Mirosława Püsküllüoğlu

Assessment of knowledge about cervical cancer and its prevention among female students aged 17-26 years

OBJECTIVE To assess knowledge about cervical cancer and its primary and secondary prevention, and identify the sources of information about the disease among female high school and university students in Krakow, Poland. STUDY DESIGN This study was based on a questionnaire consisting of 64 questions, divided into six parts: personal data, general knowledge about cervical cancer, estimation of risk factors, knowledge about primary prevention, knowledge about secondary prevention, and information sources. Data were collected from students aged 17-26 years over a 3-month period in 2011 and 2012. RESULTS Four hundred women living in Krakow or its vicinity were included in the study. Nearly all respondents (98.5%) had heard of cervical cancer, 89.4% were aware of the risk of death associated with cervical cancer, and 44.8% believed that the disease could affect them in the future. The interviewees considered genetics and family history to be the most important risk factors, followed by infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) and having multiple sex partners. Most (91.5%) respondents had not been vaccinated against HPV, 47.9% did not know where to go to get vaccinated, and 30.1% were unaware of vaccination as a prevention method. Most (91.5%) respondents were aware of cytological screening, and 86.5% thought that they should have it done in the future. Women who had not heard of cytological screening were more likely to be unaware of cervical cancer than women who had heard about cytological screening (odds ratio 0.24, 95% confidence interval 0.11-0.49, p=0.0001). The Internet, television and newspapers were reported to be the main sources of information about the disease. CONCLUSIONS General awareness of cervical cancer among young women in Poland is insufficient. HPV infection is not considered to be the major aetiological factor. A relatively high percentage of women in this study had never heard of the HPV vaccine as a way of preventing cervical cancer. Knowledge about cytological screening, however, appears to be much better.

Circadian Models of Serum Potassium, Sodium, and Calcium Concentrations in Healthy Individuals and Their Application to Cardiac Electrophysiology Simulations at Individual Level

In the article a brief description of the biological basis of the regulation of human biological clocks was presented in order to introduce the role of circadian rhythms in physiology and specifically in the pharmacological translational tools based on the computational physiology models to motivate the need to provide models of circadian fluctuation in plasma cations. The main aim of the study was to develop statistical models of the circadian rhythm of potassium, sodium, and calcium concentrations in plasma. The developed ion models were further tested by assessing their influence on QT duration (cardiac endpoint) as simulated by the biophysically detailed models of human left ventricular cardiomyocyte. The main results are model equations along with an electronic supplement to the article that contains a fully functional implementation of all models.

Validation of the Polish Version of the EORTC QLQ-C30 and the QLQ-OG25 for the Assessment of Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Esophagi-Gastric Cancer

The aim of this study was to validate the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) quality of life questionnaire Core 30 (QLQ-C30) and its esophagi-gastric module (QLQ-OG25) in their Polish language versions. Translation of the QLQ-OG25 was done according to EORTC guidelines. Each of the 98 patients filled out the two EORTC questionnaires and a personal questionnaire. Reliability and validity test were performed and patients’ comments were analyzed. The Polish version of the EORTC QLQ-C30 and the QLQ-OG25 are reliable and valid tools for measuring health-related quality of life in patients with esophagi-gastric cancer.

Creating and field-testing the questionnaire for the assessment of knowledge about cervical cancer and its prevention among schoolgirls and female students

Objective The aim of this study was to develop and validate a questionnaire used to assess the level of general knowledge about cervical cancer, its primary and secondary prevention, and to identify sources of information about the disease among schoolgirls and female students. Methods The questionnaire development process was divided into four phases: generation of issues; construction of a provisional questionnaire; testing of the provisional questionnaire for acceptability and relevance; field-testing, which aimed at ensuring reliability and validity of the questionnaire. Field-testing included 305 respondents of high school female Caucasian students, who filled out the final version of the questionnaire. Results After phase 1, a list of 65 issues concerning knowledge about cervical cancer and its prevention was generated. Of 305, 155 were schoolgirls (mean age±SD, 17.8±0.5) and 150 were female students (mean age±SD, 21.7±1.8). The Cronbach alpha coefficient for the whole questionnaire was 0.71 (range for specific questionnaire sections, 0.60 to 0.81). Test-retest reliability ranged from 0.89 to 0.94. Conclusion The Cervical-Cancer-Knowledge-Prevention-64 has been successfully developed to measure the level of knowledge about cervical cancer. The results confirm the validity, reliability and applicability of the created questionnaire.

Acupuncture: could it become everyday practice in oncology?

Acupuncture is a complementary and alternative medical treatment (CAM) which is increasingly used in the care of cancer patients. Traditionally derived from Chinese medicine, nowadays it is becoming a part of evidence-based oncology. The use of acupuncture in these patients has been recommended by the American Cancer Society (ACS) for the treatment of side effects associated with conventional cancer therapy and cancer-related ailments. A growing body of evidence supports the use of acupuncture in the treatment of cancer-induced pain and chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting. Also other indications, such as xerostomia, fatigue, hot flashes, anxiety and peripheral neuropathy, are being constantly evaluated. This article summarizes the most important discoveries related to the possible usefulness of this method in contemporary oncology. Emphasis is placed on the results of randomized controlled trials with an adequate level of evidence. However, explanation of the mechanisms responsible for these effects requires confirmation in further studies with an adequate level of evidence. In future, acupuncture may become an interesting and valuable addition to conventional medicine.

HER-3 expression in HER-2-amplified breast carcinoma

Aim of the study To determine whether the expression of HER-3 influences the survival of HER-2 positive patients with breast cancer (BC). Material and methods In the present work, the expression of HER-3 in a group of 35 HER-2 positive patients with BC was studied by performing immunohistochemistry (IHC) in formalin-fixed paraffin embedded tissues. Results Higher HER-3 status if estimated by IHC correlated significantly with older age of the patients. HER-3 expression did not correlate with estrogen or progesterone receptor status, pT or pN. There was also no significant difference in disease-free or overall survival (DFS and OS) between groups with different HER-3 expression, although some tendencies were seen as HER-3 expression in over 50% of cells was a factor of worse 5- and 10-year survival. Conclusions Further studies should be performed on a larger group of patients to confirm the prognostic role of HER-3 status determined by IHC in BC.

Main influencing factors and health-related quality of life issues in patients with oesophago-gastric cancer – as measured by EORTC tools

Aim of the study To assess influencing factors and main health-related quality of life (HRQoL) issues in patients with cancers of the oesophago-gastric region using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) quality of life questionnaire Core 30 (QLQ-C30) and its oesophago-gastric module (QLQ-OG25). Material and methods Patients were qualified for this study based on the histological confirmation of oesophageal, oesophago-gastric or gastric cancers. Each patient filled out the Polish version of the EORTC QLQ-C30, the QLQ-OG25 module and a personal questionnaire. Patients were divided into groups based on gender, age, treatment intention, tumour localization, working status and level of education. Results Our study included 112 patients – 39 women (35%) and 73 men (mean age ± SD; 60.2 ±10.9). Thirty-five patients (31.3%) completed the questionnaires twice. Eighty-four (75%) patients had gastric cancer (GC), twenty-six (23.2%) oesophageal cancer (OC) and two (1.8%) cancer of the oesophago-gastric junction (OGJC). Eighty (71.4%) patients underwent surgical treatment prior to either chemo-, radio- or chemoradiotherapy. The Global Health Status scale of the QLQ-C30 inversely correlated with all the other QLQ-C30 and QLQ-OG25 symptom scales (r = –0.26 to –0.61; p < 0.05). Conclusions The main HRQoL problems of Polish OC, OGJC and GC patients are fatigue, insomnia, anxiety, and appetite and weight loss. Older age, receiving palliative treatment, having gastric cancer, being on retirement and having lower education are factors associated with higher symptom scores (worse symptoms) and thus poorer HRQoL.

The antineoplastic effect of low-molecular-weight heparins – a literature review

There is some evidence for the antitumor effect of heparins, especially the low-molecular-weight ones. The authors discuss the potential mechanism of this antineoplastic effect and present results from several in vitro and in vivo experiments. The clinical trials concerning the impact of low-molecular-weight heparins on the tumor and on the patients’ survival are described. The objective was to find out if heparins could be administered as an antitumor drug, independently of their anticoagulatory properties. The antitumor role of tissue factor, heparinase, chemokines, stromal proteins, cellular interactions as well as angiogenesis and immunology seems certain. The results of the available studies seem promising but large clinical trials are necessary in order to confirm the antineoplastic effect of the low-molecular-weight heparins and to approve them for standard anticancer treatment. It could be a breakthrough in modern oncology.

Clinical effectiveness and toxicity of second-line irinotecan in advanced gastric and gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma: a single-center observational study

Background: Randomized clinical trials showed improved overall survival (OS) of advanced gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma (GEA) patients treated with second-line taxane or irinotecan. However, most data on irinotecan efficacy in this setting come from large Asian trials. We retrospectively analyzed clinical effectiveness and toxicity of irinotecan in a cohort of patients with advanced GEA treated in our department. Methods: Advanced GEA patients who received at least one cycle of second-line irinotecan were eligible for inclusion. Irinotecan was administered every 3 weeks at an initial dose of 250 mg/m2 of body surface area with subsequent gradual (every 50 mg/m2) dose escalation up to 350 mg/m2, in the case of good treatment tolerance. OS was estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method. A multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to examine the association between clinical and laboratory parameters and survival. Results: A total of 48 patients were identified. Median OS was 6.2 months [95% confidence interval (CI): 3.9–7.6]. In multivariate analysis, age < 65 years, baseline total lymphocyte count (TLC) < 1500/µl and presence of peritoneal metastases were associated with shorter OS. Most adverse events were grade 1–2 and included: anemia (52.3%), leukocytopenia (40.9%), neutropenia (59.1%), nausea (25.0%), vomiting (31.8%), diarrhea (31.8%), anorexia (29.5%) and fatigue (43.2%). Febrile neutropenia occurred in three patients (6.8%). Nine patients (20.5%) experienced a toxicity grade 3–4 of any kind. Conclusions: This retrospective analysis confirms clinical effectiveness and manageable toxicity of second-line irinotecan in an unselected cohort of advanced GEA patients. Age < 65 years, baseline TLC < 1500/µl and presence of peritoneal metastases were independent prognostic factors associated with shorter OS.

Paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis in a patient with extensive disease small‑cell lung cancer

Paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis (PLE) is a rare disorder infrequently accompanying malignancy, coexisting in ~50% of the cases with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). The pathomechanism of PLE is considered to be immune-mediated, with production of specific anti-Hu antibodies and activation of T-cells directed against onconeural antigens present on both tumor cells and neurons. We herein report the case of a 50-year-old male patient who, prior to being diagnosed with SCLC, presented with typical symptoms of PLE (seizures, subacute cognitive dysfunction with severe memory impairment, anxiety and hallucinations). The initial brain magnetic resonance imaging examination revealed mild enlargement and hyperintensity of the hippocampal gyri bilaterally, with narrowed temporal horns of the lateral ventricles; the findings of the cerebrospinal fluid examination were compatible with the diagnosis of lymphocytic meningitis. Due to the suspected infectious origin of the disease, treatment with acyclovir and antibiotics was initially applied. However, following subsequent diagnosis of the underlying SCLC and the presence of antineuronal anti-Hu antibodies in the patients serum, the diagnosis of PLE accompanying extensive-disease (ED) SCLC was confirmed. In addition to the standard cytotoxic therapy, throughout the course of his disease the patient also continued treatment with valproic acid (VPA) as prophylaxis for the initial seizures. VPA is known to be a potent histone deacetylase inhibitor that may reverse epigenetic changes in tumor cells and potentially improve the outcome of cancer patients. The patient succumbed to the disease 25 months after the diagnosis of malignancy; such a long course is observed in only ~5% of patients with ED SCLC. Therefore, it was hypothesized that the accompanying paraneoplasia and treatment with VPA may have improved the outcome in this patient.