[Treatment of early T1 small T2N breast cancers. Our experience at the Yaounde General Hospital. 21 cases]. / Traitement des cancers du sein aux stades précoces T1 petit T2 N-notre experience a l'Hôpital Général de Yaoundé. A propose de 21 cas.

From February 1989 through February 1993, a group of 23 patients suffering from T1 mammary carcinoma small T2 N-MO was treated in the radiotherapy department of the Yaoundé General Hospital, according to a simplified procedure. A first conservative surgery of tumorectomy type (3 cases) and quandrantectomy type (4 cases) was carried out, followed by a postoperative irradiation. In 14 cases, a Patey type radical surgery preceded a local/regional radiotherapy. The general treatment was made up of only a hormonotherapy without chemotherapy. After a 4-year decline, there were 5 cases--i.e. 23.8%--of ganglionic and/or metastatic relapse. In the light of research data, we are analysing the reasons for these unexpected therapeutic failures in this group of tumor considered as favorable prognosis. We raised the problem of the inability of the prognosis factors, presently defined by means of histological and biological factors, to detect all the especially aggressive cancers. We carried out a general review of the new factors defined essentially from molecular and genic bases. We offered an approximative solution which makes it possible to by-pass the technological difficulties in having access to the new factors.

How confounding are breast pain confounders?

Nine thousand four hundred evaluable patients with breast complaints were consecutively studied from 1984 to 1994. Their ages ranged between 15-65 years with a median of 33 years. Five thousand, six hundred and seventy-five of these presented on account of pain and a mass was the cause of pain in 74%. Gross fibrocystic disease of the breast was the commonest tumour encountered in this group. Seven hundred and thirty eight patients were found to have 'referred' pain, and splenomegaly was the commonest cause of this 'referred' pain. At present, a simple breast biopsy remains the cheapest and most effective method of investigating this organ in most developing countries.

Sincipital nasofrontal encephalomeningocele.

A case of a 7-year-old male child with sincipital nasofrontal encephalomeningocele is reported. The anomaly was associated with a mild degree of atrial septal defect. This is the first case reported in the Cameroons.

Hematocolpos with imperforate hymen.

A case of hematocolpos with imperforate hymen in a 16-year-old, well-developed African girl is reported. Diagnosis was established by the presence of an abdominopelvic doughy mass, a boggy mass filling the vagina and an imperforate, bulging hymen, and cryptomenorrhea despite the presence of characteristics of pubescence.