• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.82-89
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• 2018

Purpose: Early detection of gastric cancer is important to improve prognosis. Early detection enables local treatment, such as endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). Therefore, we investigated whether early detection of gastric cancer could reduce healthcare costs by comparison according to stage and treatment modalities. Materials and Methods: Medical care costs were investigated according to tumor stage and initial treatment modality in 1,188 patients newly diagnosed with gastric cancer at 7 medical institutions from December 2011 to June 2012. Total medical care costs during the first-year after diagnosis (total first-year costs) were examined, including the costs of initial treatment, post-initial treatment, and inpatient and outpatient visits. Results: Stage I (75.3%) was the most common cancer stage. ESD was the second most common treatment following surgery. Total first-year costs increased significantly from stages I to IV. The costs of initial treatment and post-initial treatment were lowest in patients with stage I cancer. Among patients with stage I cancer, total first-year costs were significantly lower when treated by ESD; in particular, initial ESD treatment costs were much lower than others. Conclusions: The cost of healthcare has increased significantly with increasing cancer stages. ESD can greatly reduce medical care costs of gastric cancer. Thus, early detection of gastric cancer is important to reduce healthcare costs.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.15
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• pp.6375-6379
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• 2014

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate inflammation parameters and assess the utility of the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) as a simple and readily available predictor for clinical disease activity in patients with nenign prostate hyperplasia BPH. We also aimed to investigate the relationship between inflammatory parameters with ${\alpha}$-blocker therapy response, and evaluate the potential association between NLR and the progression of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Materials and Methods: We examined 320 consecutive patients (July 2013-December 2013) admitted to our outpatient clinic with symptoms of the lower urinary tract at Bozok University. The mean age was 60 (range, 51-75) years. Complete blood count (CBC), prostate-specific antigen (PSA), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-reactive protein (CRP) were assessed. Correlations between PSA, CRP, ESR, prostate volume, International Prostate Symptom Score (IPPS), maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax), and NLR were assessed statistically. Patients were divided into two groups: high and low risk of progression. Results: NLR was positively correlated with IPSS (p=0.001, r=0.265), PSA (p=0.001, r=0.194), and negatively correlated with Qmax (p<0.001, r=-0.236). High-risk patients a had a higher NLR compared with low-risk patients, based on IPSS (p<0.001), PSA (p=0.013), and Qmax (p<0.001); however, there were no significant differences between the groups in terms of age (p>0.05), and prostate volume (p>0.05). Conclusions: NLR can predict BPH progression. We propose that increased inflammation is negatively associated with clinical status in BPH patients and suggest that NLR can give information along with LUTS severity which may be used as a readikly accessible marker for patient follow-up.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.8
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• pp.3429-3434
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• 2014

Aims: To identify the psychosocial adjustment of Turkish patients with breast cancer and the effects of perceived social support on their adjustment. Materials and Methods: The sample comprised 100 volunteering patients diagnosed with breast cancer in the last six months reporting to the Outpatient Chemotherapy Unit at the Medical Faculty Hospital in northern Turkey. The data for the study were collected through the Descriptive Information Form, the Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale-Self-reflection (PAIS-SR) and the Cancer-Specific Social Support Scale and analyzed via SPSS 16.0 for Windows. Descriptive statistics, Chi square test, ANOVA and correlation were used to evaluate data. Results: There was a negative significant correlation between mean scores in the sub-scales of the social support scale and the ones in the sub-scales of the psychosocial adjustment to illness scale (p<0.05). Similarly, there was a negative significant correlation between confidence support and health care orientation as well as adjustment to social environment. Likewise, emotional support was in a negative significant correlation with health care orientation, adjustment to domestic environment, extended family relationships and adjustment to social environment. Conclusions: It was concluded that social support for patients with breast cancer had an influence on their psychosocial adjustment to illness. Holistic care should be given to breast cancer patients by oncology nurses especially in the first six months of treatment. It could be concluded that patients should be accompanied by their family/relatives in treatment and care following their diagnosis with breast cancer, that their family should be made more aware of the fact that the patient should be physically and psychologically supported, that patients with breast cancer should be provided with domiciliary care, and that they should be encouraged to participate in social support groups.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.60 no.2
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• pp.165-173
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• 2017

Objective : To explore and analyze the influencing factors of facial nerve function retainment after microsurgery resection of acoustic neurinoma. Methods : Retrospective analysis of our hospital 105 acoustic neuroma cases from October, 2006 to January 2012, in the group all patients were treated with suboccipital sigmoid sinus approach to acoustic neuroma microsurgery resection. We adopted researching individual patient data, outpatient review and telephone followed up and the House-Brackmann grading system to evaluate and analyze the facial nerve function. Results : Among 105 patients in this study group, complete surgical resection rate was 80.9% (85/105), subtotal resection rate was 14.3% (15/105), and partial resection rate 4.8% (5/105). The rate of facial nerve retainment on neuroanatomy was 95.3% (100/105) and the mortality rate was 2.1% (2/105). Facial nerve function when the patient is discharged from the hospital, also known as immediate facial nerve function which was graded in House-Brackmann : excellent facial nerve function (House-Brackmann I-II level) cases accounted for 75.2% (79/105), facial nerve function III-IV level cases accounted for 22.9% (24/105), and V-VI cases accounted for 1.9% (2/105). Patients were followed up for more than one year, with excellent facial nerve function retention rate (H-B I-II level) was 74.4% (58/78). Conclusion : Acoustic neuroma patients after surgery, the long-term (${\geq}1year$) facial nerve function excellent retaining rate was closely related with surgical proficiency, post-operative immediate facial nerve function, diameter of tumor and whether to use electrophysiological monitoring techniques; while there was no significant correlation with the patient's age, surgical approach, whether to stripping the internal auditory canal, whether there was cystic degeneration, tumor recurrence, whether to merge with obstructive hydrocephalus and the length of the duration of symptoms.

• Proceedings of the KOR-BRONCHOESO Conference
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• 1983.05a
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• pp.7.1-7
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• 1983

Esophageal perforation occurred rarely, but it leads to a high mortality and morbidity. Main cause of esophageal perforation in Korea is instrumental perforation in patients with lye stricture of esophagus during diagnostic endoscopy or therapeutic bouginage. A case of 25-year-old male patient entered to outpatient clinic. Chief complaints were mild pain at swallowing, mild fever elevation and chest tightness with radiating pain to shoulder and interscapular region for 1 day. On the X-ray film with barium soaked cotton piece in esophagus, it was revealed that foreign body (fish bone) had been located on the level of 2nd vertebra with leakage of barium to mediastinum. The foreign body was removed with endoscopy in Dept. of otolaryngology, and cervical mediastinostomy was performed in Dept. of thoracic surgery.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.101-108
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• 2012

The purpose of this survey is to investigate the nutritional status and dietary intake of gastrectomized cancer patients in Asan Medical Center. The subjects were 98 patients, who underwent a gastrectomy due to gastric cancer and were admitted to the General Surgery Department during March 2007 to December 2007. We examined general characteristics (sex, age, clinicopathological stage, type of operation), anthropometric data (height, weight change), biochemical data (red blood cell RBC, hemoglobin HGB, hematocrit HCT, mean corpuscular volume MCV, total lymphocyte count TLC, albumin, total cholesterol), dietary intake and dietary intake related symptoms. Weight loss of gastrectomized patients was $9.0{\pm}4.3$% from preillness weight to visiting out-patient department (OPD) weight. Biochemical data (RBC, HGB, HCT, MCV, TLC, albumin, total cholesterol) significantly deteriorated after gastrectomy. However, outpatient visits were all restored to the normal range. Postoperative energy intake was $785.0{\pm}164.2$ kcal, which corresponds to $41.6{\pm}9.6$% of daily energy requirement. The cause of poor oral intake is mostly fear, abdominal pain and abdominal discomfort. Therefore, to control pre-or post-operative weight change in the future requires, focusing on the body weight to maintain a normal or usual nutrition by interventions and increased caloric intake during hospitalization for the development of nutrient-dense meals. In addition, as the main reason of the lack of intake of meals after the gastrectomy was fear, the patients should be actively encouraged to consider the importance of eating proper meals.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.62-68
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• 1997

The papillary carcinoma is the most common malignant neoplasm of thyroid gland and the prognosis is better than anyother type of thyroid carcinoma. However, the thyroid is closed to the important organs such as esophagus, trachea and larynx, there are some possibilities to invade these organs. In case of advanced disease, not only surrounding structures but also mediastinum and cervical lymphatic chain can be involved or distant metastasis develops frequently. Therefore in these cases the prognosis is worse and the rate of inoperable case is more than those of non-metastatic group. Generally, the treatment modality for papillary thyroid carcinoma consists of surgery, postoperative thyroid hormone and radioiodine therapy. If the tumor invades surrounding structures, cervical lymph node or mediastinum, total thyroidectomy and wide excision of tumor invaded area including mediastinal dissection and neck dissection is necessary. Recently, the authors have experienced a case of locally invasive and recurred papillary thyroid carcinoma without treatment for 7 years. The patient was performed previously thyroid lobectomy and isthmusectomy 13 years ago. We had determinded surgical therapy for this patient and performed mass excision with overlying skin, completion total thyroidectomy, right type I modified radical neck dissection, left lateral neck dissection, thoracotomy with supramediastinal dissection, shaving of diffusely involved trachea and skin defect reconstruction with pectoralis major myocutaneous flap. After operation 2 cycles of radioiodine therapy were taken. Now the patient is following up at the outpatient base and no evidence of disease state for postoperative 16 months. So we report on this case with a brief review of literature.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.126-136
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• 2010

Purpose: This study was done to evaluate factors affecting active early detection behaviors of breast cancer and performance rate of breast self examination (BSE), physical examination and mammography. Methods: The participants were 264 women from an outpatient breast clinic of a university hospital and materials were collected from March 2007 to February 2008 using a structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed using $x^2$ test, logistic analysis. Results: The rate for BSE was 58.3%, for physical examination, 55.3% and for mammography experience, 63.4%. Women with all of these active early detection behaviors accounted for 31.8% of the participants. Various factors such as age, income, marital status, and menopause showed increased significant performance rate. The explanation power of logistic model was 48.5%, and was significant for age, income and health belief. Factors related to high performance rate were being over 40 years of age, high income and high health belief score. Conclusion: Active early detection behaviors were not high in spite of marked increases in breast cancer incidence. Encouragement for women practicing early detection behavior is important, but there is also a need to develop interest and support for the low performance group. More sustained education and public relations are needed to further improve active early detection behavior.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.64-69
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• 2021

Primary cilium has a signal transduction function that is essential for brain development, and also determines cell polarity and acts as a mediator for important signaling systems, especially the Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) pathway. TBC1D32 is a ciliary protein, implicated in SHH signaling. Biallelic mutations in the TBC1D32 gene causes a kind of ciliopathy, heterogeneous developmental or degenerative disorders that affect multiple organs, including the brain. Here we report a boy who carried compound heterozygous variants in TBC1D32. The patient showed hypotonia, respiratory difficulty, and multiple anomalies at his birth. He was diagnosed with congenital hypopituitarism and treated with T4, hydrocortisone, and growth hormone. Despite the hormonal replacement, the patient needed long-term respiratory support with tracheostomy and nutritional support with a feeding tube. His developmental milestones were severely retarded. Hydrocephalus and strabismus developed and both required surgery, during the outpatient follow-up. Whole-exome sequencing indicated compound heterozygous variants, c.2200C>T (p.Arg734^*) and c.156-1G>T, in TBC1D32 gene. This is the first Korean case of TBC1D32-related ciliopathy and we reported detailed and sequential clinical features. This case demonstrated the utility of whole-exome sequencing and provided valuable clinical data on ultra-rare disease.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.636-645
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• 2022

Background: Ginsenoside Rg3 and gemcitabine have mutual enhancing antitumor effects. However, the underlying mechanisms are not clear. This study explored the influence of ginsenoside Rg3 on Zinc finger protein 91 homolog (ZFP91) expression in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) and their regulatory mechanisms on gemcitabine sensitivity. Methods: RNA-seq and survival data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-PAAD and Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) were used for in-silicon analysis. PANC-1, BxPC-3, and PANC-1 gemcitabine-resistant (PANC-1/GR) cells were used for in vitro analysis. PANC-1 derived tumor xenograft nude mice model was used to assess the influence of ginsenoside Rg3 and ZFP91 on tumor growth in vivo. Results: Ginsenoside Rg3 reduced ZFP91 expression in PAAD cells in a dose-dependent manner. ZFP91 upregulation was associated with significantly shorter survival of patients with PAAD. ZFP91 overexpression induced gemcitabine resistance, which was partly conquered by ginsenoside Rg3 treatment. ZFP91 depletion sensitized PANC-1/GR cells to gemcitabine treatment. ZFP91 interacted with Testis-Specific Y-Encoded-Like Protein 2 (TSPYL2), induced its poly-ubiquitination, and promoted proteasomal degradation. Ginsenoside Rg3 treatment weakened ZFP91-induced TSPYL2 poly-ubiquitination and degradation. Enforced TSPYL2 expression increased gemcitabine sensitivity of PAAD cells and partly reversed induced gemcitabine resistance in PANC-1/GR cells. Conclusion: Ginsenoside Rg3 can increase gemcitabine sensitivity of pancreatic adenocarcinoma at least via reducing ZFP91 mediated TSPYL2 destabilization.