• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2023

This paper aimed to summarize the current situation of prognostication for patients with an expected survival of weeks or months, and to clarify future research priorities. Prognostic information is essential for patients, their families, and medical professionals to make end-of-life decisions. The clinician's prediction of survival is often used, but this may be inaccurate and optimistic. Many prognostic tools, such as the Palliative Performance Scale, Palliative Prognostic Index, Palliative Prognostic Score, and Prognosis in Palliative Care Study, have been developed and validated to reduce the inaccuracy of the clinician's prediction of survival. To date, there is no consensus on the most appropriate method of comparing tools that use different formats to predict survival. Therefore, the feasibility of using prognostic scales in clinical practice and the information wanted by the end users can determine the appropriate prognostic tool to use. We propose four major themes for further prognostication research: (1) functional prognosis, (2) outcomes of prognostic communication, (3) artificial intelligence, and (4) education for clinicians.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.69-82
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• 2019

In 2017, the American Joint Committee on Cancer announced the 8th edition of its cancer staging system. For breast cancer, the most significant change in the staging system is the incorporation of biomarkers into the anatomic staging to create prognostic stages. Different prognostic stages are assigned to tumors with the same anatomic stages according to the tumor grade, hormone receptor (estrogen receptor; progesterone receptor) status, and HER2 status. A Clinical Prognostic Stage is assigned to all patients regardless of the type of therapy used; in contrast, a Pathologic Prognosis Stage is assigned to patients in whom surgery is the initial treatment. In a few situations, low Oncotype DX recurrence scores can change the prognostic stage. The radiologists need to understand the importance of the biologic factors that can influence cancer staging.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.5767-5772
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• 2012

Introduction: Identification of simple and measurable prognostic factors is an important issue in treatment evaluation of breast cancer. The present study was conducted to evaluate the prognostic role of vascular invasion in lymph node negative breast cancer patients. Methods: in a retrospective design, we analyzed the recorded profiles of the 1,640 patients treated in the breast cancer department of Motahari clinic affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran, from January 1999 to December 2012. Overall and adjusted survivals were evaluated by the Cox proportional hazard model. All the hypotheses were considered two-sided and a p-value of 0.05 or less was considered as statistically significant. Results: Mean age in lymph node negative and positive patients was 50.0 and 49.8 respectively. In lymph node negative patients, the number of nodes, tumor size, lymphatic invasion, vascular invasion, progesterone receptor, and nuclear grade were significant predictors. In lymph node and lymphatic negative patients, vascular invasion also played a significant prognostic role in the survival which was not evident in lymph node negative patients with lymphatic invasion. Discussion: The results of our large cohort study, with long term follow up and using multivariate Cox proportional model and comparative design showed a significant prognostic role of vascular invasion in early breast cancer patients. Vascular invasion as an independent prognostic factor in lymph node negative invasive breast cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.743-746
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• 2013

Background: Some studies have indicated an inverse relationship between cancer risk and sunlight exposure. Others have reported that the prognosis of some cancers such as prostate, colon, ovarian and non melanoma skin cancer, were affected by the season in which the cancer was diagnosed. In our study, we evaluated whether season is prognostic in Turkish patients with breast cancer. Materials and Methods: A total of 517 patients from Kayseri Training and Research Hospital were analysed retrospectively. Patients were divided into 4 groups according to season of cancer diagnosis: winter, spring, summer and autumn. The prognostic factors for disease free survival and overall survival were investigated. Results: No significant differences were found among groups regarding prognostic factors overall. Only estrogen receptor status and lymphovascular invasion were independent prognostic factors (p=0.001 and p=0.001 respectively). We found significantly differences for mean disease free survival among groups (p=0.019). Winter group had better mean DFS while summer group had worse DFS. Mean overall survival was similar in the four groups (p=0.637). Conclusions: The season is not an independent predictive factor. However, due to interaction with other factors, we think that the season of cancer diagnosis is important for cancer prognosis.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.1841-1844
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• 2012

Background: The majority of patients with pancreatic cancer present with advanced disease. Systemic chemotherapy has limited impact on overall survival (OS) so that eligible patients should be selected carefully. The aim of this study was to analyze prognostic factors for survival in Turkish advanced pancreatic cancer patients who survived more than one year from the diagnosis of recurrent and/or metastatic disease and receiving gemcitabine (Gem) alone or gemcitabine plus cisplatin (GemCis). Methods: This retrospective evaluation was performed for patients who survived more than one year from the diagnosis of recurrent and/or metastatic disease and who received gemcitabine between December 2005 and August 2011. Twenty-seven potential prognostic variables were chosen for univariate and multivariate analyses to identify prognostic factors associated with survival. Results: Among the 27 variables in univariate analysis, three were identified to have prognostic significance: sex (p = 0.04), peritoneal dissemination (p =0.02) and serum creatinine level (p=0.05). Multivariate analysis by Cox proportional hazard model showed only peritoneal dissemination to be an independent prognostic factor for survival. Conclusion: In conclusion, peritoneal metastasis was identified as an important prognostic factor in metastatic pancreatic cancer patients who survived more than one year from the diagnosis of recurrent and/or metastatic disease and receiving Gem or GemCis. The findings should facilitate pretreatment prediction of survival and can be used for selecting patients for treatment.

• Gut and Liver
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.714-721
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• 2018

Background/Aims: Recently reported prognostic models for primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) have been shown to be effective in Western populations but have not been well-validated in Asian patients. This study aimed to compare the performance of prognostic models in Korean patients and to investigate whether inflammation-based scores can further help in prognosis prediction. Methods: This study included 271 consecutive patients diagnosed with PBC in Korea. The following prognostic models were evaluated: the Barcelona model, the Paris-I/II model, the Rotterdam criteria, the GLOBE score and the UK-PBC score. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) was analyzed with reference to its association with prognosis. Results: For predicting liver transplant or death at the 5-year and 10-year follow-up examinations, the UK-PBC score (areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUCs], 0.88 and 0.82) and GLOBE score (AUCs, 0.85 and 0.83) were significantly more accurate in predicting prognosis than the other scoring systems (all p<0.05). There was no significant difference between the performance of the UK-PBC and GLOBE scores. In addition to the prognostic models, a high NLR (>2.46) at baseline was an independent predictor of reduced transplant-free survival in the multivariate analysis (adjusted hazard ratio, 3.74; p<0.01). When the NLR was applied to the prognostic models, it significantly differentiated the prognosis of patients. Conclusions: The UK-PBC and GLOBE scores showed good prognostic performance in Korean patients with PBC. In addition, a high NLR was associated with a poorer prognosis. Including the NLR in prognostic models may further help to stratify patients with PBC.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.192-200
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• 2022

Objectives: This study aimed to analyze the treatment outcomes and to evaluate the clinicopathological prognostic factors of oral tongue cancer. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed treatment results and prognostic factors in 205 patients with oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma who were admitted to the National Cancer Center, South Korea, between January 2001 and December 2020. The patients were treated with surgery and postoperative, definitive radiotherapy (RT) or chemoradiotherapy (CRT). Results: Eighteen patients (8.8%) were treated with curative RT or CRT, while the rest (91.2%) were treated with surgery with or without postoperative RT or CRT. The median follow-up period was 30 months (range, 0-234 months). The 5-year overall survival (OS) and 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) were 72% and 63%, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that a positive neck nodal status (N1, N2-3) was significantly associated with poorer 5-year OS and DFS, while perineural invasion was associated with poorer 5-year DFS. Conclusion: Cervical metastasis and perineural invasion are significant prognostic predictors, and combination treatments are necessary for improving OS and DFS in patients with these factors.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.16
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• pp.6997-7002
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• 2015

Background: In cervical cancer patients it has been reported that there in a significant Ki-67/MIB-1 expression is correlated with survival in cervical cancer patients. However, the prognostic value is still not well understood. Materials and Methods: In the present meta-analysis the prognostic value of Ki-67/MIB-1 with regard to overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) in cervical cancer was investigated. The databases of PubMed, ISI Web of Science, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, EMBASE, Science Direct and Wiley Online Library were used to identify appropriate literature. Results: In order to explore the relationship between Ki-67/MIB-1 and cervical cancer, we have included 13 studies covering 894 patients in the current meta-analysis. The effect of Ki-67/MIB-1 on OS for pooled random effects HR estimate was 1.63 (95%confidence interval (CI) 1.09-2.45; P<0.05). The pooled HR for DFS was 1.26 (95%CI 0.58-2.73; P>0.05) and the subgroup analysis indicated Ki-67/MIB1 was associated with DFS (HR=3.67, 95%CI 2.65-5.09) in Asians. Conclusions: According to this meta-analysis, Ki-67/MIB-1 has prognostic value for OS in patients suffering from cervical cancer. For better evaluation of the prognostic role of Ki-67/MIB-1 on DFS, studies with larger numbers of patients are needed to validate present findings in the future.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.16
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• pp.6905-6910
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• 2014

Background: The relation ofsurvivin gene expression to survival and surgical prognostic factors in the patients with endometrial carcinoma is unclear. Materials and Methods: In this study, 62 cases who were operated due to endometrial carcinoma were investigated between 2003 and 2011 in the the gynecological oncology clinic of Female Disease Training and Investigation Hospital of Etlik Zubeyde, Hanim, Turkey. Clinical and surgical prognostic factors were investigated by screening the records of these cases. With the standard streptavidin-biotin immune peroxidase method, cytoplasmic and nuclear expression of survivin was investigated in sections with specific antibodies (1:100, diagnostic Bio Systems, USA) primer. The aim was to elucidate any relation between survivin expression and defined prognostic factors and survival. Results: There was no statistically significant relationship between cytoplasmic and nuclear indexes identified for survivin and age, body mass index, the levels of preoperative hemoglobin, platelet and Ca 125, stage, grade, lymph node meastasis, the number of meta statical lymph nodes (total, paraaortic and pelvic), myometrial invasion, serosal invasion, adnexal involvement, the presence of acid in the first diagnosis, the involvement of omentum, the adjuvant treatment application of the cases, the presence of recurrence and rate of mortality (p>0.05). Statistical significance was noted for the presence of advanced stage lymph node metastasis (pelvic, paraaortic, pelvic and paraaortic), serosal involvement, positive cytology, lymph vascular space invasion, intra abdominal metastasis, and omentum involvement. When investigated the relation between cytoplasmic and nuclear survivin indexes and total survival, the result was not statistically significant (p>0.05). Conclusions: In our study, there was no statistically significant relationship between the rates of cytoplasmic and nuclear survivin expression with identified prognostic factors and total or non-disease survival.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.14
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• pp.5753-5757
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• 2014

Background: The purpose of this study is to determine whether the IGF1R expression has a prognostic role in non-small cell lung cancer. Materials and Methods: Forty-seven patients histopathologically diagnosed with small cell lung cancer upon bronchoscopic biopsy or resection materials were included in the study. IGF1R expression was examined via immunohistochemical methods. In samples, >10% staining were assessed as positive and ${\leq}10%$ as negative. Information about demographic datas and treatments was obtained by retrospective searches of patient files. Results: IGF1R expression was determined as positive in 38 (80.9%) and as negative in 9 (19.1%) patients. There was no significant relation between IGF1R expression and histological sub-type, local invasion, lymph node and metastasis status (p=0.842, p=0.437, 0.064, 0.447, respectively). There was also no correlation with IGF1R expression and survival (p=0.141). Conclusions: There are conflicting results between IGF1R and its prognostic effects in the various studies. It has been claimed in some studies it is not related to prognosis as in our study, and in some studies it has been claimed that it is a good prognostic factor whereas in some studies it has been claimed as being a factor for worse prognosis. We think that IGF1R expression in non-small cell lung carcinoma patients deserves further analysis, because of its potential prognostic and predictive roles.