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The article invites authors to present papers for the upcoming issue on topics including cancer rehabilitation and prehabilitation interventions that reduce disability of cancer survivors across the lifespan; and studies of participation restrictions & functional well-being after cancer diagnosis.

An introduction is presented in which the author discusses the topics include rehabilitation interventions that reduce disability of cancer survivors across the lifespan; descriptive studies of participation restrictions and functional well-being after cancer diagnosis.

Polimethyl methacrylate (PMMA) intravertebral injections are a modern method in the treatment of vertebral compression fractures in palliative treatment of cancer metastases, osteoporosis, as well as of vertebral body haemanginoma. The method consists in injecting cement into the vertebral body, and thus filling bone structure losses. It results in reduced pain, strengthening and stabilization of the vertebral body in compression fractures. It translates into stability of the spine which in turn enables fast introduction of early physiotherapy and individually adjusted physical activity in the process of rehabilitation. The aim of the paper is to present advantages, practical and theoretical basis of the comprehensive therapeutic procedure in palliative treatment of vertebral compression fractures with operative decompression of the nervous elements in the vertebral canal by means of vertebroplasty, taking into consideration perioperative physiotherapy in the authors' own material. From 2004 to April 2007 in 4WSKzP [4th Military University Hospital with Polyclinic] 78 PMMA intravertebral injection procedures were performed, including 56 patients with metastases, 12 due to fractures caused by osteoporosis and in 10 patients with vertebral body haemanginoma. In 35 patients with metastases to the vertebral bodies, the procedure was performed during so-called open operations. The other 43 patients underwent percutaneous vertebroplasty. The comprehensive therapeutic procedure presented in this paper in selected spinal conditions as well as the applied perioperative physiotherapy seem to conform to contemporary views on the treatment of such conditions. It is an alternative for traditional methods frequently requiring long-term immobilization connected with the effects of hypokinesis. The present knowledge as well as the authors' own experiences confirm justifiability of the taken measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to provide a systematic review of articles concerning primary osseointegrated dental implants in the head and neck oncology setting. We searched MEDLINE (1950 to March 2009) and Embase (1980 to March 2009) using the terms head and neck, oral, maxillofacial, craniofacial, jaws, mandible, maxilla, zygoma, dental implants, osseointegrated implants, implants, tumour, cancer, oncology, immediate, simultaneous, and primary. Two authors independently reviewed the abstracts, and all those written in the English language that referred to the placement of primary dental implants in patients with cancer of the head neck were included. Articles that referred to craniofacial or extraoral implants were excluded. Of 892 abstracts 83 were eligible for further consideration; the full articles were evaluated, and 41 that complied fully with the inclusion criteria are presented as a tabulated summary. There are three case reports, 13 reviews, and 25 clinical studies. Eight of the clinical studies refer solely to the insertion of dental implants at the time of primary oncological resection, and only two were of a prospective design. We have concisely summarised publications concerning primary dental implants, and our findings will help to inform head and neck cancer teams, particularly oncological surgeons, restorative dentists, and maxillofacial prosthodontists of the evidence base surrounding this approach to oral rehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: There remain several outstanding questions relating to management of the axilla in women with early stage breast cancer. This paper summarises the outcome of a national debate aimed at discussing certain key issues including a) whether axillary dissection has any survival advantage b) is an axillary staging procedure always necessary c) what is the optimum method of staging the axilla and d) whether an axillary dissection is always necessary in cases of a positive sentinel node. Electronic voting was undertaken at the beginning and end of the debate and results are compared and presented herein. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]