[Combination therapy including mutamycin (mitomycin C) in the treatment of advanced colorectal and gastric cancer]. / Kombinatsii s mutamitsinom (mitomitsin C) v lechenii disseminirovannogo raka tolstoi kishki i zheludka.

The paper reports the data on treatment of 57 patients with disseminated gastric and colorectal carcinoma using a combination of mutamycin + 5-fluorouracil + leucovorin + cisplatin. Overall response was 26.3% including complete--7.01 and partial--19.29%. Mean duration of complete and partial remission was 10.88 +/- 5.65 and 5.18 +/- 0.82 months, respectively. Treatment as first-line chemotherapy was significantly more effective (36.1 and 9.5%). The regimens proved relatively low-toxic and therefore, can be recommended for out-patient application.

[Results of a 5-year screening for prostatic cancer]. / Itogi 5-letnego skrininga raka predstatel'noi zhelezy.

The results of 5-year screening (1996-2000) for prostatic cancer in 1129 males 40 to 80 years of age are presented. The examination included: measurement of blood levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), finger rectal examination, transrectal ultrasonic examination (TRUE) and, on demand, biopsy of the prostatic gland. Prostatic cancer was diagnosed in 1.5, 2.2 and 16% patients having PSA levels of 0-4.0, 4.0-10.0 and 10.0-30.0% ng/ml, respectively. At finger rectal examination prostatic cancer was suspected in 8% examinees, only in 33% of them the diagnosis was verified morphologically. By TRUE evidence 7% examinees were suspected and in 44.3% of them prostatic cancer was confirmed. Thus, biopsy proved necessary in 172 cases of 1129 examinees. In 64 (5.7%) males prostatic cancer was diagnosed and confirmed. Early prostatic cancer in the screened men and those consulted in the outpatient department of the National Cancer Research Center was detected in 77.7 and 22% men, respectively. The conclusion is made that men over 50 years of age should undergo prophylactic examination of the prostatic gland once a year.

[Ultrasonographically-controlled percutaneous puncture biopsy in the diagnosis of cancer of the pancreas]. / Chreskozhnaia punktsionnaia biopsiia pod kontrolem ul'trazvuka v diagnostike raka podzheludochnoi zhelezy.

The article deals with the method and results of ultrasonically-guided fine needle percutaneous biopsy performed in 45 patients for differential diagnosis of cancer of the pancreas. Thirty-four patients had tumors of the pancreas, 10--chronic indurative pancreatitis, one patient had a cyst. The diagnosis was verified morphologically in 34 patients: in 25 of 31 patients with primary tumors of the pancreas and in 9 of 11 patients with chronic pancreatitis and a cyst. The method is safe, highly informative and allows the character and nature of the pancreatic tumor to be determined precisely and the tactics of special treatment to be thus elaborated.

[The comparative efficacy of radiation and thermoradiation treatments in prostatic cancer]. / Sravnitel'naia éffektivnost' luchevogo i termoluchevogo lecheniia raka predstatel'noi zhelezy.

Short- and long-term results of stage-III and -IV prostatic cancer treatment were compared in 147 patients without distant metastases. 38 patients were exposed to radiation, 109 patients underwent radiation treatment and local microwave hyperthermia. The response of the primary tumor was evaluated at palpation, ultrasonic investigation and computed tomography. Adjuvant local hyperthermia enhanced antitumor activity of the treatment raising the rate of a complete response from 69% on radiotherapy alone to 94% on thermoradiotherapy, 5-year survival in prostatic cancer stage III and IV increased also from 48 to 65%.

[The chemotherapy of nonseminomatous testicular tumors]. / Khimioterapiia neseminomnykh opukholei iaichka.

236 patients with nonseminomatous germ cell tumors have been treated for the last decade with VAB-6 combination and 188 ones with etoposide-containing regimens BEP and EP. Complete remissions were achieved in 97(41%) VAB-6 treated patients, 72(31%) patients were currently alive without evidence of the disease for 76 months of follow-up. Patients on BEP-EP presented better outcomes: 130(69%) of 188 patients achieved a complete remission and 119(63%) of them were free of symptoms within 47 months of follow-up. In spite of more pronounced toxicity, mainly myelosuppression, etoposide-containing combinations are more efficient than VAB-6 and should be considered as an induction chemotherapy in patients with nonseminomatous germ cell tumors.

VAB-6 and cisplatin-cyclophosphamide combinations in the treatment of metastatic seminoma patients: the U.S.S.R. experience.

In a non-randomized study the treatment results of 59 patients with disseminated seminoma were evaluated: 21 patients were treated with a VAB-6 combination and 38 with a CP (cyclophosphamide and cisplatin) combination. After VAB-6 CR was observed in 8 patients and 6 achieved CR with additional treatment: 1 with chemotherapy (PVB) and 5 with radiotherapy (RT). The final CR rate was 67%. At a median follow-up of 38 (11-70) months 15 (71%) are alive, and 11 of them (52%) are NED; 6 have died. Of the 38 patients treated with CP alone only 18 achieved CR and 9 had a CR after additional RT and 1 chemotherapy (VAB-6), the overall CR rate was 72%. The median follow-up is 24 (4-55) months, 28 (74%) are alive, 24 (66%) are currently NED, and 9 have died. Both regimens were well tolerated, the main toxicity being leukopenia: 48% (WHO grade 111-1V-5%) for VAB-6, and 59% (13%) for CP. Hearing loss was registered in 8 patients receiving CP and in 2 receiving VAB-6. There were no fatal toxicities. Thus, VAB-6 and CP regimens seem to have compatible and high activity in disseminated seminoma.

[An analysis of preliminary results in screening for prostatic cancer]. / Analiz predvaritel'nykh rezul'tatov skrininga raka predstatel'noi zhelezy.

450 males aged over 50 years free of urological symptoms were screened for prostatic cancer using three techniques; finger rectal examination (FRE), transrectal ultrasound investigation (TUI), assay for prostatic specific antigen in the serum (SPSA). SPSA quantities under 4 ng/ml, 4-10 ng/ml, 10-20 ng/ml, over 20 ng/ml were registered in 206(45.8%), 135(30%), 69(15.4%) and 40(8.8%) patients, respectively. Detectability of prostatic cancer increases by 33,37.9, 45.5, 69.2% due to TUI, FRE, TUI + FRE, all the three methods, respectively. Prostatic biopsy was needed in 102 (22.7%) cases. From the 450 examinees, prostatic cancer was diagnosed in 25 (5.6%). SPSA was high in all of them, higher than 10 ng/ml in 92%. 20 (80%) of 25 patients with cancer had early stages of the disease (TI-2). The study is going on.