Abdominal emergencies in surgical oncology.

INTRODUCTION: In general, abdominal emergencies are urgent situations that require a prompt and correct diagnosis and treatment. They involve a broad spectrum of diagnoses and can occur in all age groups. The situation is often modified in oncologic patients according to the extent and level of progression of the primary oncological disease. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the group of adult patients with abdominal emergencies treated in Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute between 2011-2017. RESULTS: In total, 601 patients underwent emergency surgery during the 7-year period. The causes included gastrointestinal obstruction (43%), intra-abdominal inflammatory complications (33%) and bleeding (17%). Acute appendicitis or cholecystitis was the cause in only less than 4% of all patients. CONCLUSION: The problems of acute abdominal emergencies in oncologic patients are substantially different from those in the general population, particularly in terms of the causes where gastrointestinal obstruction is the leading cause.

[Breast cancer patient satisfaction with immediate two-stage implant-based breast reconstruction]. / Spokojenost onkologických pacientek s okamzitou dvoudobou aloplastickou rekonstrukcí prsu.

BACKGROUND: For most breast cancer patients in the Czech Republic, breast reconstruction is available only in a delayed manner. In the Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute (MMCI), suitable candidates are offered immediate breast reconstruction using tissue expander with later exchange to a permanent silicone implant. The aim of this study was to assess patient satisfaction with this type of reconstruction. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixty-two women who had undergone surgery at the MMCI from 2007 through 2013 were sent a simple questionnaire developed by our working team. Fifty-seven patients completed the questionnaire. The data were evaluated by description methods and statistical tests. RESULTS: Patient response was 92%. The absolute majority of patients (56/57) would opt for this method again. The vast majority of patients (48/57) are generally satisfied with their reconstruction. Most women (8/14) younger than 50 years after the unilateral surgery would prefer synchronous contralateral prophylactic mastectomy and bilateral reconstruction if they could choose again. After bilateral surgery, reconstructed breasts are more often regarded as a part of the patients body. Dressed women rate their look substantially better than when they are undressed. As for self-esteem, these women are feeling excellent or good. Their psychosocial well-being in common situations is predominantly excellent. Their sexual well-being is significantly worse, and almost half of these women indicate occasional pain in their reconstructed breasts. The patients emphasize the need for appropriate information before the surgery. CONCLUSION: Immediate two-stage implant-based breast reconstruction is a suitable option for some breast cancer patients. With regard to the less natural cosmetic result and feeling of the implant-reconstructed breast, appropriate selection of women for this type of surgery is necessary and potential candidates must be thoroughly informed in the preoperative setting.

[The number of removed axillary sentinel lymph nodes and its impact on the diagnostic accuracy of sentinel lymph node biopsy in breast cancer]. / Pocet odebíraných axilárních sentinelových uzlin a jeho vliv na diagnostickou presnost sentinelové biopsie u karcinomu prsu.

INTRODUCTION: The number of lymph nodes removed during the sentinel lymph node biopsy in patients with breast cancer usually ranges from 1 to 3. In some cases, multiple nodes are identified and removed, which could be associated with increased risk of postoperative morbidity. The objective of the study was to assess the number of sentinel lymph nodes removed in patients treated in our hospital, to analyze factors that may influence the amount of the removed nodes, and to find if there is an upper threshold number of lymph nodes that should be removed without sacrificing the diagnostic accuracy of the sentinel lymph node biopsy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Clinical data of four hundred and forty (440) breast cancer patients who underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy in Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute during the year 2011 were retrospectively collected and analyzed. RESULTS: The number of sentinel lymph nodes ranged from 0 to 9 (average 1.7, median 1). The number of sentinel lymph nodes was significantly influenced by the age of the patient, the operating surgeon and the laterality of the surgery. In 275 cases the sentinel lymph nodes were negative, in the other cases macrometastases (n = 101), micrometastases (n = 46) or isolated tumor cells (n = 17) were found. In all the cases, but one, the staging of the axilla was determined by the status of the first three sentinel lymph nodes removed. Only in one case the first detected macrometastasis was present in the fifth node. CONCLUSION: In the vast majority of cases, the first three sentinel lymph nodes are sufficient to accurately assess the axillary status. However, with respect to the described case of first detected metastasis in the fifth node, to the present literary data and to the variability of clinical situations, we generally recommend to remove all lymph nodes meeting the criteria of the surgical definition of sentinel lymph node.

[Positive sentinel node in breast cancer - when and why also opt for axillary dissection?]. / Pozitivní sentinelová uzlina u karcinomu prsu - kdy a proc doplnovat axilární disekci?

One of the central concerns of contemporary mammary surgery is to verify the actual need for axillary dissection (AD) in patients with early breast cancer and positive sentinel lymph node biopsy. Several studies have addressed this issue (ASOCOG Z0011, IBCSG 23-01, MIRROR, EORTC AMAROS). So far, the preliminary results of the ASOCOG Z0011 trial with a median follow-up of 6.3 years and the results of the IBCSG 23-01 trial with a median follow-up of 5 years have been published. The conclusions of both randomized studies have implied that under specific circumstances, there is no significant difference in the local or regional recurrence between patients who had undergone completion AD compared to the patients in whom AD had been omitted. This article summarizes the current knowledge regarding indications for AD in patients with positive sentinel nodes. Key words: breast cancer - sentinel lymph node biopsy - axillary lymph node dissection - ACOSOG Z0011 trial.