One thousand and six hundred patients (median age 49 years) were approached; 41% females and 74% from rural areas. There was a high rate of illiteracy (38%) and only 7% had higher education. Seventeen per cent were divorced, among whom 41% were divorced after diagnosis of cancer. Eighty-seven per cent had no medical insurance. All were Muslims; 49% practising believers and 51% non-practising. In the first group cancer represented a divine test that permitted acceptance of the disease. In the second group of 'non-practising believers', patients reported a feeling of culpability and 95% of them started taking up religious practices, often with extremism and sometimes in contradiction of medical advice. In both groups new behaviours were noticed; 450 women now wore the 'Hijab' (scarf), 19% used popular medicine and plants in their diet recommended by the Koran. While these results require replication they indicate changes in behaviour by those within the Moslem faith following a cancer diagnosis.

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The growing teratoma syndrome (GTS) is defined as a detection of an enlarged mass during or after chemotherapy treatment for germ cell tumor. We report a case of an 18-year-old girl treated for growing teratoma syndrome after chemotherapy for malignant germ cell tumor of the ovary associated with peritoneal gliomatosis. Chemotherapy induced normalisation of alpha-fetoprotein rate whereas there was an enlargement of the mass. Subsequent complete resection was performed, and the patient remained in good control for 60 months. This clinical picture suggested the diagnosis of “GTS”. This syndrome can lead to confusion with progression or relapse of a germ cell tumour because of increase in tumour volume during chemotherapy, so it is important to recognize it.

Langerhans cell histiocytosis is a rare disease involving clonal proliferation of langerhans cells seen in children and young adults. Clinical presentation is variable, ranging from a single location in the bone to severe multivisceral involvement. Moreover, spinal involvement causing myelopathy is even rare and unusual. We report a rare case of adult Langerhans cell histiocytosis in the dorsal spine causing a spinal cord compression associated with a pulmonary process treated by surgery, radiotherapy and systemic therapy with good evolution.

Peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNET) are rare malignant tumors, affecting mostly children and adolescents and have been described in breast in eight case reports only. In this paper, we present a case of bilateral mammary ES/PNET where distinction between primary and metastatic diseases was discussed through a literature review. The aim of this work is to demonstrate that although rare, the possibility of PNET should be kept in mind while evaluating a palpable breast abnormality in a young female.

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Introduction: Little published data is available about chemotherapy in pregnant women, particularly concerning the use of vinorelbine, or the association of vinorelbine and anthracyclines in a neoadjuvant context. The focus of this paper is a case study of a woman in the second trimester of pregnancy who presented with locally advanced breast cancer.Case: A 42-year-old pregnant woman with a T4bN1M0 breast cancer who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy including doxorubicin (60 mg/m 2 ) and vinorelbine (30 mg/m 2 day 1 and 8) every three weeks for four cycles, from the 26 th to the 38 th week of gestation. During the 38 th week of pregnancy the patient spontaneously delivered a male infant whose birthweight and Apgar score were normal. The newborn did not have any anomalies. The patient experienced a clinical improvement with a response rate of 50%. The child showed normal development and growth at 26 months.Discussion: Combined chemotherapy including doxorubicin and vinorelbine should be taken into consideration as neoadjuvant treatment for pregnant women with locally advanced breast cancer.

Les métastases thyroïdiennes sont très peu fréquentes. Elles peuvent de façon exceptionnelle révéler le cancer primitif. Nous rapportons le cas d'une patiente qui a présenté une dysphonie secondaire à un gros nodule thyroïdien lobaire droit. L'examen anatomopathologique de la pièce de l'hémi thyroïdectomie a révélé la présence d'un adénocarcinome d'origine pulmonaire. Le bilan d'extension a confirmé la présence d'une masse au niveau du Fowler droit ainsi qu'une métastase du trochanter fémoral droit et une récidive au niveau de la loge thyroïdienne. Une chimiothérapie à base de Paclitaxel, Carboplatine et Bevacizumab a été débuté. L’évaluation après 4 cures est en faveur d'une stabilité radiologique avec amélioration des symptômes.