• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• 제4권1호
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• pp.1-6
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• 2004

Purpose: Despite numorous reports on the relationship between the level of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in gall bladder bile and liver metastasis in colorectal cancer, no similar studies have been carried out for gastric carcinomas. We, therefore, undertook the present study to establish the relationship between the gall bladder bile CEA and liver metastasis as well as the post-operative survival rate in gastric carcinoma patients with curative resections. Materials and Methods: In 373 gastric cancer patients (252 males, 121 females, age $21\∼76$ years) operated on at Kosin University Hospital between 1989 1996, the CEA concentration in the gall bladder bile was determined during the operation and the value was related to the rates of post-operative survival and liver metastasis during follow-up period. Results: The overall rate of patient survival decreased gradually with increase in TNM stage. The 13-year postoperative survival rates for stages Ia, Ib, II, IIIa, and IIIb were $95.7\%,\;92.5\%,\;79.9\%,\;50.9\%,\;and\;43.3\$, respectively, and the 10-year survival rate for stage IV was $22.6\%$. The patients with a high ($\geq$10 ng/ml) biliary CEA showed a significantly lower rate of survival than those with a low (<10 ng/ml) biliary CEA. The 13-year cumulative survival rate was $55.4\%$ for the high CEA group and $76.5\%$ for the low CEA group (P<0.01). Also, the patients with a high biliary CEA showed a significantly higher rate ($11.5\%$) of liver metastasis than those with a low biliary CEA ($1.9\%$) (P<0.000). In patients with TNM stages (I and II), the CEA level did not affect the post-operative survival rates ($95.4\%\;and87.7\%$ in the high and low CEA groups, P>0.10), but in those with high TNM stages (III and IV), the survival rate was significantly lower in the high CEA group ($25.9\%$) than in the low CEA group ($57.8\%$) (P<0.05). Conclusion: These result suggest that the gall bladder bile CEA level obtained in an advanced-staged gastric cancer operation may be used in predicting the post-operational survival rate and in sorting out patients with a high risk for cancer recurrence, especially in the liver area.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• 제27권3호
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• pp.111-119
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• 2009

목 적: 국소 진행된 직장암에서 수술 전 동시항암방사선치료 후 정확한 치료 반응 평가는 매우 중요하다. 본 연구는 국소 진행된 직장암에서 $^{18}F$-FDG PET/CT를 이용한 수술 전 항암방사선치료의 반응성 예측에 대해 알아보고자 하였다. 대상 및 방법: 2006년 8월부터 2008년 1월까지 원자력의학원에서 국소 진행된 직장암으로 수술 전 항암방사선치료를 시행한 20명의 환자를 대상으로 전향적 연구를 시행하였다. 방사선 치료는 한 회에 1.8 Gy씩 하루 1회 주 5회의 일정으로 총 50.4 Gy 시행되었고, 항암 치료는 3주 간격으로 3회 시행되었다. 모든 환자는 치료 전과 항암방사선치료 종료 6주 후에 각각 $^{18}F$-FDG PET/CT 촬영을 하였다. 모든 환자는 수술을 시행 받았고 수술 후 절제된 조직을 통해 Dworak 분류에 따른 종양의 치료에 대한 반응 정도를 평가하였다. 결 과: 20명 중 11명의 환자가 Dworak 분류에 따라 반응군에 속했으며, 나머지 9명은 비반응군으로 분류되었다. 수술 후 $SUV_{max}$값과 metabolic volume (SUV가 2.5 이상인 병변의 용적)은 수술 전 $SUV_{max}$값과 metabolic volume보다 현저히 낮았다. 그러나 반응군에서 metabolic volume의 변화를 제외하고는 통계적으로 유의한 차이는 보이지 않았다. 이 연구에서는 치료 후 반응군과 비반응군을 구분하는 cut-off value는 $SUV_{max}$가 67% 감소하는 지점으로 나타났다. 이 cut-off value를 이용하여 반응군과 비반응군을 구분하는 경우 민감도는 45.5%, 특이도는 88.9%였으며, 양성 예측률과 음성 예측률은 각각 71.4% 및 53.8%였다. 결 론: 비록 본 연구에서는 통계적으로 유의한 결과를 얻지 못하였지만, 다른 연구들을 통해 봤을 때 국소 진행된 직장암 환자에서 수술 전 방사선 및 항암 병합 요법의 효과를 판정하고 예측하는데 있어서 $^{18}F$-FDG PET/CT를 이용한 검사가 유용할 것으로 생각된다.

• The Journal of Advanced Prosthodontics
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• 제4권2호
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• pp.103-108
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• 2012

PURPOSE. Debonding of a composite resin core of the fiber post often occurs at the interface between these two materials. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of different surface treatment methods on bond strength between fiber posts and composite core. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Sixty-four fiber posts were picked in two groups (Hetco and Exacto). Each group was further divided into four subgroups using different surface treatments: 1) silanization; 2) sandblasting; 3) Treatment with 24% $H_2O_2$, and 4) no treatment (control group). A cylindrical plexiglass matrix was placed around the post and filled with the core resin composite. Specimens were stored in 5000 thermal cycles between $5^{\circ}C$ and $55^{\circ}C$. Tensile bond strength (TBS) test and evaluation using stereomicroscope were performed on the specimen and the data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA, Post Hoc Scheffe tests and Fisher's Exact Test (${\alpha}$=.05). RESULTS. There was a significant difference between the effect of different surface treatments on TBS ($P$ <.001) but different brands of post ($P$=.743) and interaction between the brand of post and surface treatment ($P$=.922) had no significant effect on TBS. Both silanization and sandblasting improved the bonding strength of fiber posts to composite resin core, but there were not any significant differences between these groups and control group. CONCLUSION. There was not any significant difference between two brands of fiber posts that had been used in this study. Although silanization and sandblasting can improve the TBS, there was not any significant differences between surface treatments used.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제16권11호
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• pp.4603-4608
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• 2015

Background: To determine the potential value of serum tumor markers in predicting pCR (pathological complete response) during neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively monitored the pro-, mid-, and post-neoadjuvant treatment serum tumor marker concentrations in patients with locally advanced breast cancer (stage II-III) who accepted pre-surgical chemotherapy or chemotherapy in combination with targeted therapy at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center between September 2011 and January 2014 and investigated the association of serum tumor marker levels with therapeutic effect. Core needle biopsy samples were assessed using immunohistochemistry (IHC) prior to neoadjuvant treatment to determine hormone receptor, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER2), and proliferation index Ki67 values. In our study, therapeutic response was evaluated by pCR, defined as the disappearance of all invasive cancer cells from excised tissue (including primary lesion and axillary lymph nodes) after completion of chemotherapy. Analysis of variance of repeated measures and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were employed for statistical analysis of the data. Results: A total of 348 patients were recruited in our study after excluding patients with incomplete clinical information. Of these, 106 patients were observed to have acquired pCR status after treatment completion, accounting for approximately 30.5% of study individuals. In addition, 147patients were determined to be Her-2 positive, among whom the pCR rate was 45.6% (69 patients). General linear model analysis (repeated measures analysis of variance) showed that the concentration of cancer antigen (CA) 15-3 increased after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in both pCR and non-pCR groups, and that there were significant differences between the two groups (P=0.008). The areas under the ROC curves (AUCs) of pre-, mid-, and post-treatment CA15-3 concentrations demonstrated low-level predictive value (AUC=0.594, 0.644, 0.621, respectively). No significant differences in carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) or CA12-5 serum levels were observed between the pCR and non-pCR groups (P=0.196 and 0.693, respectively). No efficient AUC of CEA or CA12-5 concentrations were observed to predict patient response toward neoadjuvant treatment (both less than 0.7), nor were differences between the two groups observed at different time points. We then analyzed the Her-2 positive subset of our cohort. Significant differences in CEA concentrations were identified between the pCR and non-pCR groups (P=0.039), but not in CA15-3 or CA12-5 levels (p=0.092 and 0.89, respectively). None of the ROC curves showed underlying prognostic value, as the AUCs of these three markers were less than 0.7. The ROC-AUCs for the CA12-5 concentrations of inter-and post-neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the estrogen receptor negative HER2 positive subgroup were 0.735 and 0.767, respectively. However, the specificity and sensitivity values were at odds with each other which meant that improving either the sensitivity or specificity would impair the efficiency of the other. Conclusions: Serum tumor markers CA15-3, CA12-5, and CEA might have little clinical significance in predicting neoadjuvant treatment response in locally advanced breast cancer.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• 제22권3호
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• pp.197-209
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• 2022

Purpose: This study systematically evaluated the implications of advanced age on post-surgical outcomes following gastrectomy for gastric cancer using a national database. Materials and Methods: The 2011-2017 National Inpatient Sample was used to isolate patients who underwent gastrectomy for gastric cancer. From this, the population was stratified into those belonging to the younger age cohort (18-59 years), sexagenarians, septuagenarians, and octogenarians. The younger cohort and each advanced age category were compared in terms of the following endpoints: mortality following surgery, length of hospital stay, charges, and surgical complications. Results: This study included a total of 5,213 patients: 1,366 sexagenarians, 1,490 septuagenarians, 743 octogenarians, and 1,614 under 60 years of age. Between the younger cohort and sexagenarians, there was no difference in mortality (2.27 vs. 1.67%; P=0.30; odds ratio [OR], 1.36; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.81-2.30), length of stay (11.0 vs. 11.1 days; P=0.86), or charges ($123,557 vs. $124,425; P=0.79). Compared to the younger cohort, septuagenarians had higher rates of in-hospital mortality (4.30% vs. 1.67%; P<0.01; OR, 2.64; 95% CI, 1.67-4.16), length of stay (12.1 vs. 11.1 days; P<0.01), and charges ($139,200 vs. $124,425; P<0.01). In the multivariate analysis, septuagenarians had higher mortality (P=0.01; adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.01; 95% CI, 1.18-3.43). Similarly, compared to the younger cohort, octogenarians had a higher rate of mortality (7.67% vs. 1.67%; P<0.001; OR, 4.88; 95% CI, 3.06-7.79), length of stay (12.3 vs. 11.1 days; P<0.01), and charges ($131,330 vs. $124,425; P<0.01). In the multivariate analysis, octogenarians had higher mortality (P<0.001; aOR, 4.03; 95% CI, 2.28-7.11). Conclusions: Advanced age (>70 years) is an independent risk factor for postoperative death in patients with gastric cancer undergoing gastrectomy.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권6호
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• pp.2647-2650
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• 2014

Background: Colorectal cancers(CRC) are the third most common cancer in the western world, with surgery preferred for management of non-metastatic disease and post surgical treatment usually arranged according to the TNM staging system. However, there is still prognostic variation between patients who have the same stage. It is increasingly recognized that variations within disease course and clinical outcome in colorectal cancer patients are influenced by not only oncological characteristics of the tumor itself but also host response factors. Recent studies have shown correlation between the inflammatory response and clinical outcomes in various cancers. The neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been described as a marker for immune response to various stimuli including cancer. Material-Methods: Two hundred eighty-one CRC patients were included in our retrospective analysis, separated into two groups according to a cut-off value for the NLR. Patient data including age, gender, vertical penetration, anatomic location, and differentiation of the tumor, TNM stage, survival rate, and disease-free survival were analyzed for correlations with the NLR. Results: Using ROC curve analysis, we determined a cut-off value of 2.2 for NLR to be best to discriminate between patient survival in the whole group. In univariate analysis, high pretreatment NLR (p=0.001, 95%CI 1.483-4.846), pathologic nodal stage (p<0.001, 95%CI 1.082-3.289) and advanced pathologic TNM stage (p<0.001, 95%CI 1.462-4.213) were predictive of shorter survival. In multivariate analysis, advanced pathologic TNM stage (p=0.001, 95%CI 1.303-26.542) and high pretreatment NLR (p=0.005, 95%CI 1.713-6.378) remained independently associated with poor survival. Conclusions: High pre-treatment NLR is a significant independent predictor of shorter survival in patients with colorectal cancer. This parameter is a simple, easily accessible laboratory value for identifying patients with poorer prognosis.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• 제23권5호
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• pp.39.1-39.15
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• 2023

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination may non-specifically alter the host immune system. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of COVID-19 vaccination on hepatitis B surface Ag (HBsAg) titer and host immunity in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. Consecutive 2,797 CHB patients who had serial HBsAg measurements during antiviral treatment were included in this study. Changes in the HBsAg levels after COVID-19 vaccination were analyzed. The dynamics of NK cells following COVID-19 vaccination were also examined using serial blood samples collected prospectively from 25 healthy volunteers. Vaccinated CHB patients (n=2,329) had significantly lower HBsAg levels 1-30 days post-vaccination compared to baseline (median, -21.4 IU/ml from baseline), but the levels reverted to baseline by 91-180 days (median, -3.8 IU/ml). The velocity of the HBsAg decline was transiently accelerated within 30 days after vaccination (median velocity: -0.06, -0.39, and -0.04 log₁₀ IU/ml/year in pre-vaccination period, days 1-30, and days 31-90, respectively). In contrast, unvaccinated patients (n=468) had no change in HBsAg levels. Flow cytometric analysis showed that the frequency of NK cells expressing NKG2A, an NK inhibitory receptor, significantly decreased within 7 days after the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine (median, -13.1% from baseline; p<0.001). The decrease in the frequency of NKG2A⁺ NK cells was observed in the CD56^dimCD16⁺ NK cell population regardless of type of COVID-19 vaccine. COVID-19 vaccination leads to a rapid, transient decline in HBsAg titer and a decrease in the frequency of NKG2A⁺ NK cells.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• 제32권2호
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• pp.49-56
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• 2014

Purpose: Survival outcome of locally advanced pancreatic cancer has been poor and little is known about prognostic factors of the disease, especially in locally advanced cases treated with concurrent chemoradiation. This study was to analyze overall survival and prognostic factors of patients treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) in locally advanced pancreatic cancer. Materials and Methods: Medical records of 34 patients diagnosed with unresectable pancreatic cancer and treated with definitive CCRT, from December 2003 to December 2012, were reviewed. Median prescribed radiation dose was 50.4 Gy (range, 41.4 to 55.8 Gy), once daily, five times per week, 1.8 to 3 Gy per fraction. Results: With a mean follow-up of 10 months (range, 0 to 49 months), median overall survival was 9 months. The 1- and 2-year survival rates were 40% and 10%, respectively. Median and mean time to progression were 5 and 7 months, respectively. Prognostic parameters related to overall survival were post-CCRT CA19-9 (p = 0.02), the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) status (p < 0.01), and radiation dose (p = 0.04) according to univariate analysis. In multivariate analysis, post-CCRT CA19-9 value below 180 U/mL and ECOG status 0 or 1 were statistically significant independent prognostic factors associated with improved overall survival (p < 0.01 and p = 0.02, respectively). Conclusion: Overall treatment results in locally advanced pancreatic cancer are relatively poor and few improvements have been accomplished in the past decades. Post-treatment CA19-9 below 180 U/mL and ECOG performance status 0 and 1 were significantly associated with an improved overall survival.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• 제9권2호
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• pp.249-252
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• 1991

수수로가 항암요법만으로 치료한 국소 진행된 위암환자에서 치료실패의 양상을 분석해봄으로써 수술후 방사선치료의 가능성을 알아보기 위하여 1989년 6월부터 1990년 8월까지 치료받은 107명의 환자를 대상으로 후향적 분석을 시행하였다. 제2기 ($T_2N_1,\;T_3N_0$)환자는 20이었으며 제3기 ($T_3N_1,\;T_3N_2$(환자는 87명이었다 16명은 수술후 추적이 어려워 91명에 대한 분석을 시행하였다. 모든 환자는 근치적 절제술을 시행받았고 이중 57명은 수술후 항암요법을 시행하고 24명은 계속적 추적 관찰만을 하였다. 국소재발율은 항암 요법 시행군에서는 $321\%$, 추적관찰군에서는 $24\%$로 차이가 없었고 원격전이는 항암요법 시행군에서는 $12\%$ 추적관찰군에서는 $26\%$로 항앙요법 시행군에서 원격 전이가 적어지는 것을 관찰할 수 있었다. 국소 재발환자의 $52\%$는 anastomosis site에서 재발하였고 원격 전이시 가장 많이 침범되는 장기는 간이었다. 아직 추적 관찰 기간이 짧으나 수술후 방사선 치료가 최소한 $20\%$이상의 환자에서 도움이 될것으로 생각된다.

• 한국중재학회지:중재연구
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• 제26권1호
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• pp.73-87
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• 2016

Activation Plan for International Health Care through the Resolution of Medical Disputes with Foreign Patients. The field of international health care is currently being expanded and developed into the new industrial field of medical tourism through the convergence of medicine - a public sector - and tourism - a private sector. This study examines problems with medical law regarding the prevention of medical disputes that may occur when attracting foreign patients and the resolution of these disputes. It also introduces the current most ideal resolution plan for medical disputes. Advanced measures for the prevention of medical disputes with foreign patients are as follows: First, when conducting international health care, the obligation to explain a medical treatment should be applied at higher standards for foreign patients. Second, all medical treatment procedures, including appointments, treatments, discharge, post-operation consultations, and follow-up treatments of foreign patients should be charted and recorded. A checklist regarding precautions for each procedure along with a response manual for problems should also be established. These regulations can prevent unexpected conflicts in advance when medical disputes occur. If a medical dispute with a foreign patient occurs despite thorough advance prevention, it can be resolved through reconciliation, mediation, and arbitration. The government and the medical field along with its related industries and authorities should put their efforts into developing these priori/posteriori measures for the activation of international medical health care. The laws and technological/human capabilities in medicine should also be improved in order to activate international medical health care.