One of the most neglected aspects of chemotherapy are changes, and possible consequences of these changes, that occur in normal somatic cells. In this review, we summarize effects of selected drugs used to treat ovarian cancer (platin derivatives—cisplatin and carboplatin; and taxanes—paclitaxel and docetaxel) on cellular metabolism, acquisition of reactive stroma features, cellular senescence, inflammatory reactions, apoptosis, autophagy, mitophagy, oxidative stress, DNA damage, and angiogenesis in various types of normal cells, including fibroblasts, epithelial cells, endothelial cells, and neurons. The activity of these drugs against the normal cells is presented from a broader perspective of their desirable anti-tumoral effects.

In contrast to the well-recognized replicative and stress-induced premature senescence of normal somatic cells, mechanisms and clinical implications of senescence of cancer cells are still elusive and uncertain from patient-oriented perspective. Moreover, recent years provided multiple pieces of evidence that cancer cells may undergo senescence not only in response to chemotherapy or ionizing radiation (the so-called therapy-induced senescence) but also spontaneously, without any external insults. Since the molecular nature of the latter process is poorly recognized, the significance of spontaneously senescent cancer cells for tumor progression, therapy effectiveness, and patient survival is purely speculative. In this review, we summarize the most up-to-date research regarding therapy-induced and spontaneous senescence of cancer cells, by delineating the most important discoveries regarding the occurrence of these phenomena in vivo and in vitro. This review provides data collected from studies on various cancer cell models, and the narration is presented from the broader perspective of the most critical findings regarding the senescence of normal somatic cells.

INTRODUCTION There are limited data on the current prevalence of overweight and obesity as well as its changes with time in Poland. OBJECTIVES The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of general and abdominal obesity and overweight in Polish adults in the years 2013-2014, and to compare it with the prevalence in the years 2003-2005. PATIENTS AND METHODS The study was conducted in 2 independent, representative samples of the Polish population, comprising 14 537 persons (aged 20-74 years) examined in the years 2003-2005 and 6164 persons (aged ≥20 years) examined in the years 2013-2014. Anthropometric measurements were done by trained nurses. RESULTS In the years 2013-2014, the age-standardized prevalence of obesity (body mass index [BMI] ≥30 kg/m2) was 24.4% in men and 25.0% in women. The prevalence of overweight (BMI, 25.0-29.9 kg/m2) was 43.2% in men and 30.5% in women. Abdominal obesity (waist circumference ≥102 cm in men or ≥88 cm in women) was noted in 32.2% of men and 45.7% of women. Abdominal overweight (waist circumference, 94-101.9 cm in men or 80-87.9 cm in women) was present in 27.2% of men and 21.7% of women. Since the years 2003-2005, the distribution of body mass according to the BMI category had shifted to higher values, and an increase in the prevalence of obesity was observed in men. The percentage of adults with normal waist circumference decreased significantly in both sexes. CONCLUSIONS Every fourth inhabitant of Poland is obese, and during the last decade, the prevalence of obesity has increased, particularly in men. Abdominal obesity is observed in every third man and nearly every second woman, and an excess of abdominal fat has increased in both sexes.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the main cause of morbidity and mortality in developed countries. Despite the progress in diagnostics and treatment, it is expected that CVD will still be the main cause of death worldwide until at least 2030. From 1991 CVD mortality in Poland systematically decreased, but it is still higher than the average in Western Europe. In 2013 CVDs were the cause of 46% of all deaths in Poland (40.9% in men and 51.1% in women) and 26.9% of deaths among persons under 65 years of age. The epidemiologic assessment of prevalence, control and treatment of CVD risk factors, and monitoring of healthy behaviour and morbidity due to diseases like coronary artery disease, hypertension and diabetes is very important for health policy planning. The WOBASZ II is the newest Polish population based survey, performed in 2013-2014 to evaluate prevalence, control, treatment, and morbidity. The study was the continuation of WOBASZ (2003-2005). To describe the goals and methods of the WOBASZ II study and to present the results of the recruitment. The WOBASZ II study was planned as a cross-sectional survey of a random sample of Polish residents aged over 20 years. The selection, using the National Identity Card Registry of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, was made as a three-stage sampling, stratified according to administrative units (voivodeships), type of urbanisation (commune), and gender. The study protocol consisted of a questionnaire used in face-to-face interviews, physical examination, and blood samples. WOBASZ II was coordinated by the Department of Epidemiology, Cardiovascular Diseases Prevention and Health Promotion of the Institute of Cardiology in Warsaw in cooperation with medical universities in Gdansk, Katowice, Krakow, Lodz, and Poznan. Out of 15,120 persons, 1557 persons were not eligible. Out of eligible persons, 6170 (2760 men and 3410 women) were examined (the response rate 45.5%). The highest response rates were observed in Warminsko-Mazurskie (64.2%), Zachodniopomorskie (58.1%), and Kujawsko-Pomorskie (53.1%). The importance of the WOBASZ study for the monitoring of the health state of Polish society, and for the as-sessment of prophylaxis efficiency and treatment of CVD and metabolic diseases, as well as for the evaluation of the actions in the field of health promotion, is difficult to overstate.

Introduction : Hypertension is one of the main risk factors of cardiovascular diseases. The first aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence, awareness and treatment of hypertension as well as treatment effectiveness (blood pressure Material and methods : Sampling was performed in...

Spontaneous senescence of cancer cells remains a puzzling and poorly understood phenomenon. Here we comprehensively characterize this process in primary epithelial ovarian cancer cells (pEOCs). Analysis of tumors from ovarian cancer patients showed an abundance of senescent cells in vivo. Further, serially passaged pEOCs become senescent after a few divisions. These senescent cultures display trace proliferation, high expression of senescence biomarkers (SA-β-Gal, γ-H2A.X), growth-arrest in the G₁ phase, increased level of cyclins D1, D2, decreased cyclin B1, up-regulated p16, p21, and p53 proteins, eroded telomeres, reduced activity of telomerase, predominantly non-telomeric DNA damage, activated AKT, AP-1, and ERK1/2 signaling, diminished JNK, NF-κB, and STAT3 pathways, increased formation of reactive oxygen species, unchanged activity of antioxidants, increased oxidative damage to DNA and proteins, and dysfunctional mitochondria. Moreover, pEOC senescence is inducible by normal peritoneal mesothelium, fibroblasts, and malignant ascites via the paracrine activity of GRO-1, HGF, and TGF-β1. Collectively, pEOCs undergo spontaneous senescence in a mosaic, telomere-dependent and telomere-independent manner, plausibly in an oxidative stress-dependent mechanism. The process may also be activated by extracellular stimuli. The biological and clinical significance of pEOC senescence remains to be explored.