[Prognosis impact of breast cancer adjuvant radiotherapy delay]. / Impact pronostique du délai d'induction de la radiothérapie adjuvante dans le cancer du sein.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate delay to access to adjuvant radiotherapy for women with breast cancer and to study impact on prognosis. METHODS: A restrospective descriptive study in the teaching hospital of Tours between 1st January 2007 and 31th December 2013. All women managed for an invasive breast cancer during this period were included with exclusion of women with indication of chemotherapy (neoadjuvant/adjuvant). Delay between surgery and radiotherapy were recorded. Overall survival and recurrence free survival were used to evaluate the impact of delays on prognosis. RESULTS: Of the 1855 women with an invasive breast cancer, 904 (48.7%) had an adjuvant radiotherapy without chemotherapy. In the whole population, a delay surgery-radiotherapy>90 days was found as an independent factor negatively impacting recurrence free survival (HR=2.12 [1.03-4.36] p=0.04). In the group of patient with a breast conservative surgery, a delay surgery-radiotherapy>65 days was found as an independent factor negatively impacting recurrence free survival with HR=2.29 [1.16-4.54], p=0.02. A delay surgery-radiotherapy>70 days was found as an independent factor negatively impacting Overall survival and HR=3.41 [1.005-11.62], p=0.04. CONCLUSION: Delay to access to adjuvant radiotherapy is an independent factor impacting patient's survival, especially in the case of breast conservative therapy.

[Presentation and outcome of breast cancer under 40 years - A French monocentric study]. / Cancer du sein chez les patientes de moins de 40 ans : présentation et caractéristiques évolutives.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to evaluate the impact of young age on breast cancer presentation and women's prognosis. METHODS: We performed a descriptive retrospective study in the university teaching hospital of Tours from January 2007 to December 2013. All women managed for an invasive breast cancer were included. The population was divided in 2 groups according to age: ≤40 years and>40 years. We studied differences in histological, management and outcome characteristics. RESULTS: Two thousand and eighty three women with an invasive breast cancer were included. A hundred and fifty five in the group of women with an age ≤40 years and 1928 in the group of women with an age>40 years. Histological characteristics of breast cancer in younger women were worse than in their older counterparts (with more aggressive features: grade 3, negative hormone receptors, positive Her 2 status, triple negative molecular sub-type). Overall survival was lower in young women than in women age>40 years (P=0.05),as was recurrence free survival (P<0.001), locoregional recurrence free survival (P=0.02) and distant metastasis free survival(P<0.001). Age≤40 years was an independent factor predictive of poor recurrence free survival. CONCLUSION: In our study we found an impact of age≤40 years on invasive breast cancer presentation and prognosis.

[Impact of pathological complete response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in invasive breast cancer according to molecular subtype]. / Impact de la réponse histologique complète à la chimiothérapie néo-adjuvante pour cancer du sein selon le sous-type moléculaire.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of pathological complete response (pCR) on overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) according to molecular subtypes in women treated for an invasive breast cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). METHODS: All women (n=225) managed with a neoadjuvant chemotherapy for an invasive breast cancer in our institution between January 2007 and December 2013 were included. The characteristics of patients with pCR (pCR-1), breast pCR and axillary pCR were compared to those without pCR (pCR-0) according to the molecular subtypes: luminal A (n=62), luminal B (n=77), Her-2 (n=31) and triple negative (n=55). RESULTS: NAC concerned 225 patients of whom 36 (16%) had pCR. Achievement of pCR led to significantly better overall survival in women with Her-2 tumors (35% versus 100%, P=0.035) and also to significantly better locoregional survival in women treated for triple negative tumors (P=0.026). Predictive factors of pCR were a high pathologic grade: OR=2.39, IC 95% (1.19-4.83), P=0.008; Her-2 molecular subtype (P=0.008); positive estrogenic hormonal receptors (P=0.006), a positive Her-2 receptor: OR=2.58, IC 95% (1.20-5.54), P=0.01. CONCLUSION: Achievement of pCR is an intermediate marker of survival in women managed with NAC for breast cancer.

[Predictive factors of conservative breast surgery after neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer]. / Facteurs prédictifs de traitement conservateur après chimiothérapie néo-adjuvante dans le cancer du sein.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of our study was to evaluate the existence of predictive factors of conservative breast surgery after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) for breast cancer. METHODS: We included all women with invasive breast cancer who received NAC and underwent breast surgery between January 2007 and December 2013 in our institution. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed to determine the association between clinical and histological factors and conservative breast surgery. RESULTS: During the study period, 229 women were included of whom 73 had breast conservative surgery (32%). At univariable analysis, significant predictive factors were age (OR 0.97 [CI 95% 0.95-0.99], P=0.02), radiological size (OR 0.97 [CI 95% 0.96-0.99], P<0.001), multifocality (OR 0.53 [CI 95% 0.27-1.05], P=0.06), breast inflammation (OR 0.15 [CI 95% 0.07-0.32], P<0.001) and the type of hormone receptors (P=0.12). In multivariable analysis, all these factors but age were significant factors and thus considered as independent predictive factors. CONCLUSION: This work permitted to identify independent predictive factors of breast conservative surgery after NAC for breast cancer that will be included in a risk scoring system that we aim to evaluate prospectively.

[Control of malaria: market for artemisinin and its derivatives]. / La lutte contre le paludisme le marché de l'artémisinine et des dérivés.

Artemisinin compounds derived from the Artemisia annua plant provide the raw material for new artemisinin based combined therapies (ACT) against malaria. The purpose of this report is to present the different steps in production of these compounds from planting to harvesting, extraction, purification, chemical transformation and final formulation. Factors affecting cost are given special focus to gain better insight into ways of holding down the purchasing price. We also describe the consequences that the April 2004 decision by several international organizations (e.g. WHO and Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria) to make ACT the reference treatment for malaria has had on the supply of ACT, i.e., shortages with a sharp price increase followed by overinvestment and surpluses with a sharp price decrease. In view of these fluctuations, we discuss whether regulation is necessary and who should intervene.