No abstract available

[en] The value of serum neopterin as tumor marker was verified in 104 breast cancer patients. Based on the results the evaluation of neopterin cannot be recommended, neither for the decision of treatment after primary therapy nor for monitoring of the breast cancer. (author)

[en] An essential criterium for the suitability of a mathematical approach to represent biologic processes is the possibility to give a sensible biologic description of those proceedings, too, which cannot be directly observed. The authors show that the formula used by Krokowski in order to define the growth of pulmonary metastases is not able to describe in a reasonable manner the initial growth during the pre-clinical stage. (orig.)

[en] 26 patients with pulmonary metastases of renal adenocarcinomas were examined under the aspect of tumor biology. Growth functions were used to calculate the time at which the metastases began to grow, in relation to the time of operation and with the aim to get information on the indication for preoperative radiotherapy. In 3 patients (11.5%) there was an indication for preoperative irradiation. For comparative clinical tests as to the value of preoperative irradiation a minimum of 871 patients are needed in each group for comparison to evaluate the 3-year survival rate and 489 patients to evaluate the 5-year survival rate in order to be certain of the positive effect of preoperative irradiation with 1% statistical probability. The investigations are to be considered a model. (author)