• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.11
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• pp.4719-4722
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• 2015

Background: This study aimed to determine the utility and a cut-off level of serum squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-Ag) to predict lymph node metastasis in locally advanced cervical cancer cases. We also investigated the correlation between SCC-Ag level and lymph node status. Materials and Methods: From June 2009 to June 2014, 232 patients with cervical cancer stage IB2-IVA, who were treated at Ramathibodi Hospital, were recruited. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to identify the best cut-off point of SCC-Ag level to predict lymph node metastasis. Quantile regression was performed to evaluate the correlation between SCC-Ag levels and pelvic lymph node metastasis, paraaortic lymph node metastasis, and parametrial involvement as well as tumor size. Results: Pelvic lymph node metastasis and paraaortic lymph node metastasis were diagnosed in 46.6% and 20.1% of the patients, respectively. The median SCC-Ag level was 6 ng/mL (range, 0.5 to 464.6 ng/mL). The areas under ROC curves between SCC-Ag level and pelvic lymph node metastasis, paraaotic lymph node metastasis, parametrial involvements were low. SCC-Ag level was significantly correlated with paraaortic lymph node status (p=0.045) but not with pelvic lymph node status and parametrial involvement. SCC-Ag level was also related to the tumor diameter (p<0.05). Conclusions: SCC-Ag level is not a good predictor for pelvic and paraaortic lymph node metastasis. However, it is still beneficial to assess the tumor burden of squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.12
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• pp.6429-6433
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• 2012

To explore a possible new treatment for human ovarian cancer, we studied the effects of sodium valproate on the growth of the HO8910 human cell line. HO8910 cells were cultured in vitro and treated with different concentrations of sodium valproate. Cell proliferation, cell cycling, and apoptosis were measured by flow cytometry, cell morphology under a microscope, and expression levels of WWOX and P27 by Western blotting and RT-PCR. Tumor xenografts were established to determine in vivo effects of sodium valproate. Our results showed that cell proliferation was decreased with increasing concentration of sodium valproate, with features of cytoplasmic retraction and floating cells. Moreover, cell cycle analysis revealed a higher apoptosis rate and $G_0/G_1$ phase in the sodium valproate experimental group than in the control group. In addition, protein expression levels of WWOX and P27 were elevated. Importantly, sodium valproate decreased in vivo xenograft tumor burden and up-regulated WWOX and P27 expression in nude mice. In conclusion, sodium valproate might play a role in inhibition and control of ovarian cancer cell line HO8910 by inhibiting cell proliferation, interfering with the cell cycle and promoting apoptosis, so that it may be effective in the clinical treatment of ovarian cancer.

• Journal of Digestive Cancer Research
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.65-73
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• 2022

A breakthrough in immunotherapy has changed the outlook for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) treatment as the immune surveillance evasion mechanism of tumor cells has been continuously elucidated. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), such as pembrolizumab, nivolumab, and ipilimumab, which block immune checkpoint receptors or ligands have been approved for the treatment of mismatch repair deficient (dMMR)/microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) mCRC based on numerous clinical studies. However, 50% of dMMR/MSI-H mCRC and most mismatch repair proficient/microsatellite stable mCRC remained unresponsive to current immunotherapy. Clinical trials on combination therapy that adds various treatments, such as target agents, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy to ICI, have been actively conducted to overcome this immunotherapy limitation. Further studies on safety and efficacy are needed although several trials presented promising data. Additionally, dMMR/MSI-H, tumor mutation burden, and programmed cell death ligand-1 expression have been studied as biomarkers for predicting the treatment response to immunotherapy, but the discovery and validation of more sensitively predictable biomarkers remained necessary. Thus, this study aimed to review recent studies on immunotherapy in mCRC, summarize the efficacy and limitation of immunotherapy, and describe the biomarkers that predict treatment response.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.29-56
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• 2024

In recent years, remarkable progress has been made in the molecular profiling of gastric cancer. This progress has led to the development of various molecular classifications to uncover subtype-specific dependencies that can be targeted for therapeutic interventions. Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is a crucial biomarker for advanced gastric cancer. The recent promising results of novel approaches, including combination therapies or newer potent agents such as antibody-drug conjugates, have once again brought attention to anti-HER2 targeted treatments. In HER2-negative diseases, the combination of cytotoxic chemotherapy and programmed cell death-1/programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-1/PD-L1) inhibitors has become the established standard of care in first-line settings. In the context of gastric cancer, potential biomarkers such as PD-L1 expression, Epstein-Barr virus, microsatellite instability, and tumor mutational burden are being considered for immunotherapy. Recently, promising results have been reported in studies on anti-Claudin18.2 and fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 treatments. Currently, many ongoing trials are aimed at identifying potential targets using novel approaches. Further investigations will be conducted to enhance the progress of these therapies, addressing challenges such as primary and acquired resistance, tumor heterogeneity, and clonal evolution. We believe that these efforts will improve patient prognoses. Herein, we discuss the current evidence of potential targets for systemic treatment, clinical considerations, and future perspectives.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.117-125
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• 2015

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between early treatment response to definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT) and survival outcome in patients with limited stage small cell lung cancer (LS-SCLC). Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 47 patients with LS-SCLC who received definitive CRT between January 2009 and December 2012. Patients were treated with systemic chemotherapy regimen of etoposide/carboplatin (n = 15) or etoposide/cisplatin (n = 32) and concurrent thoracic radiotherapy at a median dose of 54 Gy (range, 46 to 64 Gy). Early treatment volume reduction rate (ETVRR) was defined as the percentage change in gross tumor volume between diagnostic computed tomography (CT) and simulation CT for adaptive RT planning and was used as a parameter for early treatment response. The median dose at adaptive RT planning was 36 Gy (range, 30 to 43 Gy), and adaptive CT was performed in 30 patients (63.8%). Results: With a median follow-up of 27.7 months (range, 5.9 to 75.8 months), the 2-year locoregional progression-free survival (LRPFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were 74.2% and 56.5%, respectively. The mean diagnostic and adaptive gross tumor volumes were 117.9 mL (range, 5.9 to 447 mL) and 36.8 mL (range, 0.3 to 230.6 mL), respectively. The median ETVRR was 71.4% (range, 30 to 97.6%) and the ETVRR >45% group showed significantly better OS (p < 0.0001) and LRPFS (p = 0.009) than the other group. Conclusion: ETVRR as a parameter for early treatment response may be a useful prognostic factor to predict treatment outcome in LS-SCLC patients treated with CRT.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.336-338
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• 1993

The immunomodulating activity of Kp, an antitumor protein-polysacchanide preparation from the shake-cultured mycelia of Phellinus linteus, was investigated in ICR mice subcutaneously implanted wit $1\times10^6$ cells of sarcoma 180. The mice were intraperitoneally administered with Kp at a does of 100 mg/kg once daily for five consecutive days starting from 24 hrs after the tumor implantation. Ten days after the last injection, the mice were immunized with $1\times10^7$ or $4\times10^8$ sheep red blood cells (SRBC) and five days later, the antibody-forming immune response were assessed by direct hemolytic plaque assay. To an immunization does of $1\times10^7$ SRBC, the Kp-treated mice elicied a successful humoral immune response despite the turmor-burden and produced $259\times10^3$ plaque-forming cells (PFC)/spleen, while the corresponding tumor-bearing control mice showed virtually no reponse $(2.0\times10^3$ PFC/spleen) (the stimulation index=129.5). However, to an immunization dose of $4\times10^8$ SRBC, both of the control mice and Kp-treated mice showed almost the same level of strong humoral immune response. From these data it is clear that Kp effectively restores the humoral immune response of the turmor-bearing ICR mice.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.46 no.10
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• pp.579-588
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• 2023

Sarcomas are rare and heterogeneous mesenchymal neoplasms originating from the bone or soft tissues, which pose significant treatment challenges. The current standard treatment for sarcomas consists of surgical resection, often combined with chemo- and radiotherapy; however, local recurrence and metastasis remain significant concerns. Although immunotherapy has demonstrated promise in improving long-term survival rates for certain cancers, sarcomas are generally considered to be relatively less immunogenic than other tumors, presenting substantial challenges for effective immunotherapy. In this review, we examine the possible opportunities for sarcoma immunotherapy, noting cancer testis antigens expressed in sarcomas. We then cover the current status of immunotherapies in sarcomas, including progress in cancer vaccines, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and adoptive cellular therapy and their potential in combating these tumors. Furthermore, we discuss the limitations of immunotherapies in sarcomas, including a low tumor mutation burden and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, and explore potential strategies to tackle the immunosuppressive barriers in therapeutic interventions, shedding light on the development of effective and personalized treatments for sarcomas. Overall, this review provides a comprehensive overview of the current status and potential of immunotherapies in sarcoma treatment, highlighting the challenges and opportunities for developing effective therapies to improve the outcomes of patients with these rare malignancies.

• 대한예방의학회:학술대회논문집
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• 1994.02b
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• pp.188-195
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• 1994

To an increasing extent, case-control studies are being undertaken to determine if use of early detection procedures is associated with reduced mortality from cancer. The authors recommend that in such studies the analysis focus on screening activity in cases that occurs during an interval prior to diagnosis in which the cancer is believed to be detectable and still curable and to a corresponding time period in controls. This approach places a heavy burden on the investigator to estimate accurately the period during which the tumor ought to be detectable using the test in question and to sort out reliably tests done in response to signs or symptoms of the cancer from screening tests per se. Nonetheless, the authors feel that it offers the greatest ability to discern a true benefit of screening, while minimizing the numerous potential biases that can be present in this type of study.

• Annals of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.123-130
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• 2023

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma is an aggressive, often fatal, malignancy that arises from the bile ducts. As it often presents with metastatic disease, surgery has limited utility. However, in some cases, neoadjuvant chemotherapy has provided the necessary reduction in tumor burden to allow for adequate resection. Consequently, new advances in neoadjuvant chemoradiation and targeted therapy are of interest with numerous case reports and small series published routinely; it is challenging to present a large case series or study given the overall rare frequency with which this malignancy is seen. Herein, we aim to summarize the newest advances in both neoadjuvant chemotherapy and targeted immunotherapy.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.154-162
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• 2006

Background: Dendritic cell (DC)-based cancer immunotherapy is studied for several years. However, it is mainly derived from autologous PBMC or leukapheresis from patient, which has limitations about yield and ability of DC production according to individual status. In order to solve these problems, inquiries about allogeneic DCs are performed but there are no preclinical trial answers for effect or toxicity of allogeneic DC to use for clinical trial. In this study, we compared the anti-tumor effect of allogeneic and autologous DCs from mouse bone marrow stem cells in mouse metastatic melanoma model. Methods: B16F10 melanoma cells ($5{\times}10^4$/mouse) were injected intravenously into the C57BL/6 mouse. Therapeutic DCs were differentiated from autologous (C57BL/6: CDC) or allogeneic (B6C3F1: BDC) bone marrow stem cells with GM-CSF, SCF and IL-4 for 13days and pulsed with B16F10 tumor cell lysate (Blys) for 18hrs. DC intra-peritoneal injections began on the 8th day after the tumor cell injection by twice with one week interval. Results: Anti-tumor response was observed by DC treatment without any toxicity especially in allogeneic DC treated mice (tumor burden score: $2.667{\pm}0.184,\;2.500{\pm}0.463,\;2.000{\pm}0.286,\;1.500{\pm}0.286,\;1.667 {\pm}0.297$ for saline, CDC/unpulsed-DC: U-DC, CDC/Blys-DC, BDC/U-DC and BDC/Blys-DC, respectively). IFN-${\gamma}$ secretion was significantly increased in allogeneic DC group stimulated with B16F10 cell lysate ($2,643.3{\pm}5,89.7,\;8,561.5{\pm}2,204.9.\;6,901.2{\pm}141.1pg/1{\times}10^6$ cells for saline, BDC/U-DC and BDC/Blys-DC, respectively) with increased NK cell activity. Conclusion: Conclusively, promising data was obtained that allogeneic DC can be used for DC-based cancer immunotherapy.