[Long-term outcome of neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy followed by surgery for esophageal cancer: a single institution retrospective study of 102 patients]. / Résultats à long terme de la chimioradiothérapie néoadjuvante des cancers de l'œsophage: étude rétrospective monocentrique sur 102 patients.

PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES: To report survival and morbidity of a large homogeneous cohort of patients with a locally advanced esophageal or cardia carcinoma and put in evidence predictive factors of locoregional control and survival. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Hundred and two patients were treated at the university hospital of Tours between 1990 and 2010 and received neo-adjuvant chemoradiation therapy with external irradiation (40Gy-44Gy) and two courses of chemotherapy (5-fluoro-uracile and cisplatine). Esophagectomy associated with lymph node dissection was performed about ten weeks after the end of chemoradiation therapy. RESULTS: The median follow-up was 22.4 months [6-185 months]. The overall survival rates at 2 and 5years were 53% and 27%, respectively. The median overall survival was estimated at 27months. The overall 2-year survival between patients "responders" and patients "non-responders" was 67% vs 26%, respectively (P<0.0001). In case of histological response, there was a benefit in terms of overall survival (P<0.0001), locoregional control (P<0.0036) and disease-free survival (P<0.001). Overall survival at 2years was 64% for ypN0 group vs 32% for ypN1 group (P<0.0001). The median survival was estimated at 37months against 15months in the absence of lymph node involvement (P<0.0001). CONCLUSION: Our results in terms of survival, tolerance and morbidity and mortality were comparable to those in the literature. Complete histological response of lymph node was associated with an improvement of local control, disease-free survival and overall survival.

[Normal tissue tolerance to external beam radiation therapy: esophagus]. / Dose de tolérance à l'irradiation des tissus sains: l'oesophage.

The esophagus is a musculo-membranous tube through which food passes from the pharynx to the stomach. Due to its anatomical location, it can be exposed to ionizing radiation in many external radiotherapy indications. Radiation-induced esophageal mucositis is clinically revealed by dysphagia and odynophagia, and usually begins 3 to 4 weeks after the start of radiation treatment. With the rise of multimodality treatments (e.g., concurrent chemoradiotherapy, dose escalation and accelerated fractionation schemes), esophageal toxicity has become a significant dose-limiting issue. Understanding the predictive factors of esophageal injury may improve the optimal delivery of treatment plans. It may help to minimize the risks, hence increasing the therapeutic ratio. Based on a large literature review, our study describes both early and late radiation-induced esophageal injuries and highlights some of the predictive factors for cervical and thoracic esophagus toxicity. These clinical and dosimetric parameters are numerous but none is consensual. The large number of dosimetric parameters strengthens the need of an overall analysis of the dose/volume histograms. The data provided is insufficient to recommend their routine use to prevent radiation-induced esophagitis. Defining guidelines for the tolerance of the esophagus to ionizing radiation remains essential for a safe and efficient treatment.

Herpetic salpingitis and fallopian tube prolapse.

AIM: We describe the unusual association of fallopian tubal prolapse and herpetic infection, an occurrence not previously reported to our knowledge. METHODS AND RESULTS: A 37-year-old woman presented with a small polypoid mass of the vaginal vault, 3 months after abdominal hysterectomy and abdominoplasty. The vaginal mass proved to be the fimbriated end of a fallopian tube, herniated into the vagina. Reintervention 3 months later with resection of a small vaginal 'polyp' revealed a residual portion of fallopian tube, with superimposed herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection and marked cytological atypia of surface epithelial cells. HSV-2 immunostaining of viral nuclear inclusions and of atypical cells confirmed the herpetic nature of the infection. CONCLUSION: Involvement of the genito-urinary tract by HSV may occur via an ascending infection from the cervix, but the fallopian tube, deeply located in the pelvis, is generally spared from herpetic infection. In the setting of fallopian tubal prolapse, direct exposure of the herniated fallopian tube to various pathogens in the vagina provides an unique clinical model for salpingitis. In herpetic tubal infections, special attention must be paid to cytological atypia of probable viral cytopathogenic origin, to avoid a misdiagnosis of malignancy.

[Tubulopapillary tumors of the kidney. Apropos of 20 new cases and a review of the literature]. / Les tumeurs tubulo-papillaires du rein. A propos de 20 nouveaux cas et d'une revue de la littérature.

Tubulo-papillary tumors constitute a particular group of renal tumor. A study of 20 cases treated personally and review of 130 cases reported in the literature showed: hypo or heterogenic ultrasound images, hypovascularization on angiography, particular density on CT scan image. Histologically they can be distinguished from clear cell epithelioma not only by their appearance (papillary and tubular structures, cystic and hemorrhagic changes) but also by the frequency of stage I on histology. The latter feature is not the only explanation for a more favorable prognosis: other significant factors are necrotic lesions and degree of anisocaryocytosis of epithelial proliferation.