• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.2973-2978
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• 2012

Background: Cancer stem cells (CSC) have been described in a variety of malignancies, including breast carcinomas. Among several markers, aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1) has been identified as reliable for breast cancer stem cells. Knockdown of BRCA1 in primary breast epithelial cells leads to an increase in cells expressing ALDH1. Methods: We examined 127 breast carcinomas for expression of ALDH1, using immunohistochemistry and correlated with clinicopathological parameters as well as the BRAC1 status. Results: Comparing the results for both ALDH1 and BRCA1 expression showed a significant inverse association between the two, indicating that reduced BRCA1 was more often seen in breast cancer cells expressing ALDH1 (p-value = 0.044). A total of 24/110 (22%) of tumours displayed the ALDH1 + / BRCA1 -/low phenotype, which showed a trend for a relation with a high grade (p-value= 0.056). Cytoplasmic expression of ALDH1 was not correlated with tumour characteristics. Conclusion: Taken together, our findings suggest that increased ALDH1 is inversely correlated with decreased BRCA1 in a series of unselected breast carcinomas. Therefore, ALDH1 positive (cancer stem) cells with reduced BRCA1 phenotype may indicate a subset of patients for whom specific targeting of the CSC marker ALDH1 and more aggressive adjuvant treatment is appropriate.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.27-30
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• 2013

Background: Salivary gland tumors (SGT) are one of the most complex human neoplasms, demonstrating variations in their clinicopathological profile related to racial and geographic differences. Few studies with large samples have been reported in Iran. We here investigated a large group of patients in southern Iran. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study, all cases of primary epithelial salivary gland tumors, which had been recorded in a 5 years period from 2005-2009, were enrolled. Clinical data such as histopathologic type and site of the lesion as well as patients' age and gender were analyzed. Results: Data of 366 cases of SGTs were recorded. Pleomorphic adenoma (80.2%) and adenoid cystic carcinoma (46.6%) were the most common benign and malignant neoplasms. Male to female ratio (M/F) and the mean age of patients were 1:1.05 and 37.7 for benign tumors while they were 1.2:1 and 50.6 for malignant tumors, respectively. Parotid and minor salivary glands were involved more frequently. Conclusions: Although the salivary gland tumours encountered were similar in most of their characteristics to those reported in other countries, some differences such as relative frequency and age and gender prevalence were discovered. These findings should help surgeons and pathologists for more accurate diagnosis, management and treatment.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.216-221
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• 2017

Background: This study was conducted to investigate preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) as a prognostic factor in colorectal cancer. Methods: Between January 2000 and July 2011, 1298 patients with primary adenocarcinoma colorectal cancer without metastasis, who underwent curative resection were retrospectively identified. The patients were divided into two groups according to serum CEA level at primary diagnosis: a high CEA (HCEA) group (serum CEA ${\geq}6ng/mL$) and a normal CEA (NCEA) group (serum CEA <6 ng/mL). A 1:1 propensity score matching analysis was applied to reduce bias. Finally, 364 patients were enrolled in this study. Matched variables were age, gender, preoperative chemoradiotherapy, tumor site, cell differentiation and pathologic stage. Results: The clinicopathological characteristics of the two groups did not differ significantly difference. The systemic metastasis rate was 16.5% (30/182) and 25.3% (46/182) in the NCEA and HCEA groups, respectively (p=0.039). There were no significant differences in local recurrence or metastatic sites between groups. The 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate of the HCEA group was worse than that of the NCEA group; however, there was no significant difference in overall survival between the two groups. Conclusion: Elevated preoperative CEA was related to frequent systemic recurrence and low DFS. Therefore, elevated preoperative CEA could be considered a prognostic factor for worse clinical outcomes in patients with colorectal cancer.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.282-287
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• 2020

Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS) is a high-grade neoplasm that is usually located in the extremities and retroperitoneum. In the past, UPS was considered the most common soft tissue sarcoma in adults; due to improvements in diagnostic techniques, most cases have been reclassified as other lineage-specific tumors. Gnathic bones are rarely affected, and the clinicopathological characteristics of this neoplasm when diagnosed in the jaw remain to be better described. In this report, we present a rare case of mandibular UPS affecting an 88-year-old female who demonstrated a painful swelling on the right side of the mandible that was accompanied by a pathological fracture. Microscopic examination revealed a pleomorphic spindle-cell neoplasm with mitotic figures and necrosis. The patient underwent surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy but experienced metastasis after 12 months of follow-up and died. Diagnosis of UPS is challenging, and oral pathologists must be aware of this entity when dealing with aggressive undifferentiated neoplasms.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.237-245
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• 2017

Purpose: Senior surgeons prefer open gastrectomy (OG), while young surgeons prefer laparoscopic gastrectomy (LG). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the surgical outcomes of LG performed by a senior surgeon who was an expert in OG during his learning period, by comparing them with LGs performed by a young surgeon. Materials and Methods: A senior surgeon performed 50 curative gastrectomies with laparoscopy (LG-S group) from March 2015 to August 2016. A young surgeon's initial 50 LGs comprised the LG-Y group. Clinicopathological characteristics and surgical outcomes were compared between the LG-S and LG-Y groups. Results: D2 lymphadenectomy was more frequently performed in the LG-S group than in the LG-Y group (P=0.029). The operation time and number of retrieved lymph nodes did not significantly differ between the 2 surgeons (P=0.258 and P=0.410, respectively). Postoperative hospital stay and postoperative complication rate were similar between 2 groups (P=0.234 and P=1.000, respectively). Similarly, significant decreases in operation time with increasing case numbers were observed for both surgeons, whereas the number of retrieved lymph nodes increased significantly in the LG-Y group but not in the LG-S group. Conclusions: The LG outcomes when performed by the senior surgeon were comparable to those when performed by the young surgeon, despite performing more extended lymphadenectomies. Senior surgeons who are experts in OG should not refrain from performing LG.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.55-62
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• 2010

Purpose: We evaluated the clinicopathological charicterics and prognostic impacts of lymphatic vessel invasion in gastric cancer without lymph node involvement. Materials and Methods: Among 1,795 patients who underwent gastric surgery with gastric cancer at the department of surgery, Hanyang university college of medicine from June 1992 to March 2009, we retrospectively evaluated 890 patients with lymph node negative gastric cancer. Results: The lymphatic vessel invasion correlated significantly with tumor stage, age, tumor size, perineural invasion and operation method. The survival rates were only significantly different between the patients with and without lymphatic vessel invasion in patients with stage Ia (P=0.036). Univariate and multivariate analysis demonstrated that blood vessel invasion and preoperative serum CEA level were significant factor influencing the survival rate in lymph node negative gastric cancer patients with lymphatic invasion. Conclusions: In patients with lymph node negative gastric cancer, the survival rate is significantly lower in those with lymphatic vessel invasion than in those without. Especially, in patients with stage Ia gastric cancer, the survival rates is significantly different between those with and those without lymphatic vessel invasion. Blood vessel invasion and preoperative serum CEA level is an adverse prognostic indicator in patients with stage Ia gastric cancer with lymphatic invasion. Thus we should consider further adjuvant therapies in case of need and need to show more concern to identify gastric cancer patients early at risk for recurrence.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.161-165
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• 2019

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide and has high rates of metastasis. Transforming growth factor beta-inducible protein (TGFBI) is an extracellular matrix component involved in tumour growth and metastasis. However, the exact role of TGFBI in NSCLC remains controversial. Gene silencing via DNA methylation of the promoter region is common in lung tumorigenesis and could thus be used for the development of molecular biomarkers. We analysed the methylation status of the TGFBI promoter in 138 NSCLC specimens via methylation-specific PCR and evaluated the correlation between TGFBI methylation and patient survival. TGFBI promoter methylation was detected in 25 (18.1%) of the tumours and was demonstrated to be associated with gene silencing. We observed no statistical correlation between TGFBI methylation and clinicopathological characteristics. Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that TGFBI methylation is significantly associated with poor survival outcomes in adenocarcinoma cases (adjusted hazard ratio = 2.88, 95% confidence interval = 1.19-6.99, P = 0.019), but not in squamous cell cases. Our findings suggest that methylation in the TGFBI promoter may be associated with pathogenesis of NSCLC and can be used as a predictive marker for lung adenocarcinoma prognosis. Further large-scale studies are needed to confirm these findings.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.61-65
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• 2021

Epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma is rare, low-grade malignant neoplasm that compromises approximately 1% of all salivary gland neoplasms. We reported a 68-year-old woman with epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma in the parotid gland. We analyzed demographic and clinicopathological characteristics of salivary gland epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma which has been reported in 33 cases in Korea from 1992 to 2017, and compared this result to overseas retrospective cohort studies. There was no significance in terms of mean age at diagnosis, the predominance of females, low frequency in regional lymph nodes, and distant metastasis between the two groups. However, T classification and AJCC stage at diagnosis in domestic cases are more advanced than those of overseas cases. Although the recurrence rate in domestic cases has been reported lower than that of overseas, further study may be needed considering that the follow-up period after treatment is short in domestic cases.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.52-62
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• 2017

Purpose: The Trastuzumab for gastric cancer (GC) trial identified human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) as a predictor of successful treatment with trastuzumab (HER2 receptor targeting agent) among patients with advanced/metastatic GC. To date, the prevalence of HER2 overexpression in the Korean population is unknown. The present study aimed to assess the incidence of HER2 positivity among GC and gastroesophageal (GE) junction cancer samples and the relationship between HER2 overexpression and clinicopathological characteristics in Korean patients. Materials and Methods: Tumor samples collected from 1,695 patients with histologically proven GC or GE junction enrolled at 14 different hospitals in Korea were examined. After gathering clinicopathological data of all patients, HER2 status was assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) at each hospital, and IHC 2+ cases were subjected to silver-enhanced in situ hybridization at 3 central laboratories. Results: A total of 182 specimens tested positive for HER2, whereas 1,505 tested negative. Therefore, the overall HER2-positive rate in this study was 10.8% (95% confidence interval=9.3%-12.3%). The HER2-positive rate was higher among intestinal-type cases (17.6%) than among other types, and was higher among patients older than 70 years and 50 years of age, compared to other age groups. Conclusions: Our evaluation of the HER2 positivity rate (10.8%) among Korean patients with GC and GE junction indicated the necessity of epidemiological data when conducting studies related to HER2 expression in GC and GE junction.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.603-608
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• 2016

Background: The investigation of mutation patterns in oncogenes potentially can make available a reliable mechanism for management and treatment decisions for patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). This study concerns the rate of KRAS and BRAF genes mutations in Iranian metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients, as well as associations of genotypes with clinicopathological features. Materials and Methods: A total of 1,000 mCRC specimens collected from 2008 to 2012 that referred to the Mehr Hospital and Partolab center, Tehran, Iran enrolled in this cross sectional study. Using HRM, Dxs Therascreen and Pyrosequencing methods, we analyzed the mutational status of KRAS and BRAF genes in these. Results: KRAS mutations were present in 33.6% cases (n=336). Of KRAS mutation positive cases, 85.1% were in codon 12 and 14.9% were in codon 13. The most frequent mutation at KRAS codon 12 was Gly12Asp; BRAF mutations were not found in any mCRC patients (n=242). In addition, we observed a strong correlation of KRAS mutations with some clinicopathological characteristics. Conclusions: KRAS mutations are frequent in mCRCs while presence of BRAF mutations in these patients is rare. Moreover, associations of KRAS genotypes with non-mucinous adenocarcinoma and depth of invasion (pT3) were remarkable.