The inflammatory process plays a significant role in the development of colon cancer (CRC). Intestinal cytokine networks are critical mediators of tissue homeostasis and inflammation but also impact carcinogenesis at all stages of the disease. Recent studies suggest that inflammation is of greater importance in the serrated pathway than in the adenoma-carcinoma pathway. Interleukins have gained the most attention due to their potential role in CRC pathogenesis and promising results of clinical trials. Malignant transformation is associated with the pro-tumorigenic and anti-tumorigenic cytokines. The harmony between proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory factors is crucial to maintaining homeostasis. Immune cells in the tumor microenvironment modulate immune sensitivity and facilitate cancer escape from immune surveillance. Therefore, clarifying the role of underlying cytokine pathways and the effects of their modulation may be an important step to improve the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy.

Glioblastoma is the most malignant central nervous system tumor, which represents 50% of all glial tumors. The understanding of glioma genesis, prognostic evaluation, and treatment planning has been significantly enhanced by the discovery of molecular genetic biomarkers. This study aimed to evaluate survival in patients with primary glioblastoma concerning O6-methylguanine–DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter methylation and other clinical factors. The study included 41 newly diagnosed glioblastoma patients treated from 2011 to 2014 in the 10th Military Research Hospital and Polyclinic, Poland. All patients underwent surgical resection followed by radiation and chemotherapy with alkylating agents. The MGMT promoter methylation was evaluated in all patients, and 43% were found to be methylated. In 26 and 15 cases, gross total resection and subtotal resection were conducted, respectively. Patients with a methylated MGMT promoter had a median survival of 504 days, while those without methylation had a median survival of 329 days. The group that was examined had a median age of 53. In a patient group younger than 53 years, those with methylation had significantly longer overall survival (639 days), compared to 433.5 days for patients without methylation. The most prolonged survival (551 days) was in patients with MGMT promoter methylation after gross total resection. The value of MGMT promoter methylation as a predictive biomarker is widely acknowledged. However, its prognostic significance remains unclear. Our findings proved that MGMT promoter methylation is also an essential positive prognostic biomarker.

Prostate cancer treatment is currently based on surgical removal, radiotherapy, and hormone therapy. In recent years, another therapeutic method has emerged—immunological treatment. Immunotherapy modulates and strengthens one’s immune responses against cancer. Neoplastic cells naturally escape from the control of the immune system, and the main goal of immune therapy is to bring the control back. Satisfying outcomes after treatment of advanced melanoma and lung cancer suggest a great potential of immunotherapy as an approach for other tumors’ treatment, especially in patients primarily introduced to palliative care. After initial clinical trials, immunotherapy seems to have different side effects than chemotherapy. Prostate cancer was the first neoplasm in which a specific vaccine significantly improved survival. There is a tremendous potential for synergistic combinations of immunotherapy with conventional cancer treatments. A combination of several drugs or methods can be a key in radical treatment of metastatic prostate cancer as demonstrated by preliminary studies.

Hirschsprung’s disease (HD) is a disorder that involves several medical specialties such as paediatric gastroenterology, paediatric surgery, and pathology. Hirschsprung’s disease is a congenital bowel innervation disorder characterised by the absence of ganglion cells in myenteric...

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most frequently diagnosed cancer in the world. For a long time, only one pathway of colorectal carcinogenesis was known. In recent years, a new “alternative” pathway through serrated adenoma was described. Recent meta-analysis estimated these cancers as about 10% to 30% of all CRCs. Serrated polyps are the second most popular groups of polyps (after conventional adenomas) found during colonoscopy. Serrated polyps of the colon are clinically and molecularly diverse changes that have common feature as crypt luminal morphology characterized by glandular serration. Evidence suggests that subtypes of serrated polyps, particularly TSA and SSA/P, can lead to adenocarcinoma through the serrated pathway. Moreover, the data indicate that the SSA/P are the precursors of colorectal carcinoma by MSI and may be subject to rapid progression to malignancy. An important step to reduce the incidence of CRC initiated by the serrated pathway is to improve the detection of serrated polyps and to ensure their complete removal during endoscopy. Understanding of the so-called serrated carcinogenesis pathway is an important step forward in expanding possibilities in the prevention of CRC.