[Characteristics of chest pain in acute coronary syndromes seen in the cardiology department of Befelatanana (Madagascar)].

Introduction: Chest pain is one of the different elements of orientation for the diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome. Sometimes its clinical presentation is misleading. The objective of this study was to describe the characteristics of chest pain during an acute coronary syndrome in the cardiology department of the Joseph Raseta Befelatanana University Hospital Center, Antananarivo, Madagascar.

Psychological and physical impact in women treated for breast cancer: Need for multidisciplinary surveillance and care provision.

Purpose: Cancer survivors often experience adverse physical and psychosocial effects. Fear of recurrence is a difficulty very commonly reported in post-cancer life. The primary objective of this study was to describe post-cancer supportive care needs in patients treated for breast cancer.

[Hypofractionated radiotherapy in rectal cancer for elderly patients].

Rectal cancer is a common pathology in the elderly. The standard for advanced rectal tumors is a chemoradiotherapy regimen combined 50Gy with concomitant chemotherapy followed by a surgery. This treatment induces interruptions of chemoradiotherapy and toxicities G3-4 more important in people over 70 years of age.

[Doses to organs at risk in conformational radiotherapy and stereotaxic irradiation: The heart].

Radiation therapy of breast cancer, Hodgkin lymphoma, lung cancer and others thoracic irradiations induce an ionizing radiation dose to the heart. Irradiation of the heart, associated with patient cardiovascular risk and cancer treatment-induced cardiotoxicity, increase cardiovascular mortality. The long survival after breast or Hodgkin lymphoma irradiation requires watching carefully late treatment toxicity.

[Clinical to planning target volume margins in prostate cancer radiotherapy].

The knowledge of inter- and intrafraction motion and deformations of the intrapelvic target volumes (prostate, seminal vesicles, prostatectomy bed and lymph nodes) as well as the main organs at risk (bladder and rectum) allow to define rational clinical to planning target volume margins, depending on the different radiotherapy techniques and their uncertainties. In case of image-guided radiotherapy, prostate margins and seminal vesicles margins can be between 5 and 10mm. The margins around the prostatectomy bed vary from 10 to 15mm and those around the lymph node clinical target volume between 7 and 10mm.

Promoting research integrity in Africa: an African voice of concern on research misconduct and the way forward.

African researchers and their collaborators have been making significant contributions to useful research findings and discoveries in Africa. Despite evidence of scientific misconduct even in heavily regulated research environments, there is little documented information that supports prevalence of research misconduct in Africa. Available literature on research misconduct has focused on the developed world, where credible research integrity systems are already in place.

Promoting continuous use as a strategy for achieving adherence in a trial of the diaphragm with candidate microbicide.

Women need more choices for protection from HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). We conducted a randomized 4-week study in Madagascar in preparation for a Phase III randomized controlled trial (RCT) of the diaphragm with a candidate microbicide for STI prevention. All participants completed quantitative surveys; half participated in a qualitative interview.

Predictors of adherent use of diaphragms and microbicide gel in a four-arm, randomized pilot study among female sex workers in Madagascar.

Background: Participants' protocol adherence may influence assessments of the effectiveness of new female-controlled methods for sexually transmitted infection prevention.

Methods: In 2005 we conducted a randomized pilot study among female sex workers (FSWs) in Madagascar in preparation for sexually transmitted infection prevention trial of diaphragms and a vaginal microbicide. Participants (n = 192) were randomized into 4 arms: diaphragm plus microbicide (Acidform), diaphragm plus placebo gel hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), Acidform alone, or HEC alone.