Growing Teratoma Syndrome and Peritoneal Gliomatosis

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

Liberal outcomes through undemocratic means: the reform of the Code de statut personnel in Morocco

The 2004 reform of the family code in Morocco has been held as one of the most significant liberal reforms undertaken in the country, and has led scholars and policy makers to argue that this demonstrates the democratic progress Morocco and the King are making. At the same time, the role of the women's movement in getting the reform approved has seemingly confirmed that associational life is crucial in promoting democratisation. This paper, building on theoretical work questioning the linkage between a strong civil society and democratic outcomes, argues that civil society activism does not necessarily lead to democratisation, and may reinforce authoritarian practices. Far from demonstrating the centrality of civil society, the process through which the new family code was passed highlights the crucial institutional role of the monarch, whose individual decision-making power has driven the whole process. Authoritarianism finds itself strengthened in Morocco despite the liberal nature and outcome of the reform

Une métastase intra-thyroïdienne révélant un cancer bronchique non à petites cellules

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.Key words: Métastase intra-thyroïdienne, cancer bronchique, dysphoni

The Science and Practice of Carcinogen Identification and Evaluation

Several national and international health agencies have established programs with the aim of identifying agents and exposures that cause cancer in humans. Carcinogen identification is an activity grounded in the scientific evaluation of the results of human epidemiologic studies, long-term bioassays in experimental animals, and other data relevant to an evaluation of carcinogenicity and its mechanisms. In this commentary, after a brief discussion of the science basis common to the evaluation of carcinogens across different programs, we discuss in more detail the principles and procedures currently used by the IARC Monographs program

Case Report Bilateral Ewing Sarcoma/Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor of the Breast: A Very Rare Entity and Review of the Literature

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

Meeting Report: Summary of IARC Monographs on Formaldehyde, 2-Butoxyethanol, and 1-tert-Butoxy-2-Propanol

An international, interdisciplinary working group of expert scientists met in June 2004 to develop IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of the Carcinogenic Risk of Chemicals to Humans (IARC Monographs) on formaldehyde, 2-butoxyethanol, and 1-tert-butoxy-2-propanol. Each IARC Monograph includes a critical review of the pertinent scientific literature and an evaluation of an agent’s potential to cause cancer in humans. After a thorough discussion of the epidemiologic, experimental, and other relevant data, the working group concluded that formaldehyde is carcinogenic to humans, based on sufficient evidence in humans and in experimental animals. In the epidemiologic studies, there was sufficient evidence that formaldehyde causes nasopharyngeal cancer, “strong but not sufficient” evidence of leukemia, and limited evidence of sinonasal cancer. The working group also concluded that 2-butoxyethanol and 1-tert-butoxy-2-propanol are not classifiable as to their carcinogenicity to humans, each having limited evidence in experimental animals and inadequate evidence in humans. These three evaluations and the supporting data will be-published as Volume 88 of the IARC Monographs

Exposure to N-nitrosamines and other risk factors for gastric cancer in Costa Rican children

Artículo científico -- Universidad de Costa Rica. Instituto de Investigaciones en Salud, 1991The hypothesis that endogenous chemical nitrosation in the normal stomach in early life could play a crucial role in inducing chronic atrophic gastritis/intestinal metaplasia in later life was tested by applying the N-nitrosoproline (NPRO) test to 12-h urine samples from about 50 children (aged 8-14 years) living in high- and low-risk areas for stomach cancer. The median values of NPRO and the sum of four nitrosamino acids analysed were 0.28-0.84 ag/12 h and 0.75-1.75 tig/12 h, respectively. The NPRO level after proline intake was significantly higher in children from a high-risk area than in those from a low-risk area (p < 0.04), and markedly reduced after ingestion of ascorbic acid and proline (p < 0.05). Urinary nitrate level was lower than that of adults. NPRO levels on the day of proline intake, however, correlated well with nitrate levels (p < 0.001), indicating that children in a high-risk area in Costa Rica have high endogenous nitrosation potential. Blood samples were also collected from about 300 children (aged 7-20 years) and analysed for antibodies against Campylabacter pylori, a suspected gastritis-causing bacteria. About 71% of children in both high- and low-risk areas for stomach cancer had antibodies. In addition, raw and cooked beans, which are consumed very frequently in Costa Rica, were collected from families in both areas and analysed for levels of nitrite/nitrate, total N-nitroso compounds and genotoxicity in the SOS chromotest. Mean levels of total N-nitroso compounds in an aqueous extract (pH 2) of cooked bean samples from high- and low-incidence areas were similar (0.4-0.6 nmol/g of cooked beans). Acid-catalysed nitrosation of the same aqueous extracts produced levels up to 2.4 pmol/g of cooked beans. There was no difference in mean levels of nitrosation-dependent total N-nitroso compounds between samples from the two areas. Only two out of 11 extracts from the low-incidence area and two out of 14 from the high-incidence area showed weak direct genotoxicity. After acid-catalysed nitrosation, all samples were genotoxic at similar levelsUniversidad de Costa Rica. Instituto de Investigaciones en Salud.UCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias de la Salud::Instituto de Investigaciones en Salud (INISA

Neither participation nor revolution: the strategy of the Moroccan Jamiat al-Adl wal-Ihsan

Scholars and students of Islamist movements are divided over the issue of Islamists' commitment to democracy and a number of studies have attempted to discover the true nature of Islamist parties. This paper rejects this approach and argues that the behaviour of Islamist parties can be better understood through an analysis of the constraints and opportunities that their surrounding environment provides. Specifically, the paper aims at explaining the choice of the Moroccan Jamiat al-Adl wal-Ihsan neither to participate in institutional politics nor to undertake violent actions to transform the regime. This is done through an examination of its relations with the other political actors. The paper argues that Jamiat al-Adl wal-Ihsan's behaviour is as much the product of rational thinking as it is of ideology and provides evidence to support this claim. Such findings are important not only in the Moroccan context, but contribute to a growing literature claiming that Islamist movements should be treated as rational political actors operating under 'environmental' constraints and opportunities

Carcinogenicity of consumption of red and processed meat

In October, 2015, 22 scientists from ten countries met at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in Lyon, France, to evaluate the carcinogenicity of the consumption of red meat and processed meat. These assessments will be published in volume 114 of the IARC Monographs