• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.1371-1376
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• 2012

Background: Economic status is known to be directly or indirectly related to cancer incidence since it affects accessibility to health-related social resources, preventive medical checkups, and lifestyle. This study investigates the relationship between cancer incidence and family income in Korea. Methods:Using the Korean National Health Insurance cancer registration data in 2009, the relationship between their family income class and cancer risk was analyzed. The age-standardized incidence rates of the major cancers were calculated for men and women separately. After adjusting for age, residential area, and number of family members, cancer risks for major cancers according to family income class were estimated using a logistic regression model. Results: In men, the risk of stomach cancer for Income Class 5 (lowest) was 1.12 times (95% CI 1.02-1.23) higher than that of Income Class 1 (highest), for lung cancer 1.61 times (95% CI 1.43-1.81) higher, for liver cancer 1.22 times (95% CI 1.08-1.37) higher, and for rectal cancer 1.37 times higher (95% CI 1.18-1.59). In women, the risk of stomach cancer for Income Class 5 was 1.22 times higher (95% CI 1.08-1.37) than that for Income Class 1, while for cervical cancer it was 2.47 times higher (95% CI 2.08-2.94). In contrast, in men, Income Class 1 showed a higher risk of thyroid cancer and prostate cancer than that of Income Class 5, while, in women the same was the case for thyroid cancer. Conclusions: The results show the relationship between family income and cancer risk differs according to type of cancer.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.20-26
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• 1998

Objectives: Deletion in the short arm of chromosome 3 is common in many human cancers, including sporadic and hereditary renal carcinomas, small cell lung carcinomas, non-small cell lung carcinomas, and carcinomas of the ovary, breast, and cervix. A high frequency of chromosomal aberrations in head and neck cancers involving chromosome 3p has also been reported. These findings suggest that multiple tumor suppressor genes may be present on the short arm of chromosome 3. Materials and Methods: To investigate the possibility of chromosome 3p deletions in the Korean head and neck cancer patients, we applied a polymerase chain reaction(PCR)-based Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism analysis to the DNA samples of matched normal mucosa and head and neck squamous cell carcinomas from 19 patients. Results: In the 19 normal samples heterozygosity at the polymorphic loci varied: 6 at the D3F15S2 locus(on telomeric 3p21), 2 at the D3S32 locus(on centromeric 3p21), and 4 at the THRB locus(on centromeric 3p24). In 12 matched carcinoma specimens, LOH(loss of heterozygosity) was observed at D3F15S2 in 1 of 6(17%), D3S32 in 1 of 2(50%), and at THRB in 2 of 4 cases(50%). Conclusion: The frequency of chromosome 3p deletion in the Korean head and neck carcinomas appear as other country did.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.70-75
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• 1998

Tumor growth and metastasis depends on angiogenesis. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a potent mitogen for vascular endothelial cells in vitro and promotes neoangiogenesis in vivo. Objective: Follicular thyroid cancers(FTC) are a vascular tumor and traditionally metastasize via blood vessels. Likely other cancers, angiogenesis may playa important role in FTC. We, therefore, investigated the expression of VEGF and microvascular density by immunohistochemistry in FTC and follicular adenoma(FA). Materials and Methods: Findings of immunohistochemical stainings for VEGF and CD31 were measured by grading scale from +1 to 4+(strongest) and by counting the stained microvessels in 14 FTCs and 14 FAs. Results: 1) Expression of VEGF. a) FTCs have stronger expression than FAs in areas of tumor adjacent to capsule($mean{\pm}SD\:\;3.2{\pm}0.9\;vs\;2.0{\pm}0.9$, p<0.01) and in central area($2.3{\pm}0.7\;vs\;1.3{\pm}0.6$, p<0.01). b) The VEGF expression of capsular area in FTCs are higher than that of central area(p<0.05). 2) Microvascular density by CD31. a) FTCs have more microvessels than FAs in areas of adjacent to capsule($78.9{\pm}27.3\;vs\;38.7{\pm}15.6$, p<0.01) and in central area($75.5{\pm}23.3\;vs\;27.8{\pm}10.7$, p<0.01). b) In FTCs, the number of microvessels of capsular area are more than that of central tumor area, but not significant statistically(p>0.05). Conclusion: The higher expression of VEGF and microvascular density in FTC suggests angiogenesis plays an important role in progression of FTC.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.48-55
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• 2010

Neural progenitor cells (NPCs) differentiate into astrocytes, neurons and oligodendrocytes, which is controlled by various factors in brain. Recent evidences suggest that small molecules modulating the proliferation and differentiation of NPCs may have therapeutic value as well as the potential use as chemical probes. Phylligenin is a lignan with anti-inflammatory activity that is isolated from the fruits of Forsythia koreana. We investigated effects of phylligenin on proliferation and differentiation of NPCs. Treatment of phylligenin decreased the number of proliferating NPCs in culture without effects on the differentiation and survival of neural cells such as neurons and astrocytes. To examine the mechanism of the decreased NPCs number, we performed cell cycle analysis. Proliferation of NPCs was decreased via G1-S transition block by phylligenin treatment, and it was mediated by the increase of p21 level. However, phylligenin did not induce apoptosis of NPCs as determined by TUNEL assay and PARP cleavage. We also found that viability of glioma cell lines such as C6 and U87MG glioma cells, but not that of primary neuron and astrocyte, was inhibited by phylligenin. These results suggest that phylligenin selectively inhibits proliferation of rapidly growing cells such as neural stem cells and glioma cells. Given that the possible role of brain tumor stem cells in the pathology of brain cancers, the inhibitory effects of phylligenin might be useful in the development of new therapeutic agents against brain cancers.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.29-33
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• 2005

A DNA vaccine methodology using eukaryote expression vectors to produce immunizing proteins in the vaccinated hosts is a novel approach to the development of vaccine and immuno-therapeutics, and it has achieved considerable success over several infectious diseases and various cancers. To further enhance its efficiency, attempts were made to develop novel plasmid vectors containing multiple immunostimulatory CpG motifs, for rapid and strong immune response. First, a 2.9 kb compact plasmid vector (pVAC), containing CMV promoter, polycloning site, BGH poly(A) terminator, ampicillin resistance gene and pBR322 origin was constructed. A pVAC-hEPO was also constructed, which contained a human erythropoietin gene, for evaluating the transfection efficiency of naked plasmid DNA both in vitro and in vivo. To examine the adjuvant effect of multi-CpG motifs on naked plasmid DNA, 22 and 44 enriched and unmethylated CpG motifs were introduced into pVAC to generate pVAC-ISS1 and pVAC-ISS2, respectively. $100{\mu}g$ of pSecTagB, pVAC, pVAC-ISS1 or pVAC-ISS2 were each injected intramuscularly into the tibilias anterior muscle of Balb/c mice. The level of interleukin-6 induced in the mice injected with pVAC-ISS1 and pVAC-ISS2 were significantly elevated after 12 hours, which were almost 2 and 2.5 times higher than that in the mice injected with pSecTagB, respectively. These results suggest that DNA vaccine plasmids with enriched CpG motifs can induce rapid secretion of interleukin-6 by lymphocytes. In conclusion, these vectors can contribute to the development of adjuvant-free DNA vaccinations against infectious diseases and various cancers.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.247-253
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• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the accuracy of two different fluid intake measurement methods (fluid only vs. all dietary intake) in measuring fluid balance compared to body weight change among patients with cancers. Methods: A total of 60 cancer patients in an urban cancer center in South Korea participated in the study. Adult patients who were over 18 years old; having 24-hour I&O order; and taking either normal regular diet or soft blend diet were included. Demographic information and disease related information were also gathered. The data were analyzed using SPSS 18.0 program. Results: Measuring 'fluid only' for oral intake was a more accurate measure than measuring 'all dietary intake' (p=.026 vs. p=.094). Both methods had positive correlations with the amount of weight change (r=.329, p=.010; r=.303, p=.019). Measuring body weight was a more accurate and efficient way of evaluating the fluid balance than 24 hour cumulative I&O. Conclusion: Developing clinical manual for selecting proper patients who needs fluid balance monitoring is imperative. Administering weight check and/or 24 hour cumulative I&O should be considered thoroughly based on solid nursing evidence in future.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.59 no.4
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• pp.392-399
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• 2016

Objective : Brain metastases in gynecologic cancer (ovarian, endometrial, and cervical cancer) patients are rare, and the efficacy of Gamma Knife Radiosurgery (GKRS) to treat these had not been evaluated. We assessed the efficacy of GKRS and prognostic factors for tumor control and survival in brain metastasis from gynecologic cancers. Methods : This retrospective study was approved by the institutional review board. From May 1995 to October 2012, 26 women (mean age 51.3 years, range 27-70 years) with metastatic brain tumors from gynecologic cancer were treated with GKRS. We reviewed their outcomes, radiological responses, and clinical status. Results : In total 24 patients (59 lesions) were available for follow-up imaging. The median follow-up time was 9 months. The mean treated tumor volume at the time of GKRS was $8185mm^3$ (range $10-19500mm^3$), and the median dose delivered to the tumor margin was 25 Gy (range, 10-30 Gy). A local tumor control rate was 89.8% (53 of 59 tumors). The median overall survival was 9.5 months after GKRS (range, 1-102 months). Age-associated multivariate analysis indicated that the Karnofsky performance status (KPS), the recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) classification, and the number of treated lesions were significant prognostic factors for overall survival (HR=0.162, p=0.008, HR=0.107, p=0.038, and HR=2.897, p=0.045, respectively). Conclusion : GKRS is safe and effective for the management of brain metastasis from gynecologic cancers. The clinical status of the patient is important in determining the overall survival time.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.60 no.3
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• pp.128-134
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• 2016

L1 cell adhesion molecule (L1CAM) is a cell surface molecule to initiate a variety of cellular responses through interacting with other cell adhesion molecules in a homophilic or heterophilic manner. Although its expression was found to be upregulated in some tumor cells, including cholangiocarcinomas, and ovarian cancers, and many studies have investigated the role of L1CAM in these cancers, its role in inflammatory responses has been poorly understood. In this study, we explored the role of L1CAM in macrophage-mediated inflammatory responses. L1CAM significantly suppressed the production of nitric oxide (NO), but induced cell proliferation in RAW264.7 cells. L1CAM expression was detectable, but its expression was markedly decreased by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in RAW264.7 cells. In addition, the expression of pro-inflammatory genes, such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$, cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) induced by LPS was dramatically suppressed by L1CAM in RAW264.7 cells. L1CAM inhibited the transcriptional activities of NF-${\kappa}B$ and AP-1 while its cytoplasmic domain deletion form, $L1{\Delta}CD$ did not suppressed their activities in RAW264.7 cells. Moreover, L1CAM suppressed nuclear translocation of p65 and p50 as well as c-Jun, c-Fos and p-ATF2 which are transcription factors of NF-${\kappa}B$ and AP-1, respectively. In conclusion, L1CAM suppressed inflammatory responses in macrophages through inhibiting NF-${\kappa}B$ and AP-1 pathways.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.195-199
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• 2011

Purpose: Composite neuroendocrine-exocrine carcinomas are malignancies that have two distinct components residing within the same tumor: an adenocarcinomatous portion and a neuroendocrine portion. This is rare in gastric cancers; however, poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas can sometimes reveal evidence of neuroendocrine features (NEF) or be 'mixed endocrine and exocrine carcinomas'. This study aimed to review NEF in gastric adenocarcinoma and to evaluate its prognostic significance. Materials and Methods: We selected 29 patients who were diagnosed with gastric adenocarcinoma with NEF and received gastrectomies at the Department of Surgery, Ajou University Hospital between January 2001 and December 2009. We analyzed the clinicopathologic features of gastric cancer with NEF and the prognosis associated with such tumors. Results: The pathologic result with respect to TNM staging of the gastric cancers with NEF were as follows: 5 cases of T1, 5 cases of T2, 10 cases of T3, and 9 cases of T4. There were 7 cases of N0, 7 cases of N1, 8 cases of N2 and 7 cases of N3. The staging of patients with NEF was higher than that of patients without NEF. Especially tumor lymphovascular invasion rate was 82.8%. The overall survival of patients with gastric cancer characterized by NEF was 73.8 months. Conclusions: Positive NEF status might be correlated with clinicopathologic parameters such as a high stage and high frequency of regional lymph node metastasis.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.185-189
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• 2011

Objectives: In 1995, an outbreak survey in Gozan-dong concluded that an association between fiberglass exposure in drinking water and cancer outbreak cannot be established. This study follows the subjects from a study in 1995 using a data linkage method to examine whether an association existed. The authors will address the potential benefits and methodological issues following outbreak surveys using data linkage, particularly when informed consent is absent. Methods: This is a follow-up study of 697 (30 exposed) individuals out of the original 888 (31 exposed) participants (78.5%) from 1995 to 2007 assessing the cancer outcomes and deaths of these individuals. The National Cancer Registry (KNCR) and death certificate data were linked using the ID numbers of the participants. The standardized incidence ratio (SIR) and standardized mortality ratio (SMR) from cancers were calculated by the KNCR. Results: The SIR values for all cancer or gastrointestinal cancer (GI) occurrences were the lowest in the exposed group (SIR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.10 to 5.21; 0.00 for GI), while the two control groups (control 1: external, control 2: internal) showed slight increases in their SIR values (SIR, 1.18 and 1.27 for all cancers; 1.62 and 1.46 for GI). All lacked statistical significance. All-cause mortality levels for the three groups showed the same pattern (SMR 0.37, 1.29, and 1.11). Conclusions: This study did not refute a finding of non-association with a 13-year follow-up. Considering that many outbreak surveys are associated with a small sample size and a cross-sectional design, follow-up studies that utilize data linkage should become standard procedure.