Search

Background. Clinical reports on the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) suggest its higher incidence and worse outcomes in cancer patients. Considering a rapid pace of the severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, more data on the risk of contagion and syndrome course is required with this patient group.Aim. Estimation of the infection rate in cancer patients managed at the Oncology Centre.Materials and methods. This retrospective study included cancer patients managed at the Oncology Centre between 9 April 2020 and 27 May 2020 and routinely tested for SARS-CoV-2 in polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays and/or COVID-19 in chest computed tomography (CT).Results and discussion. A total of 2,628 patients were included in the study, with 119 (4.5 %) confirmed to have COVID-19; 45/119 were PCR-positive, 95/119 had viral pneumonia in CT, 21/119 were positive for both tests. A total of 47.9 % cases were asymptomatic, 11.8 % revealed a mild single-symptom disease. COVID-19 ended in death in 2 (2.5 %) of 80 cases with a known outcome. In PCR results of both patient and staff screening, the virus detection rate was 3.0 % and 2.4 %, respectively (p = 0.33).Conclusion. A COVID-19 screening revealed no significant difference in the risk of contagion between cancer patients and staff of the Oncology Centre. PCR tests may perform false negative for COVID-19 in cancer patients and should be coupled with CT scanning. The infection is asymptomatic or clinically mild in most other cases.

Aim. Assessment of the utility and advantage of videoendoscopic inguinal femoral lymphadenectomy (VE-LAD) over the standard open technique (OLAD) in patients with malignant skin melanoma and metastatic lesions of regional inguinal and/or femoral lymph nodes.Materials and methods. The Saint-Petersburg Clinical Research Centre for Specialty Medical Aid in Oncology managed 86 inguinal femoral LADs in melanoma patients over 2013–2016. VE-LAD was rendered in 48 (54.7 %) cases, and OLAD otherwise.Results and discussion. A total of 72 patients were included in the study. VE-LAD was performed in 48 (54.7 %) cases, and OLAD otherwise. An average VE-LAD duration was 90 (60 to 160) min. Severe complications were observed in 4/48 (8 %) VE-LAD and 16/24 (66 %) OLAD cases, which reveals a significantly lower complication rate in the study cohort (chi-square p > 0.000). Lymphorrhoea was shorter in the study cohort (> 7 days in 5 patients vs. 3/24 and > 14 days only in 11/24 OLAD cases; chi-square p > 0.000). No significant differences in relapse-free survival were observed between the cohorts, with higher absolute values of 22.6 months in the VE-LAD (95 % CI 14.8–30.4, p = 0.087) vs. 9.4 months (95 % CI 0.0–18.9, p = 0.087) in OLAD cohort. A median OS was 52.3 months (95 % CI 30.5–74.1, p = 0.996) in the VE-LAD vs. 39.9 months (95 % CI 30.6–49.2, p = 0.996) in OLAD cohort.Conclusion. Videoendoscopic inguinal femoral lymphadenectomy allows a radical inguinal femoral lymph node removal alike in conventional surgical dissection. Our results indicate the method performance towards reduced postoperative wound complications. The oncological indicators are comparable to the traditional surgery cohort.

Background. Malignant melanoma is steadily exaggerating over the recent decades. Nonetheless, improved systemic therapies have substantially increased life expectancy in patients with a locally advanced or disseminated disease. Higherincidence recurrent melanocytic skin lesions become essentially problematic and require more attention and control.Aim. Cross-survey on the incidence of synchronous multiple primary melanomas in patients with solitary melanoma and those with other operable solid tumours.Materials and methods. A total of 289 patients with suspected malignant pigmented skin melanoma were included in the survey. Patients were divided in two cohorts by the presence of primary skin melanoma and its tractability for radical excision. Patients with operable melanoma comprised the study cohort, and those with other solid tumours were the control.Results and discussion. The survey covered 289 patients, with 148 in the study and 141 in the control cohort. The study148 patients revealed 112 malignant pigmented melanomas, but none in the control cohort. A chi-square statistical analysis of clinical values in single and multiple melanoma cases showed a slightly higher prevalence of first-visit melanomas in patients with synchronous tumours (30% pT4 — p = 0.007).Conclusion. The observed 10% rate of second melanoma in the study cohort and a zero melanoma incidence in the control support the alternative hypothesis of a higher rate of newly detected melanomas in primarily diagnosed melanoma patients vs. those with solid tumours.

Introduction. This article presents data on the manifestations of changes in the microenvironment of the peritoneal cavity in patients with carcinomatosis, expressed by the mineralization of the peritoneum, which in turn leads to functional changes in drainage of the peritoneal cavity.Materials and methods. We examined autopsy tissue of the peritoneum with symptoms of carcinomatosis and intact peritoneum using comparative scanning electron microscopy.Results and discussion. The study of the ultrastructure of peritoneum in patients with PC, revealed the phenomenon of SLL mineralization. The resulting elemental composition profile showed a high content of Ca, P, Na.Conclusions. 1. Carcinomatosis is not a local, but rather a systemic process. Determining the role of mineralization in carcinomatosis is of fundamental importance in carcinogenesis. 2. The serous membranes mineralization in patients with carcinomatosis can become a new treatment target, the impact on which may increase life expectancy and improve the quality of life. 3. The serous membranes demineralization can serve as a part of a combination treatment that includes the subsequent endolymphatic anti-tumour drug therapy.

Introduction. Ovarian cancer is characterized by complex diagnostics and flow forecasting, which makes it important to search for prognostic criteria. However, the prognostic significance of some factors has not yet been studied.The purpose of the study: to identify the features of immune response in the localization of metastases in the large omentum in ovarian cancer.Tasks: to reveal the pathomorphological features of the cellular immune response to metastases in the large omentum in patients with ovarian cancer II–III stages; to conduct histomorphometry of elements of the immune system in the area of metastases.Material and methods. The study was carried out on the biomaterial of the large omentum of 94 women with ovarian cancer II–III stage. The measurements were carried out on paraffin sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin and included evaluation of the following parameters: the number of lymphocytes in the field of view at the border and away from the tumor, the continuity of the lymphocyte shaft at the border with the tumor, the number of neutrophils on the border with the tumor, the presence of plasmocytes on the border with tumor. The preparations were studied and photographed under a microscope with a microscope-microvision mVizo-103 and a microscope Micromed 3.The results. Observed 94 patients with stage II–III ovarian cancer. Over the three-year follow-up period, the disease-free survival rate was 79.8%. A total of 64 patients with stage III disease were observed. A recurrence-free survival rate among patients with stage III ovarian cancer was 74.32%. Without relapse during the follow-up period, those patients were found whose lymphocytes formed a continuous shaft at the border with the tumor, their number in the field of view ×200 was 400 or more, the plasmocytes were present in the composition of the shaft, and the neutrophils were absent or few.The conclusion. A detailed histological study to quantify and qualitatively determine the severity of lymphoid elements of the large omentum allowed an indirect assessment of the state of the immune system and the probability of an unfavorable outcome in patients with ovarian neoplasia.

Since the middle of the previous century the heterogeneity of breast cancer became absolutely evident. This assumption was historically based on differences in clinical behavior and sensitivity to therapy. Treatment approach nowadays is based primarily on clinical and morphological prognostic and predictive markers. Among morphologically derived markers the most important are estrogen and progesterone receptors and HER2. Interestingly that tumors with expression of estrogen receptors and/or progesterone receptors that showed also hyperexpression or amplification of HER2 have very poor outcome and low sensitivity to all therapeutic approaches. Therefore we want to summarize the existing clinical information that is relevant to this topic.