Evaluation in usual practice of the bevacizumab-FOLFIRI combination for the first-line treatment of patients with unresectable metastatic colorectal cancer treated in 2006: focus on resected patients and oncogeriatrics: AVASTIN OUEST cohort of the Observatory of Cancer of the Brittany and Pays de la Loire Areas ().

Background: In 2006, bevacizumab, a targeted therapy agent was combined with FOLFIRI for the firstline treatment of patients with unresectable metastatic colorectal cancer.

Methods/results: A study on a homogenous series of 111 patients from the Brittany and Pays de la Loire areas who received bevacizumab-FOLFIRI as first-line treatment in 2006 showed the following results: 51 responses, 29 stabilisations, 21 progressions and 10 cases of toxicity prior to assessment. Median overall survival (OS) was 25.

Stabilization of the disk around beta Pictoris by extremely carbon-rich gas.

The edge-on disk surrounding the nearby young star beta Pictoris is the archetype of 'debris disks', which are composed of dust and gas produced by collisions between--and evaporation of--planetesimals, analogues of Solar System comets and asteroids. These disks may provide insight into the formation and early evolution of terrestrial planets. Previous work on beta Pic concluded that the disk gas has roughly solar abundances of elements, but this poses a problem because such gas should rapidly be blown away from the star, contrary to observations showing a stable gas disk in keplerian rotation.

Deficiency of molecular hydrogen in the disk of beta Pictoris.

Molecular hydrogen (H2) is by far the most abundant material from which stars, protoplanetary disks and giant planets form, but it is difficult to detect directly. Infrared emission lines from H2 have recently been reported towards beta Pictoris, a star harbouring a young planetary system. This star is surrounded by a dusty 'debris disk' that is continuously replenished either by collisions between asteroidal objects or by evaporation of ices on Chiron-like objects.

[Recourse to particular arterial embolization in the treatment of some uterine leiomyoma].

Unlabelled: In 88 women between the ages of 34 and 51 years with one or several symptomatic uterine leiomyomata (menometrorrhagia, mass syndrome) after failure of medical treatment, particulate arterial embolization was proposed as an alternative to the scheduled surgical operation. Free-flow embolization with Ivalon particles (150 to 600 microns) was performed under local anaesthesia after femoral artery puncture and catheterization of the hypogastric then uterine arteries (5 F catheter) including occlusion Pelvic pain was frequently observed immediately after embolization, lasting 12 to 18 hours, and required analgesia. Necrobiosis syndromes can be observed in the case of very large leiomyomata.