As of March 1, 2022, the 28th update of the Blue Book by the Czech Society for Oncology of ČLS JEP was released. Let's take a look at what changes it has brought compared to the previous version in the treatment of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with a driver mutation in the ALK gene.

Neoadjuvant treatment (chemoradiotherapy) for colorectal cancer is regularly used in advanced rectal tumors, with the goal of reducing the tumor size for the surgeon and ensuring the best possible radical outcome for the patient. In metastatic tumors of the remaining parts of the digestive tract, we talk more about induction treatment, which uses a combination of targeted therapy and chemotherapy for the same purpose –⁠ reducing the extent of the tumor disease and possibly enabling surgery including radical removal of metastatic foci. The duration of this treatment is usually up to 6 months followed by surgery (surgeries). The following case report describes a successful surgical solution in a patient with an advanced sigmoid tumor even after more than 3 years of combination chemotherapy and targeted therapy.

A clinical study conducted in the USA and Canada demonstrated the efficacy of dupilumab in treating moderate to severe atopic dermatitis, improving both skin symptoms and suppressing systemic inflammatory markers.

Iron deficiency is very common in patients with heart failure and is associated with exercise intolerance, reduced quality of life, increased mortality, and higher risk of hospitalization, regardless of the presence of anemia. Clinical studies have previously demonstrated the positive effect of intravenous administration of ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) in patients with chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction of the left ventricle. The AFFIRM-AHF study investigated the effect of FCM administration initiated shortly before discharge from hospitalization for acute heart failure.

A recently published secondary analysis of the EMPEROR-Reduced study is based mainly on the results of the KCCQ-23 questionnaire, which assesses the patient's health status from their perspective. Its goal was to verify whether the benefit of empagliflozin added to the treatment of heart failure with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (HFrEF) depends on the initial health status and how it subsequently affects the health status of these patients over 1 year.

The final 3-year results of the GLORIA-AF study conducted in real-world practice with patients newly diagnosed with atrial fibrillation show a lower incidence of major bleeding and lower overall mortality with comparably effective prevention of cerebrovascular accidents and myocardial infarction when administering dabigatran compared to vitamin K antagonists (VKAs).

Current European and Czech guidelines include obeticholic acid (OCA) as the only registered option for 2nd line treatment of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). In the Czech Republic, it is approved as a center-specific treatment and was granted permanent reimbursement from public health insurance in May 2022. The use of OCA in the treatment of PBC was also addressed in a symposium that was part of the professional program at this year's XLIX. May Hepatology Days in Olomouc.

Diabetic autonomic neuropathy can affect various organ systems. Cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy is one of its most severe forms with a significant impact on patient morbidity and mortality. How can it be detected in clinical practice?

A newly published systematic review and meta-analysis evaluate the efficacy and safety of bilastine in the treatment of allergic rhinitis (AR), which includes symptoms of common rhinitis and allergic sensitization upon allergen exposure. The disease causes significant discomfort for patients and reduces their quality of life, which is why its control is essential for their daily functioning.

Therapeutic options for multiple sclerosis in the pediatric population are limited. However, in June 2021, teriflunomide was approved for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) in pediatric patients aged 10–17 years in the European Union. The basis for this registration was the favorable results of the TERIKIDS study, which we summarize below. Teriflunomide thus became the first oral medication for 1st line treatment of RRMS in children and adolescents within the EU.

Multiple sclerosis is not just an adult disease. How common is it in children and how have current therapeutic possibilities advanced for this population both in our country and around the world?

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) ranks third among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with more than 210 million people expected to be affected by 2030. While common, it is preventable and treatable. The mucolytic erdosteine has proven to be an effective helper in COPD therapy.

In December of last year, the Czech multicenter research database on COPD was completed. This was an extensive 5-year project in which researchers included 784 patients with significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (FEV₁ ≤ 60%) from 14 centers. This represents approximately 1% of the total number of patients with this diagnosis in the Czech Republic, making the study sample fairly representative for obtaining data on treatment in Czech real practice. Three-year data are currently available. What have they shown so far? This was summarized during this year's Hradec Pulmonology Days by Dr. Jaromír Zatloukal, Ph.D., from the Clinic of Pulmonary Diseases and TB at the Faculty of Medicine, Palacký University and University Hospital Olomouc.

As part of this year's Hradec Pneumological Days (HPD 2022), the head of the Pulmonary Clinic at Charles University Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Hradec Králové, Assoc. Prof. Vladimír Koblížek, M.D., Ph.D., reflected on the different rates of prescription of mucoactive drugs to COPD patients in various European countries. According to him, it is clear that in real practice, this treatment works. So what is the reason for its varying prescription across the old continent?

In the following case report, we present the case of a patient with a prolonged oncological disease –⁠ stomach cancer. The patient has been asymptomatic for a long time and in good performance status despite multiple lung metastases, thanks to stabilization with trifluridine/tipiracil treatment.