• 대한상부위장관⦁헬리코박터학회지
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• 제18권3호
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• pp.168-173
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• 2018

Gastric cancer is still the leading cause of cancer deaths, especially in Asian countries. Recently, many studies have analyzed cell-free nucleic acids (cfNAs) circulating in the blood, for the early diagnosis of cancer and monitoring its progression. Circulating tumor nucleic acids (ctNAs) originate in a tumor and contain tumor-related genetic or epigenetic alterations. This review defines the nomenclatures of each form of cfNAs and describes the characteristics of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and microRNA (miRNA), two major forms of ctNAs studied in gastric cancer research to date. We compare available studies on ctDNA, and explain trends observed in studies of miRNAs in gastric cancers. As these new blood-based biomarkers have attracted increasing attention, we have discussed several important points to be considered before the clinical translation of ctNA detection. We have also discussed the current status of research in this field, and clinical applications of specific ctNAs as tumor markers for gastric cancer diagnosis.

• Imaging Science in Dentistry
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• 제51권2호
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• pp.217-222
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• 2021

Ewing sarcoma in the head and neck is rare, and metastasis from other bones to the mandible accounts for 0.7% of cases. This report presents a case of oral metastasis in a 24-year-old male patient diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma of the femur (p53 gene mutation and EWSR1-ERG fusion). The chief complaint was numbness in the mandible and pain for 1 month and a hardened, ulcerated exophytic lesion in the right retromolar region. Imaging exams revealed an unspecified thinning of the cortical bone of the inferior alveolar canal in the right mandibular ramus, associated with erosion of the alveolar bone. Histopathological analysis confirmed metastasis of Ewing sarcoma. The patient presented an aggressive disease progression and died 1 month after the oral diagnosis. It is important to recognize the signs and symptoms compatible with rare clinical outcomes, leading to an early diagnosis that can improve patients' quality of life and survival.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권1호
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• pp.161-166
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• 2014

Lung cancer is the most common causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide, and a lack of effective methods for early diagnosis has greatly impacted the prognosis and survival rates of the affected patients. Tumor-initiating cells (TICs) are considered to be largely responsible for tumor genesis, resistance to tumor therapy, metastasis, and recurrence. In addition to representing a good potential treatment target, TICs can provide clues for the early diagnosis of cancer. MicroRNA (miRNA) alterations are known to be involved in the initiation and progression of human cancer, and the detection of related miRNAs in TICs is an important strategy for lung cancer early diagnosis. As Hsa-miR-155 (miR-155) can be used as a diagnostic marker for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), a smart molecular beacon of miR-155 was designed to image the expression of miR-155 in NSCLC cases. TICs expressing CD133 and CD338 were obtained from A549 cells by applying an immune magnetic bead isolation system, and miR-155 was detected using laser-scanning confocal microscopy. We found that intracellular miR-155 could be successfully detected using smart miR-155 molecular beacons. Expression was higher in TICs than in A549 cells, indicating that miR-155 may play an important role in regulating bio-behavior of TICs. As a non-invasive approach, molecular beacons could be implemented with molecular imaging to diagnose lung cancer at early stages.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권16호
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• pp.6559-6564
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• 2014

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of bevacizumab in the treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Methods: In a single-center, observational study of 91 Chinese patients with mCRC who received bevacizumab in combination with chemotherapy was conducted. Objective response rates (ORRs), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and adverse events were recorded, and the relationships between various clinical factors and PFS or OS were evaluated by Cox proportional hazards models. Results: Treatment with bevacizumab and chemotherapy was effective and tolerable. Univariate analysis showed that PFS and OS were significantly associated with the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG-PS) score, duration of bevacizumab exposure, and whether chemotherapy was continued after discontinuation of bevacizumab treatment. A multivariate analysis showed that the duration of bevacizumab exposure and whether chemotherapy was continued after discontinuation of bevacizumab were independent prognostic factors for PFS and OS. Conclusion: In Chinese mCRC population, the shorter the duration of exposure to bevacizumab and chemotherapy, the worse the prognosis is.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권3호
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• pp.1197-1203
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• 2014

Background: Adenocarcinoma (ADC) is the most common histological type of lung cancer and its proportion is rising, especially in Asian non-smoking women. Recent studies suggest miR-25 may have diverse effects on the pathogenesis of different types of cancer. However, the role of miR-25 in lung cancer is still unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential clinical value of miR-25 in non-smoking women with lung ADC. Patients and Methods: Quantitative RT-PCR was performed to evaluate the expression of miR-25 in 100 lung ADC tumor tissues and matched plasma samples and Pearson correlation tests were used to analyze the relationship between values. Associations of miR-25 expression with clinicopathological features were determined using the Student's t-test. To determine prognostic value, overall survival (OS) was evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using the Cox proportional hazard model. Results: Expression of miR-25 in tissue was found to be associated with lymph node metastasis (P=0.021) and disease stage (P=0.012). Moreover, high miR-25 expression was also associated with poorer overall survival of women with lung ADC (P=0.008). Conclusion: Tissue miR-25 expression may be associated with tumor progression and have prognostic implications in female lung ADC patients.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권8호
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• pp.3447-3450
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• 2014

Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy of bevacizumab concomitant with pemetrexed in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Materials and Methods: A total of 72 patients were randomly divided into a combination group (pemetrexed+bevacizumab, n=36) and a pemetrexed group (n=36) and assessed for disease control (CR+PR+SD) after 4-cycles of first-line GP chemotherapy (gemcitabine+cisplatin). Clinical efficacy, progression-free survival time (PFS), overall survival time (OS), overall response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR) and rate of adverse responses between two groups were observed and compared. Results: ORR and DCR were 27.8% and 83.4% in combination group, and 16.7% and 69.5% in the pemetrexed group, respectively, but there were no significant differences (P>0.05). PFS in combination group and pemetrexed group were 4.6 months and 3.9 months respectively (P=0.09), whereas OS in the combination group was 14 months, evidently higher than in the pemetrexed group (11 months, P=0.004). Adverse responses in both groups included high blood pressure, bleeding, thrombocytopenia, anemia, elevated transaminase, diarrhea, vomiting and proteinuria, but there were no significant differences (P>0.05). Conclusions: Bevacizumab concomitant with pemetrexed has better clinical efficacy and safety, giving rise to prolonged survival time in patients with advanced NSCLC.

• 대한암한의학회지
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• 제24권1호
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• pp.19-28
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• 2019

Objective : The purpose of this study is to report and observe effects of Integrative Cancer Treatment (ICT) on metastatic breast cancer patient. Method : A left breast cancer patient diagnosed with recurrence on liver and bones April 2018. The patient had received paclitaxel chemotherapy for two months and discontinued it because of tumor progression and side effects. The patient has been treated with ICT since March 2018 and has been taking capecitabine since October 2018. The clinical outcomes were measured by computed tomography, laboratory findings including tumor markers (CEA, CA15-3). The clinical outcomes were measured by computed tomography, laboratory findings including tumor markers (CEA, CA15-3), liver function test (AST, ALT), Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS), and numeric rating scales (NRS). Results : After the ICT, tumor size was partially decreased accompanying by reducing the levels of tumor markers. Major clinical symptoms induced by paclitaxel chemotherapy were improved. There were no severe adverse events induced by ICT based on National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (NCI CTCAE) version 5.0. Conclusion : This case suggests that ICT may have synergistic effect for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer patient in conjunction with capecitabine.

• 대한비뇨기종양학회지
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• 제16권3호
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• pp.126-134
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• 2018

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to compare the radiation therapy (RT) and radical prostatectomy (RP) of high-risk or locally advanced prostate cancer (PC) patients after neoadjuvant hormonal therapy (NHT). Materials and Methods: This retrospective study evaluated patients underwent RT (42 patients) or RP (152 patients) after NHT at a single center during 2003-2014. Times to biochemical recurrence (BCR), pelvic local recurrence (PLR), metastasis, clinical painful symptom progression (CPSP), castration-resistant PC (CRPC), and overall survival were compared between the RT and RP groups, after adjustment for TN stage, using the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test. Results: Significant inter-group differences were observed for age, Gleason score, initial PSA, and clinical and pathological T stages (all p<0.05). During a median follow-up of 71.7 months, the overall incidences of BCR, PLR, metastasis, CPSP, CRPC, and death were 49.5%, 16.5%, 8.3%, 7.7%, 7.7%, and 17.5%, respectively. The median times to BCR were 100 months for RT and 36.2 months for RP (p=0.004), although the median times were not reached for the other outcomes (all p>0.05). The independent predictor of CPSP was RP (hazard ratio, 0.291; p=0.013). Conclusions: Despite significantly different baseline parameters, RP provided better CPSP-free survival than RT among patients with localized high-risk or locally advanced PC.

• 혜화의학회지
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• 제21권1호
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• pp.87-96
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• 2012

Aim : Natural killer (NK) cells are cytotoxic lymphocytes that lyse certain tumor- and virus-infected cells without any prior stimulation or immunization. This article aims to review the significance of evaluating peripheral blood NK cells to predict anti-tumor immune function and prognosis in cancer patients. Methods : PubMed was used to create a database for this review. Search words of cancer, natural killer cell, prognosis were used to retrieve related articles. References of the collected articles were also reviewed. Results : Current evidence indicates that decreased or absent NK cell count or activity is mostly associated with the development or progression of cancer. In patients with various types of cancer, NK cell activity was mostly associated with the cancer prognosis and survival despite some conflicting results. Conclusion : The data shows the evaluation of anti-tumor immunity in cancer patients through natural killer cell measurement still remains a controversial matter. However, it is clear that the NK cell activity plays an important role in cancer and is associated with prevention of both early stage and metastatic cancer.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• 제38권4호
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• pp.344-349
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• 2021

Background: Cancer patients have been disproportionally affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, with high rates of severe outcomes and mortality. Fever is the most common symptom in COVID-19 patients. During the COVID-19 pandemic, physicians may have difficulty in determining the cause of fever (COVID-19, another infection, or cancer fever) in cancer patients. Furthermore, there are no specific guidelines for managing cancer patients with fever during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, this study evaluated the clinical characteristics and outcomes of cancer patients with fever during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This study retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 328 cancer patients with COVID-19 symptoms (fever) admitted to five hospitals in Daegu, Korea from January to October 2020. We obtained data on demographics, clinical manifestations, laboratory test results, chest computed tomography images, cancer history, cancer treatment, and outcomes of all enrolled patients from electronic medical records. Results: The most common COVID-19-like symptoms were fever (n=256, 78%). Among 256 patients with fever, only three (1.2%) were diagnosed with COVID-19. Most patients (253, 98.8%) with fever were not diagnosed with COVID-19. The most common solid malignancies were lung cancer (65, 19.8%) and hepatobiliary cancer (61, 18.6%). Twenty patients with fever experienced a delay in receiving cancer treatment. Eighteen patients discontinued active cancer treatment because of fever. Major events during the treatment delay period included death (2.7%), cancer progression (1.5%), and major organ dysfunction (2.7%). Conclusion: Considering that only 0.9% of patients tested for COVID-19 were positive, screening for COVID-19 in cancer patients with fever should be based on the physician's clinical decision, and patients might not be routinely tested.