Rates of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy and Oncoplastic Surgery for Breast Cancer Surgery: A French National Survey.

BACKGROUND: The current retrospective study was intended to obtain up-to-date and comprehensive data on surgical practice for breast cancer throughout France, including neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and the more recent surgical techniques of oncoplastic surgery (OPS). METHODS: In June 2011, e-mail surveys were sent to 33 nationally renowned breast cancer surgeons from French public or private hospitals. The questionnaire focused on all the new cases of breast cancer treated in 2010. It included questions regarding surgical practices, with special emphases on NAC and OPS and other surgical characteristics. RESULTS: The overall response rate for the survey was 72.7 %. The total number of breast cancer cases from the survey was 13,762, which constitutes 26.2 % of the total incidence in 2010. Breast-conserving surgery (BCS) was performed for 71.0 % of the patients, and the results were similar throughout the types of practices. Of these patients, 13.9 % received OPS, either upfront or after NAC. Mastectomy was performed for 29.0 % of the patients, which is consistent with French official numbers. Among all patients, 16.3 % underwent surgery after NAC. CONCLUSION: To the authors' knowledge, there are no publications of national figures on NAC or OPS rates to date. They are convinced that this study offers real-life surgical care information on a large population and covers France's breast cancer surgical landscape. Mastectomy rates in France remain stable and consistent with those in other European countries. However, additional large-scale retrospective studies are required to confirm these figures and further explore NAC and OPS rates as well as surgical practice characteristics.

Clinical practice guidelines for the management of patients with endometrial cancer in France: recommendations of the Institut National du Cancer and the Société Française d'Oncologie Gynécologique.

INTRODUCTION: Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecological malignancy in France, with more than 6500 new cases in 2010. The French National Cancer Institute has been leading a clinical practice guidelines (CPG) project since 2008. This project involves the development and updating of evidence-based CPG in oncology. OBJECTIVE: To develop CPG for diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up for patients with endometrial cancer. METHODS: The guideline development process is based on systematic literature review and critical appraisal by experts, with feedback from specialists in cancer care delivery. The recommendations are thus based on the best available evidence and expert agreement. RESULTS: Main recommendations include a routine pelvic magnetic resonance imaging in association with magnetic resonance imaging exploration of the para-aortic lymph nodes for locoregional staging, surgical treatment based on total hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy with or without lymphadenectomy, and clinical examination for the follow-up. The initial laparoscopic surgical approach is recommended for stage I tumors. Lymphadenectomy and postoperative external radiotherapy are recommended for patients with high risk of recurrence but are restricted for patients with low or intermediate risk. If brachytherapy is indicated, it should be given at a high-dose rate rather than a low-dose rate. Routine imaging, biologic tests, and vaginal smears are not indicated for follow-up.