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Predictive significance of lymphoid infiltration (LI) at the boundary of tumor and intact tissue was evaluated as well as the effect of Fas-receptor (Fas) and Fas-ligand (FasL) melanoma cell expression and lymphoid infiltrate generation, on the one hand, and end results on the other. Samples of melanoma tissues from 283 patients given combined and complex treatment were examined by a single morphologist. Immunohistochemical analysis was done on paraffin-embedded bioptates from 61 patients with marked LI or without it, to assess Fas and FasL expression. Actuarial specific 5-year survival for LI(+++) was 86.7 +/- 5.6%, LI(++)--69.1 +/- 5.8%, LI(+)--45.4 +/- 5.3% +/- and LI(-)--45.9 +/- 5.9%. Most tumors were grade III-IV: more than half of them--up to 4 mm thick. Five-year survival among patients with tumors of the former group was 78.9 +/- 8.4%, 73.3 +/- 6.19%, 46.4 +/- 6.3% and 55.9 +/- 7.7%, respectively, while the latter group--90.4 +/- 5.3%, 70.9 +/- 7.1%, 65.0 +/- 6.9% and 69.7 +/- 8.0%, respectively. All samples from primary skin melanoma expressed Fas and FasL in 60.7%. No significant effect of FasL expression by tumor cells on LI generation and 5-year survival was observed.

The efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy as a component of complex treatment for skin melanoma and that of combined treatment alone was compared. 502 patients were given combined treatment including intensive preoperative irradiation of primary foci (STD-19Gy, TTD-50 Gy, 5 days), their extended excision with or without lymphadenectomy and postoperative irradiation of regional lymph nodes. Combined treatment was administered to 124 patients; additional adjuvant chemotherapy--5-fluorouracil, methotrexate, vincristine and cyclophosphamide (4 components)--200; neo- and adjuvant chemotherapy with cisplatin and doxorubicin (2 components)--106; cisplatin, doxorubicin and dacarbazine (3 components)--29. Forty-three patients receiving individualized chemotherapy were not included in the study. None of the 502 patients showed local recurrence. Five-year actuarial survival in combined treatment group was 69.2 +/- 4.4% (M +/- m), 4-component therapy--58.2 +/- 3.6%, 2 components--68.7 +/- 4.9% and 3 components--80.0 +/- 8.3% (p0.2); 5-year recurrence-free survival- 68.1 +/- 4.4%, 57.5 +/- 3.6%; 63.1 +/- 5.0% and 60.9 +/- 10.0% respectively. No significant differences were found as far as a correlation was concerned between actuarial survival and recurrence-free one, on the one hand, and tumor stage, depth and extent of invasion, on the other. Hence, no beneficial effect of said adjuvant chemotherapeutic measures on combined treatment for locally-advanced skin melanoma was found.

Data on 373 patients treated for cutaneous melanoma were evaluated to test a hypothesis whether there is a correlation between mechanism of protection from ultraviolet radiation and gender. Cutaneous melanoma of the extremities was identified in 63.2% of females and 26.6% of males (p0.001) versus 26.1% and 54.0%, respectively, with tumors of the trunk (p0.001). Five-year survival in women was 80.8% versus 76.9% in men in the first group (p0.2) and 59.5% and 50.0% , respectively, in the second one (p0.2). Hence, the correlation was concerned with tumor site rather than gender.

Prerequisites for the use of electron acceptor compounds as radiosensitizers in tumor radiation therapy have been analysed. The short-term results of the treatment of 148 patients with metronidazole have been also analysed. A study of the distribution of metronidazole in the blood and tissues after its administration shows that the best route of its administration is a combined one (1/3 of the dose per os and 2/3 with the enema). In this case the highest level of the drug in a tumor was observed after 4-6 hrs. when radiation therapy was provided. A special scheme of radiation therapy with the use of metronidazole was worked out. The short-term therapeutic results with the use of metronidazole were somewhat better than those in the control group or did not differ from them.

The data on 216 cases of cancer of the thoracic part of the esophagus treated by radiation are presented. The course of treatment was completed in 169 patients only. Two modalities of Co-60 teletherapy were employed. Complete regression of tumor was slightly more frequent in patients who were exposed to split-course radiation at two weeks' intervals than in those receiving a continuous course (22 +/- 4 and 33 +/- 6%, respectively). A five-year disease-free survival after a full course totalling a NSD of 60-70 Gy was registered in 14%.