[Predictive factors for skeletal-related events in lung cancer]. / Facteurs prédictifs de survenue d'évènements osseux dans le cancer bronchique.

INTRODUCTION: Skeletal-related events (SRE) are common in patients with bone metastatic lung cancer and have a negative impact on quality of life and survival. The objective of this study is to identify predictive factors for SRE occurrence among this population. METHODS: We conducted a 3-year retrospective study including 100 lung cancer patients with bone metastasis. RESULTS: Eighty-two patients presented at least one SRE (69.5% at baseline). The median occurrence for SRE was 4.5 months and severe bone pain was the most common SRE (56%). The alkaline phosphatase serum level>120IU/L (hazard ratio [sHR]=2.8; 95% confidence interval (CI) [1.5-5.4]; P=0.002) and calcemia>2.6mmol/L ([sHR]=9.7; 95% CI [5.1-18.4]; P<0.001) were identified as risk factors for SRE occurrence while the presence of an initial SRE was associated with a decrease of this risk ([sHR]=0.2; 95% CI [0.1-0.4]; P<0.001). CONCLUSION: The elevated alkaline phosphatase serum level and hypercalcemia are risk factors for SRE occurrence in bone metastatic lung cancer patients and should be used as biomarkers to adapt current medical practice for these patients.

[Prohibition of tobacco sales to minors in France and Quebec. Comparison of legislative frameworks, their enforcement, and underage smoking]. / Interdiction de vente de tabac aux mineurs en France et au Québec. Comparaison du cadre législatif, de son application, et du tabagisme des adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Prohibition of tobacco sales to minors is a provision of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on tobacco control. This measure is effective to reduce youth tobacco use, if the legislation adopted is properly implemented and enforced. Through the examples of France and Quebec, the objective of this study is to compare legislative frameworks prohibiting tobacco sales to minors, their enforcement, and possible impact on underage smoking. METHODS: Identification of legislative instruments, reports from public health authorities, and articles addressing the focused question was performed trough Medline and Google. RESULTS: Selling tobacco products to minors under 18 years of age has been banned by the law since 1998 in Quebec and 2009 in France. In 2011, in France for individuals aged 17, compliance with the law was 15%. In 2017 in France, 94% of 17-year-old daily smokers regularly bought their cigarettes in a tobacco store. Law enforcement controls and sanctions are non-existent. In 2013 in Quebec, 23% of underage smoking students usually bought their own cigarettes in a business. The compliance rate with the prohibition law rose from 37% in 2003 to 92.6% in 2017. An approach of underage "mystery shoppers" attempting to purchase tobacco products and dedicated inspectors has been implemented, and progressive sanctions are applied in case of non-compliance. In 2013, 12.2% of Quebec high school students and, in 2017, 34.1% of French 17 year olds reported using tobacco products in the last 30 days. CONCLUSION: Only an improved law enforcement, through the training of tobacco retailer's, inspections and effective deterrent penalties for non-compliance, leads to an effective legislative measure in terms of public health.

[Complementary and alternative medicine use by lung cancer patients]. / Le recours aux médecines « complémentaires et alternatives ¼ par les patients atteints d'un cancer bronchique.

INTRODUCTION: Complementary and alternative medicine (CMA) use is frequent among cancer patients. Only few results are available about lung cancer patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate how often the CMA were used by lung cancer patients and to define the type of CMA used. METHODS: Every lung cancer patients with an ongoing chemotherapy in the respiratory department of the University Hospital of Nancy were approached between November 2014 to July 2015. A detailed and anonymous survey was conducted and the socioeconomic characteristics were collected from medical records. RESULTS: Ninety-one patients were questioned. On 82 patients having answered, 19.5 % had used at least a CMA. The main CMA used was the physical exercise in 50 % of the patients. CMA users were significantly younger with a mean age of 56.4 years versus 65.4 years (P=0.0007). More than half patients did not indicate to their specialist that they used a CMA. The main information source was the circle of acquaintances. CONCLUSIONS: CMA use is frequent among lung cancer patients. The physical exercise is quoted most of the time among the various CMA. There is a real lack of communication on the subject between the physician and the patient. It is thus imperative that the pulmonologists give much interest to these practices in order to give better advices and to reinforce the patient-physician relationship.

[Paraneoplastic hypoglycemia: The hopes of pathophysiological documentation]. / Hypoglycémie paranéoplasique : les espoirs d'une documentation physiopathologique.

Doege-Potter syndrome is a paraneoplastic syndrome characterized by non-islet cell tumor hypoglycemia secondary to a solitary fibrous tumor. These tumors are rare and usually asymptomatic. The syndrome of hypoglycemia is seen in less than 5% of the cases, and the associated tumors are large with a high mitotic rate. The cause of hypoglycemia is related to insulin-like growth factors produced by these tumors called "big" IGF-2. Several biological tests can demonstrate the increase of "big" IGF-2 plasma levels confirming the diagnosis of non-islet cell tumor induced hypoglycemia. The diagnosis is suggested by imaging but diagnostic confirmation is provided by the surgery, which remains the treatment of choice. Resection in many cases is the cure leading to hypoglycemia resolution. Recurrences and malignant transformations are possible which imposes a long-term monitoring. We report a case with relapsed malignant pleural fibrous tumor for which the pathophysiological mechanism of hypoglycemia could be documented as a paraneoplastic syndrome.

[Malignant rhabdoid tumor of the lung]. / Tumeur pulmonaire maligne de type rhabdoïde.

INTRODUCTION: Rhabdoid tumours usually develop in brain and spinal cord or kidney; they are highly malignant neoplasms that typically arise in infancy and early childhood. However, rare cases of pulmonary localization have been described, particularly among young adults. CASE REPORT: A 26-year-old man, smoker, had a right apical lung mass associated with a Pancoast syndrome leading to haemoptysis. There was also a tumour of the left thigh and scalp. Histological samples taken at these three locations were in favour of an undifferentiated carcinoma. The lack of nuclear integrase interactor 1 expression, and immunohistochemical appearance supported the diagnosis of rhabdoid tumour. Despite treatment, unfavourable progression confirmed this hypothesis, doubling time was less than six weeks with development of multiple metastases resulted in death within only three months after diagnosis. CONCLUSION: The lack of expression of integrase interactor 1 should suggest the diagnosis of rhabdoid tumour, especially when there is quick progression. The prognosis of these tumours remains poor and therapeutic options are limited.

[Management of chemotherapy-induced anemia in lung cancer]. / Prise en charge de l'anémie chimio-induite dans le cancer bronchique.

INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of chemotherapy-induced anemia in lung cancer is estimated at about 80%. STATE OF ART: There are currently no specific recommendations for the management of chemotherapy-induced anemia in lung cancer. In this paper, we propose a synthesis of currently existing data in the literature on the management of chemotherapy-induced anemia in general, supplemented with specific data about the efficacy and safety of erythropoietic therapy in lung cancer. PERSPECTIVES: Better management of chemotherapy-induced anemia improves patient's quality of life and reduces red blood cell transfusion requirement. In the meantime, in respect to currently missing data, thoracic oncologists should develop specific recommendations for the management of chemotherapy-induced anemia in lung cancer, with specific studies in this domain. CONCLUSIONS: Since the prevalence of chemotherapy-induced anemia in patients with lung cancer is high and has a significant impact on these patients quality of life, a specific prospective management should be implemented as early as possible.

[Evaluation of requests for a second medical opinion by patients with lung cancer]. / Évaluation de la demande de deuxième avis par les patients atteints de cancer bronchique.

INTRODUCTION: Getting a second opinion seems common in oncology, even though the management of these serious diseases results from a multidisciplinary approach. Our aim was to determine the incidence of requests for a second opinion in thoracic oncology at the university hospital of Nancy, since the establishment of the Cancer Plan in 2003. This plan formalized multidisciplinary staff meetings, which should help to reassure patients and therefore reduce the recourse to additional consultations. METHODS: A detailed and anonymous questionnaire was conducted on 77 patients suffering from lung cancer, followed-up over 2years in the respiratory department of the University Hospital of Nancy. The socio-economic characteristics were collected from the medical records. RESULTS: Recourse to a second practitioner was reported by 14 % of the patients suffering from lung cancer. It concerned more women than men and more patients with a higher educational level and socio-professional category. CONCLUSION: Requests for a second opinion by patients with lung cancer are not as frequent as expected. However, when they are made, it is more frequently by women and patients with a higher socio-economic status.

[Inadequate secretion of ß-human chorionic gonadotropin in lung cancer]. / Sécrétion d'hormone chorionique gonadotrope ß au cours des cancers bronchiques.

INTRODUCTION: The inadequate secretion of ß-human chorionic gonadotropin (ß-HCG) during non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is rare and quite ignored. The dosage of ß-HCG is probably not systematically realized in women who are in age of pregnancy and who need chemotherapy (CT) despite the descriptions of cases of prescription of CT against lung cancer in women who were pregnant. The incidence of NSCLC cancer is increasing and the risk to prescribe a CT in a woman who is pregnant is also increasing. CASES REPORTS: We describe the cases of two women and one man who had an augmentation of the ß-HCG plasmatic level before the prescription of CT against lung cancer. In women, the differential diagnostic between inadequate secretion of ß-HCG and pregnancy has been a problem. CONCLUSION: The inadequate secretion of ß-HCG during NSCLC is probably not so rare. The dosage of this hormone before each infusion of CT should be systematic to avoid the realization of CT during pregnancy. This raises the question of the method for differential diagnostic between pregnancy and inadequate secretion of ß-HCG in young women who suffer from NSCLC, especially when a small level of ß-HCG is measured.

Occupational risk factors have to be considered in the definition of high-risk lung cancer populations.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to compute attributable fractions (AF) to occupational factors in an area in North-Eastern France with high lung cancer rates and a past of mining and steel industry. METHODS: A population-based case-control study among males aged 40-79 was conducted, including confirmed primary lung cancer cases from all hospitals of the study region. Controls were stratified by broad age-classes, district and socioeconomic classes. Detailed occupational and personal risk factors were obtained in face-to-face interviews. Cumulative occupational exposure indices were obtained from the questionnaires. Attributable fractions were computed from multiple unconditional logistic regression models. RESULTS: A total of 246 cases and 531 controls were included. The odds ratios (ORs) adjusted on cumulative smoking and family history of lung cancer increased significantly with the cumulative exposure indices to asbestos, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and crystalline silica, and with exposure to diesel motor exhaust. The AF for occupational factors exceeded 50%, the most important contributor being crystalline silica and asbestos. CONCLUSION: These AFs are higher than most published figures. This can be because of the highly industrialised area or methods for exposure assessments. Occupational factors are important risk factors and should not be forgotten when defining high-risk lung cancer populations.

[Anti-angiogenic agents in the treatment of lung cancer: indications and toxicities]. / Thérapeutiques antiangiogéniques dans le cancer bronchique: indications et toxicités.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death. Targeting the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathways in combination with standard chemotherapy can improve response rate and survival in non-small cell lung cancer. Since October 2006, a new class of drugs targeting angiogenesis has been introduced for the treatment of advanced lung cancer. Bevacizumab, an antibody directly targeting VEGF was the first agent to be approved. Other small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors targeting the VEGF receptor are also active in the treatment of advanced lung cancer and are currently under development. Most of these new drugs are well tolerated though potentially significant toxicities such as haemoptysis and hypertension have been observed. This article will review these new-targeted anti-angiogenic agents with a focus on their use in lung cancer and on their important side effects.

[Tobacco use characteristics among apprentices in Vocational Centers]. / Caractéristiques du tabagisme chez les adolescents en Centre de formation des apprentis.

BACKGROUND: Most smokers start smoking during adolescence and become dependent before 20 years old. In France, vocational trainees are a population not much explored. The objective of our study is to present tobacco use characteristics among apprentices in Vocational Centers (VC). METHODS: This cross-sectional exhaustive study covered 1814 students (among whose 943 smokers) entering in a 1st year of the eight participating Vocational Centers in the Lorraine region (Eastern France, 2.3 million inhabitants, 16,500 vocational trainees), during the school years 2007-2008 and 2008-2009. Data collection concerned the sociocultural environment, tobacco use habits, degree of dependency to tobacco and co-addictions. RESULTS: Among the study population, 52.0% declared they were smokers among whom 89.4% daily smokers, and 5.7% were ex-smokers. The average age of tobacco use initiation was 12.1 years (standard deviation [SD]=2.1) and the average age at inception of regular cigarette smoking was 13.8 years (SD=1.6). Current consumption of the smokers was 12.8 cigarettes per day (SD=7.8). The average score of smoking addiction was 6.1 (SD=2.8), according to the Hooked On Nicotine checklist test (score from 0 to 10=strongly dependent). Finally, 37.1% of students (58.9% among smokers) smoked or have smoked cannabis. CONCLUSION: The high prevalence of smoking in Vocational Centers, the early start of tobacco use and the high tobacco consumption among apprentices show that they are overexposed compared to the general population of adolescents. In addition, these young people are already dependant to tobacco use. This underlines the need of specific measures dedicated to this population that amounts to 361,500 individuals in France.

[Medical expert reports in chest disease; the question of imputability of death]. / Expertise médicale en pneumologie; question de l'imputabilité du décès.

In the course of an investigation, judicial or not, the expert opinion encompasses several questions of a different nature, including the following one « did the patient die of a disease he/she was supposed to suffer from at time of death? ¼ Based on a personal experience over one year in 2008, the goal of this paper is to tackle this question of imputability, which was asked in respect of 12 investigations, including ten of occupational diseases, one of nosocomial infection and one iatrogenic accident. Only two autopsies were carried out; one autopsy refusal was reported. In five out of 12 cases, the imputability of death related to an occupational disease or an iatrogenic accident was considered by the expert to be certain in one case, very probable in two cases, and possible in two cases; in seven out to 12 cases, imputability of death was unlikely, since the cause of death was unknown in two cases, or was not the suggested cause in five cases. The discussion considers several arguments that can help answer this question: evaluation of the vital prognosis of the disease, the importance of the quality of medical records, the contributions and limits of autopsy findings, deaths that result from multiple causes, and the concept of aggravating circumstances.

[Do all cryptogenic organizing pneumonias require lung biopsy and steroid treatment?]. / Pneumopathie organisée cryptogénique : biopsie et corticoïdes sont-ils constamment utiles ?

INTRODUCTION: Diagnostic guidelines recommend a lung biopsy to make the diagnosis of cryptogenic organizing pneumonia (COP). However, in some cases, in the presence of a typical clinical picture, the diagnosis can be made without histological proof: the combination of a "reversed halo sign" and migratory areas of patchy alveolar consolidation on the CT-scan is strongly suggestive. Steroids are the recommended treatment, but relapses and complications of steroids occur frequently whereas the morbidity of COP is usually low and the evolution is often the same with or without treatment. CASE REPORT: We report the case of a 51 year old woman with mild COP. The diagnosis was made according to the clinico-radiological criteria that we propose, without any formal histological proof. Treatment consisted of a short course of steroids, which led to spectacular clinical and radiological improvement but was withdrawn due to poor tolerance. The patient refused further treatment but clinical progress was favourable. After a follow-up period of 2.5 years a CT-scan showed evidence of a radiological relapse but the patient remained asymptomatic. CONCLUSION: In this article, we do not attempt to prove that lung biopsy and steroid treatment are unnecessary in the management of COP, but we would like to propose that, in some situations with the coexistence of a "reversed halo sign" and migratory areas of patchy consolidation on the CT-scan, in the context of a typical clinical presentation and mild symptoms, the usefulness of lung biopsy and steroid treatment is debatable.

[Protocols for lung cancer screening: Limitations, and consequences]. / Les protocoles de dépistage du cancer bronchique: limites et conséquences.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality in the world. Its incidence is still rising, especially in women, and its prognosis is poor with a 5-year survival of 15%. Since 1970, several studies on lung cancer screening have been conducted using different investigations. Screening by chest X-ray and sputum cytology does not lead to improved survival in lung cancer. Screening by CT scan has the same outcome but the detection of lung cancer, especially in its early stages, is better than with chest X-ray and sputum cytology. Fluorescence endoscopy is a valuable examination for the detection of pre-invasive bronchial lesions. Genetic studies and identification of circulating tumour cells are being developed. All these examinations are very stressful for the patients. Only few trials have studied the consequences of lung cancer screening on the quality of life. In this review, we analyze the various screening strategies, their impact on quality of life and health and their adverse effects.

Relationships between lung adenocarcinoma and gender, age, smoking and occupational risk factors: A case-case study.

BACKGROUND: The hypothesis that some risk factors for lung cancer may have more specific associations with particular histologic types remains controversial. The aim of this study was to investigate possible associations between adenocarcinoma and gender, age, smoking characteristics and selected occupational carcinogens in relation to other histologic types. METHODS: This study included all histologically confirmed lung cancer cases diagnosed consecutively in two French University hospitals from 1997 to 2006. All medical data were obtained by face-to-face patient interviews. Occupational carcinogen exposures of each patient were assessed by an industrial hygienist. Relationships between risk factors and adenocarcinoma were analyzed by case-case comparisons using unconditional logistic regressions (ULRs). RESULTS: A total of 1493 subjects were enrolled in this study, comprising 1303 men (87.3%), 67 nonsmokers (4.5%) and 489 adenocarcinomas (32.7%). Using ULR, no associations were observed between adenocarcinoma and age, gender or smoking characteristics except for a negative relationship with smoking duration (p<0.0001). Significant associations were observed between ADC and exposure to welding fumes and silica in the whole population and with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in ever smokers. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that some risk factors, such as duration of smoking and certain occupational exposures but not gender or age, have a more important influence on the incidence of lung ADC than on other histologic types. As the distribution of histologic types may reflect underlying biological mechanisms, these findings also suggest that lung carcinogenesis pathways should be studied in relation to smoking duration and other lung cancer risk factors.