Survival and prognostic factors in adult medulloblastoma: the Salah Azaiz Institute experience.

BACKGROUND: Medulloblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumor in children. This entity in adulthood is rare. The aim of our study is to evaluate therapeutic results and prognostic factors of adult medulloblastoma treated at our institute with post-operative radiotherapy. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed a cohort of 55 patients with medulloblastoma who underwent radiation in the department of radiation oncology of institute Salah Azaiz (Tunis) over a 18-year period (1994-2012). RESULTS: The surgery was total or subtotal resection in 73% of cases. Forty-eight patients received radiotherapy to the entire craniospinal axis as part of the curative treatment. The median interval from surgery to the initiation of radiotherapy was 83 days. Etoposide-cisplatin chemotherapy was only performed in metastatic patients (n = 4). The 5-years and 10-years overall survival rates were respectively 53 and 34%. The dose of radiotherapy to the craniospinal axis was a prognostic factor. The 5-years and 10-years event-free-survival rates were 64 and 41%. Reduction in the dose of radiotherapy to the craniospinal axis and fourth ventricular floor involvement were correlated with a worse event-free survival. CONCLUSION: Our results, compared to those of the literature, conclude that the reduction in the dose of radiotherapy to the craniospinal axis (<34 Gy) in the standard risk group of adult medulloblastoma could not be done without chemotherapy. In the high-risk group of adult medulloblastoma, radiotherapy to the cerebrospinal axis at the dose of 36 Gy with chemotherapy, is required for disease control.

Management of patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) undergoing radiotherapy: A consensus document from the Tunisian Society of Oncology Radiotherapy and the Tunisian Society of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Surgery.

In patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices CIEDs, including cardiac pacemakers (PM) and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD), radiotherapy (RT) could compromise CIED function. Managing radiotherapy patients with CIED, has been a great practical and procedural challenge in radiotherapy and requires a structured multidisciplinary approach. A consensus document is presented as a result of a multidisciplinary working group involving cardiac electrophysiologists, Radiation Oncologists and Medical physicists. It aims to propose recommendations on risk stratification, management approach before, during and after radiation treatment/course of patients with CIED.

Impact of local treatment on survival from hematological malignancies causing spinal cord compression.

BACKGROUND: Various hematological malignancies, including multiple myeloma, plasmacytoma, aggressive lymphoma, and indolent lymphoma, rarely result in spinal cord compression. METHODS: Here, we retrospectively analyzed 32 patients with multiple myeloma (50%), plasmacytoma (13%), aggressive lymphoma (28%), and indolent lymphoma (9%), resulting in spinal cord compression (2004 and 2016). Patients averaged 57 years of age and presented with the indolent onset of spinal cord compression (91% of cases) resulting mostly in motor deficits (69%). RESULTS: Local treatment modalities included radiotherapy (RT) (28%) alone, decompressive surgery (28%) alone, or decompressive surgery with consolidation RT (40%). The 1-year overall survival was 70%, and the progression-free survival frequency was 62%. CONCLUSION: This study highlighted the importance of standardizing the indications for RT alone versus RT with surgery depending on the patient's underlying pathological diagnosis, neurological deficits, and radiological findings.

Gastric metastasis of bilateral breast cancer.

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women. The most frequent metastatic sites are lung, bone, liver and brain. On the other hand, gastric metastases are rare. Synchronous bilateral breast cancer (SBBC) occurs rarely. Lobular carcinoma is the histological type most often associated with bilateral breast carcinomas and gastric metastases. We made a retrospective study including four patients followed in the Salah Azaiez Institute, for a bilateral breast cancer with gastric metastases. We analyzed the epidemiological, anatomoclinical and therapeutic particularities of this rare entity. Symptoms were unspecific. The diagnosis of gastric metastasis of the SBBC was confirmed by a histopathological examination of an endoscopic biopsy. The median age was 46.2 years (range, 36-51 years) and the median time until the gastric involvement was 19 months (range, 0-41 months). None of patients had a surgical treatment for the gastric location. All Patients received at least one line of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Median survival following the detection of gastric involvement was 22 months (range, 1-56 months). Gastric metastases from breast cancer are rare and frequently associated with other distant metastasis. Symptoms are unspecific and endoscopy may not be contributive. Therefore, gastric involvement is underestimated. Lobular infiltrating carcinoma (LIC) is the most histological type incriminated in its occurrence. The supply of immunohistochemistry is crucial to distinguish between primary or metastatic gastric cancer.

Rare Case of a Well-Differentiated Paratesticular Sarcoma of the Spermatic Cord in a 60-Year-Old Patient.

Introduction. Liposarcomas are tumors that occur mostly in the retroperitoneum. Of all liposarcomas only 3 to 7% are found in the paratesticular region. The spermatic cord is the main site of origin in these cases. The patients ages range from 50 to 60 years. This malignant disease can result in a loss of fertility aside from life-threatening sequelae. Case. We present a case of a liposarcoma of the paratesticular region. A 60-year-old man was referred with a painless mass in the scrotum and the right inguinal region. The patient underwent surgery and the mass was removed along with the right testis, the spermatic cord, and the soft tissues to the internal inguinal ring. Histopathological examination found a well-differentiated liposarcoma of 80⁎80 mm. The surgical margins were negative. The adjuvant treatment consisted in radiation therapy of the right inguinoscrotal area to the dose of 54 Gray, 2 Gy per session, 5 times a week. Conclusion. Paratesticular liposarcomas are rare tumors. Surgery with large margin resections was the main treatment in all reported cases. The adjuvant treatment is still unclear especially when the surgical margins are negative. The main factor that indicated this adjuvant treatment was the size of the tumor and the histologic subtype.

Brachytherapy of Uveal Melanomas with Ruthenium-106 Plaques

Background: Brachytherapy is the most commonly used conservative treatment for the uveal melanoma. The aim of this study was to evaluate therapeutic results of Ruthenium-106 plaque brachytherapy in the management of localized uveal melanoma cases. Methods: We reviewed retrospectively the clinical records of all patients treated in our department for an uveal melanoma, undergoing Ruthenium-106 plaque brachytherapy, from January 1996 to December 2015. We focused on clinical features, therapeutic characteristics, local and distant tumor control and side effects. Results: Nineteen patients were enrolled in our study. Mean age was 56.2 years (28-79) and the sex ratio was 1.37:1 males to females. Diagnosis was made on the basis of ophthalmological clinical examination, angiography, ultrasound and/or magnetic resonance. Median tumor diameter was 9.7 mm (6-13) and median thickness 4.4 mm (2.5- 8). The dose of Ruthenium-106 plaque brachytherapy prescribed to the apex of each tumor was 70 Gy in all cases. The median radiation dose to the sclera surface was 226.4 Gy (range: 179.6­342.3) and the median total application time 115.2 hours (range: 27 to 237). After a median follow-up of 61.5 months, local control was achieved in 17 patients (89%): 16 demonstrated a partial tumor response and 1 tumor stabilization. Two patients suffered local progression leading to enucleation, one dying of hepatic metastasis. Radiation-induced complications were cataracts in 3 cases and vitreal hemorrhage in 2. Conclusion: Ruthenium-106 plaque brachytherapy is an efficient treatment for localized uveal melanoma, offering good local control with low toxicity.

[Radiation therapy in extra abdominal desmoid tumours]. / Radiothérapie des tumeurs desmoïdes extra abdominales.

BACKGROUND: Desmoid tumours are rare benign tumours that have local "malignity". They can be locally aggressive by infiltrating adjacent vascular, nervous and bony structures. AIM: To define the role of radiotherapy in the management of desmoid tumours. METHODS: Retrospective study of six extra-abdominal desmoid tumours treated with surgery and radiation therapy. RESULTS: Median age was 26.8 years (16-35 years). The tumor was located in the arm (1 case), in the legs (2 cases) and in the body (3 cases). Median tumoral sizes were 86.6 mm (60-100 mm). Five patients had local recurrence after surgical resection. Radiation therapy included Cobalt 60 in five cases and photons associated to linear acceleration in one case. Total dose was between 54 and 62 Gy. At the end of radiation therapy, tumoral control was obtained in five cases after a median follow-up of 26 months (1-83 months). CONCLUSION: Surgery is the main treatment of desmoids tumours but local recurrence rates remain high even after complete resection. The role of adjuvant radiation therapy is controversial.