Vol 4-3 Research Article

Challenging pretreatment aspects of lung cancer in Georgia

Ivane Kiladze1*, Elene Mariamidze1, Branislav Jeremic2

1Oncology and Hematology Department, Research Institute of Clinical Medicine after academician F.Todua, Tbilisi, Georgia

2Radiation Oncology Department, Research Institute of Clinical Medicine after academician F.Todua, Tbilisi, Georgia

Lung cancer (LC) continues to be a significant worldwide public health issue. There are several publications addressing specifics of LC worldwide, but none concerning Georgia- a country with high number of smoking population and LC cases.

Based on the above facts we conducted the first study in the country that aims both evaluating current pretreatment LC challenges, including barriers for early diagnostics and indicating the future strategies for improved LC care

We first analyzed LC statistics and the smoking patterns in the country. Further, we identified other challenging issues in pretreatment diagnostics and staging aspects and finally, provided a survey among LC specialists all over the country to evaluate the situation regarding access and use of radiology investigations and other staging procedures. The survey questionnaire was distributed among LC specialists in main cancer hospitals (n=13) across the country.

We identify multiple health challenges. Still there are a high number of smokers in the country which clearly indicates that additional measures focusing on smoking cessation are urgently needed. This is further materialized in the fact that the majority of patients with LC are diagnosed with either locally advanced or metastatic disease. Activation of preventive programs and implementation of LC screening for early detection should hopefully lead to further reduction of national LC mortality rates.

We underline the urgent need for implementation of country-adapted diagnostic and therapeutic guidelines and protocols as well as enforcing multidisciplinary team meetings. The great need to introduce screening programs in high risk groups, improve access to modern treatment modalities and standardize national diagnostic and treatment protocols are of paramount importance for better LC care.

DOI: 10.29245/2689-999X/2020/3.1165 View / Download Pdf
Vol 4-3 Commentary

Commentary: Trained immunity and beyond: the not-yet lost chance to win with COVID-19

Malgorzata Kloc1,2,3*, Rafik Mark Ghobrial1,2, Jacek Z. Kubiak4,5*

1The Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas, USA

2The Houston Methodist Hospital, Department of Surgery, Houston, Texas, USA

3The University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Department of Genetics, Houston Texas, USA

4Department of Regenerative Medicine and Cell Biology, Military Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (WIHE), Warsaw, Poland

5UnivRennes, UMR 6290, CNRS, Institute of Genetics and Development of Rennes, Cell Cycle Group, Faculty of Medicine, Rennes, France

COVID-19 pandemic has frightened people and governments all around the world. The common opinion is that there are no efficient preventive measures but masks, isolation, and social distancing. The deliverance is hoped from the SARS-CoV-2-specific vaccine, which must be efficient and cheap. But, so far nobody knows when, and if such a vaccine will be developed and mass-produced. Trained immunity with oral polio vaccine (OPV) was recently proposed as a temporal solution against the heavy course of COVID-19. However, politics do not seem to follow, and the scientific world should react because humanity has no time to lose. Below, we support this with our thoughts.

DOI: 10.29245/2689-999X/2020/3.1166 View / Download Pdf