BackgroundBreast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide. In the Moroccan context, the role of well-known reproductive factors in breast cancer remains poorly documented. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between menstrual and reproductive factors and breast cancer risk in Moroccan women in the Fez region.MethodsA case–control study was conducted at the Hassan II University Hospital of Fez between January 2014 and April 2015. A total of 237 cases of breast cancer and 237 age-matched controls were included. Information on sociodemographic characteristics, menstrual and reproductive history, family history of breast cancer, and lifestyle factors was obtained through a structured questionnaire. Conditional logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for breast cancer by menstrual and reproductive factors adjusted for potential confounders.ResultsEarly menarche (OR = 1.60, 95% CI: 1.08–2.38) and nulliparity (OR = 3.77, 95% CI: 1.98–7.30) were significantly related to an increased risk of breast cancer, whereas an early age at first full-term pregnancy was associated with a decreased risk of breast cancer (OR = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.25–0.65).ConclusionThe results of this study confirm the role of established reproductive factors for breast cancer in Moroccan women. It identified some susceptible groups at high risk of breast cancer. Preventive interventions and screening should focus on these groups as a priority. These results should be confirmed in a larger, multicenter study.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a heterogeneous subtype of breast cancer that is defined by negative estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status. Treating patients with TNBC remains clinically challenging, as patients are not candidates for endocrine or HER2-directed therapy. As a result, chemotherapy with traditional agents such as anthracyclines and taxanes remains the only available option with moderate success. Recent discoveries have revealed that TNBC is a heterogeneous disease at the clinical, histological and molecular levels. The use of biomarkers to identify distinct subsets of TNBC that derive the greatest benefit from presently approved as well as novel therapeutics has become the main focus of current research. The aim of this review is to explore the clinical and biological complexity of TNBC as well as identify novel therapeutic options that target the various molecular subsets of TNBC.

BackgroundOur goal was to investigate the prevalence of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation in Middle East and African countries and to compare its prevalence with that shown in other populations.MethodsWe used PubMed and the Cochrane Library databases to conduct a literature search using the terms “[EGFR] AND [mutation] AND [Non Small Cell Lung Cancer] AND [Middle East OR Africa].” We assessed studies published in English and French from 2004 until 2016.ResultsTen relevant studies were included in this systematic review. Overall, 1215 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were included in this analysis. The overall ratio of male to female patients was 2.15. Of total patients included, 41.1% had never smoked and 85.8% had been diagnosed with adenocarcinoma. In 8 of the 10 studies, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analyses were conducted to identify EGFR mutations. In total, 257 patients had an EGFR mutation, corresponding to a prevalence of 21.2%. The most frequent abnormality detected in all of the studies was in exon 19. In addition, all studies concluded the presence of a correlation between EGFR mutation status and female sex, non-smoking status, and adenocarcinoma subtype.ConclusionsThe EGFR mutation frequency in Middle East and African patients is higher than that shown in white populations but still lower than the frequency reported in Asian populations.

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Askin’s tumor is a primitive neuroectodermal tumor developing from the soft tissues of the chest wall. Its diagnosis approach is complex and requires a multidisciplinary team. Given the rarity of this entity, no regimen has been validated in the literature. We report two cases of Askin’s tumor with a major response to polychemotherapy and surgical resection in one case. These cases show that treatment of Askin’s tumor should be multimodal, requiring discussion in multidisciplinary tumor working groups.