Colorectal Cancer In The Elderly Patient.

Colorectal neoplasms present a serious diagnostic and therapeutic problem. Continuously increasing morbidity affects the elderly people in particular and considering the aging of the society and enhanced impact of the factors with a proved role in carcinogenesis, this tendency is predicted to remain unchanged in the near future. Therefore, it seems justified to thoroughly analyze the specificity of this patient group accordingly adjust the diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. The elderly patients require an interdisciplinary care both in the preparation and postoperative period. A multispecialty senior staff case meeting seems thus essential to determine the most beneficial treatment approach. Development of additional algorithms for the elderly patient with colorectal cancer is warranted.

Risk analysis for the surgical treatment of colorectal cancer in elderly patients undergoing scheduled and urgent interventions.

UNLABELLED: Due to recorded growth both in living standards and latest researches in medicine, proportion of people in old age has significantly improved all over the world. Although old age people are several percent of the entire society, number of surgeries within the group does not exceed 40%. Also risk of malignant neoplasms among old age people, significantly grows. Malignant neoplasm of colon appears to be most visible problem in group of people in age over 75 years old. The aim of the study was a retrospective analysis of results in treatment of the sick over 75 years old, suffering from Malignant neoplasm of colon. Therapy was performed in the I Unit of General Surgery and Surgical Oncology in Provinical Hospital in Jelenia Góra. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Subject to analysis were 63 patients that went under operations in years from 2006 to 2010 due to the colorectal cancer, who have been divided now into two groups. First group included 49 patients treated as per schedule, and the second stood for 14, who required urgent treatment. Reference group has involved 20 younger patients, treated in urgent and scheduled courses, due to the colon cancer. There are no contradictions to emergencies and scheduled surgeries for patients in advanced years, suffering from colon cancer. Complications after colon cancer emergencies are far more frequent than in case of scheduled surgeries. Death rates among patients over 75 years old are far more frequent after emergencies than after scheduled surgeries. Concomitant diseases occur the same frequent during emergenices as during scheduled operations. During emergencies, it was left side of the colon that occured to be infected with cancer more frequent. CONCLUSIONS: There is no significant diversity in hospitalization time frames after emergencies and scheduled surgeries. Dangerous surgical complications within group of older patients, those after emergencies and scheduled surgeries too, are far more frequent in comparison to the reference group.

Caspases and their role in gastric cancer.

Caspases (Cysteine Aspartate Specific Proteases) are a group of cysteine-containing proteolytic enzymes produced by the cells of living organisms. They participate in immunological functions, proliferation, cell migration and organization. Caspases also influence the secretion of various regulative factors. Moreover, they are responsible for cellular maturation and reconstruction, and for regulating the number and quality of cells initiating the apoptosis of old cells or those that cannot play their normal role due to abnormalities. Multiple pathological processes are associated with disorders in the activity of caspases. Changes in expression of individual caspases have been observed in gastric cancer. The expression of some caspases is also correlated with particular histological traits and the frequency of metastases, which suggests their possible use as a prognostic factor. It has also been discovered that some somatic mutations in caspase coding genes might lead to inhibition of apoptosis and the progression of the disease. Gene polymorphism may be a gastric cancer risk factor, but may also play a protective function. Considering the less than satisfactory effects of conventional therapeutic methods, the search for alternative ways to activate apoptosis - through gene therapy or selective activation of individual elements of the apoptotic pathways - constitutes a promising direction for studies of new therapeutic strategies. Caspases, enzymes playing a central role in the process of programmed cellular death, may possibly be a key to the development of a more effective anti-cancer therapy.