[Boost in proton for locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma: A Curie Institute experience]. / Complément de dose de protons pour les cancers du nasopharynx localement évolués : une expérience de l'institut Curie.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess the treatment outcome and toxicity for patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated with a complementary dose with proton. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between November 1999 and September 2016, 17 patients have been treated for a stage III-IVa nasopharyngeal carcinoma in the proton therapy centre of Curie Institute. Bilateral lymph node in the neck (I-V levels) received from 40 to 54Gy with photon beam. The primary tumor volume including microscopically extensions received a complementary dose with proton in order to reach the dose of 70 to 78Gy. All the patients received a concomitant chemotherapy. The end-points of the study were loco-regional control, survival, and treatment-related toxicity. RESULTS: Patients characteristics were: median age 49, 71 % male, 88% stage IVa, with a majority (82%) of T4N0M0. The median follow-up was 99 months. The 2-, 5- and 10-year actuarial locoregional free survival and overall survival were 94% and 88%, 86% and 74%, and 86% and 66%, respectively. The grade≥3 late adverse events were sphenoid bone radionecrosis (5.9%) and hearing loss (23.5%). CONCLUSION: This study showed that a complementary dose with proton seems to be a good option for the treatment of locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma, particularly for T4N0M0.

Measurement of elastic forces between iron colloidal particles in a nematic liquid crystal.

The forces that arise between two iron particles in a nematic liquid crystal with a strong homeotropic anchoring were studied. For the first time, the short range repulsive force resulting from the presence of a hedgehog defect between two particles was precisely determined thanks to application of a small magnetic field and observation of the equilibrium position resulting from the balance between the elastic and magnetic forces. Above a given threshold force, the particles stuck together whereas the hedgehog defect was expelled and transformed into a Saturn ring located between the particles. The attractive part of the interparticle force was determined with the same method on the entire range of separation distances; we found that the equilibrium distance between two particles was r = 1.19 +/- 0.05 ( was the average diameter of the pair of particles).

Neurological presentation of three patients with 22q11 deletion (CATCH 22 syndrome).

Chromosome 22q11 deletion (CATCH 22 syndrome or velocardiofacial syndrome) is one of the most frequent chromosomal syndromes. Neurological features other than cognitive disorders are probably the least-described part of the expanding phenotype of the 22q11 deletion. We report the neurological features of three unrelated children with a de novo deletion: one patient with an autistic disorder, a second patient with hypocalcaemic neonatal seizures and unusual persistent epileptic focus at electroencephalographic follow-up, and a third patient with atypical absence epilepsy. These observations enlarge the clinical and neurological spectrum of the 22q11 deletion. Awareness of such cases is necessary, and a diagnosis of the 22q11 deletion should be suspected in children with common neurological features associated with severe or mild dysmorphism. Diagnosis of the 22q11 deletion should be confirmed by fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis associated with standard chromosomal analysis.