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Breast cancer in young women requires special vigilance because of the unique condition and complex management that is involved. The indication for chemotherapy should not be based on age alone but in association with the biological characteristics of the tumour. In addition, age is not considered as demonstrated predictor of chemosensitivity. The choice of adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapy should be guided by the histological type of the tumour, the stage of the tumour and the patient's comorbidities. In this subgroup of patients, the recommendations for the use of molecular signatures follow those of the general population. This manuscript summarizes the main data and recommendations on the management of breast cancer in young women in term of chemotherapy.

Adjuvant endocrine therapy is highly effective and appropriate for all breast cancer patients with hormone receptor positive tumors, pre and post menopausal women. It's an oral daily pill for many years, after primary treatment. Although this medication dramatically reduces reccurrence rates and risk of death, many breast cancer survivors either fail to take pills with prescribed frequency (adherence) or discontinue therapy (persistence) or even never begin to take it. It's difficult to know exactly the prevalence of adherence and persistence but women age younger than 40 years had the highest risk of discontinuation. Medical literature of the last 15 years in this area has been carefully reviewed considering initiation treatment background, specificity of premenopausal young women population, healthcare provider and patient communication and respective views. It's highlighted that dedicated care, at first and after in follow up, is an essential part for better adherence. Guidelines processing are more and more complicated, expert medical assesment is required, shared decision must be provide. Patients need enhanced knowledge about mode of action, benefits but also potential side effects, and optimized patient provider relationship for empathy and better comprehension. Providers must believe in treatment relevance and convey their convictions.

Objectives: the purpose of this study is to assess TAM safety in terms of side effects and hormonal status, the persistence of the treatment over a five years time-frame and to report the remote follow-up data.Fifty five patients were included patients between January 2001 and November 2002 at the Institut de cancérologie de Lorraine. The subjects were aged 50 years or less, premenopausal at diagnosis and treated with adjuvant TAM therapy at a daily dose of 20 mg, for an expected duration of 5 years, at a daily. After 2 years, prospective evaluation was completed and monitoring of ovarian function was performed as usual in the institution (1x/year). All data were retrospectively evaluated in 2019.In these 55 patients, the cumulative incidences of cysts and hot flushes 5 years after treatment were 68.5 % and 77.6 %, respectively. Of the 33 patients with chemoreactive amenorrhea, half had cycles which resumed within a median of 9 months. In the 10 patients without chemotherapy-induced amenorrhea, 4 had a cycle stop. Of these, 3 patients had cycles that, resumed within 1, 4 and 8 months. 34 patients (61.3 %) had taken Tamoxifen for at least 5 years. After 15 years of treatment, overall and progression-free survival was 90.7 % and 67.4 %, respectively.The observation of the tolerance to the treatment for 5 years and beyond, contributes to the quality of information delivered to future patients starting the treatment, allowing a better understanding and in the long term a better observance.

BACKGROUND: There is convincing evidence demonstrating that body size characteristics such as adiposity and height are associated with breast cancer in westernized countries. However, little is known about this relationship in North African countries currently undergoing nutritional transition and industrialization. The aim of this study was to explore associations between various body size characteristics, silhouette trajectories and the risk of breast cancer among Moroccan women. METHODS: In this case-control study conducted in the Fez region (2016-2017), detailed measures of body size were collected for 300 cases of breast cancer and 300 matched controls. Unconditional logistic regression was used to assess the association between body size and breast cancer risk adjusting for confounding factors. RESULTS: Higher waist circumference and hip circumference were positively associated with breast cancer risk in pre- (highest [T3] vs. lowest tertile [T1]: OR?=?2.92, 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 1.33-6.42; OR?=?3.00, 95% CI: 1.42-6.33, respectively) and post-menopausal women (T3 vs. T1: OR?=?4.46, 95% CI: 1.86-10.66; OR?=?4.08, 95% CI: 1.76-9.42, respectively). Body shape at younger ages (6-11years) was inversely associated with the risk of breast cancer in premenopausal women (large vs. lean silhouette: OR?=?0.31, 95% CI: 0.12-0.80). Women with the greatest increase in body shape trajectory had higher risk for both pre- and post-menopausal breast cancer (T3 vs. T1: OR?=?2.74, 95% CI: 1.03-7.26; OR?=?3.56, 95% CI: 1.34-9.44, respectively). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that adiposity, body shape at younger ages, and silhouette trajectory may play a role in the development of pre- and post-menopausal breast cancer among Moroccan women. Larger-scale prospective studies are needed to confirm our findings and to explore these associations with breast cancer subtypes.

La transition ménopausique est une période de bouleversement tant sur le plan physique que personnel, familial ou professionnel pour les femmes de plus de 40 ans. Dans ce climat de changements, le médecin généraliste doit accorder une attention particulière à la contraception nécessaire de ces femmes encore fertiles. Notre objectif était d’explorer les ressentis des médecins généralistes au sujet de la contraception en périménopause, leur façon de l’aborder et de la gérer en pratique quotidienne.Nous avons réalisé une étude qualitative au moyen de quatre entretiens collectifs auprès de vingt et un médecins généralistes haut-normands.Les médecins déclaraient centrer leur prise en charge sur la patiente. Ils prenaient en compte les facteurs influant sur la contraception comme les connaissances de la patiente, ses réticences, ses désirs pour son couple et sa vie sexuelle. Ils cherchaient à lutter contre la banalisation de la contraception à cet âge. Les médecins mettaient en avant les compétences techniques nécessaires pour l’adaptation de la méthode contraceptive. Ils affirmaient également leurs rôles d’informateurs et d’accompagnateurs au sein d’un parcours de soins coordonnés. Les médecins bannissaient les oestro-progestatifs des possibilités thérapeutiques au profit de la pilule micro progestative et du stérilet. Ils n’évoquaient pas les autres bénéfices de la contraception. Les difficultés parfois rencontrées par les femmes pour leur contraception semblaient faire émerger la participation des hommes à celle-ci.La contraception des femmes en période de transition ménopausique fait intervenir les différents champs de compétences du médecin généraliste. Son objectif est d’accompagner les patientes pour une entrée sereine en ménopause.

Endocrine treatment represents the cornerstone of endocrine-sensitive pre-menopausal early breast cancer. The estrogen blockade plays a leading role in the therapeutic management with surgery, radiotherapy and selective antiestrogen treatment. For several years, selective estrogen receptor modulators, such as tamoxifen, have revolutionized medical care of hormone receptors-positive breast cancer and have conquered the therapeutic arsenal while becoming the gold standard of treatment. Other combinations associating the ovarian function suppression using LHRH agonists with tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors have been recently investigated, leading to mitigated opinions regarding the clinical benefit of these associations. We propose here a comprehensive overview on existing data and their actualization concerning LHRH analogues, whilst emphasizing benefit-risk balance for this targeted population.

Introduction : la préménopause est accompagnée chez 10 à 40% des patientes de troubles climatériques. Actuellement, cette période de transition ménopausique ne bénéficie d’aucune recommandation thérapeutique officielle laissant le médecin généraliste dans l’embarras. Face à cette problématique, nous avons voulu évaluer les pratiques diagnostiques et thérapeutiques des médecins généralistes varois concernant la prise en charge de ces patientes. Méthode : étude observationnelle transversale d’évaluation des pratiques diagnostiques et thérapeutiques des médecins généralistes varois entre mai et décembre 2017. Résultats : parmi les 113 médecins généralistes répondants, 15,9% prescrivaient un THM en première intention et 67,3% avaient recours à un bilan hormonal. Les hommes médecins prescrivaient plus de THM en 1ère intention de même que les médecins les plus âgés et ceux les plus en difficultés. L’absence de formation complémentaire en gynécologie et les difficultés ressenties par les médecins généralistes étaient des facteurs favorisant la prescription de bilan hormonaux. En situation de méconnaissance les médecins généralistes avaient tendance à sur-prescrire. Conclusion : il faut déterminer clairement les critères diagnostiques et les stratégies thérapeutiques à suivre afin de prendre en charge au mieux chaque patiente préménopausée souffrant de troubles du climatère, selon son profil. L’élaboration de recommandations officielles par des autorités comme l’HAS ou le CNGOF éviterait la sur-prescription d’examens complémentaires inutiles et onéreux. L’utilisation d’échelles d’aide à la prescription spécifiques de la préménopause permettrait aux médecins généralistes de construire une stratégie thérapeutique adaptée et centrée patiente.

To study the feasibility and patient satisfaction for vaginal hysterectomy in a new outpatient procedure.This retrospective study was directed in CHU de Saint-Étienne, Loire, France. All patient who underwent a vaginal hysterectomy in outpatient procedure were included from January 2014 and January 2017. Descriptive data were collected and all patients were called back for satisfaction study.Sixty-five patients were included. Vaginal hysterectomy was performed for 52.3% for pre-menopause bleeding, 24.6% for prolapse, 15.4% for uterine fibroids and 7.6% diverse. Outpatient procedure was performed in 96.9%. Peroperative outcome from Oslo classification were 1.5% for grade 1 and 1.5% for grade 2. Postoperative complications from Clavien-Dindo classification were: 16.9% grade 1 and 6.2% grade 2. Mean postoperative pain scale was 1.02 between H1 and H3 post-operative and 0.84 between H3-H6. Among the patients, 89.2% were very satisfied, 91.9% recommend the same outpatient procedure and 43.2% assumed their daily life since first day postoperative.Vaginal hysterectomy in outpatient procedure is today's reality. It is a simple, economic, with few postoperative complications and very high satisfaction scores procedure. Standardized procedure, good patient selection and information are necessary to minimize complications.

The prevention of anemia of blood donor is a main issue for donor safety and self-supplying. This prevention is done in one hand by donor deferral whose haemoglobin level is under defined threshold and in other hand by preventing iron deficiency. Some subgroups of donors are at increased risk for developing iron deficiency and adverse effects of iron deficiency: premenopausal females; donors with haemoglobin values near the minimum for eligibility and frequent donors. Different interventions could be used: lengthening the inter-donational interval and/or decreasing the number of donations per year; donor ferritin testing to evaluate iron store and at least donor iron supplementation.

On April 27th 2011, the French Supreme Administrative Court (Conseil d'État) granted the Recommendations for Good Practice set out by the French National Authority for Health (Haute Autorité de santé--[HAS]) a legal status, considering that they "must be regarded as (…) decisions which may be subject to an action for annulment". The judge came to this conclusion through a quasi-syllogistic reasoning. Firstly, the French Code of Medical Ethics requires physicians to care for their patients in accordance with established scientific knowledge. Secondly, the HAS recommendations recall in particular this established scientific knowledge. Treating patients according to established scientific knowledge requires then that physicians follow the HAS recommendations. While the case at bar does not directly involve liability for medical malpractice-since the applicant only sought to have an HAS recommendation declared void-it is nonetheless necessary to examine the impact of this ruling for health professionals. Indeed, this decision raises a number of concerns for everyday medical practice. Guidelines concerning the endocrine treatment of hormonodependant breast cancers are plentiful. In January 2010, the HAS and the French National Institute for Cancer (Institut national du cancer) issued a "Guide for long-term illnesses-Breast cancer" (Guide ALD - Cancer du sein). In addition to these nation-wide guidelines, the Regional Networks for Cancer (réseaux régionaux de cancérologie) issued their own recommendations. Other guidelines are also set out in the framework of consensus conferences, such as the Nice Saint-Paul-de-Vence (France) and St. Gallen (Switzerland) conferences. In the United States, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), and in Europe, the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) make recommendations as well. Therefore, the HAS recommendations are hardly the sole source of information for physicians and these documents sometimes contradict each other. Besides, these can quickly become obsolete, what still limits their relevance. Nevertheless, in the judge's mind, there is no place for conflicting interpretations; scientific knowledge must be consistent, homogeneous and objective. However, the reality is quite the opposite. This simplistic vision shared by judges does not seem to grasp the complexity of everyday medical practice. After a critical reading of the Conseil d'État judgment, we shall consider the potential issues and concerns raised by this ruling in medical practice using the example of hormone therapy for breast cancer patients.

In present study, we are assessing the efficiency of endometrial ablation by radiofrequency (Novasure(®)) for the treatment of abnormal uterine bleeding.A total of 90 patients underwent an endometrial ablation by radiofrequency for uterine bleeding between 2009 and 2012. For the postoperative follow-up, symptoms amelioration and eventual adverse-events were evaluated by a self-administered questionnaire given to all patients after the surgery.Sixty-five patients (74%) responded to the questionnaire with an average of 17.5 months. Among them, endometrial bleeding decreased in 92% of the cases (IC 95%; 86-99). The amenorrhea rate was 55% (IC 95%; 43-67) and 36% of the patients presented a diminution of menstrual bleeding after treatment. Thirty-two patients (36%) presented dysmenorrhea before the radiofrequency and 78% of them experienced an amelioration of the symptoms after treatment (IC 95%; 64-93). In 19 patients (21%), the cause of uterine bleeding was adenomyosis, among them, bleeding decreased in 84% of the cases (IC 95%; 71-98) and dysmenorrhea in 70%. (IC 95%; 41-97). Finally, 84% of the patients were satisfied with the result of the treatment.Our findings suggest that endometrial radiofrequency is effective for the treatment of menometrorrhagia, dysmenorrhea and also adenomyosis.

The most frequent symptom with leiomyoma is menometrorrhagia. However, it can be responsible of pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea or urinary and digestive compression when it is particularly voluminous. If no therapy is able to have them disappear, various drugs may reduce their related symptoms. Tranexamic acid, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and high dose of oestrogen may be useful in the management of acute hemorrhagic disorders. Progestin, such as lynestrenol induces small reduction in leiomyoma volume and moderate increase in hemoglobin level before surgery. Pregnane and nor-pregnane may improve menstrual bleeding in short or mild delays. The use of GnRH agonists can reduce menstrual bleeding with hemoglobin recovery. Add-back therapy using tibolone seems interesting since secondary effects encountered with GnRH agonists may be reduced. Levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system is proven to reduce increased menstrual bleeding and restore hemoglobin level. Aminoglutethimide and fadrozole have been underevaluated to conclude when letrozole seems as efficient as GnRH agonists to reduce leiomyoma volume and provide less hotflushes. Anastrozol is associated with reduction in leiomyomata volume, pain and menstrual bleeding. Mifepristone reduces the size of uterine leiomyomata, improves symptomatology, but could be associated with development of endometrial hyperplasia. SPRM evaluated in females have shown to improve leiomyoma related symptomatology. Ulipristal could be useful to reduce leiomyoma related symptoms in short terms.

The purpose of this study is to measure the impact of an educational program to raise awareness of the increased spending energy in two different population of patients with breast cancer by using the questionnaire POPAQ (Population Physical Activity Questionnaire). This is a prospective study including two groups of 15 consecutive breast cancer patients (≤ 50 years Group 1 and Group 250 and70 years) followed in the department of radiotherapy at the Institute of Cancer of the Loire from January to July 2011. A questionnaire of physical activity assessment was used at two different times before the diagnosis/treatment of breast cancer (t0) and at 6 months (t6) to measure the impact of the awareness method. Comparison of different measures of daily energy expenditure (t0) between groups 1 and 2 was statistically significant (1,1803 and 9434 kJ/24 h, respectively, p = 0.0005). Daily energy expenditure of professional activity was statistically different between the two groups (1437 and 457 kJ/24 h, in groups 1 and 2, respectively; p = 0.003). Between t0 and t6, we observed a significant decrease in total energy consumption in group 1 (1,1803 to 1,0876 kJ/24 h) while there was no significant change between the group 2, except energy expended at rest (basal metabolism). There were differences in daily energy expenditure based on age may influence behavioral patterns deal with energy expenditure in physical activities. Tomorrow's challenges are to provide re-entrainment programs tailored to targeted populations.

Endometrial cancer staging is based on surgery. No matter the age of the patient, the surgical staging includes at least a total hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Twenty to 25% of the patients diagnosed with endometrial cancer are younger than 45 years. Although some discrepancies among series may be observed, in this population, endometrial cancers are mainly of lower grade, confined to the uterus (without ovarian involvement) and of better prognosis compared to older patients. The impact of premature menopause on the quality of life, cardiovascular and bone systems should not be neglected. This raises the issue of the systematic bilateral oophorectomy legitimacy while staging endometrial cancer staging in young patient. Considering the literature, eligibility criteria to ovarian preservation in endometrial cancer would be: young patients, low-grade endometrioid tumor, disease limited to the uterus (absence of any extrauterine disease). The risk of occult ovarian lesions, either synchronous or metastatic, would than be close to 1%. The effects of residual hormonal stimulation are considered low. Nevertheless, bilateral oophorectomy should remain the standard. Oophorectomy preservation in endometrial cancer should be considered as an exception, and proposed as an individualized plan of care for patients with strict eligibility criteria.

The most frequent symptom with leiomyoma is menometrorrhagia. However, it can be responsible of pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea or urinary and digestive compression when it is particularly voluminous. These recommandations were made in order to review medical management of fibroids. If no therapy is able to have them disappear, various drugs may reduce their related symptoms. Tranexamic acid, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and high dose of oestrogen may be useful in the management of acute hemorrhagic disorders. Progestin, such as lynestrenol induces small reduction in leiomyoma volume and moderate increase in hemoglobin level before surgery. Pregnane and nor-pregnane may improve menstrual bleeding in short or mild delays. The use of Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone (GnRH) agonists can reduce menstrual bleeding with hemoglobin recovery. Add-back therapy using tibolone seems interesting since secondary effects encountered with GnRH agonists may be reduced. Levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system is proven to reduce increased menstrual bleeding and restore hemoglobin level. Aminoglutethimide and fadrozole have been underevaluated to conclude when letrozole seems as efficient as GnRH agonists to reduce leiomyoma volume and provide less hot flushes. Anastrozol is associated with reduction in leiomyomata volume, pain and menstrual bleeding. Mifepristone reduces the size of uterine leiomyomata, improves symptomatology, but could be associated with development of endometrial hyperplasia. SPRM evaluated in females have shown to improve leiomyoma related symptomatology. Danazol could be useful to reduce leiomyoma related symptoms in short terms. Tamoxifen and raloxifen show modest overall benefit. Because of insufficient data concerning fulvestrant, pirfenidone or interferon, their prescription cannot be recommended in patients with leiomyomata.

Clinical situations requiring protections of ovaries are mainly paediatric irradiations and pre-menopausal pelvic irradiations. The main complication of ovarian irradiation is the induced castration. Ovaries are extremely radiosensitive organs with strong interpersonal variations. The castrative effect of irradiation depends mainly on two factors: patient's age and the dose delivered to ovaries. The surgical technique of ovarian transposition allows to minimize the dose received by ovaries by taking them away, out of irradiation fields; the aim is to exclude them from the volume receiving 5 Gy or more, and if possible from those receiving 2 Gy. This technique becomes integrated into a multidisciplinary approach of conservation of fertility for patients exposed to other cytotoxic treatments.

The aim of this retrospective study is to determine the epidemiological, clinical, therapeutic aspects and prognostic factors of breast cancer in women through a comparative study of 648 patients treated for breast cancer: 165 patients are at 35 years of age or less (G 1), 286 patients are more than 35 years old and non menopausal (G 2).We have collected, for each group, the epidemioclinical data. Nonmetastatic and operable cancer was treated by surgery (conservative or radical) followed by an adjuvant treatment (chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormomotherapy) that was indicated according to prognosis factors. Locally advanced forms or metastatic at the moment of diagnosis were treated firstly by chemotherapy.T2N1 forms with lymph node involvement, high grade (SBR II, III) and negative hormonal receptors (HR-) were predominant. There was no difference between the two groups of women concerning risk factors or clinical criterias, except for the mammography that was more sensible in the second group.The breast cancer in our young patient doesn't seem to be different from the older ones either in clinical presentation or evolution. The conclusions of different authors are divergent but they are all for evoluated forms with more defavorable prognosis than in the older women.

The positive role of physical activity on the risk of breast cancer is a reality, supported by many epidemiologic case-control and cohort studies as well as biological mechanisms. Analysis of literature tends to show a benefit on breast cancer, in primary prevention as well as in tertiary prevention, with a moderate physical activity of three hours, or more, per week. This benefit is real for all women (even with overweight, family history or nulliparity), whatever the type of physical activity, but it has to be regular during all the life. The benefit is linked to the degree of total energy expense per week. Physical activity has a direct action mainly on three levels, the metabolism of sexual steroids, the sensitivity to insulin, and the immunizing pathways and an indirect action through the fatty mass, which is an hormonal reserve. Promoting a regular physical activity among women, with guidelines and explanations remains a necessity in public health care.

The hormonal exploration of menometrorrhagia concerns only the patients throughout their reproductive life, it is not indicated outside this period. In first intention at the woman in age to procreate, will be realized a determination of hCG, an inescapable determination to eliminate a pregnancy and a measure of serum TSH in the case of personal or family history for the screening of subclinical hypothyroidism. Further investigations can be carried out in second-based signs of appeal under the differential diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), as a measure serum prolactin, 17-hydroxyprogesterone and total testosterone and not bound to its binding protein the SHBG.

Dysfunctionnal uterine bleeding (DUB) is a significant health problem in premenopausal women. First line therapy is traditionally medical therapy but often ineffective. Hysterectomy is obviously effective in stopping bleeding but is associated with morbidity and is most costly. Endometrial ablation technique is becoming the first conservative line in the management of DUB. In 2007, the Cochrane Data Base, and the NICE published the new guidelines for DUB treatment. Pharmaceutical treatments should be considered in the following order: levonorgestrel-releasing intra uterine system and if hormonal treatment is not acceptable, tranexamic acid can be used. This is the exclusive line of treatment for women who desire to be pregnant, and the first step for the others one. The rapid development of second generation technique of endometrial destruction suggests that these techniques are becoming "the gold standart" for the patients without desire of future pregnancy. These techniques are easier that endometrial resection/ablation by hysteroscopy without major complications. In France, the National Health Insurance must find a codification CCAM for giving an exact price to the procedure. This new tarification could include the device cost and could avoid either inefficient procedure like datation and curetage or morbide procedure like hysterectomy.

In Quebec, cancer is the principal cause of mortality. This epidemiologic research program includes two components. The first component takes place at the "Institut national de santé publique du Québec" and involves surveillance and evaluation of practices in oncology with the aim of providing the Quebec Ministry of Health with some of the evidence needed to determine its policies in cancer control. The second component takes place at the "Unité de recherche en santé des populations (URESP)" of Laval University and is devoted to studying the etiology and prevention of breast cancer. This paper focuses on this second research component which uses mammographic breast density as an intermediate biomarker to study the causes of breast cancer and strategies to prevent it. Breast cancer risk is much higher among women with very dense breasts than among those with little or no breast density. Recently, we were among the first to show that women with high vitamin D or calcium intakes have less breast density than those with low intakes, especially among premenopausal women. Furthermore, we have confirmed that breast density was increased among premenopausal women with high levels of IGF-I and low levels of IGFBP3 which is consistent with the observed effect of these molecules on breast cancer risk. Studies are now being conducted to assess whether breast density varies according to blood levels of vitamin D and of additional growth factors, as well as to genetic polymorphisms involved in the pathways of vitamin D, calcium and growth factors. The increase in vitamin D and calcium intakes may prove to be a safe and inexpensive approach to breast cancer prevention; this possibility should be carefully examined as quickly as possible.

The discovery of hormone receptors and tamoxifen has revolutionized the management of breast cancer in women as the existence of oestrogen receptors has improved the response rate to hormone treatment from 30 to 50-70% with a further increase in this efficacy if there are also progesterone-positive receptors. LH-RH analogs induce medical castration. Their efficacy in combination with tamoxifen was demonstrated in terms of survival in pre-menopausal women with metastatic cancer. In the adjuvant situation, a meta-analysis of the 1980s demonstrated a benefit in terms of survival without relapse confirmed by more recent studies showing a reduction in the relative risk of relapse. On radiotherapy or ovariectomy, which are radical treatments, medical castration with LH-RH agonist analogs in combination with tamoxifen is therefore an alternative, reversible therapy for outpatients in particular now that a possible direct anti-tumor effect has been suggested by in vitro studies. Nevertheless, at present in France, Marketing Authorisation has not yet been granted for metastatic cancer.

Breast cancer is often an estrogen-dependent disease. The primary goals of the treatment of breast carcinomas are multiple, depending on the situation in which the patients are treated. In adjuvant setting, the aims are to delete the time of relapse, to increase the overall survival, and to offer to the patients the best quality of life they may expect. Tamoxifen is the standard hormonal agent for premenopausal women with receptor-positive breast cancer. Recent data show an increasing role for aromatase inhibitors in postmenopausal women. In metastatic setting, the primary goals are improved quality of life and prolonged survival; effective therapies with minimal toxicity, such as endocrine therapy, are highly desirable and should be considered a primary option over chemotherapy for selected estrogen-receptor positive patients. Ovarian ablation has been worldwide used. Methods of irreversible ovarian ablation include surgical oophorectomy and ovarian irradiation. Potentially reversible castration can be medically accomplished using luteinizing hormone releasing hormone analogues (LHRH agonists). In the metastatic setting, ovarian ablation (induced by the use of LHRH agonists or by surgical ovarian ablation) and tamoxifen monotherapies produce comparable outcomes, and may be more effective when used together (combined estrogen blockade). In advanced breast cancer, the combination prolongs the progression-free survival and increases response rates and duration of response rate relative to the use of LHRH agonist alone. In the adjuvant setting, data suggest that ovarian ablation followed by tamoxifen produces similar results to those obtained with adjuvant chemotherapy in hormone-receptor positive breast cancer women. The value of combining these modalities remains unclear, but the addition of the LHRH analogue goserelin to standard treatment results in a significant benefit in terms of relapse-free and overall survival, especially for estrogen-receptor positive patients. Finally, considering the efficacy of the new aromatase inhibitors, the interest of combining these drugs with the LHRH analogues has yet to be defined, both for pre- and post-menopausal patients.

The purpose of this article was to quantify the exercise load and investigate the influence of physical exercise on adipose tissue in obese women from Bénin. Twelve subjects participated at the study. Six of the subjects trained three times a week for six months. Each training session lasted forty-five minutes. The remaining six women constituted the control group. Biopsy samples of adipose tissue were taken from the same site in the gluteal iliac region at the end of six months and analyzed by histochemistry and electron microscopy. The results showed that all subjects suffered from severe central obesity; lipid content and number of adipocytes were higher among the sedentary woman than among those who exercised. Intense exercise in the latter used more lipids than carbohydrates. We conclude that regular, supervised physical exercise reduces lipid levels and thus induces weight loss.

The rise of aromatase inhibitors changes our habits in hormonal treatment in breast cancer. In premenopausal women tamoxifen with ovarian suppression remains reference treatment although the succession of the two treatments has not been explored as far as treatment duration is concerned. In post menopausal women the use of AI in the first line treatment gives a greater chance of response and a longer response duration than tamoxifen with a good tolerance profile. When both treatments are used, total duration of endocrine therapy (time to chemotherapy) is significantly longer for patients who receive AI in first line than for patients who receive tamoxifen first. In adjuvant treatment, tamoxifen and ovarian suppression remain references in premenopausal patients; therefore trials using aromatase inhibitors with LH-RH agonists are running. In post menopausal women aromatase inhibitors are challenging tamoxifen. Three large trials proved their superiority over tamoxifen. In the adjuvant setting AI may represent a beneficial approach, they can be used up front or in sequence with tamoxifen. The ideal combination or sequence of therapies requires investigations. At last duration of hormonal treatment remains an open deal.

To report the case of significant growth of a myoma in a premenopausal woman with a suspicion of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation, treated by tamoxifen for a hormonodependent breast cancer and to point out the carcinologic ovarian risks with a mutation BRCA1-BRCA2 in this context. Case. Four months after surgical treatment, chemotherapy and the beginning of tamoxifen, an explosive growth of the abdomen justified pelvic echography and laparoscopy confirming the diagnosis of uterine myoma. A polymyomectomy by laparotomy was performed.Use of tamoxifen in premenopausal woman with subjacent gynecological pathologies, whether BRCA1-BRCA2 mutation is present or not can prove to be delicate. A regular clinical and echographic monitoring is necessary.

84 perimenopausal women with uterine bleeding underwent transvaginal ultrasonography and hysteroscopy. Sonographic and hysteroscopic findings have been evaluated on the basis of specimens obtained from either endometrial biopsy, hysterectomy or operative hysteroscopy. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value of hysteroscopy and transvaginal ultrasonography were calculated. Hysteroscopy had 91.6% sensitivity, 83.3% specificity, 93.2% positive predictive value and 80% negative predictive value in the diagnosis of intrauterine abnormality, whereas transvaginal ultrasonography had only 67.3% sensitivity, 87.5% specificity, 89.7% positive predictive value and 62.2% negative predictive value. In consequence hysteroscopy is better than transvaginal sonography concerning only the sensitivity (p0.01). Transvaginal ultrasonography seems to be an excellent initial diagnostic method, but hysteroscopy is a highly accurate means of diagnosing the cause of excessive uterine bleeding.

The incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD) is lower in premenopausal women than in men and post-menopausal women of the same age. The higher CHD rate after menopause is currently attributed to estrogen deficiency: many epidemiological (case-control and prospective) studies have reported a reduced risk (0.5-0.63) of CHD in post-menopausal women receiving hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Moreover, estrogens have multiple effects that would be expected to be cardioprotective, including favorable changes in lipids, endothelial function, vascular reactivity and blood flow. However, the observational studies are subject to several biases that could falsely elevate the apparent benefit of estrogens: women taking estrogens tend to be wealthier, more educated and healthier than untreated women. The american HERS (Heart and Estrogen-progestin Replacement Study; 2.763 women) is a large multicenter randomized study of secondary prevention, designed to evaluate the efficacy of HRT. Results are disappointing, since no reduced risk was observed, and the risk of CHD was even higher in women receiving HRT during the first year: 1.52 (CI 95%: 1.01-2.29). In HERS study, the treatments consisted of conjugated equine estrogens and the synthetic progestin medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) which are rarely used in Europe. Indeed, the effects of HRT are not equivalent depending on the dose, the route of administration, the type of progestogen. It should be emphasized that MPA, contrarily to progesterone, inhibits the beneficial effect of estrogens on lipids and experimental atherosclerosis. The route of administration of estrogens is also involved: estrogens alter hemostasis factors, and when orally administered, they have a first pass liver effect, which favors hypercoagulability. It is therefore urgent that Europeans undertake a European "HERS study" in order to investigate the possible beneficial effect of non oral estrogens (gel or patch) associated with natural progesterone.

Evaluate the feasibility and the value of hysterography, sonohysterography and hysteroscopy for investigation of abnormal uterine bleeding. Method. Longitudinal blind study of thirty-eight patients consulting for abnormal uterine bleeding during pre- and post menopause. All patients underwent an hysterography and transvaginal sonohysterography, in random order, followed by an hysteroscopy with histological sample. The results were compared with the histo-pathological examination that was used for reference diagnosis. Statistical study of sensitivity, specificity and Positive and Negative Predictive Value (PPV-NPV) of each investigation; rate of agreement by the coefficient of Kappa.The hysterography offers a PPV of 83% and a NPV of 100%. The interpretation errors were associated with the simple mucous hypertrophy interpreted as "hyperplasy". The limits correspond to a contrast agent allergy. The sonohysterography had a VPP of 89% and a VPN of 100%. The false positive is due to the difficulties of distinguishing the clots from the polyps. The limits correspond to the difficulties of cervix catheterization (13%). As regards the hysteroscopy, the VPP was 81.5% and the VPN of 75%. The interpretation mistakes were associated with mucous hypertrophy and the hyperplasy.The most useful examination for abnormal uterine bleeding, in the first instance, is transvaginal sonography with saline instillation. A complement by Doppler study would probably make it possible to limit the false positives.

A 26 year old Albanian woman presented with intermittent claudication of upper limbs in association with alleviation of radial pulses, reduction of arterial pressures, bilateral axillary bruits and subocclusive lesions of proximal part of both humeral arteries on arteriography and MRI. Takayasu's arteritis was diagnosed according to ACR criteria. A treatment of prednisone was started together with methotrexate. The response was favourable and symptoms like claudication and malaise vanished. Takayasu's arteritis is a vasculitis which affects large vessels such as aorta and its main branches. This disease involves mainly premenopausal women; it is very rare in Europe. Diagnosis is lying on clinical features and arteriography results. Treatment of choice is corticosteroids, and immunosuppressors; sometimes a surgical procedure is necessary if stenosis is fixed.

The "Standards, Options and Recommendations" (SOR) project, started in 1993, is a collaboration between the Federation of the French Cancer Centres (FNCLCC), the 20 French Cancer Centres and specialists from French Public Universities, General Hospitals and Private Clinics. The main objective is the development of clinical practice guidelines to improve the quality of health care and outcome for cancer patients. The methodology is based on literature systematic review and critical appraisal by a multidisciplinary group of experts, with feedback from specialists in cancer care delivery.To develop clinical practice guidelines according to the definitions of Standards, Options and Recommendations for endocrine therapy in patients with non metastatic breast cancer.Data have been identified by literature search using Medline, Embase, Cancerlit and Cochrane databases - until july 1999 - and the personal reference lists of the expert group. Once the guidelines were defined, the document was submitted for review to 125 independent reviewers.The main recommendations for the endocrine therapy of patients with non metastatic breast cancer are: 1) Endocrine therapy modalities depend on menopausal status or age of women: ovarian suppression for premenopausal women, antiestrogen drug therapy for postmenopausal women (standard). 2) Tamoxifen (20 mg/d - 5 years) is beneficial to women with positive estrogen receptor tumor (standard, level of evidence A). There is no indication of tamoxifen treatment for women with negative estrogen receptor tumor (standard, level of evidence A). 3) For postmenopausal women with positive estrogen receptor tumor, tamoxifen is the standard adjuvant treatment (level of evidence A). For postmenopausal women with negative estrogen receptor, adjuvant chemotherapy has to be considered (option, level of evidence A). No adjuvant treatment has to be considered for women with poor health condition (option). 4) For premenopausal women with estrogen receptor tumor, results of clinical trials of chemotherapy versus endocrine therapy, suggest a benefit for endocrine therapy. However, there is no sufficient evidence to consider endocrine therapy alone as a standard adjuvant treatment. 5) For premenopausal women, chemotherapy + ovarian suppression or chemotherapy + tamoxifen are not better than chemotherapy alone (level of evidence A). 6) For postmenopausal women, administration of chemotherapy plus adjuvant tamoxifen versus the same tamoxifen alone, is of additional benefit in reducing recurrences but not in prolonging overall survival (standard, level of evidence A). 7) Balance of known benefits (delay to recurrence and death) and risks (side-effects of therapy) for adjuvant chemoendocrine therapy has to be taken into consideration before decision making. Chemoendocrine therapy can be indicated for women at high risk of developing metastatic disease (recommendation, experts agreement).

Three treatment modalities have successively dominated adjuvant therapy of breast cancer in non-menopausal women, namely, castration, chemotherapy and tamoxifen administration. The benefits afforded by each of these modalities seem similar when the treatments are compared indirectly by meta-analysis. Once the anti-tumour action of LH-RH analogues and their reversible action on ovarian function had been established, these analogues were used instead of surgical castration in direct comparisons of the three treatment modalities. Most of the patients in these trials had estrogen and/or progesterone receptor positive tumours. According to the current state-of-the-art and whilst awaiting the final results of ongoing trials, we can conclude that: The survival of surgically castrated patients is the same as that of patients who have received CMF-type chemotherapy. The survival of patients on tamoxifen is the same as that of patients who have received CMF-type chemotherapy if tamoxifen is administered for 5 years. It is lower if tamoxifen is given for only 2 years. In 2 out of 3 trials, patients receiving the combined treatment castration plus tamoxifen had improved recurrence-free survival rates compared to patients on chemotherapy (regardless of whether an anthracyclin was included or not. It is too early to comment on overall survival. Combining castration and chemotherapy seems to be advantageous in patients less than forty and in those in whom chemotherapy has not induced amenorrhea. Combining tamoxifen and chemotherapy markedly decreases the risks of disease recurrence and of death but the high standard deviations recorded mean that this statement has to be tempered. Finally, an arrest of ovarian function by LH-RH analogues that is only temporary apparently does not adversely impinge upon results. This has, however, to be proved in an ad hoc trial and the optimum duration of analogue administration has to be established.

Asthma in women has characteristic features related to hormone secretion. Classically, the prevalence of asthma is higher in boys than in girls. Data in the literature are not all in agreement with this hypothesis and it would appear that for cultural and social reasons, asthma is under-diagnosed in young girls. In the premenstrual context, sex hormones have a clear effect as reported in the literature in 30 to 40% of asthmatic women. Aggravation occurs readily in patients with severe disease. During pregnancy, asthma can influence outcome unfavorably. It is advisable to follow these pregnancies closely and encourage good self-monitoring to minimize risks for the mother and fetus. In the peri- and post-menopausal period, asthma may worsen in women with prior disease. The rate of disease onset during this period is also higher than in other age groups. Hormone replacement therapy can have an unfavorable effect on the incidence of asthma during this period.

A depot preparation of the LHRH-antagonist Cetrorelix was used for the preoperative treatment of 20 premenopausal women with symptomatic uterine fibroids to undergo surgery. In an open, prospective and randomised study, 60 mg of this depot preparation were administered i.m. at the second day of cycle. Patients were randomised for a second dosage of 60 mg or 30 mg to be injected on day 21 or day 28 of treatment according to the degree of estradiols' suppression (50 pg/mL). The operation was carried out after six or eight weeks of treatment according to the timing of second dosages administration. Weekly transvaginal sonography as well as MRI before and after Cetrorelix treatment were performed for fibroids volume assessment; 16 patients showed satisfactory suppression of gonadotrophins and sexual steroids. No flare up effect was to be observed. In this group of patients the maximum reduction in fibroids size was of 33.5% at the end of treatment. After 14 days of treatment the reduction was of 31.3%. Within the group of good responders (reduction of fibroids size20%) the volume of the biggest fibroid after 14 days of treatment was of 56.7% of the initial assessment. Although MRI showed minor mean shrinkage rates of only 25.4% of the initial volume, these differences in comparison to transvaginal sonography were not statistically significant. The avoidance of any flare up phenomenon by the LHRH-antagonist may explain this fast reduction in size. The basic advantages of this treatment modality are the reduction of treatment time with a fast restoration of the ovarian function. The rate of poor responders may be reduced by improving the galenic preparation.

Premelle, commercialised by Wyeth-Lederle, is a combination of conjugated estrogens 0.625 mg and medroxyprogesterone acetate 5 mg which is indicated in the treatment of menopause-associated problems, among which vasomotor symptoms, atrophic vaginitis and/or urethritis, and in the prevention and treatment of post-menopausal osteoporosis. It is presented in two formulations, Premelle cyclic 5 and Premelle 5. The former, in which the progestagen is only given during the last 14 out of 28 days of the treatment cycle, is accompanied by regular bleeding and thus preferably indicated during perimenopause whereas the latter, in which the progestagen is given continuously and results in amenorrhea, is mostly indicated after menopause in order to improve long-term compliance.

To study retrospectively the long-term outcome after hysteroscopic treatment for intra-uterine fibromas.From October 1987 to January 1993, endo-uterine glycocol resection was performed in 196 patients with intra-uterine fibromas. The operation had to be repeated in 39 patients due to incomplete resection or recurrent symptomatology. Patients presented with menometrorrhage.Intra-operative complications were rare, mainly uterine perforations (7 cases) or metabolic syndromes due to reabsorption of glycine (5 cases). Mean follow-up was 2.5 years. In all 196 women consulted for bleeding, good results were achieved in 81.1%.Endo-uterine resection is a sure, effective and long-lasting treatment for intra-uterine fibromas.