BACKGROUND: The male-female ratio at birth (M/F: male births divided by total births), which is anticipated to approximate 0.515, has been shown to exhibit latitude gradients and secular trends. METHODS: Annual national data for male and female live births for the 15 countries that comprise the former Soviet Union were obtained from the World Health Organisation for the period 1980-2009 (115,167,569 total live births) and analysed with contingency tables. Spearman correlation was also carried out to compare percentage annual gross domestic product growth (GDP%--downloaded from the World Bank) and M/F. In this context, GDP% is used as a measure for economic hardship or wellbeing within the populace. RESULTS: There have been overall highly significant secular increases in M/F (p < 0.0001) in the countries and regions investigated. M/F is significantly lower in the three more northern regions (Russian Federation, Baltic States and Central Asia. M/F 0.51324, 0.51335-0.51314) than the two more southern regions (Southern Caucasus and Eastern Europe. M/F 0.51654, 0.51635-0.51672). There was a male excess of 113,818 live births.There was a significant positive correlation between GDP% and M/F for Armenia, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan. There was a significant negative correlation in Estonia. CONCLUSION: Previous studies have shown that improving socioeconomic conditions increase M/F, and the converse has also been demonstrated. This is a potential influence in this geographical area since this region has relatively recently emerged from communist rule and experienced an overall economic upturn, but is only partially supported using GDP%. Another factor may be the selective termination of female pregnancies. The latitude gradient parallels that of neighbouring Europe but no theory has been put forward to convincingly explain this finding to date. and V. Grech
BACKGROUND: Latitude gradients and secular trends in Europe and North America have been found in the male-female ratio at birth (M/F: male births divided by total births) which approximates 0.515. METHODS: Annual national data for Yugoslavia and the post-Yugoslavia States for male and female live births were obtained from the World Health Organisation and analysed with contingency tables. RESULTS: This study analysed 22,020,729 live births. There was a increasing trend in M/F prior to the breakup of the former Yugoslavia (1950-1990, p = 0.002), followed by a decreasing trend after 1990 (p = 0.02). A latitude gradient was also noted, with more males being born in southern, warmer latitudes (p < 0.0001). There was an overall excess of 42,753 male births based on an anticipated M/F of 0.515. CONCLUSION: M/F is decreasing in this region, similar to the rest of Europe and North America. A latitude gradient is also present with more males being born in warmer (more Southern) latitudes (p < 0.0001), even in this small region and over the short time-frame studied. and V. Grech
Úvod: Adjuvantní radioterapie je nedílnou součástí současné léčby celé řady maligních tumorů. Kromě benefitů ve smyslu snížení rizika recidivy však vede také k celé řadě nežádoucích účinků, z nichž jedním z nejzávažnějších je vznik sekundárních malignit. Kazuistika: Autor popisuje kazuistiku 77leté ženy, která prodělala v roce 2005 hysterektomii s oboustrannou adnexektomií a pánevní lymfadenektomií pro karcinom dělohy pT1bN0M0, G1. Následovala ještě adjuvantní zevní radioterapie dávkou 45Gy + brachyterapie 3x4Gy. Poté byla dispenzarizována gynekologickou klinikou, odkud byla odeslána v lednu 2015 pro rychle rostoucí tumor kůže a podkoží v hypogastriu v místě původního ozáření. Byla indikována k jeho excizi s podezřením na metastázu původního karcinomu dělohy, následné histologické vyšetření preparátu však odhalilo, že se jedná o angiosarkom. I přes negativní resekční okraje došlo k brzké recidivě s generalizací tumoru. Závěr: Angiosarkom jako následek ozáření bývá v současnosti popisován stále častěji. V drtivé většině případů se jedná o následek adjuvantní terapie po operaci karcinomu prsu. Jeho prognóza je velmi nepříznivá a terapeutické možnosti omezené. Základem léčby zůstává chirurgická excize s negativními okraji. Je třeba na tuto diagnózu myslet a pacienty podstupující radioterapii dlouhodobě dispenzarizovat., Introduction: Adjuvant radiotherapy is an integral part of the current treatment of many malignant tumours. However, this mode of treatment does not provide only benefits in the sense of lowering the risks of recurrence, but it is also associated with many undesirable side effects, from which one of the most serious is the development of secondary malignancies. Case report: The author describes a case report of 77 years old woman who underwent hysterectomy with bilateral adnexectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy for uterine carcinoma pT1bN0M0, G1 in 2005. Adjuvant external radiotherapy with the dose 45Gy and brachytherapy 3x4Gy followed. Subsequently the patient was followed at the department of gynecology, which referred her in January 2015 with a quickly growing tumour of the skin and subdermal tissue in the hypogastric area, where previous radiation had been applied. Its excision was indicated with the diagnosis of suspected uterine carcinoma metastasis, but subsequent histological evaluation confirmed angiosarcoma. Despite negative resection margins the tumour quickly recurred and disseminated. Conclusion: Angiosarcoma as a side effect of irradiation is described increasingly more often nowadays. The vast majority of cases are related to the treatment of breast carcinoma. Its prognosis is very poor and therapeutic possibilities are limited. Surgical excision with negative margins remains the mainstay of the treatment. It is necessary to keep this diagnosis in mind and patients undergoing radiation treatment should be followed over a long period., and A. Zatloukal, M. Lerch, P. Zonča