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Backgrounds: Treatment of recurrent ovarian cancer is not standardized. Pre-clinical tests have confirmed the synergistic effect of gemcitabine and platinum, which can break through drug resistance to platinum. Therefore, efficacy of a combined gemcitabine and platinum-based regimen can be expected not only in therapy platinum-sensitive but also in platinum-resistant disease. Surgery--so-called secondary (eventually tertiary) cytoreductive surgery, should be considered in recurrent disease before planning the chemotherapy., Patients and Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of 58 patients with recurrent ovarian cancer treated with a gemcitabine and platinum-based regimen (GP) as the second or third-line chemotherapy. Some of the patients underwent secondary cytoreductive surgery before starting the systemic treatment. The aim of the study was to detect the response rate, progression-free survival and overall survival in the whole group of patients and in subgroups with platinum-sensitive and platinum-resistant disease. Another aim was to detect the correlation between secondary cytoreductive surgery and the efficacy of chemotherapy., Results: Systemic treatment (GP) has helped to achieve a response rate of 53.5%, with time to progression 10 months and overall survival 23.5 months. A better response rate, progression free survival and overall survival were achieved in the group of patients with platinum-sensitive disease compared to patients with platinum-resistant disease, but this difference was not statistically significant. 20 patients underwent effective secondary cytoreductive surgery before the systemic treatment. Patients who underwent effective secondary cytoreductive surgery had a statistically better response rate (RR: 80% vs 39.5%), longer progression-free survival (PFS: 13.5 m vs 9 m, p = 0.006) and longer overall survival (OS: 40 m vs 16.9 m, p = 0.006) when compared to patients without secondary cytoreductive surgery., Conclusion: We have confirmed the efficacy of a gemcitabine and platinum-based regimen in the therapy of recurrent ovarian cancer, in both platinum-sensitive and platinum-resistant disease. An important prognostic factor in the whole group of patients was the realization of effective secondary cytoreductive surgery.

Ninety nine patients with 101 bacteraemic episodes due to Ps. aeruginosa (PA) within 6 years were divided into two groups according to their resistance to imipenem-91 due to imipenem sensitive (ISPA) and 10 due to resistant (IRPA). Risk factors, the clinical course and the outcome were evaluated and compared. Acute leukaemia, prolonged neutropenia, previous therapy with amikacin, third generation of cephalosporins, imipenem and prophylaxis by quinolones were significantly more frequently associated with IRPA. Imipenem resistant PA bacteraemia were associated with higher incidence of septic shock (40% vs 19.8%, p < 0.02) and death (33.3%) than ISPA bacteraemias. Since 1992, when first IRPA appeared, the incidence of imipenem resistance increased tenfold, and in 1994, up to 10% of PA causing bloodstream infections in cancer patients in our center were imipenem resistant. (Tab. 3, Ref. 8.).

One hundred twenty three breakthrough bacteraemias (BB) during 5 years in a National Cancer Institute, among 9986 admissions and 979 bacteraemic episodes were analysed. 123 BB were caused by 323 microbes, only 116 were resistant (31.5%) to currently administered antimicrobials. Sixty seven of 123 bacteraemic episodes were catheter associated confirmed by isolation of the same organisms from the blood and catheter tip. 77/123 BE were polymicrobial. The most frequently isolated strains were coagulase negative staphylococci (30.5%), Corynebacteria (10%), Ps. aeruginosa (10%), Str. faecalis (9%) and Viridans streptococci (8.5%). Gram-positive aerobes accounted for two-thirds of all organisms isolated during breakthrough bacteraemic and fungaemic episodes. Mixed polymicrobial breakthrough bacteraemic and fungaemic episodes were more frequently associated with vascular catheter insertion and neutropenia, and had a less favourable outcome in comparison to monomicrobial infections. The relapse was associated more frequently with catheter related bacteraemic and fungaemic episodes, but the overall mortality rate was similar independently from catheter insertion. Breakthrough bacteraemic and fungaemic episodes were associated more frequently with acute leukaemia. Polymicrobial breakthrough bacteraemic and fungaemic episodes were associated more frequently in neutropenic episodes and in venous catheters. Regarding the outcome, an extraction of the catheter with no dependence on variable and modification of antimicrobial therapy were essential for the improvement in the prognosis. (Tab. 5, Ref. 20.).