[Can tumor markers predict outcomes of portal vein branch embolization in patients with primary inoperable liver tumors?]. / Mohou nádorové markery predpovídat výsledek embolizace vetve portální zíly u nemocných s primárne inoperabilním nádorem jater?

INTRODUCTION: Portal vein embolization (PVE) is one of the options to increase the number of resecable cases in patients with primary inoperable liver tumors. However, insufficient growth of liver parenchyma or postoperative tumor progression remains problematic in PVE procedures. Generally, tumor markers are of significance in patient postoperative monitoring for the disease recurrence. The aim of this study is to assess the potential of tumor markers in predicting PVE outcomes. METHOD: The study group included 43 subjects with primary or secondary tumors, in whom serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), thymidine kinase (TK), tissue polypetide antigen (TPS) and MonoTotal levels were assessed 28 days following PVE. The liver parenchyma growth or tumor progression were assessed based on computer tomography. RESULTS: Sufficient liver parenchyma hypertrophy was recorded in 27 (62.8 %) patients with subsequent liver resection. Insufficient post-PVE liver parenchyma growth was recorded in 5 (11.6 %) patients and tumor progression was recorded in 11 (25.6 %) subjects. The following tests were considered significant predictive tumor markers of PVE outcomes: serum levels of CEA, TPA, Mono Total prior to PVE, and serum levels of TK, TPA, Mono Total within 28 days following PVE. CONCLUSION: Tumor markers may be significant in predicting PVE outcomes in patients with primary inoperable liver tumors. However, in order to make final conclusions on their clinical significance, larger patient group studies should be performed.

[Predictive factors for non-sentinel lymph nodes affection in breast carcinoma--outcomes of a Czech multicenter study of sentinel lymph nodes]. / Prediktivní faktory postizení nonsentinelových uzlin u karcinomu prsu--závery ceské multicentrické studie sentinelových uzlin.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to assess positivity nonsentinel lymph nodes in patients with macro, micro and submicrometastases in sentinel lymph nodes and find predictive factors of positivity nonsentinel lymph nodes. Study was conducted at the Department of Surgery in Pardubice, Pilsen, Ostrava and Zlín. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sentinel lymph nodes were assessed based on standards of Czech Pathological Society. Detection of sentinel lymph nodes was performed based on radionavigation or combination of radionavigation and blue dye method. RESULTS: In group N1 (macrometastases) there was found positivity of nonsentinel lymph nodes in 50% (45 from 90 patients). In group N1 Mi (micrometastases) there was found positivity of nonsentinel lymph nodes in 26.7% (16 from 60 patients). In group NO I+ (sub-micrometastases) there was found positivity of nonsentinel lymph nodes in 6.7% (1 from 15 patients). Predictive factors were size of metastasis, number of positive sentinel lymph nodes and grading. Size of tumor was not found to be a predictive factor of positivity nonsentinel lymph nodes. DISCUSSION: High positivity of nonsentinel lymph nodes in pacients with macro and micrometastases in sentinel lymph nodes advocates to perform axillary lymph nodes dissection. Due to small number of patients with submicrometastases it is not possible to assess if axillary dissection is necessary or not. Predictive factors of positivity of nonsentinel lymph nodes are size of metastasis in sentinel lymph nodes, number of positive sentinel lymph nodes and grading. Size of tumor was not found to be a predictive factor due to small tumors in the study. In spite of this it is necessary to consider it like a predictive factor of positivity nonsentinel lymph nodes. CONCLUSION: In patients with macro and micrometastases it is necessary to perform axillary dissection. In patients with submicrometastases in sentinel lymph nodes it is necessary to consider predictive factors.

[Liver metastases of other than colorectal origin]. / Jaterní metastázy jiného nez kolorektálního puvodu.

AIM: Colorectal carcinoma is the commonest malignancy with liver metastases. Approximately 25-30% of these metastases are resectable with good long-term outcomes. Liver metastases of so called non-colorectal carcinomas are significantly less common, and considering different biological character of these metastases, compared to colorectal ones, surgical management of some of these types is debatable, however, in some cases remains highly successful. The aim of this study was to assess the authors' outcomes of surgical and termoablation therapy of non-colorectal liver metastases. METHODS: The authors present their experience with surgical treatment in 68 patients - mean age of 58.2 y.o.a (33.1-77.5) with liver metastases of non-colorectal carcinomas- NKJM (the commonest types: breast carcinoma--32.4%, carcinoid--20.6%, renal carcinoma--13.3%, gynecological tumors--13.3%, gastrointestinal stromal tumor--4.4%, gastric carcinoma--4.4% ) during 2001-2008. The mean time after primary surgery for carcinoma was 3.9 years (0-8.5 let). The surgical procedures included the following: radiofrequency ablation (RFA)--50 patients (73.5%), resections in 26.5%. Preoperative chemotherapeutical "downstaging" or portal vein embolization on the tumor side, in order to improve the NKJM resecability, was performed in 10 subjects (14.7%). Resecable or RFA--manageable extrahepatic metastases were removed using one- or more- step procedures in 25 subjects (36.7%). The total number of liver metastases within the whole study group ranged from 1 (28x) to 8 (1x) metastases. Postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy, combined with biological treatment in some patients, was administered to a total of 33 patients (48.5%). RESULTS: One year after the procedure and RFA, a total of 88.6% of patients were surviving, at 3 years 72.5 % and at 5 years 36.9% of the subjects. Considering four commonest tumors (breast carcinoma, carcinoid, gynecological carcinomas and renal carcinoma), the best 5-year survival rates were recorded in patients with carcinoid metastases (100%), 33.8% of patients with breast metastases were surviving at 5 years, 44.4% of patients with renal carcinoma metastases were surviving at 3 years and 72.9% of patients with gynecological tumors were surviving at 2 years. There were no statistically significant differences in long-term survival rates between RFA and resections. Patients with extrahepatic metastases had worse prognosis (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Liver resection and RFA have their definite place in multimodal treatment strategy in the management of non- colorectal carcinoma liver metastases (NKJM). Indication for surgery must be made on strictly individual basis, in particular in patients with NKJM, in order to achieve quality long-term survival in these patients.

[Breast carcinoma in a female patient after kidney transplantation--a case review]. / Karcinom prsu u nemocné po transplantaci ledviny--kazuistika.

INTRODUCTION: Kidney transplantation improves the quality of life in patients with chronic renal insufficiency. Immunosuppression therapy has a significant impact on good quality long-term function of the transplanted kidney and on the long-term survival of the patients. However, long-term administration of immunosuppressives may be associated with a number of complications. These, in particular, include infectious events, as well as increased rates of malignancies in the population of transplantation patients, compared to normal population. The median time of de novo breast carcinoma post- transplantation onset is approximately 56 months. Although studies have not confirmed its increased incidence rates, immunosuppression facilitates increased biological activity of the tumor and more frequent affection of axillary lymh nodes, resulting in reduced overall survival rates of the patients, compared to normal female population. A CASE REVIEW: The authors present a case review of a 65-year old female patient, who underwent transplantation of a cadaver kidney 7 years ago. Since then, the patient has been on immunosuppression therapy. For 8 years, the patient was screened in a breast care unit and was put on a waiting list for microcalcifications in her right breast, detected on mammography. In the Plzen Faculty Hospital Surgical Clinic, the patient underwent surgery and was then referred to oncology. The kidney graft was functioning well and she was in a good overall condition, therefore, nephrologists did not indicate graphectomy. During the perioperative period, the patient's condition was well controlled by immunosuppressives, and the patient continues with the medication during the postoperative period. CONCLUSION: The overall malignancy risk profile in a transplantation patient is defined by immunological, as well as non-immunological factors. These include the following: age, genetic factors, environmental factors, exposure to radiation or to solar radiation and smoking. Immunological factors include effects of immunosuppression medication on cellular imunity, effects on normal lymphoproliferation of cells providing tumor control, potential for development of cellular mutations and autonomic behavior of these cells, as well as effects on humoral immunity components, resulting in dysregulation of potentially malignant cellular mutations caused by viral infections. It is impossible to prevent these malignancies, neither in the post-transplantation population, nor in the normal population. However, knowing principal risk factors, the general effort should be aimed at reducing their incidence and, in case of their occurrence, to establish the diagnosis in time and to initiate adequate treatment. Every patient who udergoes transplantation, must be considered at risk of malignancy development, therefore, increased oncological awareness should be employed and the patient should be enrolled in screening programmes, including regular clinical and laboratory check ups, which should include more extensive examination than that of the transplanted organ function only.

Management of the prosthetic vascular graft infections--the influence of predictive factors on treatment results.

BACKGROUND: This prospective non-randomized single center study evaluated the predictive significance of various factors to the treatment outcomes of the prosthetic vascular graft infections. METHODS: 46 patients with the prosthetic vascular graft infection underwent the treatment. The prosthesis extirpation was performed in 37 cases. The extra-anatomical reconstruction was implanted in 18 and the in situ reconstruction in 12 patients. In 9 patients, only local treatment was applied. The influence of the preoperative factors (patient's age, type of primary procedure, type of infection, positive hemoculture, diabetes mellitus, comorbidity, C-reactive protein, leucocytosis, repeated interventions) on the result of the treatment was evaluated with the multivariate analysis. RESULTS: On the 30 day, the postoperative mortality was 23.9%. One and three years after the treatment, 72.1 and 57.8% of patients, respectively, survived. C-reactive protein above 90 mg/l (Wilcoxon test p<0.02, Log-rank test p<0.01), and leucocytosis >13 x 10(9)/l (Wilcoxon test p<0.0001, Log-rank test p<0.0004) were significant factors for patients morbidity and mortality. There were no preoperative factors with a statistically significant cut-off value which should be important for the long-term graft patency. CONCLUSION: C-reactive protein and leucocytosis are simple preoperative predictive markers of the treatment results of the prosthetic vascular graft infections. An early and aggressive diagnostic and therapeutic procedure is recommended in patients with the pre-operative levels of CRP higher than 90 mg/l and leucocytosis of 13 x 10(9)/l (Tab. 5, Fig. 3, Ref. 30). Full Text (Free, PDF) www.bmj.sk.

[Pyogenic abscesses of the liver]. / Pyogenní abscesy jater.

Pyogenic abscesses of the liver represent a serious nosologic unit with high morbidity and mortality rates. Their diagnostics is based on ultrasonography, computer tomography or MRI, or positrone emission tomography. The principal treatment procedure includes percutaneous draining of the abscess cavity under the ultrasound or CT control. The authors present a group of 83 subjects hospitalized from 2000 to 2006 for pyogenic abscesses of the liver. Obstruction of the bile ducts, acute cholecystitis and resections of the liver or pancreas for malignancies were recorded as the commonest causes of the abscesses. Percutaneous drainage was the treatment method of choice in 67.5% of the subjects and it included management of the causative factors and administration of antibiotics. The hospitalization period was affected by the following factors: septic conditions (p < 0.04), ALT levels (p < 0.003) - cut off 3.0 mkat/l, the abscess diameter, which may have required reoperation, (p < 0,05), diabetes mellitus (p < 0.05) and septic conditions (p < 0.001). The need for re-hospitalization due to a relaps of the pyogenic abscess of the liver correlated significantly with the following: a number (> 2) of abscesses (p < 0.04), C-reactive protein levels (p < 0.005) - cut off> 100 mg/l and septic conditions (p < 0.007). Furthermore, significat correlation was detected between the mortality rates and sepsis (p < 0.05).