• Journal of Digestive Cancer Research
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.23-27
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• 2017

Although laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD) is considered as minimally invasive surgery, an advanced level of laparoscopic skill is still required. LPD comprises various procedures including reconstruction. Therefore, establishment of a safe approach at each step is needed. Prevention of intraoperative bleeding is the most important factor in safe completion of LPD. The establishment of effective retraction methods is also important at each site to prevent vascular injury. I also recommend the "uncinate process first" approach during initial cases of LPD, in which the branches of the inferior pancreaticoduodenal artery are dissected first, at points where they enter the uncinate process. This approach is performed at the left side of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) before isolating the pancreatic head from the right aspect of the SMA, which allows safe dissection without bleeding. Safe and reliable reconstruction is also important to prevent postoperative complications. Laparoscopic pancreatojejunostomy requires highly skilled suturing technique. Pancreatojejunostomy through a small abdominal incision, as in hybrid-LPD, facilitates reconstruction. In LPD, the surgical view is limited. Therefore, we must carefully verify the position of the pancreaticobiliary limb. A twisted mesentery may cause severe congestion of the pancreaticobiliary limb following reconstruction, resulting in severe complications. We must secure the appropriate position of the pancreaticobiliary limb before starting reconstruction. We describe the incidence of intraoperative and postoperative complications and appropriate technique for safe performance of LPD.

• Journal of Digestive Cancer Research
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.91-96
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• 2017

Background: To evaluate whether DM affects the SUVmax of metastatic lesions on ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT and whether the SUVmax can influence the prognosis of metastatic PDAC patients. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of 86 patients with metastatic PDAC who underwent PET/CT before treatment. The SUVmax of primary and metastatic lesions and the ratios of the SUVmax were measured. Long-term survival was evaluated using clinical parameters. Results: The mean SUVmax of primary lesion was lower in the DM group than in the non-DM group (4.74 vs. 5.96, p=0.009). The SUVmax for all metastatic lesions, except those in the lung, were lower in the DM group than in the non-DM group, and these differences were statistically significant in the lymph nodes and peritoneum. In the 35 patients with hepatic metastasis, higher ratios of the liver SUVmax significantly correlated with shorter OS (HR, 2.625; p=0.013). Conclusion: DM can influence the lower SUVmax of metastatic lesions as well as primary lesions. The SUVmax ratio of hepatic metastasis could influence on prognosis in metastatic PDAC patients.

• Journal of Digestive Cancer Research
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.32-35
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• 2016

Pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) is a rare clinical syndrome characterized by profuse jelatinous materials in the abdominal cavity and pelvis with mucinous implants on the peritoneal surface. There are some studies for serum tumor markers, including carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) and carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125), to assess the risk of recurrence following cytoreductive surgery and intraperitoneal chemotherapy. However, rare cases were reported about recurrence with increasing serum CEA levels. Herein, we report a case of recurrence of PMP according to serially elevated serum CEA.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.108-121
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• 2024

Anastomotic leaks and fistulas are significant complications of gastric surgery that potentially lead to increased postoperative morbidity and mortality. Surgical intervention is reserved for cases with severe symptoms or hemodynamic instability; however, surgery carries a higher risk of complications. With advancements in endoscopic treatment options, endoscopic approaches have emerged as the primary choice for managing these complications. Endoscopic clipping is a traditional method comprising 2 main categories: through-the-scope clips and over-the-scope clips. Through-the-scope clips are user friendly and adaptable to various clinical scenarios, whereas over-the-scope clips can close larger defects. Another promising approach is endoscopic stent insertion, which has shown a high success rate for leak closure, although vigilant monitoring is required to monitor stent migration. Infection control is essential in post-surgical leakage cases, and endoscopic internal drainage provides a relatively safe and noninvasive means to manage fluids, contributing to infection control and wound healing promotion. Endoscopic suturing offers full-thickness wound closure, but requires additional training and endoscopic versatility. As a promising tool, endoscopic vacuum therapy potentially surpasses stent therapy by draining inflammatory materials and closing defects. Furthermore, the use of tissue sealants, such as fibrin glue and cyanoacrylate, has been reported to be effective in selected situations. The choice of endoscopic device should be tailored to individual cases and specific patient conditions, with careful consideration of the nature of the defect. Further extensive studies involving larger patient populations are required to provide more robust evidence on the efficacy of endoscopic approach in managing post-gastric anastomotic leaks.

• Journal of Digestive Cancer Research
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.104-107
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• 2023

The Ministry of Health and Welfare of Korea has implemented various social security programs to ensure a basic standard of living and raise overall quality of life for all citizens. The Korean social security system provides social insurance, public assistance, and social welfare services. To achieve adequate drug benefits, the Drug Management Department of Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) implement drug management duties including drug listing, upper price limit setting, scope of benefits, and post-factum management. When a manufacturer or an importer wants to apply for National Health Insurance (NHI) coverage of the drug that has obtained safety and efficacy approval, the pharmaceutical benefit assessment committee of HIRA evaluates the drug's clinical efficacy and cost-effectiveness to determine whether or not to include the drug into the benefit package. The benefit standards for a listed drug (ingredient) are set either for the whole permitted range or a part of range with conditions. To increase the coverage rate for new drugs, the listed drugs are regularly reviewed for their value. The status of listed drugs can be adjusted or eliminated from the benefit package if the clinical efficacy turns out to be insignificant. Therefore, through these pharmaceutical management procedures, high-quality drugs are provided at reasonable prices, which save healthcare expenditure by price determination and selective coverage in consideration of economic evaluation.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.71-74
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• 2013

Neck mass is a common manifestation from head and neck malignancy, most of which come from mucosal squamous cell carcinomas in the upper aero-digestive tract. However, once aspiration cytology suggests atypical malignant cells in the neck mass rather than metastatic squamous cell carcinomas, it is confusing to decide the adequate diagnostic work-ups and treatment planning. Here, we report a 29-year-old woman presenting with a growing neck mass mimicking malignancy of unknown origin, which was finally diagnosed as primary lymphoepithelial carcinoma in the parotid gland with multiple metastases to the lymph nodes. The patient underwent comprehensive neck dissection and total parotidectomy and the adjuvant radiation treatment was given. Our report highlight that the primary salivary gland cancer should be considered as the potential tumor origin in case of malignancy of unknown origin in the head and neck region and neck mass suggestive of atypical carcinomas.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.1-24
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• 2018

Objective This study was aimed to provide the information about Cheongsimyeonja-tang by domestic papers and theses. Method 50 Domestic papers related to Cheongsimyeonja-tang were selected according to the criteria. These papers were classified and analyzed by research designs, methods and results. Result The following results were obtained in this study. 1. 19 experimental studies on the effect of Cheongsimyeonja-tang were mainly focused on anti-aging, followed by anti-allergy, anti-inflammation, improvement of immune system. And there were 4 experimental studies on the safety of Cheongsimyeonja-tang, proving safety by acute toxicity test, nephrotoxicity test, drug interaction, and test of residual ingredients after decoction. 2. 25 clinical studies on the effect of Cheongsimyeonja-tang were mainly focused on cardiovascular and cerebral vascular diseases, followed by psychiatric and otologic disorder, dermatologic and musculoskeletal diseases. Also, there were 2 studies on the effect of Cheongsimyeonja-tang for diabetes insipidus, macular degeneration, digestive disorder in terminal cancer, drug-induced hepatitis. 3. More evidenced studies on Cheongsimyeonja-tang are needed and it is recommended that psychiatric questionnaire should be used for assessing the effects of Cheongsimyeonja-tang.

• Journal of information and communication convergence engineering
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.130-134
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• 2018

Wireless capsule endoscopy (WCE) is considered as recent technology for the detection cancer cells in the human digestive system. WCE sends the captured information from inside the body to a sensor on the skin surface through a wireless medium. In WCE, the design of low-power consumption devices is a challenging topic. In the Shannon-Nyquist sampling theorem, the number of samples should be at least twice the highest transmission frequency to reconstruct precise signals. The number of samples is proportional to the power consumption in wireless communication. This paper proposes compressive sensing as a method to reduce power consumption in WCE, by means of a trade-off between samples and reconstruction accuracy. The proposed scheme is validated under channel constraints, expressed as the realistic human body path loss. The results show that the proposed scheme achieves a significant reduction in WCE power consumption and achieves a faster computation time with low signal error reconstruction.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.251-263
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• 2022

Sea cucumbers are worm-like, leathery bodied, benthic, marine organisms with a branched gonad. There are over 900 species, and these organisms are capable of changing their mechanical state, regenerating their small appendages, and digestive tract. Additionally, sea cucumbers possess both commercial and therapeutical value. Furthermore, it is thought that the metabolites these organisms possess may give rise to their therapeutical value. The use of sea cucumbers in therapy can be traced back to the Ming dynasty, where they were eaten for their tonic properties against constipation, hypertension, and rheumatism. A plethora of studies have been conducted, whereby different metabolites were extracted from sea cucumbers and tested for different therapeutic properties. Herein, we review and discuss the anti-cancer, anti-microbial, anti-coagulant, anti-diabetic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties of the sea cucumber by assessing literature on PubMed and Google Scholar. Furthermore, the genome and epigenome of these remarkable species is discussed. With the immense data supporting the therapeutic properties of sea cucumbers, further studies are warranted, in order to develop novel and innovative therapeutic compounds for the benefit of human health from these fascinating marine organisms.

• Clinical Endoscopy
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.169-179
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• 2023

Background/Aims: This meta-analysis analyzed the effect of an indwelling biliary stent on endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided tissue acquisition from pancreatic lesions. Methods: A literature search was performed to identify studies published between 2000 and July 2022 comparing the diagnostic outcomes of EUS-tissue acquisition (TA) in patients with or without biliary stents. For non-strict criteria, samples reported as malignant or suspicious for malignancy were included, whereas for strict criteria, only samples reported as malignant were included in the analysis. Results: Nine studies were included in this analysis. The odds of an accurate diagnosis were significantly lower in patients with indwelling stents using both non-strict (odds ratio [OR], 0.68; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.52-0.90) and strict criteria (OR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.46-0.74). The pooled sensitivity with and without stents were similar (87% vs. 91%) using non-strict criteria. However, patients with stents had a lower pooled sensitivity (79% vs. 88%) when using strict criteria. The sample inadequacy rate was comparable between groups (OR, 1.12; 95% CI, 0.76-1.65). The diagnostic accuracy and sample inadequacy were comparable between plastic and metal biliary stents. Conclusions: The presence of a biliary stent may negatively affect the diagnostic outcome of EUS-TA for pancreatic lesions.