Flow cytometric analysis of the ERCC1, marker of DNA damage repair, in the tumor specimens embedded into paraffin blocks.

The differences in expression of ERCC1 were estimated between tumor specimens embedded into paraffin blocks and surgical biopsy specimens of non-small cell lung cancer as well as breast and ovarian cancers. Concordance or differences not higher than 20% were observed in 73% of the cases. The number of the cases with more significant differences in ERCC1 expression was less than 17%. The results show that ERCC1 detection in surgical biopsy specimens by flow cytometry is the more preferable method due to reduced preanalytical phase of the analysis.

Digoxin is a selective modifier increasing platinum drug anticancer activity.

Using the model of breast cancer Ehrlich ascites tumor in mice, we showed that a sigle intraperitoneal injection of cardiac glycoside digoxin 1 h before the intraperitoneal injection of cisplatin increased the anticancer effect of the cytostatic drug more than twice when recalculated for the dose. It is assumed that the modifying effect of digoxin is determined by the direct inhibition of glycolysis in tumor cells. Taking into account the design of the study, we consider promising the clinical evaluation of the effectiveness of digoxin as a modifier of cisplatin efficiency in intracavitary therapy of ascites cancers with pleural and abdominal dissenmination.

New Data on Molecular Targets of Tamoxifen Besides Estrogen Receptors, Their Clinical Significancy.

Tamoxifen is the first target agent with a high-end position in breast cancer therapy till now. In recent years experimental researches revealed new biological effects of tamoxifen on tumor cells. The present study continues the theme of the review published in 2012, where a plenty of tamoxifen effects besides interaction with estrogen receptors was discussed. Thus, there is described a wide range of the drug targets which are the key points of signal cascades activating the cell proliferation and determining the course of the growth of the cancer and its sensitivity to chemotherapy. Also clinical trials of tamoxifen based on existing of targets besides the estrogen receptors are reviewed. Furthermore, the data on the antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal and antiparasitic activities of tamoxifen are indicated.

[PROSPECTIVE SYNTHETIC MATRICES FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION OF TRACHEAL DEFECTS IN CANCER PATIENTS].

A replacement of major defects of the trachea remains a challenge despite numerous attempts to use for this purpose various options of autologous and allogeneic implants as well as synthetic matrixes. The most prospective direction is to create tracheal matrixes based on biocompatible porous or fibrous materials that mimic native tissues and provide the proliferation of multipotent cells. This review summarizes current data regarding the development of experimental research and clinical testing of biocompatible tracheal matrixes, which were created using innovative technologies.

Estrogen receptors, antiestrogens, and non-small cell lung cancer.

This review considers data on expression of different types of estrogen receptors (ERα and ERß) in in vitro cultured cells of non-small cell lung cancer and also in human and animal lung tumors. Estrogens are shown to play an important role in genesis and development of non-small cell lung cancer because the estrogen-stimulated cell proliferation as well as antiestrogen-caused inhibition of proliferation occurred only in the cells expressing different types of estrogen receptors. In general, the situation is similar to that observed in breast cancer, but in the cells of non-small cell lung cancer not ERα are expressed in more than half of cases but ERß. Just estrogen receptors ß play the crucial role in inducing cell proliferation in response to estrogens, and ERß is a prognostic marker of a favorable course of non-small cell lung cancer. Data on the interactions between ER and EGFR signaling pathways, as well as on the additive antitumor effect of antiestrogens (tamoxifen and fulvestrant) combined with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (gefitinib, erlotinib, and vandetanib) are considered. The review also includes data on the influence of estrogens on genesis and development of lung cancer in humans and animals and the frequency of ERα and ERß expression in non-small cell lung cancer in tissues from patients of the two sexes. Problems of quantitative determination of α and ß estrogen receptors in the tumor cells are also discussed.

Simultaneous operations in thoraco-abdominal clinical oncology.

OBJECTIVE: To increase radical operability of cases with synchronous multiple primary malignant tumours (SMPTM) of the thorax and abdomen, and of cancer patients with concomitant severe heart disease simultaneous operations are implemented in the clinical practice. METHODS: Twenty-seven simultaneous operations for SMPMT (17) and for cancers of different sites and concomitant cardiac disease (10) were performed at the Surgical Department of Thoraco-Abdominal Oncology, N.N. Blokhin Memorial Cancer Research Centre. All SMPMT cases had lung cancer. The second tumours were gastric cancer (6), oesophageal cancer (7), laryngeal cancer (3) and opposite lung cancer (1). Coronary artery bypass grafting for ischaemic heart disease was made in nine cases simultaneously with lung resection (4), tracheal resection (1), resection of the stomach or gastrectomy (4). Mitral valve commissurotomy and left pneumonectomy for lung cancer was made in one case. RESULTS: Two patients died from therapeutic complications early postoperatively. Median survival after simultaneous operations for SMPMT was 26 months. One patient undergoing simultaneous operation for cardiac disease and lung cancer died from cancer progression at 1 year following surgery. The remaining patients were followed up for 2 years free from evidence of cancer or heart disease. CONCLUSION: Simultaneous operations increase resectability, radicality and functional operability and therefore promise improvement of follow-up results in the most serious category of cancer patients in question.

Some aspects of multiple esophageal and gastric cancer.

This paper deals with data on 65 patients with multiple primaries. There were synchronous and metachronous, double carcinomas of the esophagus (8), carcinomas of the esophagus and stomach (18), esophagus and lung (10), and stomach and lung (29). Problems of diagnosis and treatment results are discussed. Indications for surgery should be determined by the extent of the two primaries. Only radical surgery with extirpation of both tumors may lead to relatively favorable results. The treatment only of single carcinoma (either by surgery, or radio- and chemotherapy) is not beneficial in patients with synchronous lesions. Thorough attention should be given to the patient's complaints and adequate follow-up investigation pursued in order to detect second (and following) primaries as soon as possible.