Purpose of the study. Assessment of the quality of individual oral hygiene in patients with squamous cell oropharyngeal cancer before and after radiation therapy.

Materials and methods. Examined 76 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharyngeal region. For all patients, before and after radiation therapy, evaluated the hygienic state of the oral cavity using indices: index of individual hygiene (Green V.), Silness‑Loe index (GI), index of prevalence of periodontal diseases (CPITN).

Results. The number of males was higher than that of females: 52 (68.4%) versus 24 (31.6%). Before radiotherapy, 52 (68.4%) patients had gingivitis, 66 (86.8%) had periodontitis, 43 (56.5%) had metal crowns, and 57 (76%) had destroyed teeth. All patients (100%) had oral mucositis after radiation therapy. We found a significant negative trend: the Green V. index changed by 29.2%, CPITN indicators‑by 38%, GI — by 31.2% (p<0.05). There was also a direct dependence of the severity of oral mucositis on the total dose of radiation. Thus, patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharyngeal region develop severe oral mucositis with a total radiation dose of 30 Gy and above. The probability of occurrence of oral mucositis of 4 severity is possible in 2/3 cases with a total radiation dose of 40 Gy or higher.

Conclusion. The severity of oral mucositis depends on both the total radiation dose and the initial dental status of the patient. Therefore, quality control of individual oral hygiene and periodontal support for patients with oral malignancies should be carried out throughout the patient's treatment.

Purpose of the study. To assess the potential of sonography in the diagnosis of pelvic tumors in children.

Patients and methods. We retrospectively analyzed results of ultrasound examination of the small pelvis, abdominal cavity and retroperitoneal space in 110 children with pelvic cancer referred for examination and treatment to National Medical Research Centre for Oncology of the Ministry of Health of Russia, distinguishing the most significant ultrasound parameters regardless of the tumor histological structure. 69.1% of patients were diagnosed with germ cell tumors, including 72.4% with gonadal and 27.6% with extragonadal tumors, 85.8% with sacrococcygeal tumors, 9.5% — uterine and 4.7% — vaginal tumors. Rhabdomyosarcoma was detected in 25.4%, neuroblastoma in 4.5% and a primitive neuroectodermal tumor in 1%. Standard ultrasound examination was performed using scanners Philips IU22 (USA) and Logic 400 MD (GE, USA) with convex transducers (3.5–5.5 MHz) in grayscale, color Doppler and power Doppler modes.

Results. The first stage of diagnostics showed that malignant pelvic tumors were characterized with an irregular shape registered in 97 (88.2%; p<0.0001), uneven, fuzzy contours — 94 (85.5%; p<0.0001), heterogeneous echostructure — 102 (92.7%; p<0.0001), in 70 people (63.6%; р=0.001) due to cystic inclusions, calcified inclusions were found in 37 (33.6%; p>0.05); tumor echodensity was reduced in 75 children (68.2%; р=0.001). Dopplerography in most patients — 100 (90.9%) — registered a hyperintense intratumoral blood flow, mainly of an arterial type, with maximum arterial velocities (MAV) ranging from 12.5 to 45 cm/s, average MAV = 30±2.7 cm/s. The specificity of the method was 86.3% (p=0.001), sensitivity 85.2% (p=0.011), accuracy 87.5% (p=0.014). Ultrasound monitoring was performed during treatment after each polychemotherapy cycle; we assessed changes in the size of tumors, their structure and neovascularization, allowing evaluation of the antitumor treatment effectiveness.

Conclusion. A complex sonography is an important method in the primary diagnostics of pelvic tumors in children, as well as a priority method in antitumor treatment monitoring, which allows detection of the tumor extent and helps to avoid multiple radiation exposure of the growing child’s body.

Purpose of the study. Was to improve the results of treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer using laparoscopic surgical technologies.

Patients and methods. We analyzed the data on 311 patients aged 44–78 years with colorectal cancer and liver metastases; in 2005–2015, all patients received treatment at National Medical Research Centre for Oncology of the Ministry of Health of Russia. The main group included 161 patients with metastatic colon cancer and resectable liver metastases receiving laparoscopic surgery; 150 patients with the same disease receiving open surgery were controls.

Results. The study demonstrated that laparoscopy with a combination of developed surgical techniques significantly (р<0.05) reduced the number of surgical complications in the main group (1.8%) compared to controls (12.8%). Patients with metastatic colorectal cancer receiving laparoscopy demonstrated higher, compared to patients with standard open surgery, relative risks of cardiovascular and respiratory complications (HR=4.7, р=0.001), thrombohemorrhagic complications (HR=2.8, р=0.05) and arrhythmia (HR=3.73, р=0.07), but lower risks of surgical complications (HR=0.13, р=0.001). Survival of patients with metastatic colorectal patients was statistically significantly higher in the main group compared to controls: log‑rank test = 2.11 at р=0.035.

Conclusions. Laparoscopy reduced the number of surgical complications, compared to open surgery. However, patients with comorbid pathologies showed higher relative risks of other complications.

The article has a problematic scripting nature. At the present stage, in addition to objective factors that make it difficult to create adequate experimental models of human oncogenesis, there is a significant backlog of domestic science in the development of this direction. This reduces the availability for Russian specialists of humanized immunodeficient animals corresponding to the level of research tasks. Based on the analysis of literature data, we discuss approaches that can expand the use of a widely available immunodeficiency animal model‑BALB/c nude mice. The possibility of using human mesenchymal stem cells that are not rejected by BALB/C Nude mice for local humanization of immunodeficient animals and improving the structural and functional characteristics of xenografts is considered. The possibility of obtaining xenografts of human glioblasts supported in the body of immunocompetent BALB/c mice after serial passages of organotypic tumor spheroids in the brain of BALB/c nude mice is analyzed.

The work provides information on the results of the Joint Immunological Forum, which was held from June 24 to 29, 2019 in Novosibirsk. The modern directions of the development of fundamental and applied immunology are analyzed. Particular attention is paid to the discussion of the most issues identified in the section "Immunopathogenetic bases of tumor growth", which also presented the results of studies conducted at the National Medical Research Centre for Oncology of the Ministry of Health of Russia for the study of isolation and study of the biological properties of tumor stem cells. Noteworthy are the new advances in modern immunology, which clarify the hierarchical structure of lymphocyte populations, with the separation of various minor subpopulations based on the phenotypic, molecular genetic and functional properties of cells, whose role in ensuring the integrity of the body has not been fully studied. In addition to theoretical reports, during this Forum the results of using new methodological approaches to study the structural and functional organization of individual links of innate and adaptive immunity both under model conditions and during the development of various human diseases were presented, the most promising ways to improve analytical and technological platforms were identified. In the crayfish of the Forum, several advanced training programs were implemented for employees of various levels of practical health care and fundamental science.

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common female cancer and the first leading cause of cancer death in women. Luminal phenotypes represent about 70% of this disease. Treatment for metastatic hormone‑dependent HER2‑negative breast cancer in most cases involves various lines of endocrine therapy since their sequential use improves overall and relapse‑free survival while maintaining a high quality of life. Disease progression during such therapy may be associated with the development of primary or secondary resistance to the treatment. The reason for the secondary resistance is both a mutation of receptors for steroid hormones and activation of new signaling pathways. The study of these mechanisms has led to the creation of highly effective drug combinations for the treatment of hormone‑positive HER2‑negative metastatic breast tumors. To date, clinical trials of three agents from the group of cyclin‑dependent kinases has been developed and successfully completed: palbociclib, ribociclib and abemaciclib. These agents in combination with non‑steroidal aromatase inhibitors or estrogen receptor antagonists in randomized clinical trials increased direct treatment efficacy, overall survival and progression‑free survival rates. Clinical case of a menopausal patient with metastatic hormone‑positive HER2‑negative breast cancer with visceral metastases who received successive chemotherapy and a combination of the highly selective oral kinase inhibitor CDK4\6 ribocyclib with the aromatase inhibitor letrozole allowed to achieve a response to therapy for 27 months with CR for 8 months. The safety profile was satisfactory; side effects included grade 2 neutropenia, grade 1 arthralgia, grade 1 hyperglycemia and grade 1 increase in urea which did not had an adverse effect on the patient’s quality of life.

Among human malignant tumors, middle ear cancer is rare: up to 0.06%, and among ear tumors — up to 5%. Due to the late detection of the tumor, patients turn to a specialist with advanced, nearly or completely unresectable disease, and it limits the treatment to conservative one with poor results. Combination treatment is the most effective option, where surgery plays a leading role. During surgery, temporal bone tissues affected by a tumor are removed. Over the decade from 2003 to 2018, we operated on 10 patients with advanced cancer of the middle ear who had pre‑ viously received radiation therapy (cumulative dose 40 Gy). Lymphadenectomy was first performed in 3 patients with neck metastases. During surgery, the temporal bone was removed in all patients. The results of treatment demonstrated that relapse‑free survival in 3 patients was 2 years, in 4 patients — 3, in 2 patients — 4 years; 1 patient — no data available. Two patients who survived 3 years received repeated surgery due to recurrence. Upon discharge, patients underwent chemotherapy at the place of residence. A clinical case of a 42‑years old patient with advanced disease is presented. Cranial spiral x‑ray computed tomography showed advanced middle ear cancer affecting cranial bones. The patients underwent radical surgery on the temporal bones with isolation of the facial nerve and exposure of the jugular bulb. Histological examination of tumor tissues of the external auditory canal and parotid salivary gland confirmed squamous cell carcinoma. 
Temporal bone tissues affected by the tumor were removed during surgery. The elements of the organ of corti and cochlea were exposed and preserved: the horizontal semicircular canal, the oval and round windows. A wide external auditory canal was formed, and the wound was packed; skin grafting was performed. The patient has been in remission for 8 months.