Ghizlane Rais

Triple negative breast cancer in Moroccan women: clinicopathological and therapeutic study at the National Institute of Oncology

BackgroundTriple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is defined by the lack of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) expression. This is an aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis despite the high rates of response to chemotherapy. The aim of this study is to determine the clinicopathological, therapeutic features and outcomes associated with this type of breast cancer.MethodsThis is a retrospective study of confirmed triple negative breast cancer females collected at the National institute of oncology of Rabat in Morocco, between January 2007 and December 2008. Epidemiological, clinical, histological, therapeutic and evolutive data were analyzed. OS and DFS rates were estimated by Kaplan-Meier analysis.ResultsA total of one 152 patients with breast cancer, were identified as having triple-negative breast cancer (16,5%). The median age at diagnosis was 46 years. 130 patients (86%) had infiltrating ductal carcinoma and thirteen had medullar carcinoma (9%). 84 cases (55%) were grade III Scarff-Bloom-Richardson (SBR). 48 % had positive lymph nodes, and 5 % had distant metastases at diagnosis. According TNM staging, 12 patients (8%) had stage I, 90 patients (60%) had stage II and the 43(28%) had stage III. 145 patients received surgery. 41 (28%) had conservative surgery and 104 (72%) received radical mastectomy with axillary lymph nodes dissection. 14 patients with advanced tumors or inflammatory breast cancer have received neoadjuvant chemotherapy and four patients (28%) had complete pathologic response. From 131 patients how received adjuvant chemotherapy, 99 patients (75,5%) had Anthracycline based chemotherapy) and 27 patients (20,6%) had sequential Anthracycline and docetaxel,. Seven patients with metastatic disease received anthracycline-based regimen in the first line metastatic chemotherapy. The median follow-up time was 46 months (range 6,1 -60 months). Overall survival at 5 years for all patients was 76,5%.ConclusionThese results suggest that most TNBC characteristics in Moroccan patients are in accordance with literature data, especially concerning young age at diagnosis high grade tumors, advanced stage at diagnosis, and short time to relapse. Although the high response rate to chemotherapy, the overall prognosis of this subset of tumors remains poor.

Cardiac safety of the adjuvant Trastuzumab in a Moroccan population: observational monocentric study of about 100 patients

BackgroundTrastuzumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that binds to the extracellular domain of the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER 2) and inhibits carcinoma cellular proliferation. Its use as an adjuvant for a period of one year is currently an internationally recognised standard for the treatment of localized breast cancer. Its use is generally well tolerated, with the most salient side effect being a particular cardiotoxicity that is typically manifested by an asymptomatic decrease in the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) requiring careful monitoring before and during treatment. To evaluate the cardiac safety of trastuzumab we conducted a retrospective observational study of patients with HER2-positive localized breast cancer treated with trastuzumab between May 2008 and May 2010 in Morocco.FindingsThe study comprised of 100 patients. The average in LVEF before the start of trastuzumab was 70%, and at the end of treatment 66%, a decrease in absolute terms of 4%; this difference was statistically significant. 38% of the patients exhibited cardiotoxicity. 97% of our patients have completed treatment, of whom 23% with a provisional arrest because of a regressive fall in LVEF. A final arrest has been made in 3% of cases due to a non regressive reduction in LVEF. A symptomatic heart failure was found in three patients. Analysis of risk factors toxicity found a baseline LVEF higher in the patients who met cardiotoxicity than the rest of our sample.ConclusionsThe cardiac safety in our study seems comparable with the literature data but located in the upper range of levels of toxicity. Cardiotoxicity is the major complication of Trastuzumab, of which LV dysfunction is the most common. Most instances are transient, asymptomatic and reversible.

Primary pleural leiomyosarcoma with rapid progression and fatal outcome: a case report

IntroductionLeiomyosarcomas are neoplasms of smooth muscles that most commonly arise from the uterus, gastrointestinal tract, or soft tissue. Primary pleural leiomyosarcoma is extremely rare. To the best of our knowledge, only nine cases have been published to date. Because of the rarity of pleural leiomyosarcoma and its similarity (clinical and histological) to other pleural neoplasms, particularly sarcomatous mesothelioma, diagnosis is often difficult.Case presentationA 58-year-old North African man was admitted with complaints of dyspnea and chest pain to our hospital. Chest computed tomography revealed right pleural effusion and pleural thickening. A transthoracic needle biopsy yielded a diagnosis of leiomyosarcoma, and tumor cells were strongly and uniformly positive for vimentin, a smooth muscle actin at immunohistochemical analysis. A general examination did not show any metastatic lesions in other areas. One month after diagnosis, the tumor grew rapidly, with pulmonary invasion, and therefore he was treated only by palliative care. He died from respiratory failure one month later. Because no organ of origin of the leiomyosarcoma, other than the pleura, was detected, this case was diagnosed as a primary pleural leiomyosarcoma.ConclusionsAlthough leiomyosarcoma originating from the pleura is rare, this entity is increasingly described. The purpose of presenting this case report is to raise awareness among clinicians to consider this clinical entity as a differential diagnosis when a pleural mass is identified.

First line chemotherapy plus trastuzumab in metastatic breast cancer HER2 positive - Observational institutional study

Breast cancer is the most common malignant disease and among the most frequent causes of cancer mortality in females worldwide. Metastatic breast cancer (MBC) is conventionally considered to be incurable. In first-line treatment of HER-2 positive MBC, randomized trials have demonstrated that trastuzumab when combined with chemotherapy significantly improves progression free survival and overall survival. To evaluate survival and toxicity of chemotherapy with Trastuzumab as first line therapy of human epithermal growth factor receptor 2 positive metastatic breast cancer, in Moroccan population. It is a phase IV observational institutional monocentric study. Including patients with metastatic breast cancer HER2 positive, as first-line chemotherapy combined with Trastuzumab from March 2009 until March 2010. Primary end point: progression free survival, secondary end point response rate and overall survival. A total of 20 patients were enrolled between March 2009 and March 2010. The lung was the first metastatic site in 60% of the cases, followed by bone, liver, nodes, skin and brain. All patients received chemotherapy with Trastuzumab: 9 of them with Docetaxel, 8 with vinorelbine, and 3 with capecitabine. The progression free survival was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method, from the date of first cycle to the date of progression or at the last consultation, and the median was 12.8 months. Trastuzumab based chemotherapy was generally well tolerated; 5 patients (25%) presented cardiotoxicity. The results of this study join the literature and show the benefit of Trastuzumab to chemotherapy in first line metastatic breast cancer HER-2 positive.

Radiation induced esophageal adenocarcinoma in a woman previously treated for breast cancer and renal cell carcinoma

BackgroundSecondary radiation-induced cancers are rare but well-documented as long-term side effects of radiation in large populations of breast cancer survivors. Multiple neoplasms are rare. We report a case of esophageal adenocarcinoma in a patient treated previously for breast cancer and clear cell carcinoma of the kidney.Case presentationA 56 year-old non smoking woman, with no alcohol intake and no familial history of cancer; followed in the National Institute of Oncology of Rabat Morocco since 1999 for breast carcinoma, presented on consultation on January 2011 with dysphagia. Breast cancer was treated with modified radical mastectomy, 6 courses of chemotherapy based on CMF regimen and radiotherapy to breast, inner mammary chain and to pelvis as castration. Less than a year later, a renal right mass was discovered incidentally. Enlarged nephrectomy realized and showed renal cell carcinoma. A local and metastatic breast cancer recurrence occurred in 2007. Patient had 2 lines of chemotherapy and 2 lines of hormonotherapy with Letrozole and Tamoxifen assuring a stable disease. On January 2011, the patient presented dysphagia. Oesogastric endoscopy showed middle esophagus stenosing mass. Biopsy revealed adenocarcinoma. No evidence of metastasis was noticed on computed tomography and breast disease was controlled. Palliative brachytherapy to esophagus was delivered. Patient presented dysphagia due to progressive disease 4 months later. Jejunostomy was proposed but the patient refused any treatment. She died on July 2011.ConclusionWe present here a multiple neoplasm in a patient with no known family history of cancers. Esophageal carcinoma is most likely induced by radiation. However the presence of a third malignancy suggests the presence of genetic disorders.

Solitary intraosseous schwannoma of the base and vault of the skull: a summary review of such unusual location.

Intra-osseous schwannoma is a rare mesenchymal tumor. Although, the head and neck region is one of the most common sites for schwannomas, its location at the skull bone is uncommon and accounted for less than 0.2% in the largest series of bone tumors ever reported. Furthermore, it is most often a benign tumor, malignant transformation is exceedingly rare.Clinical presentation is non-specific, most often symptoms are associated with compression and invasion of adjacent organs. Neuro-imaging features are non-specific and the diagnosis is based on histological examination with immunohistochemical study.Surgery remains the aim of treatment. However, radiation therapy could be an interesting therapeutic option in unresectable tumors.This systemic review offers new clinicopathological data useful for better defining the diagnosis and clinicopathological behavior of schwannoma. The purpose of this work is to raise awareness among clinicians adding this clinical entity as a differential diagnosis when a mass of skull bone is identified.

Uncommon Case of Ureteral Clip Migration Following Laproscopic Hysterctomy

Inadvertent ureteric injury is a hazard of laparoscopic hysterectomy and may cause usually ureteric fistulae or obstruction. Ureteral clip migration following laparoscopic hysterectomy as iatrogen ureteric injury has never been described. Here we report an unusual case of a 45-year-old female who presented with right flank pain. She has an history of laparoscopic hysterectomy 1 year ago. Abdominopelvic computed tomography (CT) scan confirmed the diagnosis of right renal colic following migration of a metalic clip. The patient was treated by the ureteroscopic ablation of the clip with the use of double J stent and had successful outcomes. J Med Cases. 2018;9(8):270-272 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jmc3114w

NEUROBLASTOMA IN AN ADULT: A CASE REPORT OF A RARE ENTITY WITH A SUMMARY REVIEW

Neuroblastoma is a very uncommon neoplasm in adulthood. It occurs almost exclusively in children younger than 10 years (More than 90% of cases). We report the case of a healthy 40-year-old male who complained of a right flank pain in 2010. Clinical examination revealed an enormous abdominal mass involving the adrenal gland as showed at abdominal CT scan. The patient underwent a surgical en-bloc excision of the right adrenal mass, after a laborious dissection of the tumor. Histological and immunohistochemical findings were suggestive of a neuroblastoma. Adjuvant treatment was not indicated since the complete gross excision of the tumor was performed, and subsequently the patient was considered stage 1 disease and because of the unavailability of MYCN status, necessary for achieving risk group stratification and a risk-adapted strategy. The patient remained in good local control, until January 2015 when he accused a locoregional and metastatic relapse consisting of two new para-renal masses and magma of celiac adenomegalies extending into the mediastinum. As the mass was considered unresectable, therapeutic decision of administrating neoadjuvant chemotherapy, followed by local treatment (surgery and / or radiotherapy) based on tumor response was taken. Given the bad tumor response to systemic treatment, a palliative radiotherapy was instaured. Currently the patient is two months after the end of radiation with mild clinical improvement. The purpose of presenting this case is not only to report an uncommon malignancy in adulthood, but also to raise awareness among clinicians adding this clinical entity as a differential diagnosis when a retroperitoneal mass is identified. We also conducted a literature review to enhance cliniciansÂ’ acknowledgment about the management of this rare entity in adults.