• Proceedings of the Korea Contents Association Conference
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.522-526
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• 2007

Since newly emerged disease, the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), spread from Asia to North America and Europe rapidly in 2003, many researchers have tried to determine where the virus came from. In the phylogenetic point of view, SARS virus has been known to be one of the genus Coronavirus, but, the overall conservation of SARS virus sequence was not highly similar to that of known coronaviruses. The natural reservoirs of SARS-CoV are not clearly determined, yet. In the present study, the genomic sequences of SARS-CoV were analyzed by bioinformatics techniques such as multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis methods as well multivariate statistical analysis. All the calculating processes, including calculations of the relative synonymous codon usage (RSCU) and other genomic parameters using 30,305 coding sequences from the two genera, Coronavirus, and Lentivirus, and one family, Orthomyxoviridae, were performed on SMP cluster in KISTI, Supercomputing Center. As a result, SARS_CoV showed very similar RSCU patterns with feline coronavirus on the both axes of the correspondence analysis, and this result showed more agreeable results with serological results for SARS_CoV than that of phylogenetic result itself. In addition, SARS_CoV, human immunodeficiency virus, and influenza A virus commonly showed the very low RSCU differences among each synonymous codon group, and this low RSCU bias might provide some advantages for them to be transmitted from other species into human beings more successfully. Large-scale genomic analysis using bioinformatics techniques may be useful in genetic epidemiology field effectively.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.138-146
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• 2014

Purpose: This single institutional study is aimed to observe the outcome of patients who received postoperative radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy. Materials and Methods: A total of 59 men with histologically identified prostate adenocarcinoma who had received postoperative radiation after radical prostatectomy from August 2005 to July 2011 in Seoul St. Mary's Hospital of the Catholic University of Korea, was included. They received 45-50 Gy to the pelvis and boost on the prostate bed was given up to total dose of 63-72 Gy (median, 64.8 Gy) in conventional fractionation. The proportion of patients given hormonal therapy and the pattern in which it was given were analyzed. Primary endpoint was biochemical relapse-free survival (bRFS) after radiotherapy completion. Secondary endpoint was overall survival (OS). Biochemical relapse was defined as a prostate-specific antigen level above 0.2 ng/mL. Results: After median follow-up of 53 months (range, 0 to 104 months), the 5-year bRFS of all patients was estimated 80.4%. The 5-year OS was estimated 96.6%. Patients who were given androgen deprivation therapy had a 5-year bRFS of 95.1% while the ones who were not given any had that of 40.0% (p < 0.01). However, the statistical significance in survival difference did not persist in multivariate analysis. The 3-year actuarial grade 3 chronic toxicity was 1.7% and no grade 3 acute toxicity was observed. Conclusion: The biochemical and toxicity outcome of post-radical prostatectomy radiotherapy in our institution is favorable and comparable to those of other studies.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.7
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• pp.3015-3021
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• 2015

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major cause of mortality in developed countries, and it is the third most frequent malignancy in Turkey. There are many biological, genetic, molecular, and tissue-derived prognostic factors for CRCs. In this study, we evaluated prognostic factors in patients who were metastatic at diagnosis or progressed to metastatic disease during follow-up. Patients and Methods: This study included 116 patients with malignancies either in the colon or rectum. Of these, 65 had metastatic disease at diagnosis, and 51 progressed to metastatic disease during the course of the disease. The parameters evaluated were age, gender, comorbidity, performance status and stage of the disease at the beginning, localization, history of surgery, chemotherapy regimen, response to first-line treatment, K-RAS status, site and number of metastases, expression of tumor predictors (CEA, CA19-9), and survival times. A multivariate analysis conducted with factors that considered statistically significant in the univariate analysis. Findings: Median age was 56 (32-82) years and the male/female ratio was 80/36. Eleven patients were at stage II, 40 at stage III, and 65 at stage IV at diagnosis. Twenty three patients had tumor in the right colon, 48 in the left colon, and 45 in the rectum. Ninety seven patients were operated, and 27 had surgical metastasectomy. Ninety three patients received targeted therapy. At the end of follow-up, 61 patients had died, and 55 survived. Metastatic period survival times were longer in the adjuvant group, but the difference did not reach the level of statistical significance (adjuvant group: median 29 months, metastatic group: median 22 months; p=0.285). In the adjuvant group before the metastatic first-line therapy, CEA and CA 19-9 levels were significiantly lower compared to the metastatic group (p<0.005). We also found that patients with elevated tumor predictor (CEA, CA 19-9) levels before the first-line therapy had significiantly poorer prognosis and shorter survival time. Survival was significiantly better with the patients who were younger than 65 years of age, had better initial performance status, a history of primary surgery and metastatectomy, and single site of metastasis. Those who benefitted from the first-line therapy were K-RAS wild type and whose tumor markers (CEA, CA 19-9) were not elevated before the first line therapy. Conclusions: Among the patients with metastatic CRC, those who benefited from first-line therapy, had history of metastasectomy, were K-RAS wild type and had low CA 19-9 levels before the first-line therapy, showed better prognosis independent of other factors.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.137-142
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• 2004

Purpose: There have been some controversies over the therapeutic principles of advanced gastric cancer, and the results of treatment have been variable, especially for stage III disease. This study was conducted to define the prognostic factors of stage III gastric cancer. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was based on the medical records of 179 patients with stage III disease who received a gastrectomy from January 1990 to December 1994. The 5-year survival rate was analyzed according to the age, sex, tumor location, tumor size, Borrmann's type, depth of invasion, lymph-node metastasis, ratio of metastatic lymph nodes, type of surgical resection, extent of lymphnode dissection, curability of resection, postoperative chemotherapy, and pathological stage. The statistical analysis was done by using the Kaplan-Meier method, the log-rank test, and the Cox proportional hazards model. Results: The overall 5-year survival rate was $61.6\%$ the 5-year survival rates according to subgroup were $69.7\%$ for stage IIIa ($100\%$ for $T_{2}N_{2}$, $70.0\%$ for $T_{3}N_{1}$, $68.6\%$ for $T_{4}N_{0}$), and $54.1\%$ for stage IIIb ($T_{3}N_{2}$) (P<0.05). Among various clinicopathologic factors of stage III gastric cancer, the age of the patient, the tumor location, the gross type of tumor, the type of gastric resection, the extent of lymph-node dissection, the curability of resection, and the subgroups of stage III were statistically significant in the univariate survival analysis. The multivariate analysis defined the curability of resection, the extent of lymph-node dissection, the type of operation, the stage of disease, and the age of the patient as independent prognostic factors. Conclusion: A curative surgical resection and an extended lymph-node dissection are thought to be most important for improving the survival rate in stage III gastric cancer patients.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.180-186
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• 2001

Purpose: The prognosis for early gastric cancer (EGC) is favorable, and the 10-year disease-specific survival rate is reported to be around $90\%$. The absolute number of recurred EGC is too small to assess the risk factors, so recruitment of a large number of cases for statistical analysis is very difficult. We carried out this study to analyze the incidence and the patterns of recurrence of EGC and to identify the clinicopathological risk factors for recurrence of EGC. Materials and Methods: The authors retrospectively investigated the follow-up records of 1418 patients who underwent a curative resection for EGC from Jan. 1984 to Dec. 1999 at the Korea Cancer Center Hospital and analyzed them with special reference to cancer recurrence. Results: In this retrospective study of 1418 cases, 43 patients died of a recurrence of gastric cancer, and 105 patients died of unrelated causes. The five-year and the ten-year overall survival rates were $89.6\%$ and $81.7\%$, respectively, while the five-year and the ten-year diseasespecific survival rates were $96.5\%$ and $94.3\%$, respectively. The recurrence patterns of the 45 recurred EGC were hematogenous metastasis (19 cases), lymph node (L/N) metastasis (8 cases), locoregional recurrence (2 cases), peritoneal seeding (3 cases), and combined form (13 cases). The mean time interval to recurrence was 38.6 months, and the number of delayed recurred cases after 5 years was 10 ($22.2\%$). Of the clinicopathologic factors, depth of invasion, L/N metastasis, macroscopic type, lymphatic invasion, and vessel invasion, were significant risk factors in the univariate analysis. However, in the multivariate analysis, only L/N metastasis was an independent prognostic factor. Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, L/N metastasis is an independent prognostic factor. Thus, in patients with node-positive disease, adjuvant therapy might be considered, and long-term close follow-up might facilitate early detection and treatment of recurrent disease due to delayed recurrence.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.470-475
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• 2019

Background: There is a lack of statistical analysis investigating the relationship between sleep problems and commute time in Korea. We aimed to analyze the association between representative health symptoms, sleep disturbances, and commute time according to working hours in Korea. Methods: The 4th Korean Working Conditions Survey data were used for analysis, and unpaid family workers and workers who work fewer than three days in a week were excluded. Commute time, working hours, and sleep hours were assessed using self-reported questionnaires. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for sleep problems were calculated using a multivariate logistic regression model with ≤10 min commute time as the reference group. Results: Among a total of 28,804 workers (men = 14,945, women = 13,859), 2.6% of men and 3.2% of women experienced sleep problems. In both sexes, long commute time (51-60 minutes and >60 minutes) showed an increased OR [men, 2.03 (CI = 1.32-3.13) and 2.05 (CI = 1.33-3.17); women, 1.58 (CI = 1.05-2.39) and 1.63 (CI = 1.06-2.50), respectively]. In stratification analysis of working hours, long commute time (51-60 and > 60 minutes) showed an increased OR in men working >40 hours/week [2.08 (CI = 1.16-3.71) and 1.92 (CI = 1.08-3.41), respectively]. Furthermore, long commute time (41-50, 51-60, and >60 minutes) showed an increased OR in women working >40 hours/week [2.40 (CI = 1.27-4.55), 2.28 (CI = 1.25-4.16), and 2.19 (CI = 1.17-4.16), respectively]. Moreover, commute time >60 minutes showed an increased OR in women working ≤40 hours/week [1.96 (CI = 1.06-3.62)]. Conclusion: This large cross-sectional study highlights that long commute time is related to sleep problems in both sexes. Shorter commute times and decreased working hours are needed to prevent sleep problems in workers.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.10
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• pp.5995-6000
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• 2013

Background: Nausea and vomiting after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are common in clinical practice, but few studies have reported the incidence and risk factors of such events. Objective: The purpose of this study was to analyze the incidence and risk factors of nausea and vomiting after TACE for HCC. Methods: This study was a single-center retrospective analysis of a prospectively maintained database. Between May 2010 and October 2012, 150 patients with HCC were analyzed for incidence and preprocedural risk factors. Results: The incidence of postembolization nausea and vomiting was 38.8% and 20.9%, respectively, in patients with HCC. Patients who developed nausea had lower levels (<100 IU/L) of serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) compared to those without nausea ($123.04{\pm}69.38$ vs. $167.41{\pm}138.95$, respectively, p=0.044). Female gender correlated to a higher incidence of nausea as well (p=0.024). Patients who developed vomiting, compared to those who did not, also had lower levels (<100 IU/L) of serum ALP ($112.52{\pm}62.63$ vs. $160.10{\pm}127.80$, respectively, p=0.010), and serum alanine transferase (ALT) ($35.61{\pm}22.87$ vs. $4.97{\pm}29.62$, respectively, p=0.045). There were no statistical significances in the incidences of nausea and vomiting between male patients over 50 years old and female patients who have entered menopause (p=0.051 and p=0.409, respectively). Multivariate analysis by logistic regression analysis demonstrated that female gender and ALP>100 IU/L were the most independent predictive factors of postembolization nausea (odds ratio (OR): 3.271, 95% CI: 1.176-9.103, p=0.023 and OR: 0.447, 95% CI: 0.216-0.927, p=0.030, respectively). ALP>100 IU/L was also the most independent predictive risk factor of postembolization vomiting (OR: 0.389, 95% CI: 0.159-0.952, p=0.039). Conclusions: Postembolizaiton nausea and vomiting are common in patients with HCC. Recognition of the risk factors presented above before TACE is important for early detection and proper management of postembolization nausea and vomiting. Nevertheless, future studies are required.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.12
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• pp.5063-5069
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• 2016

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in most countries of the world. It is ranked first in females in Morocco (accounting for 33.4% of the total cancer burden) and more than 60% of cases are diagnosed at stage III or IV. During the last decade, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) has become an important aspect of breast cancer treatment. The objective of this study was to describe self-reported HRQOL in patients with breast cancer and to investigate its associations with sociodemographic and clinical variables. Methods: A prospective study was carried out in the main oncology centers in Morocco. Quality of life was measured using the Moroccan Arabic versions of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire C 30 (EORTC QLQ C30) and the Breast Cancer-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-BR23). Statistical analyses were performed using descriptive statistics and multivariate analyses. Results: A total of 1463 subjects were included in the study, with a mean age of 55.6 (SD. 11.2) years, 70% being married. The majority had stage II (45.9%) and a few cases stage IV (12.9%) lesions. The participants' global health mean score was 68.5 and in "functional scales", social functioning scored the highest (Mean 86.2 (SD=22.7)). The most distressing symptom on the symptom scale was financial difficulties (Mean 63.2 (SD=38.2)). Using the disease specific tool, it was found that future perspective scored the lowest (Mean 40.5 (SD=37.3)). On the symptom scale, arm symptoms scored the highest (Mean 23.6 (SD=21.6)). Significant mean differences were noted for many functional and symptom scales. Conclusion: Our results emphasized that the general HRQOL for our study population is lower than for corresponding populations in other countries. This study provided baseline information on the quality of life for a large sample of Moroccan women diagnosed with breast cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.1471-1477
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• 2015

Background: Adding taxanes to adjuvant antracycline and cyclophosphamide (AC) in combination may provide significant improvement in node-positive and high risk node-negative breast cancer (BC) patients. However, the optimal dose and the role of dose-dense (DD) chemotherapy have yet to be determined. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of a DD paclitaxel (P)-AC combination with conventional weekly P-AC or docetaxel D-AC combinations in patients with node-positive breast cancer. Materials and Methods: Newly diagnosed 280 node-positive BC patients diagnosed from 1998 to 2013 in three clinics were retrospectively analyzed. Demographic and medical data were collected from the medical charts. Patients were categorized to 3 groups according to treatment arms: arm A, ddAC-P; arm B, weekly P and AC combination; and arm C; T and AC combination. Adjuvant trastuzumab was added for HER2-positive patients. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was carried out for disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). The log-rank test was used to examine the statistical significance of the differences observed between the groups. Two-sided P values <0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: Of the total of 280 patients, 101 were in arm A, 114 in arm B and 65 in arm C.The median ages were 49, 50 and 46, respectively (p=0.11). Median follow-up was 39 (3-193) months. Stage, lymphovascular and perineural invasion, receptor patern, and menopausal status were similar in the 3 treatment arms, but HER2 positivity was significantly lower in arm A, compared to arms B and C (25.7%, 53.1%, 41.5% in arms A, B and C, respectively; p<0.001). Also grade 3 tumors were significantly less frequent in treatment arm A compared to arm B and C (27.3%, 56.8% and 49.2%, respectively, p=0.01). Afterunivariate and multivariate analysis were performed, 3-year DFS rates were 89%, 81%, and 75%, respectively (p=0.12) and three year OS rates were 96.6%, 89%, and 75% (p=0.62). Conclusions: In this study, no significant difference was found between adjuvant dose dense and conventional taxane treatment regimens.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.903-907
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• 2015

Background: Among human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer, more than half are also hormone receptor (HR)-positive. Although HR is a predictive factor for the efficacy of hormone therapy, there are still some uncertainties in regard to the effects on patients with HR-positive and HER2-positive metastatic breast cancers due to the potential resistance to hormone therapy caused by co-expression of HR and HER2. There are no clinical trials directly comparing the efficacy of hormonal therapy with chemotherapy. Materials and Methods: To examine the real-world effect of hormone therapy on patients with HR-positive and HER2-positive metastatic breast cancers, a cross-sectional study of a representative sample of the Chinese population was conducted. The study included 113 patients who received first-line and second-line palliative treatment between 2005 and 2010 in the Cancer Institute and Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science. The effect of hormone therapy on overall survival (OS) was studied. Results: The patients who received hormone therapy (n=51) had better overall survival in contrast to those who received chemotherapy with anti-HER2 therapy (n=62) in first- or second-line treatment. The difference was of borderline statistical significance (51.8m vs 31.9m, p=0.065). In addition, the effect of hormone therapy did not differ significantly with other prognostic factors, including age (${\leq}50$ years or >50 years), disease free survival (${\geq}2$ years or < 2 years) and site of metastasis (visceral or bone/soft tissue). On multivariate analysis, administration of hormone therapy was associated with a trend toward a favorable prognosis (p=0.148, HR=0.693, 95%CI 0.422-1.139). Age more than 50 years was the sole independent harmful prognostic factor (p<0.001, HR=2.797, 95%CI 1.676-4.668). Conclusions: Our data suggest that hormonel therapy may improve outcomes of the patients with ER-positive and HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer.