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Although significant advances have been made in cancer treatment, effective methods of treatment are still limited. Classical chemotherapy is one of the main cancer treatments, but it often causes many side effects that may cause non-specific drug action. This is mainly due to the lack of significant differences between cancer and normal cells as well as drug resistance. To reduce the side effects and increase the specificity and the selectivity of chemotherapeutics to cancer cells, new methods of their delivery to tumors are being sought. One of these methods is the application of nanoparticles (NPs), e.g. Quantum Dots (QDs) as drug delivery platforms. This review describes the most popular NPs in chemotherapy, including quantum dots, gold nanoparticles, dendrimers, micelles, and liposomes. The review describes also a strategy of design and synthesis of NPs, mechanism of cellular uptake, as well as intracellular degradation and toxicity of NPs.

The authors described the case of 5-year-old boy, in whom a proper diagnosis was established after 19 months. In differential diagnosis, epileptic, tetanic and conversion seizures were taken into consideration.

Introduction: The early detection and right monitoring of the laryngeal cancer make a better chance of recovery. Therefore factors that might be showing the presence of neoplastic process are constantly being looked for. The detection of correlation between incidence of cancer and immunity system disorders makes us look for and try to answer an important question: are there any factors that might be cancer markers in immunity system? Cytokines are molecules that regulate the process of differentiation and proliferation. They are also the mediators of immunological and inflammatory reactions. Interleukina-10 (IL-10) is a cytokine that has various important functions stimulating immunity processes. IL-10 is a factor stimulating killer cells/cytoxic lymphocytes/ and is able to kill cancer cells growth spontaneously. It has been detected that some cancer cells can produce some IL-10, too. The aim of the study was to evaluate the serum level concentration of IL-10 in the laryngeal cancer patients before any medical treatment and its denotation after surgery or radiotherapy., Material and Methods: A group of 43 male patients with laryngeal cancer was considered for the purpose of this study. 22 patients were treated by surgery and 21 by radiotherapy. In all the cases the serum concentration of IL-10 before the treatment, in the first and 30th days after therapy was evaluated. The results were compared with the group of 20 healthy volunteers., Results: The mean value of IL-10 concentration in laryngeal cancer patients treated by surgery was 14.0 pg/ml before treatment, 12.8 pg/ml in the 1 day and 14.4 pg/ml 30 days after the therapy. IL-10 concentrations in patients treated by radiotherapy were respectively: 15.4, 14.4 and 15.9 pg/ml. The mean value of IL-10 in the control group was 4.9 pg/ml. The serum concentrations of IL-10 in the laryngeal cancer patients were significantly higher than in the control group. These IL-10 concentrations didn't change significantly after the surgery or radiotherapy., Conclusion: The serum concentration of IL-10 in the laryngeal cancer patients is significantly higher than in the healthy control group. The changes of serum concentrations after the surgery or radiotherapy of laryngeal cancer patients are not significant and characteristic.

Introduction: Cytokines are molecules that regulate the process of differentiation and proliferation. They are also the mediators of immunological and inflammatory reactions. One of the cytokines that participates in immunological processes is interleukine-2 (IL-2), whose participation in neoplastic processes has been proved in many researches. It's anticancer effect is an indirect one and is connected with stimulating processes of immunologically competent cells, which are cytotoxic for cancer cells. IL-2 is produced by T-helper lymphocytes (THL), and on the basis of feedback it stimulates those lymphocytes to new cells and other cytokines, which stimulate next immunity cells or kill the cancer cells, production. The aim of the study was to evaluate the serum level concentration of IL-2 in the laryngeal cancer patients before any medical treatment and its denotation after the surgical procedure., Material and Methods: A group of 22 male patients with laryngeal cancer was considered for the purpose of this study. All of them were treated by surgery. In all the cases the serum concentration of IL-2 before the treatment, in the first and 30th day after therapy was evaluated. The results were compared with the group of 20 healthy volunteers., Results: The mean value of IL-2 concentration in laryngeal cancer patients treated by surgery was 23.4 pg/ml before treatment, increased to 37.8 pg/ml in the 1 day and to 54.3 pg/ml 30 days after the therapy. The serum concentrations of IL-2 in the laryngeal cancer patients were lower than in the control group before the surgical treatment. These IL-2 concentrations increased significantly after the surgery and 1 month after the treatment were higher than in the healthy population., Conclusion: The serum concentration of IL-2 in the laryngeal cancer patients treated by surgery is lower than in the healthy control group. IL-2 increased significantly after the surgery to higher levels than in the control healthy group.

Stenosis of trachea's diameter occurs the most often as complications after intubation and tracheotomy. Among the other reasons of narrowing of this organ the following are being named: mechanical injuries, chemical damages, primary and metastasis tumors. The therapy of trachea's stenosis includes both alternative and radical treatments. The radical treatment consists of surgical excision of the narrowed segment followed by reconstruction of trachea (anastomosing of free ends or filling of lost segment with use of auto- or allogenic material). There is no appropriate alloplastic material developed to date, the use of which in reconstructive surgery of large segment trachea defects would bring about positive long-term experimental results. The success of alloplastic material implantation in the reconstruction of large tracheal defects is limited by the fact that the biomechanical characteristics of replaced tissue are distinctly different from synthetic material. The work is devoted to evaluation of complex mechanical characteristic of natural sheep trachea before designing the proper synthetic material for large tracheal defects reconstruction. Various mechanical tests were conducted to study the mechanical behavior of total trachea. Samples of tissue cut out from trachea were also examined. The results revealed strong directional--dependent mechanical properties of trachea. Composite constituents, namely carbon fibers and biocompatible and biostable polysulfone were used to manufacture the implant.

Laser Assisted Uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP) is the surgical technique for the treatment of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. LAUP was first time performed by Kamami in 1986. LAUP can reduce the airway obstruction on the oropharynx level. LAUP is the simple, reliable surgical procedure performed in an office setting under the local anesthesia, without hospitalization. Between 1997 and 2001 the authors of the study prospectively evaluated 400 patients referred to ENT Clinic in Zabrze to treat the breathing disturbances during sleep. In this group of patients LAUP procedure was performed in 68 cases. There were 4 cases of complications (4.4%). These complications included: postoperative hemorrhage in one patient, 2 cases mycotic infections and in one patient, 2 cases mycotic infections and in one patient temporary loss of taste. In this group of patients there were no cases of bleedings needed hospitalization, nasal speech, nasopharyngeal stenosis, palatal incompetence, airway compromise or death.

Vascular compression syndrome is the term used to classify a group of conditions though to be caused by the compression of cranial nerve by vessel. In the most cases the contact of vascular loop formed by the anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) with the eight and facial nerve correlated with unilateral auditory symptoms or hemifacial spasms. The vascular compression syndrome of vestibulocochlear nerve in 8 patients treated in I ENT Clinic of Silesian Academy and MRI Department in Katowice was observed. All patients were otologic findings such as a tone audiometry, ENG, ABR and radiological diagnostics included MRI and angio MRI. The prospective analysis was performed. The results suggest that the unilateral sensorineural hearing loss, tinnitus, vestibular disorders and positive findings on magnetic resonance imaging are the most reliable evidence for the presence neurovascular compression syndrome of the eight cranial nerve. The MRI and otologic studies provided quite detailed information about topography of relationship between the blood vessels and cranial nerves in the crebellopontine cistern.

The authors have presented a very rare case of vascular anomaly in 51-years old female with an arteriovenous fistula between the frontal branch and parietal branch of superficial temporal artery and external jugular vein with simultaneously haemangioma cavernosum of temporal region. The clinical manifestation and the diagnosis of this anomaly are discussed with particular stress laid on the role of carotid arteriography which demonstrated the presence of this abnormal arterio-venous communication. Surgical treatment and its results are discussed also. The results of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures were compared with cases described in the literature.

The adequate activity of SOD, GPX and GR is a significant factor in oxidoreductation homeostasis maintaining. The attempt was made to estimate SOD, GPX, GR activity in full blood of 14 male patients suffering from laryngeal cancer (T2N0M0-T4N2M0). The studies were made before and in 8 and 16 week after the operation using RANDOX Company tests. The analysis of results proved that there were remarkable disorders of GR activity in comparison to a control group.

Between the years 19890-1998 in I ENT Department of Silesian Medical Academy were treated surgically 15 patients suffering from soft tissue sarcomas of head and neck region. Patomorphological examination showed: fibrosarcoma (4 cases), haemangioendothelioma malignum (2 cases), rhabdomyosarcoma (2 cases), schwannoma malignum (2 cases), fibrohistiocytoma malignum (2 cases), tumor mixtus mesenchymalis (1 case), haemangiopericytoma malignum (1 case), extrasceletal osteosarcoma (1 case). Sarcomas were localised in paranasal sinuses (7 cases), orbita (5 cases), parapharyngeal space (1 case), parotid gland (1 case) and bucca (1 case). All those patients were treated surgically and most of them were irradiated postoperatively. The authors have presented the diagnostic and methods of treatment of soft tissue sarcomas. According to our experience and data of the literature the method of choice in treatment soft tissue sarcomas should consist of surgery and radiation therapy postoperatively.

The authors present estimation of beta 2-microglobulin concentration in blood serum in patients suffering from laryngeal cancer treated with radiotherapy in the course of treatment and 3 years after. The initial concentration of beta 2-microglobulin in the blood serum was statistically significantly higher in comparison with the control group. A significantly higher initial concentration of beta 2-microglobulin was observed in the group of patients with the recurrence of cancer in relation to the group of patients without the recurrence of cancer both immediately and 3 years after radiotherapy.

Aim: The assessment of lateral orbitotomy by Krönlein-Reese-Berke was made to evaluate the possibility of radical removal of primary orbital tumors, function of visual system and cosmetic effect after lateral orbitotomy., Material and Methods: The authors analysed a group of 14 patients treated for primary non-malignant orbital tumors. They were treated in I ENT Clinic of Silesian Medical Academy in Katowice surgically by Krönlein-Reese-Berke lateral orbitotomy. A control examination (after 3 years) performed in all 14 patients did not show recurrence of tumor, the motility of the eye ball and visual function was normal, cosmetic effect was good., Conclusions: We suggest that in the cases of primary non-malignant tumors localised in the lateral part of the orbita, orbitotomy by Krönlein-Reese-Berke is the optimal surgical approach.

The authors present a case of laryngeal carcinoma with rare metastasis to the occipital bone.

The authors present a very rare case of laryngeal mucoepidermoid cancer. Well separated and encysted tumor was totaly removed with Kleinsasser method.

The authors have presented the results of studies concerning the changes of chemical composition and ultrastructure of tissue microregions at patients with laryngeal precancerous states. Microanalytical studies were made using X-ray JEOL JSM 35 microprobe analyser. The chemical composition of laryngeal precancerous tissue taken from the patients and a control group was estimated. The results of studies were verified using X-ray PHILIPS XL-30 microanalyser. Studies of tissue ultrastructure changes were conducted using JOEL JEM 100 XC transmission microscope. Some heavy metals like, lead, cadmium, nickel, iron, copper and caesium were found in the tissue from larynx precancerous state. Further more, in analysed biologic material there were noticed various degenerative changes within stratified squamous epithelium.

The increased level of ferritin is known as a nonspecific marker of inflammatory processes and neoplasms. A purpose of the article was to indicate concentration of ferritin in blood serum before treatment of 33 patients with cancer of larynx and 16 patients with malignant neoplasms of maxillo-ethmoid complex. The patients with cancer of larynx were characterized by significantly high level of ferritin in comparison to patients with malignant neoplasms of maxillo-ethmoid complex (p < 0.05) and to healthy people (p < 0.05) (respectively 241.9 +/- 154.9; 106.9 +/- 45.4 and 125.0 +/- 30.4 ng/ml). Contrary to patients with cancer of larynx patients with malignant neoplasms of maxillo-ethmoid complex did not differ in significant level of ferritin from healthy people. The concentration of hemoglobin in blood in both groups of patients was similar and was characteristically lower than values obtained in healthy people. The results achieved suggest that indicating of ferritin can be helpful while making a differentiation between cancer of larynx and malignant neoplasms of maxillo-ethmoid complex.

Considering rareness of primary multiple neoplasms of head and neck region, the authors present 5 cases of different histopathological structure. The authors refer to etiopathogenetic factors and to treatment problems connected with the fact that next recognized neoplasms are, generally, more clinically advanced.

The authors presented the results of chemical compounds in the laryngeal cancer tissue in 20 patients with clinically and histologically confirmed plano-epithelial carcinoma using own modification of x-ray microanalysis method. Comparison between the healthy and neoplasmatic tissue showed as follows: 1) both healthy and neoplasmatic tissue showed the presence of Cd, Zn, Fe, Mn, Mg and Si, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti; 2) the neoplasmatic tissue showed the presence of Pb whereas it was not observed in the healthy tissue; 3) both Pb and Cl were irregularly concentrated in the neoplasmatic tissue while in the healthy tissue showed regular concentration. The authors discuss some methodological aspects and try to interpret the obtained data in the view of toxic, mutagenous and carcinogenous role of the Pb.

The authors described a rare case of oncocytic transformation of parotid gland tumor in a woman operated upon.

In 20 laryngeal cancer patients and in 20 normals 1927 and 1950 respectively the blood lymphocytes were examined by use of scan microscopy. The great differences were disclosed between the patients and normals. It was pointed out the considerable differences between patients and normals in the number of lymphocytes with plain surface (lymphocytes "G") in opposition to the intermediary and ciliated lymphocytes (differences statistically significant). In laryngeal cancer patients there were the significantly lower number of lymphocytes with ciliated surface (lymphocytes "Sz"). In the patient group there were the considerable differences in superficial structure of lymphocytes, probably as a response to cancer disease.