• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.9
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• pp.3595-3604
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• 2015

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been one of the most fatal malignant tumors worldwide and its associated morbidity and mortality remain of significant concern. Based on in-depth reviews of serological diagnosis of HCC, in addition to AFP, there are other biomarkers: Lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive AFP (AFP-L3), descarboxyprothrombin (DCP), tyrosine kinase with Ig and eprdermal growth factor (EGF) homology domains 2 (TIE2)-espressing monocytes (TEMs), glypican-3 (GPC3), Golgi protein 73 (GP73), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCCA) have been proposed as biomarkers for the early detection of HCC. The diagnosis of HCC is primarily based on noninvasive standard imaging methods, such as ultrasound (US), dynamic multiphasic multidetector-row CT (MDCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Some experts advocate gadolinium diethyl-enetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA) MRI and contrast-enhanced US as the promising imaging madalities of choice. With regard to recent advancements in tissue markers, many cuting-edge technologies using genome-wide DNA microarrays, qRT-PCR, and proteomic and inmunostaining studies have been implemented in an attempt to identify markers for early diagnosis of HCC. Only less than half of HCC patients at initial diagnosis are at an early stage treatable with curative options: local ablation, surgical resection, or liver transplant. Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is considered the standard of care with palliation for intermediate stage HCC. Recent innovative procedures using drug-eluting-beads and radioembolization using Yttrium-90 may exhibit beneficial effects in HCC treatment. During the past few years, several molecular targeted agents have been evaluated in clinical trials in advanced HCC. Sorafenib is currently the only approved systemic treatment for HCC. It has been approved for the therapy of asymptomatic HCC patients with well-preserved liver function who are not candidates for potentially curative treatments, such as surgical resection or liver transplantation. In the USA, Europe and particularly Japan, hepatitis C virus (HCV) related HCC accounts for most liver cancer, as compared with Asia-Pacific regions, where hepatitis B virus (HBV) may play a more important role in HCC development. HBV vaccination, while a vaccine is not yet available against HCV, has been recognized as a best primary prevention method for HBV-related HCC, although in patients already infected with HBV or HCV, secondary prevention with antiviral therapy is still a reasonable strategy. In addition to HBV and HCV, attention should be paid to other relevant HCC risk factors, including nonalcoholic fatty liver disease due to obesity and diabetes, heavy alcohol consumption, and prolonged aflatoxin exposure. Interestingly, coffee and vitamin K2 have been proven to provide protective effects against HCC. Regarding tertiary prevention of HCC recurrence after surgical resection, addition of antiviral treatment has proven to be a rational strategy.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.1407-1412
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• 2012

Background & Objectives: Gastric cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in both sexes in Iran. This study was designed to assess upper GI endoscopic findings among people > 50 years targeted in a mass screening program in a hot-point region. Methods: Based on the pilot results in Guilan Cancer Registry study (GCRS), one of the high point regions for GC-Lashtenesha- was selected. The target population was called mainly using two methods: in rural regions, by house-house direct referral and in urban areas using public media. Upper GI endoscopy was performed by trained endoscopists. All participants underwent biopsies for rapid urea test (RUT) from the antrum and also further biopsies from five defined points of stomach for detection of precancerous lesions. In cases of visible gross lesions, more diagnostic biopsies were taken and submitted for histopathologic evaluation. Results: Of 1,394 initial participants, finally 1,382 persons (702 women, 680 men) with a mean age of $61.7{\pm}9.0$ years (range: 50-87 years) underwent upper GI endoscopy. H. pylori infection based on the RUT was positive in 66.6%. Gastric adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma of esophagus were detected in seven (0.5%) and one (0.07%) persons, respectively. A remarkable proportion of studied participants were found to have esophageal hiatal hernia (38.4%). Asymptomatic gastric masses found in 1.1% (15) of cases which were mostly located in antrum (33.3%), cardia (20.0%) and prepyloric area (20.0%). Gastric and duodenal ulcers were found in 5.9% (82) and 6.9% (96) of the screened population. Conclusion: Upper endoscopy screening is an effective technique for early detection of GC especially in high risk populations. Further studies are required to evaluate cost effectiveness, cost benefit and mortality and morbidity of this method among high and moderate risk population before recommending this method for the GC surveillance program at the national level.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.81-92
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• 2017

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by persistent airflow limitation that is usually progressive. It is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, leading to substantial and increasing economic and social burden. Palliative care for COPD patients aims to reduce symptoms and exacerbations and improve exercise tolerance and quality of life. It is difficult to make a prognosis for COPD patients due to the variable illness trajectory and advanced care of patients. However, severity of breathlessness, assessment of lung function impairment, and frequency of exacerbations can help to identify palliative care needs and determine effective methods to mitigate symptoms, which is discussed in this paper. In these patients, it is recommended to provide individualized palliative care along with curative/restorative care at the onset of COPD symptoms. Before launching a palliative care system in Korea, it is necessary to prepare pulmonary rehabilitation resources, patient-centered communication, timely palliative responsiveness, and a program for effective advanced care planning. A multidisciplinary approach involving collaboration with not only the respiratory and palliative care teams but also primary care offers a new model of care for these patients and should be considered with a priority.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.38 no.2 s.247
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• pp.146-151
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• 2005

Background: Preoperative elevated serum creatinine values are associated with increased risk for both morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing on-pump coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG). We investigated the postoperative changes of renal function and proper management in the patients. Material and Method: Among 74 consecutive patients who underwent isolated on-pump CABG, 17 patients with increased serum creatinine level $(creatinine\;\geqq\;1.5\;mg/dL)$ within preoperative one week wereincluded in the study. Seven patients showed pre­operative serum creatinine level of 2.0 mg/dL or higher, and 3 of them had been undergoing hemodialysis. Preoperative hemodialysis was performed in the 3 patients due to end-stage renal failure (ESRD) the day before the operation. We started peritoneal dialysis immediately after the cardiopulmonary bypass in patients with ESRD or postoperative acute renal failure if it was necessary to remove intravascular volume and lower serum creatinine level. Result In most of the patients with CABG, postoperative serum creatinine level increased and recovered to the preoperative level at the discharge. In 2 of the 4 patients with serum creatinine level of 2.0 mg/dL or higher and 3 patients with ESRD, intravascular volume, serum creatinine level and serum electrolyte were controlled with peritoneal dialysis. Conclusion: Postoperative serum creatinine level increased transiently in most of CABG patients, and intravascular volume and serum creatinine level were controlled by peritoneal dialysis only in the patients with acute renal failure postoperatively and those depending on hemodialysis.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.231-237
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• 2017

Background: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) are conditions with significant morbidity and mortality. Proximal DVT has a significant association with PE and possible fatal outcomes. Traditionally, PE is subdivided into symptomatic PE and asymptomatic PE, which have different treatments, preventions and prognoses. The growing utilization of computed tomography pulmonary angiography has led to increased detection of PE in DVT patients. This study examined the clinical characteristics and compared symptomatic PE and asymptomatic PE following proximal DVT. Methods: The medical records of 258 DVT inpatients from July, 2012 to June, 2015 were reviewed retrospectively. After excluding the patients who did not performed PE evaluation and were not diagnosed with PE, 95 patients diagnosed with PE following proximal DVT were enrolled in this study. They were divided into the symptomatic PE group and asymptomatic PE group. Results: The body weight, body mass index, thrombus size, thrombus length and location were similar in the two groups. The symptomatic PE following proximal DVT group showed an older age, higher incidence of emergency department access (85.0% vs. 38.7%, p<0.001) and preceding infection (25.0% vs. 1.3%, p<0.001) as well as a higher incidence of immobilization (45.0% vs 13.3%, p=0.016). In the multivariate logistic regression study, preceding infection and emergency department access showed significant association with symptomatic PE. Conclusion: In proximal DVT inpatients, symptomatic PE was associated with emergency department access and preceding infection. The possibility of a symptomatic PE event should be considered in proximal DVT patients, especially those who were admitted through the emergency department and had preceding infection.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.3139-3145
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• 2016

Cancer is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, characterized by irregular cell growth. Cytotoxicity or killing tumor cells that divide rapidly is the basic function of chemotherapeutic drugs. However, these agents can damage normal dividing cells, leading to adverse effects in the body. In view of great advances in cancer therapy, which are increasingly reported each year, we quantitatively and qualitatively evaluated the papers published between 1981 and December 2015, with a closer look at the highly cited papers (HCPs), for a better understanding of literature related to cytotoxicity in cancer therapy. Online documents in the Web of Science (WOS) database were analyzed based on the publication year, the number of times they were cited, research area, source, language, document type, countries, organization-enhanced and funding agencies. A total of 3,473 publications relevant to the target key words were found in the WOS database over 35 years and 86% of them (n=2,993) were published between 2000-2015. These papers had been cited 54,330 times without self-citation from 1981 to 2015. Of the 3,473 publications, 17 (3,557citations) were the most frequently cited ones between 2005 and 2015. The topmost HCP was about generating a comprehensive preclinical database (CCLE) with 825 (23.2%) citations. One third of the remaining HCPs had focused on drug discovery through improving conventional therapeutic agents such as metformin and ginseng. Another 33% of the HCPs concerned engineered nanoparticles (NPs) such as polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendritic polymers, PTX/SPIO-loaded PLGAs and cell-derived NPs to increase drug effectiveness and decrease drug toxicity in cancer therapy. The remaining HCPs reported novel factors such as miR-205, Nrf2 and p27 suggesting their interference with development of cancer in targeted cancer therapy. In conclusion, analysis of 35-year publications and HCPs on cytotoxicity in cancer in the present report provides opportunities for a better understanding the extent of topics published and may help future research in this area.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.329-335
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• 2013

Objective : Brain metastases in primary breast cancer patients are considerable sources of morbidity and mortality. Gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS) has gained popularity as an up-front therapy in treating such metastases over traditional radiation therapy due to better neurocognitive function preservation. The aim of this study was to clarify the prognostic factors for local tumor control and survival in radiosurgery for brain metastases from primary breast cancer. Methods : From March 2001 to May 2011, 124 women with metastatic brain lesions originating from a primary breast cancer underwent GKRS at a tertiary medical center in Seoul, Korea. All patients had radiosurgery as a primary treatment or salvage therapy. We retrospectively reviewed their clinical outcomes and radiological responses. The end point of this study was the date of patient's death or the last follow-up examination. Results : In total, 106 patients (268 lesions) were available for follow-up imaging. The median follow-up time was 7.5 months. The mean treated tumor volume at the time of GKRS was 6273 $mm^3$ (range, 4.5-27745 mm3) and the median dose delivered to the tumor margin was 22 Gy (range, 20-25 Gy). Local recurrence was assessed in 86 patients (216 lesions) and found to have occurred in 36 patients (83 lesions, 38.6%) with a median time of 6 months (range, 4-16 months). A treated tumor volume >5000 $mm^3$ was significantly correlated with poor local tumor control through a multivariate analysis (hazard risk=7.091, p=0.01). Overall survival was 79.9%, 48.3%, and 15.3% at 6, 12, and 24 months, respectively. The median overall survival was 11 months after GKRS (range, 6 days-113 months). Multivariate analysis showed that the pre-GKRS Karnofsky performance status, leptomeningeal seeding prior to initial GKRS, and multiple metastatic lesions were significant prognostic factors for reduced overall survival (hazard risk=1.94, p=0.001, hazard risk=7.13, p<0.001, and hazard risk=1.46, p=0.046, respectively). Conclusion : GKRS has shown to be an effective and safe treatment modality for treating brain metastases of primary breast cancer. Most metastatic brain lesions initially respond to GKRS, though, many patients have further CNS progression in subsequent periods. Patients with poor Karnofsky performance status and multiple metastatic lesions are at risk of CNS progression and poor survival, and a more frequent and strict surveillance protocol is suggested in such high-risk groups.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.72-77
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• 2004

Background : A tracheobronchial obstruction in lung cancer is associated with significant morbidity and mortality due to dyspnea, cough, hemoptysis, and recurrent respiratory infection. It is well known that one of standard treatments is photodynamic therapy (PDT) in tracheobronchial obstruction after radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and/or surgery. We reported here the role of PDT in airway obstruction in patients advanced lung cancer. Method : Pre-treatment protocol consisted of clinical, radiologic, and bronchoscopic examination, pulmonary function test, and assessment of Karnofsky performance status. A 2 mg/kg of porfimer sodium was injected intravenously, and then followed by cylindrical and/or interstitial irradiation with 630 nm of laser after 48 hours. The repeated bronchoscopy for debridement of necrotic tissue and re-illumination was performed after 48 hours. Result : Improved airway obstruction and selective tumor necrosis were achieved by photodynamic therapy in all cases. Dyspnea and performance status were improved in three cases. A purulent sputum, fever and hemoptysis were improved in one of five cases. After PDT, all patients showed temporarily aggravation of dyspnea, two of five showed febrile reaction for a few days and nobody presented photosensitivity reaction, hemoptysis and respiratory failure. Conclusion : Our experiences of PDT are effective in palliation of inoperable advanced lung cancer in terms of tracheobronchial obstruction.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.29-38
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• 2002

Hypertension is an important public health problem because it increases the risk of stroke, angina, myocardial infarction, heart failure, and end-stage renal disease. If it is not actively treated, morbidity and mortality increase with hypertension-induced complications and quality of life decreases. This study was to evaluate the use of antihypertensive drugs and blood pressure changes and to compare algorithms chosen (or the 1st and 2nd line therapy of hypertension based on the JNC VI recommendations. The medical charts of 222 patients with essential hypertension at St. Vincent's Hospital in Suwon from January 1997 to January 2000 were reviewed retrospectively. Data collection and analysis included baseline BP underlying diseases and complications, administered antihypertensives, BP changes, changes of antihypertensive regimen, and adverse effects with treatments. As results, the higher BP the patients had, the more frequent they had target organ damages and clinical cardiovascular diseases. Mean duration to reduce blood pressure less than 140/90 mmHg was 8 weeks in $85.3\%$ of the patients. The rate of control in BP was $82.4\%$ at 6 months. The major antihypertensive drugs prescribed were calcium channel blockers $(61.8\%)$ , ACE inhibitors $(19.1\%),\;\beta-blockers\;(13.7\%)$ and diuretics $(5.3\%)$ as the 1st-line monotherapy. The methods of treatment used as the 1st-line therapy were monotherapy$(59\%)$ and combination therapy $(41\%)$. Blood pressure change was significantly greater for combination therapy than monotherapy$(-26.2\pm21.4\;vs.\;-18.56\pm16.7$ mmHg for systolic blood pressure; P<0.003, $-16.9\pm13.2\;vs.\;-9.2\pm12.8$ mmHg for diastolic blood pressure; p<0.001). When blood pressure was not completely controlled with the first antihypertensive selected, the 2nd line therapy had 4 options: addition of 2nd agent from different class; $66.2\%$, substitution with another drug, $21.9\%$ increase dose $11.9\%$ continue first regimen $27.9\%$ Calcium channel blockers were the most frequently prescribed agents. This was not comparable to the JNC VI guideline which recommended diuretics and $\beta-blockers$ for the 1st-line therapy. Most of patients achieved the goal BP and maintained it until 6 months, but the remaining patients should be controlled more tightly to improve their BP with combination of life style modification, patient education, and pharmacotherapy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.339-345
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• 2017

Background: In recent years, single-port video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for lobectomy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients has become increasingly common. The objective of this study was to compare the feasibility and safety of single-port and triple-port VATS lobectomy. Methods: A total of 73 patients with NSCLC who underwent VATS lobectomy from December 2011 to August 2016 were retrospectively reviewed, including 47 in the triple-port group and 26 in the single-port group. Statistical analysis was performed after propensity score matching. Patients were matched on a 1-to-1 basis. Results: Operative time and intraoperative blood loss in the triple-port group and the single-port group were similar ($189.4{\pm}50.8minutes$ vs. $205.4{\pm}50.6minutes$, p=0.259; $286.5{\pm}531.0mL$ vs. $314.6{\pm}513.1mL$, p=0.813). There were no cases of morbidity or mortality. No significant differences in complications or the total number of dissected lymph nodes were found between the 2 groups. In the single-port group, more mediastinal lymph nodes were dissected than in the triple-port group ($1.7{\pm}0.6$ vs. $1.2{\pm}0.5$, p=0.011). Both groups had 1 patient with bronchopleural fistula. Chest tube duration and postoperative hospital stay were shorter in the single-port group than in the triple-port group ($8.7{\pm}5.1days$ vs. $6.2{\pm}6.6days$, p=0.130; $11.7{\pm}6.1days$ vs. $9.5{\pm}6.4days$, p=0.226). However, the differences were not statistically significant. In the single-port group, the rate of conversion to multi-port VATS lobectomy was 11.5% (3 of 26). The rates of conversion to open thoracotomy in the triple-port and single-port groups were 7.7% and 3.8%, respectively (p=1.000). Conclusion: In comparison with the triple-port group, single-port VATS lobectomy showed similar results in safety and efficacy, indicating that single-port VATS lobectomy is a feasible and safe option for lung cancer patients.