Patrik Palacka

Comenius University Bratislava · 2nd Department of Oncology

This chapter deals with the issue of mitochondrial oncology. At the beginning, the differences of mitochondria in the tumor cells from the healthy cells are presented. Then in the subchapters, various dysregulated processes (electron transport chain, Krebs cycle, anaplerosis, cytochrome c release, oxidative stress, fission and fusion of mitochondri...

Stress responses can impact bladder cancer (BC) outcomes via immune–inflammatory pathway modulation. This study explores heart rate variability (HRV) associations with serum immune–inflammatory biomarkers, blood count inflammatory markers, and psychosocial self-report measures in patients versus healthy controls. The TREM-1 and TREM-2 expressions o...

Background: Human leukocyte antigen G (HLA-G) is an immune checkpoint molecule with immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory activities. It belongs to class I non-classical major histocompatibility complex molecules and has been upregulated in various cancer types. In bladder cancer (BC) tumors, the association of HLA-G with cancer progression has t...

Background Cisplatin (CDDP) remains a key agent in the treatment of muscle-infiltrating bladder carcinoma (MIBC). However, a proportion of MIBC patients do not respond to chemotherapy, which may be caused by the increased repair of CDDP-induced DNA damage. The purpose of this study was to explore the prognostic value of proteins involved in nucleot...

e16523 Background: To evaluate the prognostic value of the index combining hemoglobin and albumin levels with lymphocyte and platelet counts (HALP) in patients with metastatic clear-cell RCC treated with nivolumab. Methods: We enrolled 149 subjects (38 females), median age 62 years, treated with nivolumab 240 mg biweekly or 480 mg each 28 days foll...

e17108 Background: Disparities may result in delayed staging and worse outcomes in cancer patients. Testicular germ cell tumors (GCTs) have excellent prognosis. However, disparities in education may have detrimental effect on early diagnosis and treatment. This study evaluated differences in staging and disease burden based on education in GCT pati...

e13792 Background: Testicular germ cell tumors (GCTs) are highly curable malignancies. Survivors of GCTs represent a growing population with a long life expectancy after curative cancer treatment. GCT survivors may experience a variety of late adverse effects of treatment and reduced quality of life. Therefore, National Cancer Institute in Slovakia...

e17017 Background: Teratomas are unique neoplastic growths that encompass a diverse array of tissue types derived from multiple germ layers, often exhibiting varying degrees of differentiation. Among the phenomena associated with teratomas, the growing teratoma syndrome (GTS) stands out as a rare yet clinically significant occurrence. GTS, characte...

Background Germ cell tumors (GCTs) represent the most frequent solid malignancy in young men. This malignancy is highly curable by cisplatin (CDDP)-based chemotherapy. However, there is a proportion of patients having a poor prognosis due to refractory disease or its relapse. No reliable biomarkers being able to timely and accurately stratify poor...

518 Background: Despite high cure rate, small proportion of patients with germ cell tumors (GCTs) experience relapse and eventually die as a consequence of their disease. Tumor-derived DNA, but also total extracellular DNA (ecDNA) in plasma were found to be associated with the prognosis in different types of cancer. Deoxyribonuclease (DNase) cataly...

514 Background: Survivors of testicular germ cell tumors (GCT) may experience late toxicities derived from cancer treatment. Long-term cognitive impairment has been previously described in GCT survivors. This study aimed to prospectively perform a longitudinal assessment of cognitive functioning in GCT survivors. Methods: GCT survivors (N = 151) fr...

Autorský kolektív zostavili stručný balík konkrétnych návrhov,čo by mala robiť budúca sociálnodemokratická vláda s názvom Sociálne spravodlivé,inovatívne a trvalo udržateľné Slovensko. Na návrhoch opatrení pracoval väčší autorský kolektív, ktorý zastrešovalo OZ Proforum v spolupráci s Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, zastúpením v Slovenskej republike, a s...

Background: BNT162b2 represents the authorized mRNA vaccine against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS–CoV–2) causing Covid–19. Methods: We conducted a prospective, single–center observational study with 273 employees of a medical facility to determine the efficacy and safety of the BNT162b2 third dose in relation to sex and BMI,...

e16564 Background: Performance status and visceral metastasis before first-line chemotherapy based on cisplatin (CDDP) predict survival of subjects with mUC. The objective of this study was to explore the prognostic value of selected plasma biomarkers. Methods: We have evaluated the samples from 86 mUC subjects (64.0% males). Performance status of...

e24037 Background: With established efficacy and safety, BNT162b2 was one of the first licensed mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2. However, it is unclear whether vitamin D serum concentrations affect vaccine efficacy after three doses. Methods: This prospective, single-center study included 273 staff members (85.4% females) of the National Cancer Co...

e17032 Background: Survivors of testicular germ cell tumors (GCT) may suffer from long-term treatment induced peripheral neuropathy. We hypothesized markers of gut microbial translocation after chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy may be contributing factors of peripheral neuropathy. Methods: GCT survivors (N = 194) from National Cancer Institute of Sl...

e16615 Background: Cisplatin (CDDP) is the key agent in treatment of muscle-infiltrating urothelial carcinomas (MIUCs). However, around a half of patients do not respond to combined chemotherapy based on this agent what might be caused by an increased capacity to repair CDDP-induced DNA damage. The objective of this study was to determine the level...

Background: Mitochondrial dysfunction and redox cellular imbalance indicate crucial function in COVID-19 pathogenesis. Since 11 March 2020, a global pandemic, health crisis and economic disruption has been caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus. Vaccination is considered one of the most effective strategies for preventing viral infection. We tested the hypoth...

Background Testicular cancer is the most common malignancy among young men. Vitamin D has pluripotent effects on cancer pathogenesis and plays a role in the metastatic cascade. The aim of this study is to analyze plasma vitamin D in association with clinico-pathological findings and prognosis in patients with germ-cell tumors (GCTs). Methods This...

Background: Survivors of testicular germ cell tumors (GCT) may suffer from late cognitive impairment. We hypothesized that disruption of intestinal barrier during chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy may be a contributing factor of cognitive dysfunction within the gut-blood-brain axis. Methods: GCT survivors (N = 142) from National Cancer Institute...

417 Background: Testicular germ cell tumors (GCT) achieve exceptional cure rate with cisplatin-based chemotherapy. Survivors of GCTs represent a unique population to study post-cancer treatment physiology and late toxicities. The impact of cancer treatment on the immune-cell profile in long-term GCT survivors is unknown. In this study, we performed...

424 Background: Germ cell tumors (GCTs) represent a highly curable malignancy; however, a small portion of patients can develop choriocarcinoma syndrome (CS) connected with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) with high mortality rate shortly after the chemotherapy start. The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic value of circulating...

429 Background: Testicular cancer is the most common malignancy among young men. Vitamin D has pluripotent effects on cancer pathogenesis and plays a role in the metastatic cascade. The aim of this study is to analyze plasma vitamin D in association with clinico-pathological findings and prognosis in patients with testicular germ-cell tumours (GCTs...

Background: SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with inflammation, decrease in antioxidants and oxidative damage. We aimed to investigate whether ubiquinol, reduced form of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), with mountain spa rehabilitation (MR) will contribute to recovering of patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome. Methods: The study included 36 patients on M...

Oxidative stress plays an important role in cancer pathogenesis, and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance level (TBARS)—a parameter of lipid peroxidation—has prognostic significance in chemotherapy-naive patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC). However, the effect of cisplatin (CDDP)-based chemotherapy on oxidative stress, coenzyme Q1...

European Association of Spa Rehabilitation recommend spa rehabilitation for patients with post COVID-19 syndrome (post C-19). We studied effects of special mountain spa rehabilitation program and its combination with ubiquinol (reduced form of coenzyme Q 10 —CoQ 10 ) supplementation on pulmonary function, clinical symptoms, endogenous CoQ 10 levels...

Cisplatin (CDDP)-based chemotherapy is the standard of care in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer. However, in a large number of cases, the disease becomes resistant or does not respond to CDDP, and thus progresses and disseminates. In such cases, prognosis of patients is very poor. CDDP manifests its cytotoxic effects mainly through DNA...

Background Multiple relapsed/refractory germ cell tumor (GCT) patients have extremely poor prognosis. Cisplatin resistant testicular GCTs overexpress aldehyde-dehydrogenase (ALDH) isoforms and inhibition of ALDH activity by disulfiram is associated with reconstitution of cisplatin sensitivity in vitro as well as in animal model. This study aimed to...

European Association of Spa Rehabilitation (ESPA) recommends spa rehabilitation for patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome. We tested the hypothesis that a high-altitude environment with clean air and targeted spa rehabilitation (MR — mountain spa rehabilitation) can contribute to the improving platelet mitochondrial bioenergetics, to accelerating pa...

Background Muscle-infiltrating urothelial carcinoma of the bladder is the most common genitourinary cancer. Immunotherapeutic agents targeting protein-1 programmed death or protein-1 programmed death ligand are currently considered the standard treatment in patients with either inoperable locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (MUC) af...

Testicular germ cell tumors (GCTs) are the most common solid malignancy in males aged 15-35 years. Febrile neutropenia (FN) is a serious complication of chemotherapy that frequently occurs in patients with GCTs. The present retrospective study aimed to evaluate the effect of primary granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) prophylaxis on the i...

The increasing volume of the data and experience with direct oral anticoagulants (DOACS) in the primary and secondary prevention of venous thromboembolism in oncologic patients (CAVTE) has recently lead to changes in several international guidelines. We reflect these changes within the conditions in Slovak republic. In the primary prevention of CAV...

Background Germ cell tumors (GCTs) represent a highly curable cancer. However, a small proportion of poor-risk patients can develop choriocarcinoma syndrome (CS) connected with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) with a high mortality rate. Our retrospective study aimed to determine the risk factors of poor-risk GCTs susceptible to CS develo...

e18774 Background: Vaccination remains the leading strategy against Covid-19 worldwide. BNT 162b2 (tozinameran) belongs among first licensed vaccines with good efficacy. However, the role of monitoring both, antibodies and cell immunity after vaccination remains unclear. Methods: We conducted a 6-month prospective study involving vaccinated workers...

e17013 Background: Multiple relapsed/refractory GCTs patients have extremely poor prognosis, therefore, new treatment strategies are warranted. Previously, we showed, that cisplatin resistant testicular GCTs overexpress aldehyde-dehydrogenase (ALDH) isoforms and inhibition of ALDH activity by disulfiram is associated with reconstitution of cisplati...

The tumor microenvironment (TME) and the host inflammatory response are closely interconnected. The interplay between systemic inflammation and the local immune response may influence tumor development and progression in various types of cancer. The systemic immune–inflammation index (SII) represents a prognostic marker for germ cell tumors (GCTs)....

Vaccination remains the leading strategy against COVID-19 worldwide. BNT162b2 is among the first licensed vaccines with high effectiveness. However, the role of antibody and cell immunity response monitoring after vaccination remains unclear. We conducted a 6-month prospective study involving the employees of NCCC in Slovakia, who were tested for I...

The pattern of immune cell distribution in testicular germ cell tumors (GCT) significantly differs from the immune environment in normal testicular tissues. The present study aimed to evaluate the role of different leukocyte subpopulation in GCTs. A cohort of 84 chemotherapy-naïve GCT patients was analyzed. Immunophenotyping of peripheral blood leu...

426 Background: Survivors of testicular germ cell tumors (GCT) may suffer from long-term cognitive impairment. We hypothesized that disruption of intestinal barrier during chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy may be a contributing factor of cognitive dysfunction within the gut-blood-brain axis. Methods: GCT survivors (N = 142) from National Cancer Inst...

Venous thromboembolism (VTE), commonly occurring in patients with testicular germ cell tumors (GCT), is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Prophylactic anticoagulation has been shown to decrease the risk of VTE in patients with malignancies. The objective was to evaluate the effect of low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) prophylaxis...

Rationale: Primary diffuse leptomeningeal melanomatosis (PDLM) is a rare disease that affects melanocytes in the leptomeninges. There is very limited data on the efficacy of immunotherapy in this setting. Patient concerns: A patient (23 years old) was diagnosed with PDLM. Histologically, atypical melanocytic cells were also observed. Diagnosis:...

Mitochondrial bioenergetics reprogramming is an essential response of cells to stress. Platelets, an accessible source of mitochondria, have a crucial role in cancer development; however, the platelet mitochondrial function has not been studied in urothelial carcinoma (UC) patients. A total of 15 patients with UC and 15 healthy controls were includ...

Background Germ cell tumors represent highly curable disease even in metastatic stage. However, poor-risk patients with an unfavorable serum tumor marker (STM) decline after the first cycle of chemotherapy represent a subgroup with dismal prognosis, with approximately 50% cure rate using bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin (BEP). Objective The aim...

Background/aim: Systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) predicts survival of patients with various malignancies. This study explored the prognostic value of SII in metastatic urothelial carcinoma (MUC) subjects. Patients and methods: We evaluated 181 consecutive MUC patients treated with first-line platinum-based therapy. Karnofsky performance...

Introduction Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory autoimunne disorder affecting both small and large synovial joints, leading to their destruction. Platelet biomarkers are involved in inflammation in RA patients. Increased circulating platelet counts in RA patients may contribute to platelet hyperactivity and thrombosis. In this pilo...

Chemoresistance of germ cell tumors (GCTs) represents an intensively studied property of GCTs that is the result of a complicated multifactorial process. One of the driving factors in this process is the tumor microenvironment (TME). Intensive crosstalk between the DNA damage/DNA repair pathways and the TME has already been reported. This study aim...

Purpose This study aims to describe the preparation of antimicrobial material usable in 3D printing of medical devices. Despite the wealth of technological progress at the time of the crisis caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus: Virus that causes current Pandemic situation (COVID-19), the global population had long been exposed beforehand to an acute absence...

e18724 Background: Active immunization seems to be the most effective protection against COVID-19. The objective of this prospective study was to explore the side effects of mRNA vaccine Tozinameran and possible differences in their incidence between different categories of employees at the National Cancer Institute in Bratislava, Slovakia (NCI). M...

e17009 Background: GCTs represent a model for the cure of cancer. Nonetheless, a small proportion of patients develop disease recurrence. PARP is overexpressed in GCTs compared to normal testis and PARP overexpression is early event in GCTs development. Gemcitabine and carboplatin showed activity in refractory GCTs. This study aimed to determine th...

e17014 Background: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN20) after curative treatment for testicular germ cell tumors (GCTs) has been previously reported. The association of CIPN with long-term sexual function in GCT survivors remains unclear. Methods: European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) CIPN20 and PROMIS mo...

e17010 Background: Germ cell tumors (GCTs) represent a highly curable cancer. However, a small proportion of patients with super-high-risk characteristics can develop choriocarcinoma syndrome (CS) connected with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). CS is defined as a syndrome with hemorrhage from metastatic sites in patients with advanced GC...

Background: Systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) predicts survival in patients with various malignancies. This study explores the prognostic value of SII in metastatic urothelial carcinoma (MUC) subjects. Methods: We evaluated 181 consecutive MUC (148 bladder, 27 upper tract) patients (135 men) treated with first-line platinum-based therapy. Ka...

Background: After an acute treatment for coronavirus disease (COVID-19), some symptoms may persist for several weeks, for example: fatigue, headaches, muscle and joint pain, cough, loss of taste and smell, sleep and memory disturbances, depression. Many viruses manipulate mitochondrial function, but the exact mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 virus effect...

Background Metastatic germ cell cancer of the testis is characterized by favorable prognosis since effective treatment methods are available even in cases of extensive disease. Retroperitoneal masses frequently encroach major blood vessels requiring a vascular intervention usually performed in association with the post-chemotherapy retroperitoneal...

Oxidative stress plays a significant role in development and progression of cancer, including urothelial carcinomas. TBARS (Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances) represents a marker of oxidative stress increased in various diseases. In this prospective study, we tested the hypothesis of plasma TBARS concentration and correlation with survival in...

Since the end of 2019, a novel coronavirus (SARS‐CoV‐2) causing pneumonia, often progressing to rapid deterioration with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) requiring advanced life support, has been spreading worldwide. The humanitarian crisis we are currently witnessing across the globe is threatening access to artificial ventilation of the...

Background Survivors of germ-cell tumors (GCT) may suffer from long-term adverse consequences. Our study was conducted to assess a long-term sexual functioning in GCT survivors. Methods GCT survivors (N = 170) from the National Cancer Institute in Slovakia completed a Sexual Function Questionnaire that was modified from PROMIS Sexual Function and...

Background: In December 2019 a new strain of coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has emerged and affected health care worldwide. Patients with cancer and other comorbidities are at increased risk for adverse outcomes in this infection. Case: In this case report we present a 75-year-old patient with a localized gastric adenocarcinoma, currently treated by per...

Background: Testicular germ cell tumors (GCTs) are the most common solid malignancy in men 15-35 years old. Febrile neutropenia (FN) is a grievous complication of chemotherapy, frequently occurring in GCT patients. The aim of this retrospective study was to assess the effect of primary granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) prophylaxis on th...

Background: Testicular germ cell tumors (GCTs) are the most common solid malignancy in men 15-35 years old. Febrile neutropenia (FN) is a serious complication of chemotherapy, frequently occurring in GCT patients. The aim of this retrospective study was to assess the effect of primary granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) prophylaxis on the...

e17023 Background: Oxidative stress plays a significant role in cancer development and progression. A marker of lipid peroxidation TBARS is upregulated in various diseases. The objective of this prospective study was to explore predictive and prognostic values of TBARS in MUC patients (pts.) before the first-line platinum-based chemotherapy. Method...

e17063 Background: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN20) after curative treatment for testicular germ cell tumors (GCTs) has been previously reported. The impact of CIPN on long-term quality of life (QOL) in GCT survivors remains unclear. Herein, we aimed to evaluate chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN20) in association w...

e17056 Background: Testicular germ cell tumors (GCTs) represent only one percent of all solid tumors; however, they are the most common solid malignancy in men 15-35 years old. Febrile neutropenia (FN) is a grievous complication of chemotherapy, frequently occurring in GCT patients. The aim of this retrospective study was to assess the effect of pr...

e17022 Background: Systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) is a prognostic factor in patients with metastatic urothelial cancer (MUC). The objective of this prospective study was to evaluate the prognostic value of the SII at baseline before neoadjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy start in patients with muscle-infiltrating urothelial cancer (MIUC...

e17019 Background: Based on our previous study, the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) is a prognostic factor in patients with metastatic urothelial cancer (MUC) treated with platinum-based first-line chemotherapy. The objective of this retrospective analysis was to explore prognostic value of the SII at baseline of second-line chemotherapy w...

e17062 Background: Treatment for testicular germ cell tumors (GCTs) results in late chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). This study aimed to evaluate impact of curative treatments on different subtypes of self-reported peripheral nerve damage. Methods: GCT survivors (N = 186) followed-up annually at National Cancer Institute in Slovak...