patients. The method turned out to be effective even for the detection of small (less than 3 cm) recurrences after rectal exstirpation. For intraintestinal recurrences after rectal resection ultrasonography can determine the degree of infiltration outside the organ. Real-time scans can prevent some of the errors that occur with compound scans.

[Clinical and diagnostic problems in angiomyolipoma of the kidney]. / Nekotorye voprosy kliniki i diagnostiki angiomiolipomy pochki.

29 cases of angiomyolipoma (AML) reported in the paper illustrate clinical pictures and difficulties in this disease diagnosis. It is shown that when AML overgrows 5 cm in size it often provokes pain (13 cases), which ranks the first among AML symptoms. Ultrasonic differential diagnosis is not easy in large bleeding AML, in extrarenal AML location, whereas well and poorly vascularized tumors, the absence in them of clear-cut spiral arteries or aneurysm-like cavities cause much trouble for AML angiographic diagnosis. For the above causes computed tomography is also likely to provide misdiagnosis. A comprehensive approach to AML preoperative diagnosis brings about satisfactory results in 80% of the cases.

Cisplatin-etoposide and carboplatin-etoposide induction chemotherapy for good-risk patients with germ cell tumors.

BACKGROUND: In an attempt to reduce the toxicity of chemotherapy in good-risk testicular cancer patients the two drug combinations, cisplatin plus etoposide (EP) and carboplatin plus etoposide (EC), have been compared. METHODS: Good risk was defined according to the MSKCC and IU criteria. 39 Patients have been treated with EP (cisplatin 20 mg/m2 i.v. and etoposide 100 mg/m2 i.v. on days 1 to 5), and 23 patients received EC (carboplatin 350 mg/m2 on day 1 and etoposide 100 mg/m2 on days 1 to 5). Four cycles of chemotherapy were given at 21- and 28-day intervals, respectively, with delays of up to 7 days in instances of leukocyte counts less than 3.0 x 10(9)/l or platelet counts less than 100 x 10(9)/l. RESULTS: In the EP group 34 (87%) of 39 patients achieved CR (26 with chemotherapy alone, 8 with additional surgery). After a median follow-up of 26 (12-58) months 3 (9%) patients relapsed from CR. Currently 38 patients are alive, and 37 (94%) are NED. In the EC group 20 (87%) of 23 patients achieved CR (15 with chemotherapy alone and 5 with additional surgery). After a median follow-up of 45 (26-57) months 6 (30%) patients relapsed from CR. Currently 19 patients are alive and 17 (74%) are NED. There was no difference in survival between the two groups (p = 0.13), but in the EC group the relapse rate was higher (p = 0.052) and the proportion of patients with NED was lower (p = 0.03) in comparison with EP. Toxicity in both groups was mild and similar, but 3 EP-treated patients presented hair loss. CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests that carboplatin-etoposide combination therapy is inferior to cisplatin-etoposide in patients with good-risk germ cell tumors.