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Background: The goal of this study is to examine the effect of neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy on the density of CD8(+) tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in endoscopical biopsies and resection specimens from patients with rectal adenocarcinoma before and after therapy., Patients and Methods: In total, 53 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer were studied., Results: The median density of CD8(+) TILs in pretreatment biopsies was 12 (1- 232) and that in surgical specimens after radiochemotherapy was 18 (1- 319). During radiochemotherapy, the density of CD8(+) TILs increased in 30 patients (57%), decreased in 18 (34%), and did not change in one. It was not possible to assess the dynamics of CD8(+) TILs density in four patients. The increased density of CD8(+) TILs after radiochemotherapy was associated with a median survival rate 2.5 times longer than that associated with no increase in density., Conclusion: In the present study, the density of CD8(+) TILs in endoscopical biopsies before radiochemotherapy, the density in resection specimens after radiochemotherapy, or in changes in the density after radiochemotherapy showed no predictive or prognostic significance. However, studying a larger number of patients may show that CD8(+) TILs density is of predictive or prognostic significance.

Aim: The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the prognostic impact of expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) changes during neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in patients with locally advanced rectal adenocarcinoma., Material and Methods: One hundred and three patients with locally advanced rectal adenocarcinoma of stage II and III were evaluated. All patients were administered the total dose of 44 --  50.4 Gy. Concomitantly, the patients received capecitabine in the dose 825 mg/ m² in two daily oral administrations or 5- fluorouracil in the dose 200 mg/ m² in continuous infusion. Surgery was indicated at intervals of 4-8 weeks from chemoradiotherapy completion. EGFR expression in the pretreatment biopsies and in resected specimens was assessed with immunohistochemistry., Results: All of 103 patients received radiotherapy without interruption up to the total planned dose. Downstaging was described in 64 patients. Six patients had complete pathologic remission. Recurrence occurred in 49 patients. Local recurrence was found in 22 patients, generalization of disease was reported in 27 patients. A total of 51 patients died. Increased EGFR expression was found in 26 patients. The statistically significantly shorter overall survival (p < 0.001) and disease-free survival (p < 0.001) was found in patients with increased expression of EGFR compared with patients where no increase in the expression of EGFR was observed during neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy., Conclusions: The overexpression of EGFR during neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced rectal adenocarcinoma is associated with significant shorter overall survival and disease-free survival.

Objective: To provide an actual review of radiotherapy in the treatment of vulvar carcinoma., Design: A review article., Setting: Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, University Hospital in Hradec Králové., Methods: A review article evaluating the application of ionizing radiation in the treatment of early and advanced vulvar carcinoma, based on the most significant previously published studies., Conclusion: Postoperative groin irradiation in patients with positive groin lymph-nodes improves local control, time to progression, and overall survival; especially in 2 positive nodes and in N2/3 initial findings. In case of positive inguinal nodes, radiotherapy of both groins and at least lower pelvic iliac node-chains should follow. Adjuvant irradiation of the primary remains controversial, except for positive resection margins where radiotherapy improves overall survival. Concurrent chemoradiotherapy seems to be appropriate primary treatment of advanced vulvar carcinomas, in attempt to avoid mutilating intervention or exenteration. Chemoradiation should be followed by subsequent surgery, including potential groin dissection in case of lymph-node involvement. Definitive chemoradiotherapy is of limited evidence, and radical dose escalation to the gross tumor is essential for its implementation. Modern radiotherapy techniques, especially with intensity modulation, are convenient for dose escalation.

Objective: A description of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) technique and its implementation in the treatment of gynecologic malignancies., Subject: A review article., Setting: Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, University Hospital in Hradec Králové., Subject and Method: General explanation of IMRT priciples, its benefits and limitations, and a review of published data about its utilization in the treatment of endometrial, cervical, and vulvar carcinoma., Conclusion: IMRT represents an accessible and highly conformal external beam radiothrapy technique, which enables a significant sparing of healthy tissue with consequent reduction of radiation morbidity in comparison with other conventional and conformal techniques. A feasibilty of dose excalation with preservation of low toxicity is another advandage of IMRT. It can be utilized in the treatment of most frequent gynecologic tumors, especially in endometrial, cervical, and vulvar carcinoma.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) plays an important role in cell-cycle regulation, proliferation, differentiation, and surviving of epithelial tissues. Aberrant overexpression of EGFR can initiate uncontrolled cell proliferation with subsequent formation of epithelial carcinomas. Correlation between EGFR overexpression and increased resistance of tumor tissues to ionizing radiation has been described by many authors. Strategy of tumor radiosensitization by EGFR inhibition seems to have a great potential in the treatment of epithelial cancers. Rationale for EGFR inhibition in combination with ionizing radiaton arises from published results of many radiobiological studies, which describe the role of EGFR in cytoprotective and pro-proliferative reactions of human tumor cells, induced by irradiation. These reactions result in accelerated tumor repopulation, which is subsequently counter-productive to the effect of radiotherapy. Presented article is an overview of EGFR and its function in healthy and tumor tissues; likewise, it describes the relation of EGFR to ionizing radiation; therapeutic approaches to EGFR function modulation in combination with radiotherapy in preclinical and clinical use.

Objective: Evaluation of results of extended field radiotherapy and high-dose rate brachytherapy combined with chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced cervical carcinoma., Type of the Study: A retrospective study., Setting: Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, University Hospital Hradec Králové., Methods: Forty five patients with stage IIB - IVA cervical cancer and radiologically suspicious pelvic and/or paraaortic lymph nodes were treated at the Dept. of Oncology and Radiotherapy Hradec Králové with pelvic and paraaortic radiotherapy, high-dose rate brachytherapy and concomitant chemotherapy with cisplatin or cisplatin and paclitaxel., Results: The 3-years disease free survival estimate was 64%. Hematological toxicity was the most limiting factor of concomitant chemotherapy. Late toxicity grade III and IV was observed in 7 patients. One patient underwent surgery due to ileus caused by lymphoma., Conclusions: Concomitant chemoradiotherapy with paraaortic fields results in high tumor control but also significant acute and late toxicity. New techniques of radiotherapy, such as intensity modulated radiotherapy, may improve the therapeutic ratio.

Objective: Concurrent chemoradiotherapy with weekly cisplatin became a standard procedure in patients with locally advanced cervical carcinoma. The objective of this retrospective study was to evaluate the therapy toleration and the survival of patients with locally advanced cervical cancer treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy with weekly cisplatin of 40mg/m2., Subject and Method: From January 2000 to December 2004, 40 patients with locally advanced cervical cancer were treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy with weekly cisplatin of 40mg/m2. Radical radiotherapy consisted of external beam radiotherapy 25 x 2 Gy to the pelvis, high-dose rate brachytherapy 6 x 4 Gy to the tumor, boost 7 x 2 Gy to the pelvic walls. 21 patients also recieved 22 x 2 Gy to the para-aortic lymphatic nodes., Results: Only 16 patients recieved full five doses of cisplatin. Causes of discontinuance of the chemotherapy: acute hematological toxicity with leukopenia (10), thrombocytopenia (1), anaemia (1), increased levels of creatinine (2), profuse vomiting (1), haematemesis (1). Stage dependent two-year overall survival (OS) was 72% (IIB) against 64% (III, IVA). Two-year disease-free survival (DFS) dependent on the number of cisplatin doses was 77% (> or = 3 doses) against 56% (<3 doses) in patients with IIB stage., Conclusion: Acute hematological toxicity with leukopenia was the most frequent cause of discontinuance of the chemotherapy. The results of two-year OS and DFS show difference in dependence on the number of applied doses of chemotherapy. However, the difference was not significant due to a low number of patients subject to the study.