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Abstract: On April 2009, a new swine-origin A(H1N1) influenza virus, A(H1N1)v, was identified in the United States. Today (June 12, 2009), more than 29,000 cases have been reported in the world, and 73 in France. This is the first report of secondary transmission in France. The three patients presented with common influenza signs including cough, fever, and sore throat. The incubation period could last from two to four days; it should be kept in mind that the first international data mentioned one to seven days. The buildup and maintenance of an infectious focus involve secondary transmissions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

On April 2009, a new swine-origin A(H1N1) influenza virus, A(H1N1)v, was identified in the United States. Today (June 12, 2009), more than 29,000 cases have been reported in the world, and 73 in France. This is the first report of secondary transmission in France. The three patients presented with common influenza signs including cough, fever, and sore throat. The incubation period could last from two to four days; it should be kept in mind that the first international data mentioned one to seven days. The buildup and maintenance of an infectious focus involve secondary transmissions.

Management of cancer in the older-aged patient is an increasingly common problem in our occidental societies. Cancer is a disease primarily of older persons: over 60% of all cases of cancer are diagnosed after age 65 - an age group that constitutes less than 20% of the western population and the risk of persons over 65 years of age developing cancer is at least 10 times that of those under 65. Cancer in older persons may be considered a different disease from cancer in the younger in that way that biology of the host could influence the growth of cancer, that the management of the disease deserved an individualized approach. Indeed, the normal process of aging is associated with a progressive age-related reduction in function of many organs, including losses such as renal, pulmonary, cardiac, immune, hepatic, haematological, muscles, osseous, sight, hearing and brain functions. The consequences of these changes with age, added to comorbid diseases, have major implications on toxicities of anti-cancer therapies, surgery, radiotherapy as well as chemotherapy. However chronologic age should not be used as a guide to cancer therapy. Performance status and physiologic performance of the older patient are of prime importance to decide and conduct chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity can concern major effects, inducing severe impairments of vital functions: systolic or diastolic function, hypertension, rhythmic or conducting pathology, Elsewhere, cardiac and vascular aging induces alterations, which concern roughly the same points and are enhanced by vascular risk factors. We wish to analyse the correlation and increase of the consequences of the first one toward the second one and the safe attitude we must have for those patients (prevention and early treatment). Echocardiography seems to have more and more a major status to assess cardiac function, chiefly in systolic and diastolic manor. We insist on the interest of stress echo for assessment of impaired contractility and for evaluation of vascular risk in ischemic disease. We suggest a vulnerability score to predict the risk of complication due to chemotherapy.