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Ninety-six patients with unresectable or metastatic colorectal cancer received first-line chemotherapy plus bevacizumab. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the therapy. Median relapse-free survival lasted 10.4 months. Addition of bevacizumab was well tolerated and may be recommended for clinical use.

Mabthera has been tested for its influence on relapsing and refractory low-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in a comparative study using monotherapy (R) or in conjunction with CHOP (R-CHOP) chemotherapy. Out of 33 in-patients, effect was evaluated in 31 (rituximab monotherapy--16, R-CHOP--31). MabThera monochemotherapy proved effective in 62% of those who had received several other regimes, R-CHOP-74%. Both regimens were followed by long (ca.12 months) stable remissions. No difference in complete and partial remission duration was reported, whereas complete remission ranged 6-13 months, partial--2-24 months. Clinically significant results were 87.5% in the monotherapy group, and 87%--R-CHOP. No correlation was found between the efficacy of both regimens, on the one hand, and morphological patterns of lymphoma, on the other. CHOP chemotherapy had been given to 7 out of 15 patients treated with R-CHOP. Four of them had partial remission thus suggesting a modulating effect of rituximab on the resistance of previous treatment. R-CHOP was well tolerated by all patients, irrespective of age, did not contribute to untoward side-effects and assured longer remission.

The study comprised 702 patients radically operated on for non-small cell cancer of the lung: surgery alone--351; radiation + surgery --110; (Eighty-seven patients of the latter group received an intensive course of radiation with a total target dose (TTD) of 20 Gy); surgery + fractionated radiation with TTD 50-55 Gy--195; radiation + surgery + radiation--46. No significant increase in overall or stage-related survival was registered for application of either modality as compared with controls. To establish indications for adjuvant radiotherapy, a prognostic factor study was undertaken using the regression model of Cox. The presence of metastasis in mediastinal nodes (N2) is considered the main indication for combined treatment. In the absence of metastasis in the regional nodes (N0) or in case of metastatic involvement of the nodes of the radix pulmonis (N1), adjuvant radiotherapy was not followed by a significant increase in survival rates even in cases of extensive local primary tumor (T3) and other unfavorable factors. Surgery + radiation or radiation + surgery + radiation for extensive non-small cell disease (T1-3N2M0) led to a significant (p < 0.05) rise in overall and recurrence-free survival rates and reduced the risk of local recurrences as compared with surgery alone.

A 45-year experience of diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer is presented. In groups at high risk of cancer, photoroentgenographic screening has proved effective. The use of out-patient complex pulmonologic examination serves to improve identification of central cancer. Early cancers of the lung can be reliably detected in 92.2% of patients with central cancer and in 92.6%-peripheral localizations of tumor. After radical surgery, 5-year survival in cases of stage I tumor was 63.5: stage II-43.5 and stage III-22.9%, mean 5-year survival (irrespective of stage) being 37%. Postoperative radiation was shown to be followed survival over 5 years in cases of non-small cell carcinoma (N2). Early diagnosis and combined therapy are key in raising efficacy of lung cancer treatment.

Clinical studies were carried out in a group of 71 cancer patients to evaluate the effects of intravenous infusion of human recombinant interleukin-1-beta (betaleukin) (I and II phases). It was shown that daily single doses of 10-20 ng/kg body, for 5 days, markedly stimulated leukopoiesis (granulocytopoiesis) in toxic (grade II-IV) leukopenia which hampered combination chemotherapy. A protective effect on leukopoiesis (granulocy-topoiesis) was recorded in cases of moderate leukopenia when chemotherapy was continued. Such side-effects as stage I-III hyperthermia (13.5%) or their combination (50.0%) were effectively managed with paracetamol and antihistamines administration without causing suspension of the drug.