Clinical trials

Perioperative chemotherapy (CHT) or CHT/RT combined with surgery is the standard therapeutic approach for the treatment of locally advanced cancer of the esophagus, gastroesophageal junction (GEJ), and stomach. Comprehensive cancer treatment is associated with high perioperative morbidity and mortality. Serious postoperative complications occur in up to 20-80% of patients undergoing esophagectomy. The impact of nutritional status and overall physical condition on surgical outcomes and overall treatment has been demonstrated many times. The concept of pre-rehabilitation/pre-optimization, which involves establishing an individualized nutritional plan, monitoring and managing physical activity, and providing comprehensive supportive oncological and psychological care as early as during neoadjuvant CHT or CHT/RT, is a prerequisite for improving perioperative and 30-day postoperative morbidity and mortality.

Preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy is the standard treatment for locally advanced gastrointestinal tumours. However, not all patients respond to preoperative treatment. Early identification of progression during neoadjuvant chemotherapy or diagnosis of early disease relapse during adjuvant treatment is essential to modify the treatment strategy. The aim of this project is to validate ctDNA as a biomarker of molecular relapse/progression of disease.

The questionnaire for assessment of adverse events after completion of cancer treatment, which is being piloted at the Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, aims to detect a wide range of adverse effects early on, thus facilitating adequate intervention and planning of follow-up care for all cancer survivors.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the diseases with the worst prognosis, which is mainly due to the initial asymptomatic prognosis. Unfortunately, the incidence of this disease in the Czech Republic is still increasing. In a certain proportion of patients, it is possible to predict the disease, e.g. due to family burdens. Regular follow-up of such individuals is the subject of the SCREPAN study: "Pancreatic Cancer Screening in High-Risk Persons".

The aim of the study is to evaluate the benefit of the acupuncture as healing modalities in the therapy of acute toxicity of radiotherapy.