Limiting factors for development of ambulatory breast surgery in the French hospital network.

Introduction: Ambulatory breast surgery is not well developed in France. This is especially true for oncologic procedures,

Materials And Methods: Between January 2005 and June 2006, we performed a retrospective evaluation of the factors thought to limit the development of this type of hospitalization.

Results: The principal limiting factors were distance restrictions (respect of the 100 km perimeter), the complexity of patient management for small breast tumors (several practitioners involved) and last, the non-motivating reimbursement policy.

[Perioperative interstitial brachytherapy for recurrent keloid scars].

Purpose: Evaluation of the results of perioperative interstitial brachytherapy with low dose-rate (LDR) Ir-192 in the treatment of keloid scars.

Patients And Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of 73 histologically confirmed keloids (from 58 patients) resistant to medicosurgical treated by surgical excision plus early perioperative brachytherapy. All lesions were initially symptomatic.

[Maxillary sinus cancers: Prognosis and quality of life: a retrospective study of 22 cases].

Objectives: Maxillary sinus cancer is uncommon. We present a study of 22 cases of patients managed at the Nantes University Hospital for maxillary sinus cancer during the time period 1989-2002.

Materials And Methods: Clinical and oncological characteristics of the tumors were evaluated.

[Interstitial brachytherapy of peri-orificial skin carcinomas on the face].

Purpose. - To analyse outcomes after interstitial brachytherapy of facial periorificial skin carcinomas. Patients and methods.

Interstitial brachytherapy of periorificial skin carcinomas of the face: a retrospective study of 97 cases.

Purpose: To analyze outcomes after interstitial brachytherapy of facial periorificial skin carcinomas.

Patients And Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of 97 skin carcinomas (88 basal cell carcinomas, 9 squamous cell carcinomas) of the nose, periorbital areas, and ears from 40 previously untreated patients (Group 1) and 57 patients who had undergone surgery (Group 2). The average dose was 55 Gy (range, 50-65 Gy) in Group 1 and 52 Gy (range, 50-60 Gy) in Group 2 (mean implantation times: 79 and 74 hours, respectively).

[Refining the French system of cost assessment for oncology patients following chemotherapy].

The aim of this study was to check the clinical predictive variables of the variance of the total cost by GHM for patients undergoing chemotherapy. 10 different hospitals registered 537 hospital stays and 1,535 day care sessions. The initial disease, metastases, other pathologies, participation to randomised trial were recorded.

[Volume and costs of the hospital management of cancer in France in 1999].

The volume of hospitalization care for cancer is hardly measured; this, in particular, because there are various structures assuming those responsibilities and heterogeneous information systems. The objective of this study is to present a model of precise algorithm of selection of hospital stays for cancers from French National databases of hospital discharges, and its results for 1999. Cancer stays are selected firstly, according to the presence of a tumor diagnosis code.

[A study based on national DRG data to evaluate work load and practice relating to cancer patients in not-for-profit hospitals].

Background: In France there is no reliable information describing the organisation of hospital care for patients with cancer. The present study attempts to clarify this issue taking advantage of an information source that has up to now been unused, namely the national PMSI (Information System Medical program) data base.

Methods: A quantitative study has been carried out regarding cancer management in France using information filed with the PMSI which compiles data related to hospital admissions in all institutions with more than 100 beds and subject to a defined global budget.

Final results of a randomized trial comparing chemotherapy plus radiotherapy with chemotherapy plus surgery plus radiotherapy in locally advanced resectable hypopharyngeal carcinomas.

After neoadjuvant chemotherapy, a routine conservative approach followed by salvage surgery was evaluated in terms of local control and survival in cases of advanced potentially resectable hypopharyngeal carcinoma. Between 1985 and 1989, 92 patients with T3 or T4-NO,N3 operable squamous cell hypopharyngeal carcinomas received three courses of neoadjuvant chemotherapy every 2 weeks involving a combination of cisplatin, 100 mg/m2, on day 1 and fluorouracil, 1 g/m2, on days 2 to 5, followed by total laryngopharyngectomy plus postoperative radiotherapy in 47 patients (arm A) or radiotherapy alone in 45 patients (arm B). Randomization was always performed prior to chemotherapy.

Clinical experience with leuprorelin acetate before radiotherapy for prostatic cancer.

A total of 40 patients with stages A2 to C prostatic cancer were treated with leuprorelin acetate depot once a month for 2 months before being treated by pelvic irradiation or radical prostatectomy. In the 32 patients who were evaluable, seven (22%) were classified as minor responders after leuprorelin treatment and 23 (72%) as major responders when assessed by rectal examination. Prostate-specific antigens also returned to normal concentrations (5 ng/ml) in 26/31 (84%) patients.

Management of regional lymph nodes in carcinoma of the penis.

In the management of carcinoma of the penis, standard treatment of the primary tumor is by radiotherapy for small lesions (Tis, T1, T2 located in the glans) and by amputation in other cases (T2 with invasion of the shaft). The diagnosis and treatment of regional lymph nodes are thus the essential problems with this cancer. In our series of 45 patients with a minimum 5-year follow-up, clinical assessment was incorrect in 22.

Pharmacokinetic study of radiolabeled anti-colorectal carcinoma monoclonal antibodies in tumor-bearing nude mice.

Monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) 17-1A and 19-9, which specifically bind human colorectal carcinoma (CRC) cells, were tested for their usefulness in localizing colorectal tumors in nude mice. One of the 131I-labeled MoAbs and an irrelevant 125I-labeled immunoglobulin of the same isotype were injected into nude mice simultaneously bearing a human CRC and a human melanoma. The percentage of the injected dose of antibody per gram of tissue, the CRC/tissue ratios of antibody distribution, and the localization indices were calculated at various time intervals (2 h to 9 days).