[Composition of renal stones currently observed in non-industrialized countries]. / Composition des calculs observés aujourd'hui dans les pays non industrialisés.

UNLABELLED: Up until relatively recently, renal stones in developing countries were considered to be very different from those observed in industrialized countries, essentially characterized by the predominance of phosphate and urate stones, while the predominant stones in industrialized countries are calcium oxalate stones. To verify whether this difference in the epidemiological profile is still observed today, we analysed renal stones collected in various regions of the globe and compared their composition to that of stones observed in France. MATERIAL AND METHOD: 1,042 stones were collected between 1991 and 2000 from 14 different countries or geographical zones: Sub-Saharan Africa (Cameroon, Mali, Senegal), North Africa (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia), South America (Brazil, Paraguay), Asia Minor (Pakistan, Turkey), Far East (China, Laos, Vietnam) and French Polynesia (Tahiti). Stones were analysed by infrared spectrophotometry. The composition of these stones was compared to that of 24,706 stones collected in France over the same period and analysed according to the same protocol. RESULTS: Overall, the proportion of calcium oxalate stones was the same in adults in France and in developing countries (men: 75.7% contre 72%; women: 59.8% contre 56.3%), but was higher in children in non-industrialized countries (boys: 52.6% contre 31.8% in France; girls: 67.8% contre 48.8% in France, p<0.0001). The frequency of calcium phosphate stones was particularly low in boys in developing countries (8.3% contre 45.1% in France, p<0.0001) andfrequency of purine stones was higher in boys (21.3% contre 5.2% in France, p<0.0001) and in girls (13.6% contre 4.3% in France, p<0.05). Major differences were observed according to continent and region; struvite was present in 42.9% of stones in women in Sub-Saharan Africa contre 13% in South America and 2.7% in Asia Minor. Purines were 4 times more frequent in Tahitian men than in North African men. Calcium phosphate stones were 10 times less frequent in men in Asia Minor than in the Far East. CONCLUSION: The epidemiology of renal stones is continuing to change all over the world towards a predominance of calcium oxalate stones, which is now generalized. Major differences in the frequency of the other constituents, particularly purines and struvite, reflect particular eating habits and infectious risk factors specific to certain population.

Socioeconomic impact of cancer in member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN): the ACTION study protocol.

Cancer can be a major cause of poverty. This may be due either to the costs of treating and managing the illness as well as its impact upon people's ability to work. This is a concern that particularly affects countries that lack comprehensive social health insurance systems and other types of social safety nets. The ACTION study is a longitudinal cohort study of 10,000 hospital patients with a first time diagnosis of cancer. It aims to assess the impact of cancer on the economic circumstances of patients and their households, patients' quality of life, costs of treatment and survival. Patients will be followed throughout the first year after their cancer diagnosis, with interviews conducted at baseline (after diagnosis), three and 12 months. A cross-section of public and private hospitals as well as cancer centers across eight member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will invite patients to participate. The primary outcome is incidence of financial catastrophe following treatment for cancer, defined as out-of-pocket health care expenditure at 12 months exceeding 30% of household income. Secondary outcomes include illness induced poverty, quality of life, psychological distress, economic hardship, survival and disease status. The findings can raise awareness of the extent of the cancer problem in South East Asia and its breadth in terms of its implications for households and the communities in which cancer patients live, identify priorities for further research and catalyze political action to put in place effective cancer control policies.