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Background: The objective of this study was to assess trends in overall and in stage-specific 5-year relative survival rates of the Czech cancer patients between periods 2000-2004 and 2005-2008., Methods: All Czech cancer patients diagnosed between 1995 and 2008 were included in the analysis. Period analysis was employed to calculate 5-year relative survival for 21 cancers., Results: Significant improvements in crude 5-year relative survival for 14 of 21 assessed types of cancer, including the most frequent diagnoses, such as, colorectal, prostate, breast, lung, kidney, pancreatic, and bladder cancer and melanoma, were identified. Moreover, in case of colorectal, lung, and prostate cancer, improvement in stage-specific 5-year relative survival was confirmed as statistically significant for all clinical stages. No diagnosis showed significant decrease in the 5-year relative survival. However, the 5-year relative survival remained poor in patients with metastatic cancers at diagnosis, particularly in case of liver, pancreatic, lung, and oesophageal cancer., Conclusions: The cancer-specific outcomes in the Czech Republic are improving. Nevertheless, despite the overall significant improvement in 5-year relative survival of most of the cancer diagnoses, the high proportion of patients primarily diagnosed with metastatic cancer still represents a substantial challenge for prevention and early detection., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In the first case-control study on pancreatic cancer conducted on 253 cases and 403 controls in the Czech Republic we observed that the GSTP1-codon 105 Val variant allele and the GSTT1-null genotype were associated with an elevated risk for pancreatic cancer (OR = 1.38; 95%CI = 0.96-1.97 and OR = 1.56; 95%CI = 0.93-2.61, respectively). Combination of GSTT1-null and GSTP1-codon 105 Val variants further increased the risk for pancreatic cancer (OR = 2.50; 95%CI = 1.20-5.20). In conclusion, this study suggests population-specific associations of polymorphisms in key biotransformation genes with elevated risk for pancreatic cancer.

Aim: To evaluate the feasibility of liver blood outflow (LBOF) occlusion and its impact on the effectiveness of radiofrequency ablation (RFA)., Methods: The experiment was performed on 10 pigs. The animals were divided into groups A and B according to RFA protocol. In group A (n=5) the RFA time was that taken to reach the target temperature of 105 degrees C, whereas group B (n=5) had a constant RFA temperature of 105 degrees C and constant time of 8min. The liver blood flow (LBF) was quantified using Doppler ultrasonography before LBOF occlusion and after that. RFA were performed using an expandable 3cm RF needle. Two liver ablations created in different liver lobes were compared; the first ablation was created before balloon inflation and the second one was created under LBOF occlusion. The time required for RFA procedure, liver ablation volumes, shape and microscopic changes of the thermoablated zones were recorded., Results: The LBF dropped significantly in all liver vessels after balloon inflation. The volume of the ablated area was 8.2+/-2.2cm(3) and increased significantly after LBOF occlusion to 17.4+/-3.8cm(3) (p<0.001), in group A. A significant enlargement of the ablated area with occluded LBF was registered in group B, it was 6.7+/-2.8cm(3) versus 19.4+/-1.8cm(3) respectively (p<0.01)., Conclusions: Temporary LBOF occlusion led to a significant reduction in liver blood flow, enlargement of the thermoablated area volume and homogeneity of the coagulated zones.

Metabolites of 3-[2-(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl)phenylthio]phenol (I) were isolated from the urine of rats, mice, rabbit and dog and from the faeces of rats by extraction and thin-layer chromatography. From the mass spectrum of I and using characteristics mass shifts in the spectra of metabolites, the structures of four metabolites were determined, whereas for two other isomeric metabolites the structures were resolved by means of IR spectra. Conclusions regarding the structures derived from the spectra were confirmed by comparing them with synthetic standards. Generally, metabolic changes of I can be characterized by demethylation, hydroxylation combined with methylation, S-oxidation and by a combination of these metabolic reactions.