Tumori
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Glioblastoma is the most common primary brain tumor in adults. The standard treatment is surgery and radiotherapy. In this study, the results of radiotherapy plus concomitant and adjuvant temozolomide are reported. In addition, the efficiency of adjuvant temozolomide is evaluated. ⋯ The study confirmed the effectiveness of radiotherapy plus temozolomide in newly diagnosed glioblastoma. It was established that the application of adjuvant temozolomide for at least 4 cycles is required to obtain a benefit from adjuvant therapy. However, further studies are needed to confirm these data.
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Rectal and urinary toxicities are the principal limiting factors in delivering a high target dose to patients affected by prostate cancer. The verification of such toxicity is an important step before starting a dose-escalation program. The present observational study reports on the acute and late rectal and urinary toxicity in relation with dose-volume parameters in 104 patients with localized prostate cancer treated with 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy. ⋯ Conformal radiotherapy to the dose of 74 Gy was administered with good compliance. The incidence of acute and late toxicity was relatively low in accord with our dose constraints. Rectal V70 proved to be a reliable prognosticator of late toxicity. Overall survival and biochemical relapse-free survival rates were more favorable for low and intermediate-risk and significantly less favorable for high-risk patients.
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Comparative Study
Psychosexual and body image aspects of quality of life in Turkish breast cancer patients: a comparison of breast conserving treatment and mastectomy.
Assessing psychosexual and body image aspects of quality of life in Turkish breast cancer patients treated by either mastectomy or breast conserving treatment (BCT). ⋯ Significant, similar psychosexual and body image problems occur in patients treated for breast cancer with either mastectomy or BCT. Problems arise early in the course of the disease and therefore detection and treatment of these problems should be addressed during the patients' initial assessment and at the start of treatment. These findings are similar to those reported on similar groups of treated women in American and European populations.
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Cervical lymph node metastases of squamous cell carcinoma from an unknown primary site constitute about 5% of the total head and neck cancer, cases. The management of these patients is still a therapeutic challenge. The aim of the present study was to analyze the prognosis in a series of patients and, in particular, the impact of different radiotherapy techniques on the prognosis. ⋯ Patients with cervical lymph node metastases of squamous cell carcinoma from an unknown primary site have clinical features and a prognosis similar to those of other head and neck malignancies. Extensive irradiation results in a lower trend of emergence of the primary tumor than when patients are treated with ipsilateral and bilateral irradiation, but there is no significant difference in overall survival.