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The paper discusses the results of treatment of 316 patients with gastro-intestinal tumors metastasizing to the liver. Patients were divided into 3 groups by tumor localization (stomach, colon, rectum). The best results were reported in patients who had had cytoreductive surgery for primary tumor, radiofrequency ablation and chemotherapy (42). All patients of that group survived over 12 months.

Microcirculation and blood rheology were studied in 348 patients with tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. Such disorders as increased blood and plasma viscosity, aggregates of erythrocytes and their increased stability of shape were recorded in conjunction with hypo- and dysproteinemia, endogenous intoxication syndrome and microvascular disturbances. Microcirculation significantly improved and endoxemia was alleviated following photomodification of the blood by use of helium-neon laser radiation and application of an original procedure of infusion.

Humoral autoimmunity of patients with malignant gastrointestinal tumors was studied by different variants of enzyme immunoassay. In the preoperative period the frequency of detecting autoantibodies binding to DNA and components of external and internal membranes of cells of different tissues was not higher in patients (n-55) than in donors (n-45). Beginning from the 7th postoperative day all patients were found to have a significantly increased level of autoantibodies to DNA (p less than 0.01), fibroblasts (p less than 0.01), hepatocytes (p less than 0.01), islet cells (p less than 0.01), hepatic or pancreatic microsomes (p less than 0.05). There was a tendency towards normalization of these level by the 21st day in all cases. In patients (n-10) treated by blood intravascular laser irradiation after the operation the level of IgG (but not IgM) autoantibodies to DNA by the 14th postoperative day was significantly (p less than 0.01) higher than that in patients whose blood was not exposed to radiation. It is suggested that the discovered humoral immune reaction is a necessary component of wound immunity and develops in response to hetero-organic autoantigens which are unmasked in injury of the tissues during the operation. Laser therapy ensures a more intensive development of this reaction without altering its direction.

Forty patients with tumors of the esophagus, cardia and rectum, subjected preoperatively to gamma-therapy (500 rad for 6 days) and 24 patients subjected only to the operation (the control group) were examined for the heart rate, arterial pressure, minute and stroke heart volumes and circulatory volume (AFS--J131) before and after irradiation and 1, 3, 5 days following the operation. Gamma-therapy was found to result in more poor hemodynamic indices whether the heart is irradiated or not. In irradiation of the heart region (cancer of the esophagus and cardia) much poorer hemodynamic indices were noted.

Various types of non-routine dose fractionation were used in 2062 patients with malignant tumors of different sites. The conclusion was that superfractionation was more preferable for tumors with a high proliferative pool, with fast growth rates, marked radiosensitivity. It ensures the protection of normal tissues without a decrease or even with an increase in an antitumor effect. Such fractionation can be recommended when large tissue areas are to be irradiated. Dynamic dose fractionation regimens proved to be more effective than the use of large fractions not only in squamous cell carcinoma but also in sarcoma both before operation and as therapy after a radical program.