BACKGROUND The aim of the study was to explore the prognostic impact of different abnormal blood tests and the tumor marker CA 15-3 as well as established parameters such as disease extent and receptor status in patients with bone metastases from breast cancer who received palliative radiotherapy in addition to contemporary systemic treatment. METHODS This was a retrospective uni- and multiva...

BACKGROUND Macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), and its specific tissue inhibitor - tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) may play an important role in the pathogenesis and spread of cancer. We investigated the plasma levels of M-CSF, MMP-9, and TIMP-1 in comparison with a commonly accepted tumor marker CA 15-3 in breast cancer patients a...

It is now widely accepted that calcium (Ca) deficiency is linked to potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) tuber disorders and improved tuber health is expected through increased Ca availability. The purpose of this study was to optimize the Ca concentration in Murashige-Skoog (MS) basal medium for microtuber production and determine microtuber mineral composition, especially Ca content. The response of...