Intramedullary spinal cord metastases: Report of three cases and review of the literature.

Intramedullary spinal cord metastases (ISCM) is a rare, but devastating complication of malignant disease. Prognosis is poor, with an overall median survival (OS) of 4 months from the time of diagnosis. Yet, ISCMs are being increasingly diagnosed, related to advances and increased use of imaging and therapies that prolong survival in patients with cancer. Prompt and accurate diagnosis of ISCM is necessary for effective treatment, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the preferred imaging technique. The optimal management of these patients is controversial because of the multitude of clinical circumstances and the lack of controlled studies on the efficacy of the different therapeutic approaches. Increased awareness of this rare entity may lead to an earlier diagnosis at a stage when neurological deficits are reversible, and therefore, more effective palliation may be achieved. Therefore, we carried out this retrospective research of 3 observations of ISCM, associated with a detailed review of the literature describing the diagnostic, therapeutic and evolutionary characteristics of this special rare entity.

Evaluation of margins in pelvic lymph nodes and prostate radiotherapy and the impact of bladder and rectum on prostate position.

PURPOSE: The aims of this study were: determination of the CTV to PTV margins for prostate and pelvic lymph nodes. Investigation of the impact of registration modality (pelvic bones or prostate) on the CTV to PTV margins of pelvic lymph nodes. Investigation of the variations of bladder and rectum over the treatment course. Investigation of the impact of bladder and rectum variations on prostate position. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study included 15 patients treated for prostate adenocarcinoma. Daily kilo voltage images and weekly CBCT scans were performed to assess prostate displacements and common and external iliac vessels motion. These data was used to calculate the CTV to PTV margins using Van Herk equation in the setting of a daily bone registration. We also compared the CTV to PTV margins of pelvic lymph nodes according to registration method; based on pelvic bone or prostate. We delineated bladder and rectum on all CBCT scans to assess their variations over treatment course at 4 anatomic levels [1.5cm above pubic bone (PB), superior edge, mid- and inferior edge of PB]. RESULTS: Using Van Herk equation, the prostate CTV to PTV margins (bone registration) were 8.03mm, 5.42mm and 8.73mm in AP, ML and SI direction with more than 97% of prostate displacements were less than 5mm. The CTV to PTV margins ranged from 3.12mm to 3.25mm for external iliac vessels and from 3.12mm to 4.18mm for common iliac vessels. Compared to registration based on prostate alignment, bone registration resulted in an important reduction of the CTV to PTV margins up to 54.3% for external iliac vessels and up to 39.6% for common iliac vessels. There was no significant variation of the mean bladder volume over the treatment course. There was a significant variation of the mean rectal volume before and after the third week of treatment. After the third week, the mean rectal volume seemed to be stable. The uni- and multivariate analysis identified the anterior wall of rectum as independent factor acting on prostate motion in AP direction at 2 levels (superior edge of, mid PB). The right rectal wall influenced the prostate motion in ML direction at inferior edge of PB. The bladder volume tends toward significance as factor acting on prostate motion in AP direction. CONCLUSIONS: We recommend CTV to PTV margins of 8mm, 6mm and 9mm in AP, ML and SI directions for prostate. And, we suggest 4mm and 5mm for external and common iliac vessels respectively. We also prefer registration based on bony landmarks to minimize bowel irradiation. More CBCT scans should be performed during the first 3weeks and especially the first week to check rectum volume.

[Combined radiation therapy and androgen deprivation in the management of prostate cancer: Where do we stand?]. / Association de radiothérapie et d'hormonothérapie dans la prise en charge des cancers localisés de la prostate: où en est-on?

Radiotherapy and androgen deprivation therapy play a major role in the management of prostate cancer. Indeed, radiotherapy and hormone therapy are combined in a neoadjuvant and concomitant setting for intermediate risk cancers but also in an adjuvant setting in high risk or locally advanced prostate cancer. The benefice of this association was suggested by preclinical studies and demonstrated later by several randomized trials. However, as these trials were conducted before the era of dose escalation the role of androgen deprivation therapy in this case is less clear. Moreover, as hormonal therapy can lead to a significant morbidity and a decrement in quality of life its indications must be carefully weighed especially in case of intermediate risk cancer witch represent a heterogeneous group with distinct prognostic subgroups.

RapidArc for centrally recurrent cervical cancer in the vaginal cuff following primary surgical therapy: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Pelvic recurrences of cervical cancer after primary surgical treatment can be potentially cured with radical hysterectomy or chemoradiation therapy. Combined radio-chemotherapy is believed to improve results compared to other option. Currently, RapidArc radiotherapy is considered an excellent technological advance that shows great potential for producing highly conformal doses to treatment volumes. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a case of a 67-year-old woman with history of early cervical cancer initially treated by radical laparoscopic hysterectomy. More than 5 years later, the patient presented with a central pelvic vaginal cuff recurrence that is histologically confirmed. Salvage radiotherapy using RapidArc with concurrent cisplatin-based chemotherapy was indicated. A high dose of 70 Gy was delivered to the gross recurrent disease with simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) to the subclinical disease and good sparing of organs at risk especially the rectum and sigmoid. CONCLUSIONS: This case clearly demonstrates a large benefit for salvage RapidArc radiotherapy to central pelvic recurrences of gynecological cancers with an excellent rate of local control and less rate of toxicity.

[Concomitant chemoradiotherapy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer: current knowledge, controversies and future directions]. / Chimioradiothérapie concomitante des tumeurs infiltrantes de la vessie : acquis, controverses et perspectives.

Radical cystectomy with lymphadenectomy is currently the standard of care for muscle-invasive urothelial bladder cancer; however and because of its morbidity and its impact on quality of life, there is a growing tendency for bladder-sparing strategies. Initially reserved for elderly or unfit patients unable to undergo radical cystectomy, chemoradiotherapy became a true alternative to surgery for highly selected patients. Although there are no randomized trials comparing radical cystectomy with bladder preserving approaches, surgery remains the preferred treatment for many clinicians. Furthermore, comparison is even more difficult as modalities of radiotherapy are not consensual and differ between centers with a variability of protocols, volume of irradiation and type of chemotherapy. Several ongoing trials are attempting to optimize chemoradiotherapy and limit its toxicity, especially through techniques of adaptive radiotherapy or targeted therapies.

[Efficacy of first-line radiation for non-resectable carotid paraganglioma]. / Efficacité de la radiothérapie en première intention d'un paragangliome carotidien non résécable.

BACKGROUND: Carotid paragangliomas are rare. Surgical resection is the primary treatment. However, when surgery is impossible, radiation therapy is an alternative potentially enabling local control with less morbidity. We report a case of good local control of an unresectable paraganglioma after external beam radiation. CASE REPORT: A 72-year-old-woman, had a 4-year history of right facial palsy associated with pulsatile tinnitus, episodic ear bleeding and ipsilateral hearing loss. Physical examination revealed a retro-mandibular and sub-mastoid pulsatile mass. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a large carotid paraganglioma involving the temporal bone. Since surgical resection was impossible, our patient was given external beam radiation therapy at a dose of 60 Gy. At 12 months follow-up, local control was good without significant toxicity. CONCLUSION: External beam radiation therapy seems to be a good alternative therapy for local control of carotid paragangliomas if surgical resection is impossible.

[Management of phyllodes tumors of the breast at the National institute of oncology of Rabat, Morocco]. / Prise en charge des tumeurs phyllodes du sein à l'Institut national d'oncologie de Rabat, Maroc.

OBJECTIVES: Phyllodes tumors of the breast (PTB) are rare fibro epithelial tumors. Their terminology, histological classification and their treatment are exposed to controversy. The aim of our work is to underline the epidemiological, clinical, histological, therapeutical, prognostic and evolutive features of these tumours through a retrospective study and a review of the literature. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We reviewed at the National Institute of Oncology of Rabat, Morocco, between 1985 and 1998, all the files of patients with histological certainty of PTB, doubtful PTB were excluded. We collected epidemiological, clinical, histological, therapeutical, prognostic and evolutive features of these tumours. STATISTICS: quantitative parameters were represented by mean +/- S.D. and qualitative parameters by percentage or effective. RESULTS: We studied nine cases of PTB, which represented 0.09% of all primitive tumors of the breast treated at our institution during the study period. All our patients were female. Mean age was 37.3 +/- 10.07 years. Two of our patients (22.2%) had a history of fibroadenoma and 44.4% were nulliparous. Mean delay before consulting was 60.7 +/- 17.56 months and the median tumour size was 13 +/- 7.47 cm. Pathological findings were six benign or borderline phyllodes tumours (66.7%) and three cystosarcomas phyllodes (33.3%). The treatment consisted in simple mastectomy in seven cases (77.8%) and tumorectomy in two cases (22.2%). All the surgical margins were clear. Two of the three cystosarcomas phyllodes received adjuvant external bean radiation therapy 50 Gy on the thoracic chest wall. After a median outcome of 3 +/- 2 years ranging from 3 to 74 months, we did not note any relapse or metastasis. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: In our series, PTB happened exclusively in females. History of fibroadenoma within 22.2% of the patients suggests the hypothesis of a filiation between these two entities. Their distinctive features were young age in diagnosis, long delay before consulting, important tumor size, predominant benign and borderline histological types, treatment mainly surgical and good local and distant control.

[Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the nasopharynx: a case report]. / Carcinome adénoïde kystique du nasopharynx: à propos d'un cas.

Nasopharyngeal adenoid cystic carcinoma is a rare tumor, few cases have been reported in the literature. The aim of this report is to present a new case of an adenoid cystic carcinoma of the nasopharynx. We report the case of a 50 years-old woman presenting with an adenoid cystic carcinoma of the nasopharynx with diffuse pulmonary metastasis. The treatment combined chemotherapy, based on cisplatin and adriamycin drugs, and palliative radiation therapy at the dose of 30 Gy. The patient died 6 months after diagnosis establishment. The best treatment of adenoid cystic carcinoma is complete surgical resection but extended resection can be difficult in some locations as nasopharynx. The adjuvant radiation therapy seems to improve local control.

[Muscle metastasis of squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix]. / Métastase musculaire d'un carcinome épidermoïde du col utérin.

Muscular metatasis are rare, their number is probably underestimate. The authors report a case of a patient treated, in 1993, for a squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix. Five years later, the patient developed a metatasis to muscular psoas. She underwent combined surgical excision and adjuvant radiation therapy. The patient is alive and well 30 months after diagnosis of the metastasis.

Male breast cancer. A report of 71 cases.

Male breast cancer is rare; it constitutes 0.2-1.5% of all malignant tumours in men and 1% of all breast cancers. The goal of this retrospective study is to analyse the epidemiologic, clinic, therapeutic and evolutive profiles of this disease in 71 cases collected at the National Institute of Oncology in Rabat, Morocco, between the years 1985 and 1998. The median age was 60 years. No significant risk factor was found. The average consultation's delay was 35 months. The main clinical complaint was a mass beneath the areola in 86% of the cases, associated with ulceration in 18% of the cases. For that, the disease was diagnosed at an advanced stage. Infiltrating ductal carcinoma was the most frequent pathologic type (91.5% of cases). Management consisted especially of radical mastectomy, followed by adjuvant radiotherapy and hormonal therapy with or without chemotherapy. It was possible to follow 58 of the patients. The median of follow-up was 30 months. The evolution has been characterized by local recurrence, after a median delay of 36 months, in five cases (8.5% of all patients). Metastasis occurred, after a median delay of 12 months, in 14 cases (24% of all patients). The site of metastasis was the bone in six cases, lung in five cases, liver in one case, liver and skin in one case and pleura and skin in one case. There were three cases of death. In one case, death was related to lung metastases. In the two remaining cases, death was due to comorbid disease. Progression was observed in one case.

[Primary squamous cell carcinoma of the breast. Report of three cases]. / Carcinome épidermoïde primitif du sein. A propos de 3 cas.

Primary squamous cell carcinoma of the breast is a rare neoplasma included in metaplastic breast cancer. The histogenesis remains unknown. Clinical and radiological appearances are not specific. Nodal involvement is rare and hormones receptors are negative. The treatment is based on surgery associated to radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Prognosis seems to be similar to others breast carcinoma. We report three cases of primary squamous cell carcinoma of the breast recruited at National Institute of Oncology with review of the literature.

[Intracranial Hodgkin disease: case report]. / Localisation intracrânienne de la maladie de Hodgkin: à propos d'un cas.

Hodgkin disease intracranial lesions are uncommon. We report the case of a 24-year-old man who presented with an intracranial relapse without other evidence of disease 24 months after multiple drug therapy and extended field radiation therapy for stage III Bb type 3 Hodgkin disease. The patient was treated by whole brain irradiation (40 Gy/20 fractions/4 weeks). Six months after completion of therapy, the patient had a second relapse, with bilateral inguinal metastatic nodes, which were treated by a second line polychemotherapy. The patient was free of disease 9 months later.

[Paratesticular malignant mesothelioma. Presentation of a case]. / Mésothéliome malin paratesticulaire. Présentation d'un cas.

We report a case of malignant mesothelioma of tunica vaginalis in a 65-year-old man. The clinical course was marked by local relapse and distant metastases. Based on a review of the literature, the authors discuss the clinical, epidemiological and therapeutic aspects.