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Introduction: In 2015, in Poland, the oncological package (OP) was established. This law constituted a fast track of oncological diagnosis and treatment and obligatory multidisciplinary team meetings (MDT). Aim: The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of OP on rectal cancer treatment. Methods: The study was a multicenter, retrospective analysis of data collected from five centers. It included clinical data of patients operated on due to rectal cancer between 2013 and 2019. For most analyses, patients were categorized into three groups: 2013–2014 – before OP (A), 2015–2016 – early development of OP (B), 2017–2019 – further OP functioning (C). Results: A total of 1418 patients were included. In all time intervals, the majority of operations performed were anterior resections. There was a significantly lower local tumor stage (T) observed in subsequent time intervals, while there were no significant differences for N and M. In period C, the median of resected nodes was significantly higher than in previous periods. Four of the centers showed an increasing tendency in the use of preoperative radiotherapy. The study indicated a significant increase in the use of short-course radiotherapy (SCRT) and a decrease in the number of patients who did not receive any form of preoperative therapy in subsequent periods. In the group that should receive radiotherapy (T3/4 or N+ and M0), the use of SCRT was also significantly increasing. Conclusions: In the whole cohort, there was a significant increase in the use of preoperative radiotherapy and a decrease in the T stage, changing with the development of OP. Nevertheless, this relation is indirect and more data should be gathered for further conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The new regulations called the “oncological package” were implemented in Poland on 1 January 2015. The issuance of the Diagnosis and Oncological Treatment Card initiates a path of rapid diagnosis and therapy. The new regulations also encompass the diagnostic process in suspected thyroid carcinoma, which is the leading endocrine gland cancer. In 2014, 162 new cases of thyroid cancer were noted in Świętokrzyskie Province in Poland. Before the rapid diagnostic procedure is implemented, the risk of malignancy must be evaluated, which is of particular importance in the case of suspected carcinoma of the thyroid gland due to the great prevalence of benign thyroid nodules. The risk of thyroid carcinoma is evaluated by the analysis of the medical history and proper interpretation of ultrasonographic images of focal lesions. Aim: The aim of this study was to analyse the knowledge of primary care physicians about clinical and ultrasonographic features of high-risk thyroid tumours and to assess whether the Diagnosis and Oncological Treatment Card is used correctly for initiation of a rapid diagnostic process in patients with suspected thyroid carcinoma. Material and methods: The analysis involved the results of thyroid ultrasound scans and medical history data collected during the first visit from all patients who, in the period from 1 January 2015 to 30 September 2016, were referred to the Department of Endocrinology of Świętokrzyskie Oncology Centre with the Diagnosis and Oncological Treatment Card issued by a primary care physician due to a suspicion of thyroid cancer. The authors evaluated the presence of clinical or ultrasonographic features of high-risk thyroid tumours. The analysis involved records of 95 patients. Results: None of the patients presented clinical features of thyroid carcinoma. The phenotype of focal lesions represented high-risk features in merely 21% of the patients; the most common ultrasonographic feature was hypoechogenicity (70% of patients). Oncological diagnostic procedures (fine-needle aspiration biopsy) confirmed a malignancy in only 1 case; it was a patient with high-risk ultrasonographic features (1/20 patients – 5%). None of the patients with a benign phenotype was diagnosed with thyroid carcinoma. Conclusions: 1) The Diagnosis and Oncological Treatment Card is not used properly by primary care physicians in the diagnosis of thyroid lesions. 2) When issuing the Diagnosis and Oncological Treatment Card, primary care physicians do not use the knowledge about clinical or ultrasonographic features that suggest a high risk of malignancy.

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