Are disparities of waiting times for breast cancer care related to socio‐economic factors? A regional population‐based study (France)

The increasing number of breast cancer cases may induce longer waiting times (WT), which can be a source of anxiety for patients and may play a role in survival. The aim of this study was to examine the factors, in particular socio‐economic factors, related to treatment delays. Using French Cancer Registry databases and self‐administered questionnaires, we included 1,152 women with invasive non‐metastatic breast cancer diagnosed in 2007. Poisson regression analysis was used to identify WTs' influencing factors. For 973 women who had a malignant tissue sampling, the median of overall WT between the first imaging procedure and the first treatment was 44 days (9 days for pathological diagnostic WT and 31 days for treatment WT). The medical factors mostly explained inequalities in WTs. Socio‐economic and behavioral factors had a limited impact on WTs except for social support which appeared to be a key point. Better identifying the factors associated with increase in WTs will make it possible to develop further interventional or prospective studies to confirm their causal role in delay and at last reduce disparities in breast cancer management.     

External validation of simple ultrasound rules of Timmerman on 122 ovarian tumors

Objective

To study the correlation between the nature of the ovarian tumors presumed according to the ultrasound criteria of Timmerman and the final histological diagnosis.

Patients and methods

We made a prospective study during a period of 4 years, concerning consecutive patients having an ovarian tumor, investigated by pelvic ultrasonography using Timmerman's rules estimating their benign or malignant characteristics in order to determine the efficiency of this score. The diagnostic reference was histology. Sensitivity and specificity of these criteria were calculated with their 95% confidence intervals.

Results

One hundred and twenty-two patients having adnexal masse were included between January 2002 and December 2005. Among these tumors, 88.5% (108/122) were benign, and 11.5% (14/122) were malignant or borderline. The ultrasound-based rules of classification were applicable for 89.3% (109/122) of them. The sensitivity of these rules was 73% (95% CI [45–100]) and the specificity was 97% (IC 95% CI [94–100]).

Discussion and conclusion

Most adnexal masses can be classified according to the ultrasound simple rules of the score of Timmerman with a good specificity to eliminate their malignant or borderline characteristics. Tumors which cannot be classified according to these rules must be referred to an expert ultrasonographist.     

Tongue reconstruction with a bilateral infrahyoid flap innervated by Ansa Cervicalis after total glossectomy

Introduction

Reconstruction after total glossectomy remains a functional challenge. It must provide a large volume to ensure adequate phonation and swallowing. We present the larynx sparing bilateral infrahyoid flap reconstruction procedure after total glossectomy.

Patients and method

Three patients managed for an epidermoid carcinoma of the tongue, classified T4N0, underwent total glossectomy. The tongue was reconstructed with a bilateral infrahyoid flap pedicled on two superior thyroid arteries and innervated by Ansa Cervicalis.

Results

Oral food intake was resumed after 8 to 20 days. No false route was observed. The muscular flap mobility was clinically satisfactory. It was assessed by EMG in one case. Esophageal transit confirmed the absence of stasis and false route for one patient.

Discussion

This short series proves the feasibility of bilateral innervated and pedicled infrahyoid flap procedure. It is an alternative to volumetric and functional reconstruction after total glossectomy. The indications are rare and restricted to patients without IIa nodal region invasion. Our results are still limited and need to be confirmed by a larger series and by a more systematic assessment.     

Analysis of asbestos bodies and nude fibres in the lung parenchyma of operated lung cancers. A retrospective monocentric study of 73 cases

We report on a study concerning a retrospective monocentric series of 73 lung cancers operated on between July 2004 and December 2009. All patients had a mineralogical analysis of a sample of lung tissue combined with an occupational questionnaire. This combination enables us to suggest a declaration of occupational exposure in almost one third of cases. We suggest that a healthy parenchymal fragment is to be obtained by biopsy routinely in cases of lung cancer surgery. The analysis should be carried out if the occupational survey does not demonstrate any evident exposure and if the patient is not known to be presenting a pleuropulmonary disease following asbestos exposure (pleural plaques and asbestosis).     

Long-term survival of advanced triple-negative breast cancers with a dose-intense cyclophosphamide/anthracycline neoadjuvant regimen

Background:

Triple-negative (TN) breast cancers exhibit major initial responses to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, but generally have a poor outcome. Because of the lack of validated drug targets, chemotherapy remains an important therapeutic tool in these cancers.

Methods:

We report the survival of two consecutive series of 267 locally advanced breast cancers (LABC) treated with two different neoadjuvant regimens, either a dose-dense and dose-intense cyclophosphamide–anthracycline (AC) association (historically called SIM) or a conventional sequential association of cyclophosphamide and anthracycline, followed by taxanes (EC-T). We compared pathological responses and survival rates of these two groups and studied their association with tumours features.

Results:

Although the two regimens showed equivalent pathological complete response (pCR) in the whole population (16 and 12%), the SIM regimen yielded a non-statistically higher pCR rate than EC-T (48% vs 24%, P=0.087) in TN tumours. In the SIM protocol, DFS was statistically higher for TN than for non-TN patients (P=0.019), although we showed that the TN status was associated with an increased initial risk of recurrence in both regimens. This effect gradually decreased and after 2 years, TN was associated with a significantly decreased likelihood of relapse in SIM-treated LABC (hazard ratio (HR)=0.25 (95% CI: 0.07–0.86), P=0.028).

Conclusions:

AC dose intensification treatment is associated with a very favourable long-term survival rate in TN breast cancers. These observations call for a prospective assessment of such dose-intense AC-based regimens in locally advanced TN tumours.     

Palladacycles as antimicrobial agents

This review article deals with the structure activity relationship (SAR) for a variety of palladacycles in biomedical applications. Moreover, the types of antibacterial, antifungal, antimycobacterial and antiprotozoal (antiamoebic and antitrypanosomal) activities will vary considerably from one country to another. Therefore, all efforts will be required to face such a vast diversity of problems. This study gives an up to date overview of the antibacterial, antifungal, antimycobacterial and antiprotozoal chemistry of the palladium group elements with an emphasis on the new strategies used in the development of new antibacterial agents. Methodologies for application of bulky aromatic or aliphatic nitrogen ligands, chiral organic moieties, chelates containing other donor atoms than nitrogen, and biologically active ligands in the design of agents analogous to palladacycles are presented. Therefore, the use of palladacycles in medicinal chemistry is interesting as potential application in the biological properties with less toxic drugs compounds..