• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.7
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• pp.2601-2611
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• 2015

Prostate cancer, with a lifetime prevalence of one in six men, is the second cause of malignancy-related death and the most prevalent cancer in men in many countries. Nowadays, prostate cancer diagnosis is often based on the use of biomarkers, especially prostate-specific antigen (PSA) which can result in enhanced detection at earlier stage and decreasing in the number of metastatic patients. However, because of the low specificity of PSA, unnecessary biopsies and mistaken diagnoses frequently occur. Prostate cancer has various features so prognosis following diagnosis is greatly variable. There is a requirement for new prognostic biomarkers, particularly to differentiate between inactive and aggressive forms of disease, to improve clinical management of prostate cancer. Research continues into finding additional markers that may allow this goal to be attained. We here selected a group of candidate biomarkers including PSA, PSA velocity, percentage free PSA, $TGF{\beta}1$, AMACR, chromogranin A, IL-6, IGFBPs, PSCA, biomarkers related to cell cycle regulation, apoptosis, PTEN, androgen receptor, cellular adhesion and angiogenesis, and also prognostic biomarkers with Genomic tests for discussion. This provides an outline of biomarkers that are presently of prognostic interest in prostate cancer investigation.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.1579-1582
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• 2012

Objective: To assess differences in serum proteins in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients. Methods: 144 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients and 50 healthy volunteers were included in this study, with surface-enhanced laser desorption-ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry and weak cation exchange magnetic beads. Follow-up allowed the relations between serum proteins and prognosis to be analyzed. Results: A total of 93 protein peaks were detected (molecular weight range: 1500-30000), 10 demonstrating statistically significant differences. There were no differences in protein peaks between 92 patients with a survival more than 2 years and 52 patients with survival less than 2 years. There were two significantly different protein peaks between 45 stage II patients with a survival more than 2 years and 14 stage II patients with survival less than 2 years. There was one significantly different protein peak between 22 stage III patients with a survival more than 2 years and 29 stage III patients with survival less than 2 years. Conclusion: Differences of serum proteins in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma are related to prognosis of patients. The protein fingerprint can be helpful for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.194-197
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• 2008

Primary cerebellar glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a rare tumor in adults that accounts for just 1% of all cases of GBM. Due to their rarity, cerebellar GBMs are not yet completely understood about the pathogenesis and the prognosis. Here, we present a case of GBM in a 69-year-old man. Neurologic examination revealed the presence of cerebellar signs. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a 4.5${\times}$3.6 cm-sized, ill-defined, heterogeneously enhancing mass in the left cerebellum and two patchy hyperintense lesions in the right cerebellum with minimal enhancement. After operation, glioblastoma was histologically confrimed. Postoperative radiotherapy with concomittent and adjuvant temozolomide chemotherapy was subsequently followed. Here, a case of unusual GBM in the cerebellum is reported with review of literature regarding the pathogenesis, the differential diagnosis and prognosis. There was no evidence of recurrence during postoperative one year. This patient showed a good prognosis in spite of the multiple lesions.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.73 no.3
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• pp.162-168
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• 2012

Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive disease. Effective treatment is not currently available and the prognosis is poor. The aim of our study was to identify clinical predictors of survival in patients with IPF. Methods: By using medical record database of a university hospital, we reviewed the records of patients who had been diagnosed as having IPF from January 1996 through December 2007. Results: Among 89 patients considered as having interstitial lung disease (ILD) on computed tomography (CT) of the chest, 22 were excluded because of the diagnosis of other ILDs or connective tissue disease, and finally, 67 met the criteria of IPF. The mean age at the diagnosis of IPF was 70 years (range, 41~87 years) and 43 (64%) were male. The mean survival time following the diagnosis of IPF was 40 months (range, 0~179 months). Among them, 28 cases were diagnosed as the progressive state of IPF on the follow-up CT examination, and the mean duration between diagnosis of IPF and progression was 31 months. Multivariate analysis using Cox regression model revealed that body mass index (BMI) less than 18.5 $kg/m^2$ (p=0.030; hazard ratio [HR], 12.085; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.277~114.331) and CT progression before 36 months from the diagnosis of IPF (p=0.042; HR, 13.564; 95% CI, 1.101~167.166) were independently associated with mortality. Conclusion: Since low BMI at the diagnosis of IPF and progression on follow-up CT were associated with poor prognosis, IPF patients with low BMI and/or progression before 36 months following the diagnosis should be closely monitored.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.273-280
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• 2019

Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVT) is a rare cerebrovascular condition accounting for 0.5-1% of all types of strokes in the general population. Hyperthyroidism is associated with procoagulant and antifibrinolytic activity, thereby precipitating a hypercoagulable state that predisposes to CVT. We report the case of a 31-year-old Korean man with massive CVT and diagnosis of concomitant Graves' disease at admission. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment of CVT are important to improve prognosis; therefore, CVT should be considered in the differential diagnosis in all patients with hyperthyroidism presenting with neurological symptoms.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.18
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• pp.8059-8065
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• 2016

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a common tumor in southern China and south-eastern Asia. Effective strategies for the prevention or screening of NPC are limited. Exploring effective biomarkers for the early diagnosis and prognosis of NPC continues to be a rigorous challenge. Evidence is accumulating that DNA methylation alterations are involved in the initiation and progression of NPC. Over the past few decades, aberrant DNA methylation in single or multiple tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) in various biologic samples have been described in NPC, which potentially represents useful biomarkers. Recently, large-scale DNA methylation analysis by genome-wide methylation platform provides a new way to identify candidate DNA methylated markers of NPC. This review summarizes the published research on the diagnostic and prognostic potential biomarkers of DNA methylation for NPC and discusses the current knowledge on DNA methylation as a biomarker for the early detection and monitoring of progression of NPC.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.205-209
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• 2018

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an uncommon neuroendocrine cutaneous tumor with poor prognosis. It has the high rate of recurrence, mortality, regional nodal involvement, and distant metastases. It is difficult to diagnose MCC because of its non-specific clinical findings. It usually occurs on sun-exposed areas of the skin, mostly at head and neck. There is a difference in the incidence and prognosis according to site in the head and neck. However, there is no consented site-specific diagnosis, treatment or follow-up protocol for MCC at the head and neck. We herein report a case of MCC arising in the right earlobe of an otherwise healthy young man who has been diagnosed early, thereby successfully treated. With our closed follow-up, there was no tumor recurrence or complication at 33 months after diagnosis.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.22 no.12
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• pp.2034-2051
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• 2021

Metabolic encephalopathy is a critical condition that can be challenging to diagnose. Imaging provides early clues to confirm clinical suspicions and plays an important role in the diagnosis, assessment of the response to therapy, and prognosis prediction. Diffusion-weighted imaging is a sensitive technique used to evaluate metabolic encephalopathy at an early stage. Metabolic encephalopathies often involve the deep regions of the gray matter because they have high energy requirements and are susceptible to metabolic disturbances. Understanding the imaging patterns of various metabolic encephalopathies can help narrow the differential diagnosis and improve the prognosis of patients by initiating proper treatment regimen early.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.27 no.12
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• pp.1056-1059
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• 1994

Small cell carcinoma is a highly malignant esophageal tumor composed of anaplastic small cells with features very similar to those of its pulmonary counterpart. The prognosis is poorer than that of squamous carcinoma of the esophagus because of its propensity of generalized spread and metastasis. Once the diagnosis of small cell carcinoma was established, surgery should be undertaken as early as possible. We have described an experience of small cell carcinoma of the lower esophagus in a 72 year old male patient with a review of the literatures regarding treatment methods and prognosis.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.82 no.4
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• pp.269-276
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• 2019

Idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP) is a histologically identifiable pulmonary disease without a known cause that usually infiltrates the lung interstitium. IIP is largely classified into idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, idiopathic non-specific interstitial pneumonia, respiratory bronchiolitis-interstitial lung disease (ILD), cryptogenic organizing pneumonia, desquamative interstitial pneumonia, and acute interstitial pneumonia. Each of these diseases has a different prognosis and requires specific treatment, and a multidisciplinary approach that combines chest high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT), histological findings, and clinical findings is necessary for their diagnosis. Diagnosis of IIP is made based on clinical presentation, chest HRCT findings, results of pulmonary function tests, and histological findings. For histological diagnosis, video-assisted thoracoscopic biopsy and transbronchial lung biopsy are used. In order to identify ILD associated with connective tissue disease, autoimmune antibody tests may also be necessary. Many biomarkers associated with disease prognosis have been recently discovered, and future research on their clinical significance is necessary. The diagnosis of ILD is difficult because patterns of ILD are both complicated and variable. Therefore, as with other diseases, accurate history taking and meticulous physical examination are crucial.