Role of genetic factors in bronchial cancer. Based upon a case of anaplastic lung carcinoma in identical twins.

Having observed homozygotic identical twin brothers suffering simultaneously from anaplastic bronchial cancer leading rapidly to death in both cases, the authors assessed the frequency of such cases. The available literature failed to reveal any identical observations, although four cases of twins suffering from bronchial cancer featuring different histologies (three epidermoidal and one bronchiolar-alveolar) were noted. Statistics show that, in the area where the observed twins were living, anaplastic cancer occurs each year in 0.39% of 53-year-old men. The case of these twins therefore supports the idea of the role of genetic factors in the determination of bronchial cancer.

Physiology of beta-endorphins. A close-up view and a review of the literature.

When an endogenous morphine, beta-endorphin was discovered ten years ago, the fact that this morphine is present in the brain and many other tissues suggested to neurobiologists that these peptide opiates play a role which goes beyond that of a simple modulator of the perception of pain. beta-endorphin is a neurohormone which is secreted by the pituitary gland and reaches all tissues present in the body by diffusion. Many laboratories have investigated variations in serum levels of beta-endorphin under widely varying physiological or pathological conditions. Many references to these studies in the literature have thus demonstrated that beta-endorphins play a role in certain behavioural patterns (stress, alcoholism), in obesity, diabetes and psychiatric diseases. In fact, the activity of beta-endorphins would appear to have an interesting role to play and are a promising feature in the treatment of cerebral aging; in this field, beta-endorphins act not only as neuroregulators of other neurotransmitting substances but also, via calcium channels, exert an effect on the walls of cerebral arterioles. In situ, the role of beta-endorphins at the ionic channel level has been studied using the patch-clamp technique. In 1991, E Neher and B Sakmann received the Nobel Medicine and Physiology Prize for this work. beta-endorphin, which may be the "missing link" between the neuron and the wall of the arteriole, must be considered as being a fundamental neurotransmitter in the same way as well-known substances such as noradrenaline, acetylcholine, serotonin, dopamine and the GABAergic system are also neurotransmitters.

High-dose chemotherapy, total abdomen irradiation and autologous bone marrow infusion in ovarian cancer: an observation.

A case of treatment of an ovarian adenocarcinoma (stage IIIc of the IFGO) is reported. The patient underwent a maximal tumor reduction followed by polychemotherapy. After this treatment, a 'second-look' laparotomy shows an incomplete remission. An intensive chemotherapy with total abdomen irradiation and protection of medullary toxicity by an autologous bone marrow infusion is performed, with a satisfactory result, without relapse, 16 months after this treatment (or 25 months after the first laparotomy). Reasons which led the authors to perform an autograft and the conditions under which this treatment may be offered are then presented.

Gastric carcinoid tumour and parathyroid adenoma.

A case involving a gastric carcinoid in association with parathyroid adenoma is reported and the question of a possible link between these two ailments is discussed.