The abundance of multi-drug resistance ATPase binding cassette and deranged self-renewal pathways shown in cancer stem cells (CSCs) played a crucial role in tumorigenesis, tumor resistance, tumor recurrence, and tumor metastasis. Therefore, elucidation of CSCs biology can improve diagnosis, enable targeted treatment, and guide the follow up of GI cancer patients. In order to achieve chemoquiescence, seizing cancer through complete ablation of CSCs, CSCs are rational targets for the design of interventions that will enhance responsiveness to traditional therapeutic strategies and contribute in the prevention of local recurrence as well as metastasis. However, current cancer treatment strategies fail to either detect or differentiate the CSCs from their non-tumorigenic progenies mostly due to the absence of specific biomarkers and potent agents to kill CSCs. Recent advances in knowledge of CSCs enable to produce several candidates to ablate CSCs in gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, especially cancers originated from inflammation-driven mutagenesis such as Barrett's esophagus (BE), Helicobacter pylori-associated gastric cancer, and colitis-associated cancer (CAC). Our research teams elucidated through revisiting old drugs that proton pump inhibitor (PPI) and potassium competitive acid blocker (p-CAB) beyond authentic acid suppression, chloroquine for autophage inhibition, sonic hedgehog (SHH) inhibitors, and Wnt/β-catenin/NOTCH inhibitor can ablate CSCs specifically and efficiently. Furthermore, nanoformulations of these molecules could provide an additional advantage for more selective targeting of the pathways existing in CSCs just like current molecular targeted therapeutics and sustained action, while normal stem cells intact. In this review article, the novel approach specifically to ablate CSCs existing in GI cancers will be introduced with the introduction of explored mode of action.

There were no Korean evidence-based multidisciplinary guidelines for gastric cancer. Experts from related societies developed guidelines de novo to meet Korean circumstances and requirements, including 23 recommendation statements for diagnosis (n=9) and treatment (n=14) based on relevant key questions. The quality of the evidence was rated according to the GRADE evidence evaluation framework and the recommendation grades were classified as either strong or weak. The topics of the guidelines cover diagnostic modalities (endoscopy, endoscopic ultrasound, and radiologic diagnosis), treatment modalities (surgery, therapeutic endoscopy, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy), and pathologic evaluation. Major limitation of the present guideline is that there is no enough evidences in Korea. Therefore, clinical studies about gastric cancer for evidence generation should be conducted.

대장암 검진 권고안 개정위원회는 지금까지 발표된 대장암검진 관련 국내외 임상지침 및 최신 문헌 검색을 통한 체계적 근거 평가를 통해 근거중심의 대장암 검진 개정 권고안을 제시하였다. 또한 우선 권고되는 면역화학 분변잠혈검사법의 질관리 필요성과 대장내시경검사의 이득과 위해를 평가할 수 있는 정량화된 자료의 필요성, 국내 실정에 맞는 질관리 지표의 개발, 좀 더 다양한 위험인자를 고려하는 개별적인 접근법의 필요성 등을 지적하였다.

간세포암종은 만성 간질환과 간경변증을 동반하는 경우가 많고, 예후에 종양 인자 이외에도 잔존 간 기능이 주요한 영향을 미친다. 또한, 간세포암종에 대한 고위험인자를 가진 경우 특정한 영상 소견(예: 고혈관성)을 보이면, 조직검사 없이도 비침습적인 진단이 가능하다. 다른 고형암에서와 마찬가지로 수술적 절제, 방사선치료, 항암치료 등의 치료가 시행되기도 하지만, 간세포암종에서만 이루어진다고도 할 수 있는 간이식, 경동맥화학색전술, 고주파열치료술과 같은 치료 방법들이 시행되기도 한다. 종양의 다양성, 치료 방법의 다양성, 사회적 여건(의료 보건 체계, 의료 자원의 가용성 등) 등을 반영하며 여러 간세포암종 가이드라인들이 발표되어 왔으며, 각 가이드라인들은 여러 측면에서 유사하면서도 서로 상이하기도 하다. 본고에서는 다음의 간세포암종 진료 가이드라인들을 살펴보고, 가이드라인들의 특징과 앞으로 가이드라인에서 다루어야 할 부분 등에 대하여 논하고자 한다.

Solid pseudopapillary tumor (SPT) of the pancreas is a rare neoplasm with low malignant potential, which has a good prognosis with more than 95% survival at 5 years. Only approximately 10% to 15% cases of SPTs are malignant. This report presents a case of a 38-year-old woman who developed malignant SPT of the pancreas with synchronous multiple hepatic metastases. She underwent a successfully complete surgical resection for multiple hepatic metastatic tumors in addition to primary tumor.

복막 가성점액종은 표준치료인 종양감축수술과 함께 복강 내 고온열 항암요법과의 병합치료로 생존율의 향상을 기대할 수 있다. 재발성 병변에 대해서는 추가적인 종양감축 수술이 권고되고 있지만, 치료시기에 따른 이환율과 사망률의 차이가 있어 조기발견이 중요하다. 수술 전 혈청 종양표지자 검사의 수치 이상 여부에 따른 재발과 생존율의 상관관계를 알아보고자 하는 연구들은 있지만, 추적관찰 중 수치 이상에 따른 재발여부에 관한 연구는 거의 없다. 저자들은 CSR과 HIPEC, 그리고 전신 항암화학요법을 시행받은 환자에서 CEA의 수치 상승이 질병의 재발과 상관관계가 있었음을 경험하였기에 보고하는 바이다.

Biliary tract cancer, a relatively rare disease, is usually found in an unresectable stage. Weekly cisplatin plus gemcitabine has been applied as a standard first-line therapy for advanced biliary tract cancer, but almost up to 3-5% patients experience drug induced renal impairment. Many anticancer medication guidelines recommend drug adjustment when kidneys are damaged, but weekly cisplatin is somewhat low dose so that there is a controversy on reducing the dose. And it is known that the cumulative dose of cisplatin is the most important factor contributing to renal impairment. Therefore, clinicians face troubles whether or not to maintain the chemotherapy. Here, we reported a patient whose renal function (eGFR) had been decreased as the number of chemotherapy increased, so her chemotherapy should be stopped. Since we held the chemotherapy on her, the disease progressed aggressively. Weekly cisplatin regimen is just 25 mg/m², so it may be meaningless to reduce this dose, and it is well known that cumulative dose of cisplatin is the most important factor contributing to renal impairment, it is better not to use cisplatin anymore. Therefore, we recommend that if the patient responds well to weekly cisplatin plus gemcitabine regimen, it would be beneficial to use gemcitabine alone.

A 67-year-old male was admitted due to abdominal pain. Abdominal CT scan performed in a local clinic showed about 2 cm sized pancreatic tail mass with extensive liver and multiple regional lymph node metastasis. Histology of liver biopsy revealed poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. He underwent chemotherapy with gemcitabine and erlotinib for 5 cycles followed by 8 cycles of second line chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin. At 12 months after diagnosis, follow-up abdominal CT scan revealed marked reduction of tumor mass in the liver and pancreas with small residual tumor. After one month of last chemotherapy, he complained radiating pain along left leg. Blood chemistry revealed isolated elevation of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and multiple bone metastasis were demonstrated in bone scan. Palliative radiation therapy to pelvic bone was performed for the relief of bone pain. The prognosis of advanced pancreatic cancer is extremely poor. We report late occurrence of multiple bone metastasis in a patient with well controlled advanced pancreatic cancer with chemotherapy.

Oxaliplatin is a third-generation platinum compound widely used to treat gastrointestinal malignancy. One of the major side effects of oxaliplatin is thrombocytopenia, the development of which can limit appropriate treatment. We report a 38-year-old man with advanced gastric cancer who developed severe thrombocytopenia after FOLFOX4 (oxaliplatin, leucovorin, and fluorouracil) chemotherapy. The thrombocytopenia was associated with therapy-related myelodysplastic syndrome after cytotoxic chemotherapy and was confirmed by bone marrow biopsy and genetic study. Therefore, physicians should be aware of therapy-related hematologic complications, especially with an oxaliplatin-based chemoregimen, and might consider the bone marrow study in those patients.