[Effectiveness of the correction of hepatotoxicity during combined chemoradiotherapy for cancer patients].

In 29 patients with various malignant tumors there was carried out an estimation of Thiotriazoline efficacy in the treatment of hepatotoxicity in the process of combined chemoradiation therapy. It has been showed that ten-day application of Thiotriazoline in double dose (2,5% solution intravenously by 4,0 ml twice within 24 hours and 1 tablet (100 mg) twice within 24 hours) in patients with I and II degree of hepatotoxicity at the background of combined chemoradiation therapy enabled to remove completely manifestations of cytolysis in 100% of patients, without changing regimen of chemotherapy. To normalize levels of biochemical indices of blood in III degree of hepatotoxicity, more a long intake of Thiotriazoline (about 4 weeks) was required. Regimen of chemoradiation therapy in the period of Thiotriazoline application was not changed.

[Use of optical coherence tomography for prognosis of the severity of oral mucositis].

The results of oral mucosa monitoring by optical coherence tomography (OCT) in the course of radiochemotherapy of 18 cases of oropharyngeal cancer are discussed. Damage to the mucosa was mainly assessed using contrast characteristics deterioration and reduction of epithelial layer thickness. Significant variation in OCT image characteristics was identified vs. mucositis grade and prognostic criteria for individual mucosal radiosensitivity worked out intact contrast on day 1 of mucositis should be interpreted as a sign of relatively mild complication. Blurred contrast would indicate mucositis stage III-IV development. Numerical analysis of OCT image patterns confirmed the contribution of the endothelial blood vessels and connecting tissue to radiation-induced damage to the mucosa.

[Intra-arterial chemotherapy and chemoembolization in the combined treatment for locally advanced carcinoma of the head and neck].

We evaluated the role of intra-arterial chemotherapy and/or chemoembolization, intravenous systemic chemotherapy and radiotherapy in combined treatment for locally advanced unresectable carcinoma of the head and neck. Transfemoral approach for catheterization with chemoinfusion/chemoembolization of the external carotid artery branches with carboplatin (300 mg/m2), 5-fluorouracil (1000 mg/m2) and gelatin sponge was attempted in 25 patients. Out of that number, 18 received additional radiotherapy. Bleeding episodes and relevant high risk in the future were indications for embolization treatment. There was complete (2) and partial (8) tumor regression or stabilization (5) (83%), progression (3) (17%). Arterial and systemic chemotherapy without irradiation resulted in one partial response, 3 cases of stabilization (57%), and 3 cases of progression (out of 7) (43%). There were no episodes of chronic tumor-related bleeding (7). Hence, combined treatment for locally advanced carcinoma of the head and neck including intra-arterial chemotherapy, chemoembolization, intravenous systemic chemotherapy and radiotherapy can be safely delivered with high response rates and low systemic toxicity. Since all these measures are accompanied by relatively low risks of chronic bleeding a choice of palliative or radical dosage of radiation is possible.

[Latent heterogeneity of prognosis among cancer patients].

There is a considerable variation in individual lifespan among cancer patients with identical diagnosis. We used damped exponential approximation, which includes both single- and double-compartment extension, for radiobiological assessment of survival curves among cases of breast, lung and oro-pharyngeal cancer. It was shown that in certain cases (breast--T2N1-2M0T3N1-2M0 and oro-pharyngeal cancer--T2-4N1-3M0) the curves can be identified with the two compartments which in turn are associated with different rates of mortality. The remaining curves represented either the slow rate (breast cancer--T1N1-2M0) or the fast one (non-small lung cancer) alone. The mean values of the fast or slow mortality differed 7-fold with high probability; they were stable and almost independent of tumor site or therapeutic modality. The double-rate curves pointed to a possible wide range of prognosis prior to treatment.

[Results of combined therapy for brain tumors of various origin]. / Rezul'taty kombinirovannogo lecheniia opukholei golovnogo mozga razlichnogo geneza.

Treatment and prognosis of neurooncolical patients are largely determined whether tumor is a primary brain neoplasm or metastasis. Out of 284 brain cancer patients treated at the Institute's Clinic, 262 had primary tumors and 22--metastases from various sites. Combined therapy was given to 273: surgery--241, radiotherapy--273 and polychemotherapy--263. Three-year survival was reported in patients with anaplastic astrocytoma stage II (90%), stage III--(51%) and stage IV--(14%). Eighty percent of cases of brain metastases have been followed up for 9 months.

[Arterial chemoembolization in the combined treatment of malignant tumors of the tongue and maxilla: preliminary results]. / Arterial'naia khimioémbolizatsiia v kombinirovannom lechenii zlokachestvennykh opukholei iazyka i verkhnei cheliusti: predvaritel'nye rezul'taty.

The authors made a clinical evaluation of the efficiency of regional bolus chemotherapy and embolization as a stage of combined therapy in patients with inoperable cancer of the tongue and maxilla complicated by bleeding episodes. Carotid angiography by attempting to make chemoembolization was performed in 15 patients. The procedure could not be done in full in 2 (13%) patients due to transient vascular and neurological disorders. The remaining 13 (87%) patients had successful chemoembolization of tumor-supplying arteries with 5-fluorouracil (700 mg/m2) and methotrexate (40 mg/m2) in combination with finely cut hemostatic sponge and fragments of metallic spirals (n = 12) or regional bolus injection of a cytostatic (n = 1) without arterial occlusion. After embolization, bleeding episodes ceased in all the patients. Full (n = 1) and partial (n = 6) responses to treatment or stabilization of the process (n = 5) were noted in 12 (92%) cases, progression was only in 1 (8%) case. The study suggests that chemoembolization of the branches of the external carotid artery in patients with cancer of the tongue and maxilla contributes to the arrest of chronic tumorous bleeding and to the reduction in the risk for acute A combination of systemic multidrug therapy, radiation therapy, and chemoembolization stabilizes a tumorous process in most patients.