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Biomedical subjects

F Benna

Publications and source records attributed to F Benna.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2003

[Primary intramedullary ependymomas: retrospective study of 16 cases].

PURPOSE: To review the radiotherapy department experience in treating primary spinal cord ependymomas (PSCE), analyse prognostic factors and provide treatment recommendations regarding literature review. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixteen patients with PSCE received postoperative radiotherapy between 1972 and 1997. There were 10 male and 6 female patients with a mean age of 34 years (range 2-63). Surgery was gross total resection in 2 cases, subtotal resection in 9, biopsy in 4 and of unknown type in one patient. All patients were treated with radiotherapy to the craniospinal axis (4 cases), spinal cord (1 case) and to the site of primary tumour in 11 cases. RESULTS: Five year-survival rate was 73%. Two patients had recurrent tumours within the primary site. Gender, extent of surgery and treatment field extent were not prognostic factors. Histologic type was the only variable predictive of outcome. Patients with myxopapillary type had a 5-year survival rate of 100% compared with 47% for those with other histology types. CONCLUSION: We conclude that aggressive surgery is not necessary in the management of PSCE, localised field radiotherapy is associated with favourable outcome, and tumour grade is an important prognostic factor.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

[Cervical lymph node involvement in carcinomas of the mobile tongue in Tunisia. Retrospective study of 135 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To report the profile of histologic cervical nodes involvement associated with mobile tongue squamous cell carcinoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Our retrospective study concerned patients treated from 1978 to 1998 by cervical neck dissection for mobile tongue carcinoma. RESULTS: A population of 135 patients (90 M/45 F, sex-ratio 2) with a 53.5 mean age (19 to 75) is analyzed. Clinical palpable nodes were present in 68 cases (50%) mainly submental-submaxillar (54). Histologic examination showed a node involvement in 54 cases without (32 cases) or with capsular rupture (22 cases) mainly in the jugulo-carotidian chain (46/54). Among the 67 clinically N0 patients collected after 1990, 22 patients (33%) exhibited an histological involvement vs 32/68 (47%) for the group presenting palpable cervical nodes for the whole period. Histologic node involvement seemed to be linked to the clinical status, node size and TNM stage. CONCLUSION: Cervical lymph node treatment needs to be systematic in mobile tongue carcinoma. The probability of histologic involvement is linked to the loco-regional extent of disease and influences the prognosis. In N0 patients, neck dissection is required because of the frequency of histological involvement, particularly when loss to follow-up may be expected.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

[The status of hormone therapy in breast cancer in 2001?].

Cancer of the breast represents in Tunisia and the most frequent female cancer in the world. Hormonotherapy is one of the main weapons of the medical treatment based on the blockage of hormonal action on the cellular growth. Endocrine therapy remains an essential part of treatment in both adjuvant and metastatic settings and is guided by the presence and degree of expression of estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PgR). Adjuvant 5-years tamoxifen (TAM) is still the standard therapy for postmenopausal ER and/or PgR positive women. In premenopausal women and in adjuvant setting, medical castration by LH-RH analogues plus Tamoxifen in addition to chemotherapy improve the prognosis. All these data arose from the successive meta-analyses done showing a benefit from hormonotherapy for patients with positive HR in term of survival, disease-free survival, loco-regional and distant relapse rate. In metastatic disease, the position of tamoxifen is presently in competition with the third generation antiaromatases that seems to be equally active as tamoxifen opening the way for its use for the future in adjuvant situations.

Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal↗
PubMed2002

[Thyroid oncocytomas].

OBJECTIVE: Thyroid oncocytomas are rare tumors. They put problems of differential diagnosis enter malignant and benign forms. The modalities of the surgical treatment are controversial, in form as benign as malignant. Their prognosis is also debated. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Our retrospective study concerns 111 thyroid oncocytomas, so 6.5% of thyroid operated in our centre between 1981 and 2001. The sex-ratio of the patients was 0.16 with an average age of 41 years (15 to 72 years). RESULTS: All the fixed nodules, those associated to a recurrential paralysis, to tangible nodes or/and to microcalcifications on the radiography of the neck was malignant. Histological extemporaneous exam was not decisive in 16% of cases, among which 33% showed themselves malignant in the definitive exam, which put in evidence 9 carcinomas (8%). We treated benign oncocytomas by a loboisthmectomy for the isolated nodules, and the subtotal or total thyroidectomy for multinodular glands. For oncocytic carcinomas, we realized a total thyroidectomy with ganglionic taking and histological extemporaneous exam, followed by evidment in case of invasion (2 patients). For the 5 patients having presented a residual fixation, we obtained a white cartography after radioactive iodine administration. For the benign oncocytoma, we did ot notice any recurrences with an average drop of 28 months (2 months to 7 years). For carcinoma, 8 patients on 9 presented an actuarial survival without disease with an average drop of 44 months (18 months to 8 years). CONCLUSION: The diagnosis of malignancy of thyroid oncocytomas can be strongly evoked on however fickle clinical and radiological criteria; it can be eliminated only after definitive anatomo-pathological exam.

Adenoma, Oxyphilic↗
PubMed2001

[Primary sino-nasal lymphomas. Apropos of 25 cases].

PURPOSE: To report on the epidemiological and therapeutic features of a series of Tunisian patients treated for primitive sinonasal lymphoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Our retrospective study concerns patients with histologically proven primitive sinonasal lymphoma diagnosed and treated at our institution from 1975 to 1997. Initial work-up included: clinical plus ENT examination, WBC, ESR, LDH, abdominal ultrasonography, bone marrow biopsy and facial CT-scan taken since 1985. All slides are reviewed and reclassified using the Kiel system. Treatment is based on radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy (mainly with the CHOP protocol). RESULTS: We collected 25 patients (22 males and three females, sex-ratio = 7) with a mean age of 48 years (18 to 78). Mean delay of consultation is 4 months and patients consulted mainly for nasal obstruction (65%), more rarely epistaxis (40%) or rhinorrhea. ENT examination showed a fungating nasal fossa tumor in 20% of cases, predominantly unilateral (80%), associated to cervical nodes in 25% of cases. High-grade lymphomas represented 60% of the cases, and 60% of the patients were stage IE. All stage IEs have been treated by exclusive radiotherapy while more advanced stages received combined chemo- and radiotherapy (eight patients). The five-year actuarial survival rate was 69% for the whole population, with a better prognosis for localized stage and low-grade lymphomas. DISCUSSION: Radiotherapy remains a standard treatment for sinonasal lymphomas, permitting us to cure localized stages. In extended stages (more than IE), combined chemoradiotherapy seems to be a good option, especially in case of bulky tumors as observed for the other nodal and extra-nodal head and neck lymphomas.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

[Mucous malignant melanoma of the neck and face. Experience at the Salah Azaiz Institute (Tunis)].

The mucosal melanoma of the head and neck is rare and of late diagnosis. This retrospective study concerns 17 cases brought together in 30 years. Sex-ratio was of 1.1, the average age of 58 years. Tumoral seats were the following ones: nasal cavity and paranasal sinus (n = 10), nasopharyngeal cavity (n = 2), gingival seat (n = 2), palate (n = 1), laryngeal seat (n = 1), middle ear (n = 1). Tumoral extension was classified an follows: stage I: 52.9%, stage II: 17.6%, stage III: 29.4%. Melanomas were achromic in 23.5% of cases. On the therapeutic plan, 47.1% of the patients were treated in a purpose palliative because of the importance of the tumoral extension. Seven patients (41.2%) were treated surgically; three among them received an additional radiotherapy for an insufficient tumoral excision or adenopathy in break capsular. Two patients (11.8%) were treated by exclusive radiotherapy. The rates of survival were 17.6% in 2 years, and 5.9% in 5 years. The average duration of survival was of 18.1 months. The causes of failure were essentially local and metastatic.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

[Dermatomyositis and nasopharyngeal carcinoma: 3 cases].

BACKGROUND: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is a common cancer in Tunisia with an estimated incidence of 1.8/100,000. The tumor shows a characteristic association with paraneoplastic syndromes. CASE REPORTS: We report three cases of histologically proven dermatomyositis associated with nasopharyngeal carcinoma in patients aged 40, 24 and 65 years. In all cases, the course of the paraneoplastic syndrome ran parallel to the nasopharyngeal carcinoma. DISCUSSION: Dermatomyositis is one of the numerous paraneoplastic syndromes associated with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Systematic examination of the nasopharynx is required in case of dermatomyositis.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

[Secondary head and neck osteosarcoma following treatment of undifferentiated nasopharyngeal neoplasms (UCNT)].

Secondary tumours after radio and/or chemotherapy are mainly of hematopoietic (acute non lymphoblastic leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma) or soft tissue lineage previously described most frequently after breast cancer and Hodgkin disease treatment with radio and/or chemotherapy. We report two cases of classical osteosarcoma's observed 9 and 3 years after treatment for UCNT with combined radiotherapy and alkylant-based adjuvant chemotherapy in one case and exclusive loco-regional irradiation in the second case.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

[Invasive carcinoma of the cervix in young women in Tunisia].

A series of 133 patients, 35 years or less in age (mean: 31.8) presenting with a carcinoma of the cervix and treated at Salah Azaiz Institute from 1969 to 1989 was analysed and compared to a control group of patients older than 35 years (mean: 54). Neither clinical nor epidemiological particularities were found in the younger patients group, except an early sexual life and a high proportion of early stage tumours (33% versus 15.9% in the older women group). Overall survival of the younger women was dramatically worse than that of the older women: 40% and 50% at 5 years, 20% and 40% at 10 years, and 14% and 30% at 15 years, respectively. This difference is statistically significant in stage I-II patients. Young age, non-sterilization of the tumour after brachytherapy, and anemia, are associated with a poor prognosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

[Clinical and evolutive aspects of nasopharyngeal T4 N0 neoplasms].

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is the primary cancer of the head and neck localisations in the Salah Azaiz Institute (Tunisia). From 1970 to 1987, 80 patients with histologically proven T4 N0 NPC, were treated with exclusive radiation (70-75 Gy to the primary lesion and 50-55 Gy to cervical lymph nodes). The T4 N0 represents 7% of all NPC and 16% of the T4 treated in our Institute. Ninety percent of the patients are over 20 years old with a mean age of 52 years. The sex-ratio was 4:1. Extension to the brain was observed in 55% of the cases. Local control was 70% at 2 months after the end of irradiation. The actuarial survival at 5 years was 47%. Distant metastasis represent 13% (30% of all NPC). The main failure of treatment was local recurrence. The T4 N0 is probably a particular entity concerning the age, the response to radiotherapy and the low rate of distant metastasis.

Actuarial Analysis↗
PubMed1991

Alternating radiotherapy and chemotherapy schedules in limited small cell lung cancer: analysis of local chest recurrences.

An analysis of the chest recurrences was conducted in 72 consecutive patients with limited small cell lung cancer treated in two successive phase II trials alternating six induction chemotherapy courses and three series of thoracic radiotherapy, followed by maintenance chemotherapy. The total radiation dose was 45 Gy (3 series of 15 Gy) in the first trial, and 55 (20, 20 and 15 Gy) in the second. The effect of the irradiated volume was investigated by comparing the local relapse rates in the group of patients treated by radiation fields encompassing the initial tumor volume to another group in which the initial target volume was not fully covered by radiation fields. The definition of these two groups was performed retrospectively by examination of radiological, fiberoptic bronchoscopy initial findings, technical radiation charts and check films. The local recurrence rate were 33 and 36% in each group (no significant difference). This finding could suggest that tumor shrinkage after chemotherapy might allow the use of "reduced" radiation volumes. However, the limited number of patients does not permit a definite conclusion. The effect of radiation dose was investigated by comparing the local control rates in the two consecutive trials which delivered 45 and 55 Gy, respectively. No difference in long-term local control was found: the addition of 10 Gy in the second trial only seemed to delay the appearance of local recurrences by 6 months. Twenty percent of patients died from a local relapse without evidence of distant metastases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Actuarial Analysis↗