Primary liver cancer is the ICD-10 category C22 (malignant tumors of the liver and intrahepatic bile ducts). This is one of the most severe forms of cancer. According to database (DB) of the Population-based Cancer Registry of St. Petersburg for the past 15 years the median of cumulative observed survival of liver cancer patients of all histological forms (excluding postmortem diagnosed patients) both for men and women was no more than 3.3 months from the moment of diagnosis. On the majority of administrative territories of Russia mortality from liver cancer exceeds the level of morbidity that indicates a significant underestimation of primary patients. Even mortality («rude» rate) for Russia in the whole for men in 2012 exceeded the level of morbidity. St. Petersburg (Leningrad) is the single territory of Russia where the dynamics of the population liver cancer incidence can be analyzed since 1980. Dynamics of histological structure of liver cancer, recorded in St. Petersburg, shows a sharp decline in the proportion of tumors of the liver without a specific histological type and the significant increase in hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma. Purpose of the study. To study the prevalence of liver cancer in the world and Russia, to produce in-depth development of material based on DB of the Population-based Cancer Registry of St. Petersburg. Material and methods. For the study there were taken by international data of the program «Cancer in 5 continents», statistical materials on Russia, 3893 cases from DB of the Population-based Cancer Registry of St. Petersburg, estimated analytical indices, index accuracy. Results of the study. Liver cancer is the most severe form of cancer. It is practically not detected in stage I and II of disease, index of accuracy in the most administrative territories exceeds 1.0. Conclusion. Thus liver cancer is not only one of tumors with the highest lethality and the lowest median of survival but also has a significant underestimation of the primary cases. Since the introduction in public reporting data on deaths from liver cancer in 1999 the standardized mortality rate in St. Petersburg decreased by 17.2 % in men and 16.0 % women.

The study included 96 patients with morphologically verified  squamous cell carcinoma of larynx and laryngopharynx T2–4N0–2M0 stage of the tumor process who were administered two courses of neoadjuvant chemotherapy at 3–4 weeks interval by the scheme paclitaxel 175 mg/m2, carboplatin AUC-6 plus radiotherapy in the regimen of multifractionated radiation dose of 1.3 Gy twice a day at 4 hours interval. In case of complete regression of the tumor (n=33) radiotherapy was performed to the accumulated radical dose of 65 isoGy. The next stage in partial regression and stabilization of the process (n=63) was radical surgical intervention. EORTC QLQ-30 and QLQ – H&N35 questionnaires were used to estimate quality of life of the patients. Quality of life as a criterion for the assessment of treatment efficacy was correlated with a significant increase in the 2-year overall and disease-free survival in patients who received chemoradiotherapy compared to those who underwent combined modality treatment including surgery. Changes in the values of EORTC QLQ-30 and QLQ – H & N35 modules clearly indicate the relationship between the quality of life measures and treatment methods.

Purpose: to compare survival of patients with locally advanced inoperable gastric cancer (LAIGC), receiving accelerated hyperfractionated (AHF) or conventionally fractionated (CF) radiation therapy (RT). Methods and Materials. Between November 1993 and March 2010, 137 patients with LAIGC receiving CF (2 Gy daily) or AHF (1.3 Gy b.i.d.) to total at least 50 Gy RT in combination or without chemotherapy were retrospectively selected from the hospital database of Arkhangelsk clinical oncological dispensary. Overall survival (OS) assessed using actuarial analysis, Kaplan – Meier method and Cox regression. results. The CF and AHF groups were 102 and 35 patients, respectively. Median follow-up time for all patients was 12 years. By the time of analysis 123 (90 %) patients of all cohort died. Median, 7-year survival were 24 (95 % confidence intervals (CI), 17–31) vs 16 (95 % CI, 11–21) months, hazard ratio (HR)=0.71 (95 % CI, 0.46–1.06), р=0.097; and 19 % (95 % CI 8–34 %) vs 6% (95 % CI 2–13 %) in the AHF and CF groups, respectively. In multivariate OS model the difference decreased to HR=0.87 (95 % CI, 0.49–1.55). The location of the tumor in median third (HR=0.60, 95 % CI, 0.37–0.99 in refer to upper third) was the only independent factor influencing survival.  There was no influence of the total dose in chosen level on survival. conclusion. Our retrospective shows trend towards better OS for those LAIGC patients receiving RT in AHF regimen compared to CF. The prospective randomized study with conformal radiation technics is necessary to confirm these findings.

Efficacy of neoadjuvant photodynamic therapy (PDT) with photoditazine and radachlorine was assessed in 42 patients with stage I–III primary melanoma. The control group consisted of 42 patients with melanoma who underwent surgery alone. The 2.5-year overall and recurrence-free survival rates were significantly higher in patients who received neoadjuvant PDT than in the control group patients.  Neoadjuvant PDT performed 2 days before surgery was found to promote the activation of T-and B-cell immunity.   In the experimental study it was shown that the increase in time of laser irradiation of melanoma cell culture accompanied by a significant increase in the proportion of late apoptotic cells.

The comparative analysis of the efficacy of anesthetic management in 53 patients with operable rectal cancer was carried out. In the study group patients (n=29), preemptive thoracic epidural analgesia was used. In the control group, (n=24), anesthesia was induced with sevofluorane and fentanyl. Preemptive thoracic epidural analgesia provided a reliable blockade of nociceptors and neural pathways, normalized stress response and decreased the severity of the systemic inflammatory response by stimulating the production of antiinflammatory cytokines.

MicroRNA are nonprotein-coding small ribonucleic acids controlling gene expression at post-transcriptional level. MicroRNA technically could controll 2/3 of human genome. At the present study abnormal expression of microRNA-18а, -21, -155, -200а, -200с, -205, -221, -494 in malignant tissue of squamous cell larynx carcinoma of 46 patients were studied. There was no statistically significant correlation between microRNA expression and pathological characteristics. Our data showed that oncogenic microRNA-21, -155, -205 were overexpressed as well as oncosypression microRNA-200a were underexpressed in larynx cancer compared to adjacent normal epithelium.

In experiments with adult female rats was studied effect of fish oil on development of mammary gland and colon tumors induced by methylnitrosourea (MNU) using a multi-organ carcinogenesis model. MNU in saline solution administered directly into the target organs: one injection of 1 mg locally in each 12 mammary glands and four intrarectal instillations of 4 mg one time per week. Then rats were given fish oil or sunflower oil (control), 1 ml/rat per day five times a week by gavage for the consecutive 6 months. To the end of experiments when rats were sacrificed in groups with treatment of MNU tumors were detected in 85,7–92,9 %, more half of its were multiple tumors (more often adenocarcinomas) of mammary gland and colon. Sunflower oil did not have significant effect on the carcinogenesis. In rats from fish oil + MNU group compared with the MNU-control group the incidence and multiplicity of mammary tumors were significantly decreased by 1.6 and 3.1 times, correspondingly. Fish oil had less inhibitory effect on the development of colon tumors: decrease of tumor multiplicity (by 1.6 times) was detected only in comparison with MNU + sunflower oil group. These results are interesting for consequence study and use of fish oil as oncoprotector.

Purpose: to study argyrophilic proteins associated with nucleolar organizer regions (Ag-NOR proteins) in proliferating cells in relationship between the clinical and morphological parameters and survival in squamous cell lung carcinoma. Materials and methods: One hundred and thirteen surgical specimens of squamous cell lung cancer were studied using double staining for Ki-67 antigen (MIB-1 clone, DAKO) by immunohistochemistry and for Ag-ЯОР-proteins with silver nitrate. results: In squamous cell carcinoma, the Ag-NOR area in Ki-67 positive cells correlated with the clinical and morphological parameters: parameter T, the greatest tumor size, parameter N, stage of the disease and tumor differentiation. When the area of Ag-ЯОР-proteins in Ki-67 positive cells was small, the long-term survival rates were higher.   The Ag-ЯОР area in Ki-67 positive cells is an independent prognostic factor in squamous cell lung cancer.

Findings of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were analyzed for patients with cervical cancer. The aim of the study was to evaluate the role of high-field MRI in the assessment of extension of cervical cancer for planning further treatment. The study included 66 cervical cancer patients. MRI was performed using MAGNETOM ESSENZA 1.5Т (SIEMENS, Germany) MRI scanner. To assess tumor extension and define tumor margins, an intravenous bolus injection of paramagnetic contrast agent was used. Series of sections and delayed scans in the standard T1-weighted sequence were obtained. The analysis of diagnostic value of MRI in the assessment of the extent of cervical cancer spread was carried out. Criteria characterizing tumor extension outside the cervix were identified.

The purpose of the study was to identify risk factors for colorectal cancer on the basis of retrospective analysis of gynecological history and status of 183 patients with colon adenocarcinoma treated at the Russian X-Ray Radiology Research Center between 1996 and 2011. Evaluation of gynecological status was based on findings  of gynecological, transvaginal and ultrasound examinations of the genitals, as well as on cytological cervical screening and colposcopy. Hysteroscopy and separate diagnostic curettage were performed if necessary. Gynecological status of patients with colorectal cancer was characterized by ovarian hypofunction and high incidence of benign non-inflammatory (78.1 %) and inflammatory (88.0 %) disorders of genital tract. In most cases (63.9 %) polyneoplasia in patients with colorectal cancer combined with breast, endometrial and ovarian cancers. Considering younger age of the onset of benign disease of the genital tract, this group of patients should be followed up carefully for the development of colon cancer.

The paper presents the analysis of the frequency of synchronous gastric and esophageal carcinomas in 176 patients with primary respiratory tract cancer, 122 (69.3%) of them with head and neck cancer and 54 (30.7%) with lung cancer.  The endoscopic examination revealed synchronous gastric cancer (n=4) and synchronous esophageal cancer (n=1) in 5 (2.8 %) cases (3 with primary lung cancer and 2 with primary laryngeal cancer). These patients received anticancer treatment for synchronous polyneoplasias. Ninety-one (51.7 %) patients had gastric mucosal atrophy, which in 25.7 % of cases was characterized as premalignant lesions: grade I-II dysplasia (20.2%) and grade III dysplasia (5.5%).  Considering the data obtained, patients with respiratory tract cancer have an increased risk for developing gastric and esophageal cancer. Endoscopic esophageal and gastric examination using advanced technologies should be included in the algorithm of management of these patients.

The literature review is devoted to the analysis of different approaches in the treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumors since they have been classified as a separate nasological group. The current trends of targeted therapies for gastrointestinal stromal tumors have been presented.

The review presents the 30-year experience of using fast neutron therapy for patients with cancer of various sites. Radiobiological aspects of neutron fast therapy are analyzed.

We report a rare case of successful surgical management (simultaneous esophagectomy and upper lobectomy with resection of the main and intermediate bronchi) of synchronous multiple primary cancer of the thoracic esophagus and central cancer of the right lung.    The role of morphological characteristics in differential diagnosis between synchronous neoplasia and metastasis has been described. This clinical case demonstrates successful one-stage surgical management of this disease provided a correct assessment of the extent of cancer involvement and the patient’s functional status.

The article presents a biographical sketch of B.N. Zyryanov, a prominent Russian oncologist, Director of Tomsk Cancer Research Institute in the period from 1987 to 2002, Academician of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Professor.

To the 60-th birthday

75-th birthday

75-th birthday