[Practical update of total dose compensation in case of temporary interruption of external radiotherapy in the COVID-19 pandemic context]. / Compensation de la dose totale en cas d'interruption temporaire de radiothérapie externe dans le contexte de la pandémie de COVID-19 : mise au point pratique.

Overall treatment time is an important factor of local recurrence and indirectly of distant evolution, namely in case of protracted treatments. The current pandemic impacts on the duration of radiotherapy if patients under treatments and synchronously suffering from COVID-19. The models used to compensate the total dose in case of temporary treatment interruption are well known but it is of importance in that pandemic context to update and homogenize clinical practice in order to improve local control without increasing normal tissue complications.

[Anal channel cancer: customization of dose, volume and breaching]. / Cancer du canal anal : personnalisation de la dose, du volume et du fractionnement.

The conservative treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of anal canal by irradiation is recommended as first indication. Despite its rarity, significant improvements were obtained by retrospective or prospective clinical studies these 20 past years, evaluating concomitant chemotherapy and IMRT. Nevertheless, the individualisation of the treatment, over dose distribution, has poor data available. Fractionation remains classic (1.8-2.0Gy/Fr), but the optimal dose level remains under discussion. The strategy concerning the volumes and doses for the prophylactic volumes remains under discussion. This paper will describe the data published, and the recommendations of working Groups, and the main options under evaluation. To conclude, today only the absence of gap is recommended, the benefit of a one-step schedule reducing the treatment time, then increasing local control and survival, but personalised schedules remain under investigation.

[Membranous nephropathy: Pathophysiology and natural history]. / Glomérulonéphrite extramembraneuse : mécanismes et histoire naturelle.

Membranous nephropathy is a major cause of nephrotic syndrome in adults, with various etiologies and outcomes. One third of patients enter spontaneous remission with blockade of the renin-angiotensin system, one third develop a persistent nephrotic syndrome, while another third of patients develop end-stage kidney disease and 40% of them relapse after kidney transplantation. Treatment of membranous nephropathy remains controversial. Immunosuppressive therapy is only recommended in case of renal function deterioration or persistent nephrotic syndrome after 6months of renin-angiotensin system blockade. Therefore, delayed immunosuppressive treatments may lead to significant and potentially irreversible complications. For long, no biological markers could predict clinical outcome and guide therapy. The discovery of autoantibodies to the phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R1) in 2009, and to the thrombospondin type 1 domain containing 7A (THSD7A) in 2014 in respectively 70 and 5% of patients with membranous nephropathy were major breakthroughs. The passive infusion of human anti-THSD7A antibodies in mouse induces proteinuria and membranous nephropathy. The identification of these antigens has allowed developing diagnostic and prognostic tests. High anti-PLA2R1 titers at time of diagnosis predict a poor renal outcome. Anti-PLA2R1 antibodies can bind at least three different domains of PLA2R1. Epitope spreading with binding of two or three of these antigenic domains is associated with active membranous nephropathy and poor renal survival. These new tools could help us to monitor disease severity and to predict renal prognosis for a better selection of patients that should benefit of early immunosuppressive therapy.

[Overall treatment time assessment of radiotherapy delivered in a curative intent: A prospective study]. / Respect de l'étalement de la radiothérapie à visée curative : étude prospective.

PURPOSE: To assess the overall treatment time of radiotherapy delivered with curative intent in a cohort of 185 consecutive patients and the causes of this possible delay. If delay, to propose corrective actions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We report a single-center prospective study including all consecutive patients receiving a radiation therapy with curative intent, from 1st December 2013 to 28th February 2014, on the three linear accelerators of the radiotherapy department. For each fraction missed, the causes of non-completion were prospectively collected. This analysis took into account the following parameters: age, sex, occupation, transport type and duration, tumour localization, radiation dose, concomitant chemotherapy, hospitalization, type of linear accelerator. RESULTS: One hundred and fifty-five patients were included in the study (183 evaluable, two did not complete treatment). The overall treatment time was respected for 31 patients (17%). It was lengthened on 4.6 days (d) (0-29 d; median: 3d). The mean number of delayed fractions was 3.4 (0-17; median: 2). The reasons of delay were: breakdown 32.2%; maintenance 29.3%; holiday 11%; treatment toxicity 9.4%; inadequate planning 8.6%; other disease 3.9%; treatment refusal 2.1%; unspecified personal reasons 1.5%; refusal to wait 0.8%; transportation 0.3%; error of communication 0.3%; other 0.6%. Two parameters had a significant impact on the overall treatment time: the type of linear accelerator in relation to breakdown occurrence (P<0.001) and transportation duration (more or less than 40 min, P=0.022). One hundred and thirty-eight patients (75%) and 79 patients (43%) were treated on one or more than two Saturdays. Treatment on Saturday significantly reduced the overall treatment time (median, 1.9 d; P<0.001). CONCLUSION: The overall treatment time was globally respected excluding break down and maintenance. Their impact on the overall treatment time is minimized by the systematic opening of the department on Saturdays.