Background. Treatment results for the patients with stage II–III triple negative breast cancer (TN BC) have to be improved. Not only the new treatment regimens, but new predictive and prognostic factors should to be developed.Materials and methods. We included 98 patients with stage II–III TN BC in our study. We studied efficacy and safety of PlaTax regimen (cisplatin 75 mg / m2 day 1 + paclitaxel 80 mg / m2 days 1, 8, 15, course every 4 weeks) in this cohort of patients. We assessed pathologic response, survival and factors, which were relevant for predicting response and prognose survival.Results. PlaTax regimen is characterized by high efficacy and tolerable toxicity. Clinical efficacy was 85.8 %, pCR achievement was 60.5 %, tpCR achievement was 58.1 %. The regimen has low haematological toxicity (neutropenia III–IV grades – 4.1 %); the most frequent adverse events were polyneuropathy (18.5 %) and decreased renal function (24.5 %). 3-year progression-free survival was 68.4 %, most of the relapses (92 %) occurred during first 2 years. 3 year overall survival was 77.6 %. The most relevant predictive factor was level of Ki-67 ≥50 % (pCR 38.5 % vs. 68.7 %, p = 0.038). pCR achievement was the most important prognostic factor, resulting in improved 3-year progressionfree survival (44.3 % vs. 89.1 %, p <0.0001), and 3-year overall survival (61.5 % vs. 91.6 %, p = 0.001). Not only the residual disease, but also the size of residual tumor was important from prognostic point of view. Other important prognostic factors were size of the tumor, status of regional lymph nodes, grade. Delay in surgical treatment more than a month lead to decreased 3-year progression-free survival: 87.1 % vs. 62.5 % (p = 0.047).Conclusions. Our data suggest that studied regimen could be an option for patients with stage II–III TN BC. The assessment of the predictive and prognostic factors will help improve the treatment results for patients with stage II–III TN BC.

Objective: to develop an effective, well-tolerated, convenient for outpatient care (without installing a subclavian catheter) three-component treatment regimen that includes ftorafur – an original oral fluoropyrimidine drug.Materials and methods. The study included 25 patients with disseminated colorectal cancer that have never received specific pharmacotherapy. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of a new first-line three-component treatment regimen with oxaliplatin + irinotecan + ftorafur. Patients in group 1 (n = 6) received this regimen for 3 weeks, whereas patients in group 2 (n = 19) received it for 2 weeks.Results. Only preliminary results of the study are currently available. Median time to progression and overall survival are not yet estimated. Three (50 %) patients from group 1 achieved partial regression of metastases; 3 patients from this group had long-term (≥6 months) disease stabilization. Therapeutic effect (partial remission + long-term stabilization) was observed in all patients. Time without progression varied between 6 and 20 months. In group 2, therapeutic effect was estimated in 18 patients that received at least 2 courses of chemotherapy. Eight out of these 18 patients had partial response (2 of them underwent radical surgery); 8 patients had disease stabilization. Thus, 88.8 % of patients from group 2 responded to treatment. In the whole study population (both groups), response to treatment was achieved in 91 % of patients.Conclusion. Our preliminary results suggest that the combination of oxaliplatin, irinotecan and ftorafur is safe and has an acceptable toxicity profile; therefore, it can be used in weakened patients.

Hyperexpression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is often identified as unfavorable prognosis for different epithelial cancers. The study was concerned with an attempt of establishing a relationship between EGFR expression, on the one hand, and patient's clinico-morphological status, prognosis and efficacy of chemotherapy for stage III-IV serous ovarian carcinoma, on the other. EGFR hyperexpression predominated in advanced aggressive tumors and involved a significantly shorter period preceding tumor progression. Similarly, overall survival median in patients with EGFR hyperexpression (21+/-4 months) appeared lower than without it (42+/-8 months). In serous ovarian carcinoma stage III-IV, EGFR hyperexpression should be considered sufficient for prognosis of chemotherapy efficacy, pre-progression time and survival.

The expression of molecular biomarkers of apoptosis (p53, Bcl-2, Bax, FasL), proliferation (Ki-67) and angiogenesis (VEGF, Flk-1, Fit-1, thrombospondin, thymidine phosphorylase) was studied in serous ovarian cancer patients. The research was performed on paraffm-embedded blocks using standard immunohistochemical method. The study was included 96 women with ovarian cancer III-IV stages. p53 expression was found in 54,2 % cases, Bcl-2 in 38,5 % cases, Bax in 56,25 % cases, FasL was found in 67,7 % cases of serous ovarian cancer III-IV stages. Bcl-2 expression correlated with Bax expression (p = 0,028). Mean proliferative activity of ovarian cancer (index Ki-67) was 43,4 + 32,4 % (median 40 %). The Ki-67 index correlated with tumor grade (k = 0,3, p = 0,002). VEGF expression in tumor cells was found in 64,6 % cases, expression of receptor to VEGF: Flt-1 in 37,2 % cases and Flk-1 28,7% cases. Thymidine phosphorylase (TP) was found in tumor cells in 47,9 % cases and in stromal cells in 64,6 % cases. TP expression in stromal cells correlated with tumor degree (k = -0,22; p = 0,03) and with size of a residual tumor (k = 0,32; p = 0,001). The patients having complete response to chemotherapy, were more often Bax positive (62,5 % of cases), than patients with progression disease, where Bax expression was found in 33,3% cases. Bax positive patients had progression in 75,5 % cases (median time to progression was 17 month) and Bax negative patients in 86,8 % of cases (median time to progression was 12 month). Our results suggest that Bax is the perspective prediction factor of chemotherapy efficacy of ovarian cancer patients.