Along with surgery and chemotherapy, radiation therapy is the main treatment for malignant tumors. This treatment method is often accompanied by various side effects. They are based on damage to the structure of cells by ionizing radiation. At present, criteria for the assessment of radiation injuries have been developed. One of these injuries is radiation pulmonitis, which can adversely affect the quality of life of patients. Thanks to the introduction into clinical practice of modern methods of radiation therapy, radiation diagnostics and the latest drugs, it became possible to minimize the risk of radiation pulmonitis after treatment.

The increase in the number of cured patients with squamous cell anal carcinoma and the quality of life is directly related to the improvement of radiotherapy departments technical equipment in oncological clinics.

Main goals are more accurate determination of the tumor volume by using modern diagnostic methods, and creating the possibility of maximum impact on the tumor and identified affected lymph nodes while limiting dose to organs at risk.

During the period from 2000 to 2015, 301 patients with squamous cell anal carcinoma, stage _T1-4N_0-3M_0-1, were complex treated by radiation therapy with 2DRT, 3DCRT, or IMRT/VMAT in a total dose of 50-60 Gy.

The use of IMRT / VMAT in comparison with conformal radiation therapy allowed to improve: immediate results (complete tumor regression) 67.5 vs 55.6 % (p = 0.071) and 3-year long-term treatment results (overall survival) 92.9 vs 88.2 % (p = 0.05), respectively, with a tendency for the reliability of local-regional control 89.9 vs 81.6 % (p = 0.179).

The use of radiation therapy in its modern version, using modern imaging methods allowed to achieve high immediate and long-term oncological results with the definition of the boundaries of the tumor lesion and summing the planned dose to the primary tumor and the affected lymph nodes.

Positron emission tomography combined with computed tomography (PET/CT) allows for assessment of not only anatomical and structural, but also metabolic changes in tumor masses. ¹⁸F-fluoroethyl tyrosine (¹⁸F-FET) PET/CT is based on evaluation of transport of ¹⁸F-labeled amino acid tyrosine in tissues.

Precise evaluation of brain tumor WHO Grade (I-IV) is a crucial step in assessment of prognosis and treatment planning for patients with glial neoplasms. ¹⁸F-FET PET-tracer allows to carry out multi-stage and dynamic examinations, which significantly increases method’s sensitivity. ¹⁸F-FET PET makes it possible to acquire information about tumor tissue metabolism and to determine the most proliferatively active parts of neoplasm.

In addition to glial neoplasms, a topical matter of neuro-oncology is the metastatic lesions of the central nervous system. It is highly important for the prognosis and therapeutic tactics to differentiate between brain tumors recurrence, post-treatment changes and mixed lesions. The use of ¹⁸F-FET PET-tracer provides high specificity of the obtained diagnostic data which allows for precise determination of an optimal biopsy site and radiation-treatment planning, as well as for differential diagnosis in cases of suspected tumor recurrence.

¹⁸F-FET PET/CT demonstrated high efficiency in differentiation of actively proliferating neoplasms from conditionally benign tumors, as well as from manifestations of iatrogenic nature, primarily after radiation-treatment.

Rectal cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. Recent studies have shown the high efficiency and impact of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy on the number of sphincterpreserving surgeries, and local-regional control. The article discusses the effectiveness and safety of preoperative chemoradiotherapy against the background of regional hyperthermia in the treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer.

Introduction: The squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck treatment remains an urgent and still unresolved problem of modern oncology. We have developed an original method of individualized volume-controlled transient hypoxic selective intra-arterial chemo-infusion which was compared with standard intravenous chemotherapy according to the PF scheme for the treatment of recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

Material and methods: Consecutively 73 patients with the ECOG ≥ 2 status and relapses of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck after previous completed chemo-radiotherapy up to total dose 68-70 Gy were included in this study. In the first group consecutively 39 patients were treated by the original technique of selective intra-arterial chemoinfusion. In the second group (control group) the 34 patients were treated by standard chemotherapy by PF scheme with intravenous administration.

Results and discussion: The technical success of selective intra-arterial interventions in all patients in group 1 was 100 %. There were no differences in the frequency and severity of adverse reactions due to chemotherapy in both groups. The frequency of objective responses was 30.8 % in group 1 and 11.8 % in group 2, respectively (p < 0.01). Stabilization was observed in 59 % in group 1 and 52.9 % in group 2, respectively (p > 0.05). The rate of progression was 10.3 % and 35.3 % in group 1 and group 2, respectively (p < 0.01). The median survival rate of group 1 patients was 325 days, which is almost 2 times higher than in group 2 which made up 173 days.

Conclusion: The original technique of intra-arterial selective volume-controlled transient hypoxic chemoinfusion may be the method of choice for the treatment of recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck after completed radiation therapy in weakened patients.

Neutron capture therapy (NCT) is a promising method of curing cancer, which uses stable isotopes with large thermal neutron capture cross section value (a) to provide selective damage of a tumor. Boron isotope ¹⁰B (a = 3880 barn) is the most know and most widely used in NCT isotope. Gadolinium isotope 157Gd has even larger thermal neutron capture cross section value (σ = 254 000 barn) than ¹⁰B, but secondary radiation emitted by this isotope as the results of neutron capture nuclear reaction is absorbed by tumor tissues less effectively than for ¹⁰B.

The purpose of this research was to study gadolinium neutron capture therapy efficacy in curing spontaneous tumors.

13 dogs diagnosed with oral cavity spontaneous melanoma were studied. MRI contrast drug Dipentast® was used as a gadolinium containing substance. The drug was injected directly into the tumor immediately before neutron irradiation. The administered dose of the drug was 10 mg of gadolinium per 1 cm³ of tumor. The irradiation was made with thermal neutron beam with neutron flux 7x10⁸ n/cm²s and 3-6 cm diameter. The duration of irradiation was 70 minutes.

As the results of the therapy complete tumor regression was achieved in 46 % of animals. Recurrence free period was 106.0±7.5 days for 66.7 % of dogs with complete tumor regression and more than 150 days for 16.7 %.