High-dose chemotherapy, total abdomen irradiation and autologous bone marrow infusion in ovarian cancer: an observation

A case of treatment of an ovarian adenocarcinoma (stage IIIc of the IFGO) is reported. The patient underwent a maximal tumor reduction followed by polychemotherapy. After this treatment, a 'second-look' laparotomy shows an incomplete remission. An intensive chemotherapy with total abdomen irradiation and protection of medullary toxicity by an autologous bone marrow infusion is performed, with a satisfactory result, without relapse, 16 months after this treatment (or 25 months after the first laparotomy). Reasons which led the authors to perform an autograft and the conditions under which this treatment may be offered are then presented.

Concurrent anaplastic bronchial cancer in identical twin brothers

After having observed homozygotic identical twin brothers who simultaneously suffered from anaplastic bronchial cancer which rapidly led to death in both cases, the authors assess the frequency of such cases. Review of the available literature failed to produce identical observations, although 4 cases of twins suffering from bronchial cancer with differing histologies (3 epidermoidal and 1 bronchiolar-alveolar) were noted. Statistics show that in the area where the observed twins were living, anaplastic cancer occurs each year in 0.39 of 53-year-old men. The cases of these twins therefore support the notion of the role of genetic factors in the determination of bronchial cancer.

Gastric carcinoid tumour and parathyroid adenoma

A case involving a gastric carcinoid in association with parathyroid adenoma is reported and the question of a possible link between these two ailments is discussed.

[A case of hepatic sarcoidosis. Review of the literature]

In this paper, the authors discuss an occurrence of hepatic sarcoidosis in a female patient from the French Antilles which was unique in how it was detected (during cholecystectomy), its presence in two organs (bronchus and liver) as evidenced histologically, as well as marked immunological disorders and disturbances of liver function tests. With corticosteroid therapy, the liver function tests were normalized, but histological lesions persisted.