• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.1019-1022
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• 2016

Background: Diagnostic difficulties in hematological malignancies may lead to unacceptably prolonged help-seeking to diagnostic interval as well as increased complications and poor outcomes. Proactive consultation by a clinical pathologist (PCCP) may help clinical diagnosis and therapeutic strategy. Hence, the aim of this investigation was to evaluate the effect of PCCP on the help-seeking to diagnostic interval in hematological cancer cases. Materials and Methods: From January to November, 2015, abnormal results of hematological laboratory testing with added laboratory comment were selectively screened out, and patients with such abnormalities in hematological laboratory testing and accompanied laboratory comment with PCCP were enrolled. Results: A total of 125 aberrant results of hematological laboratory testing were given with accompanied laboratory comments with PCCP and 40.8% (n=51) of these patient-oriented comments had an effect on clinical diagnosis and therapeutic strategy. Twelve of the subjects belonged to newly diagnosed hematological malignancies with the assistance of PCCP, and the help-seeking to diagnostic interval was also shortened from 42 days to 26 days in chronic lymphoid leukemia (CLL), from 83 days to 11 days in multiple myeloma (MM), and from 128 days to 15 days in myelodysplastic syndrome/myeloproliferative neoplasm (MDS/MPN). During the monitoring interval, neither complication events nor deaths were reported in the study group. Conclusions: It was seemingly that PCCP prevented diagnostic delay in hematological malignancies via shortening the help-seeking to diagnostic interval, particularly in CLL, MM and MDS/MPN cases. PCCP can be considered to play an essential role in prompt establishment of diagnosis in hematological malignancies for those who newly present.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.9
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• pp.5257-5261
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• 2013

The micronucleus frequency (MNF) in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) is a biomarker of chromosomal damage and genome instability in human populations.The relationship of micronucleus frequency with prognosis of patients with acute leukemia is not clear. We therefore investigated MNF in mitogen-activated peripheral blood lymphocytes from patients with hematologic diseases and solid tumours. Patients included 50 with acute leukemia, 49 diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), 54 with benign blood diseases, and 45 with solid tumours, examined with 50 healthy controls. The mean MNF was significantly higher in cases of hematologic diseases and solid tumor patients than in healthy controls (P<0.001). There was no evident difference between MNF in the acute leukemia ($7.15{\pm}2.18$) and solid tumor groups ($7.11{\pm}1.47$), but both were higher than in the MDS group ($5.12{\pm}1.29$) and benign blood diseases group ($3.08{\pm}1.08$). Taking 7.15‰, the average MNF of the acute leukemia group as standard, and dividing 50 cases of acute leukemia patients into high MNF group ($MNF{\geq}7.15$‰) and low MNF group (MNF<7.15‰). The overall response (complete remission + partial remission) rates of the low MNF group were significantly higher than in the high MNF group (P=0.001). The high MNF group further showed lower overall survival rates than the low MNF group. MNF expression and progression-free survival seemed to have a opposite relationship, with a correlation coefficient of -0.702. These data indicate that MNF in peripheral blood lymphocytes is important for evaluation of prognosis of acute leukemia patients, and it can reflect progression of disease to a certain degree.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.319-329
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• 2023

Resistance to hypomethylating agents (HMAs) in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a concerning problem. Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) is a key cell cycle modulator and is known to be associated with an activation of the PI3K pathway, which is related to the stabilization of DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1), a target of HMAs. We investigated the effects of volasertib on HMA-resistant cell lines (MOLM/AZA-1 and MOLM/DEC-5) derived from MOLM-13, and bone marrow (BM) samples obtained from patients with MDS (BM blasts >5%) or AML evolved from MDS (MDS/AML). Volasertib effectively inhibited the proliferation of HMA-resistant cells with suppression of DNMTs and PI3K/AKT/mTOR and ERK pathways. Volasertib also showed significant inhibitory effects against primary BM cells from patients with MDS or MDS/AML, and the effects of volasertib inversely correlated with DNMT3B expression. The DNMT3B-overexpressed AML cells showed primary resistance to volasertib treatment. Our data suggest that volasertib has a potential role in overcoming HMA resistance in patients with MDS and MDS/AML by suppressing the expression of DNMT3 enzymes and PI3K/AKT/mTOR and ERK pathways. We also found that DNMT3B overexpression might be associated with resistance to volasertib.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.72 no.3
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• pp.284-292
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• 2012

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate therapeutic outcomes and assess factors associated with therapeutic outcomes in hematologic patients with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA). Methods: We analyzed all consecutive cases of IPA in adults with hematologic diseases from January 2008 to January 2009 at a Catholic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) Center in Seoul, Korea. Results: A total of 54 patients were identified. Underlying diseases were acute myelogenous leukemia (n=25), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (n=10), myelodysplastic syndrome (n=7), chronic myelogenous leukemia (n=3), multiple myeloma (n=3), severe aplastic anemia (n=2) and other hematologic diseases (n=4). Twenty six patients (48.2%) were assessed as having a favorable response, of which 16 patients (29.6%) showed complete response. Overall 12-week mortality and IPA attributable mortality were 38.9% (n=21) and 33.3% (n=18), respectively. In multivariate analysis, uncontrolled underlying disease (odds ratio [OR], 7.31; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.49~35.94; p=0.014) was associated with an unfavorable response, and for 12-week mortality, uncontrolled underlying disease (OR, 11.79; 95% CI, 1.49~93.46; p=0.020) and hypoalbuminemia (OR, 9.89; 95% CI, 1.42~68.99; p=0.021) were significantly poor prognostic factors. Conclusion: IPA still remains as a poor therapeutic outcome, especially in patients with refractory hematologic diseases.

• Communications for Statistical Applications and Methods
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.581-594
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• 2011

The traditional method of 3+3 standard design and model-based Bayesian continual reassessment method (CRM) are commonly used in Phase I clinical trials to identify the maximal tolerated dose(MTD) of a new drug. In this paper we review clinical examples of Phase I trials that were carried out in patients with refractory or relapsed leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome. The recently proposed 3+1+1 design and rolling-6 design can shorten the trial duration, when a very slow accrual of patients with a simple 3+3 standard design may result in the untimely termination of trials. Too conservative approaches in determining the dose levels in Phase I clinical trials can leave clinical investigators unable to accurately determine the MTD. When determining future patient doses, the designs that use a time-to-event CRM can cooperate late toxicities by accounting for the proportion of the observation period of each enrolled patient. With the CRM design, simulations under different scenarios during the trial are important in detecting the under- or over-estimation of the initial estimate of the dose-limiting toxicity rate for each dose level. We present the advantages and drawbacks of the designs used in Phase I clinical trials for leukemia patients.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.514-526
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• 2000

The active treatment phase in preparation for bone marrow transplantation(BMT) of che- motherapy regimen and total body irradiation (TBI) containing regimen requires considerable teaching. There have been researches that are related to treatment onto BMT patients and to psychological change during BMT process. However, it was hard to find researches focused on learning needs of patients undergoing BMT. The purpose of this study was to provide the basic data for effective educational program about BMT by investigating the learning needs in patients undergoing BMT. The subjects consisted of 90 BMT patients have been admitted to the department of BMT at three university hospitals. Data were obtained from October 1998 to March 1999 and analyzed by SAS program for unpaired t-test, ANOVA, Duncan test. The results were as follows : 1. Learning needs related to demographic characteristics was identified as below. That of male was higher than that of female. That of under age 29, unmarried, religious and university graduated group was higher than that of opposite group but it didn't show significant difference. Learning needs of group of patients who were employed was significantly higher then that of unemployed patients. 2. According to types of diagnosis, learning needs of myelodysplastic syndrome(MDS) patients was the higher than that of others, but admission frequency was the least. Learning needs of unrelated matched BMT(UBMT) patients was higher than that of autologous BMT patients. However, it didn't show significant difference. With regard to learning needs according to process of BMT, learning needs of Pre- BMT period or Post-BMT period was significantly higher than that of BMT day. 3. Learning needs related to BMT was relatively high (total mean: 3.11 of 4.0). The order of the mean score of leaning needs was shown as follows : Restricted activities after discharge, Relapse symptom, Complications of BMT, Kinds of available drugs at home. Therefore the learning needs that is related to life after discharge and to relapse and complications after BMT was high. 4. Learning needs related to radiation therapy was high (total mean: 3.35 of 4.0). The learning needs in radiation therapy items was the Skin care of radiation therapy and Purpose of radiation therapy. 5. Learning needs related to graft versus host disease(GVHD) therapy was high (total mean: 3.55 of 4.0). The highest learning needs in GVHD therapy items was the Preventive method GVHD. less admission frequency and UBMT patients. It is necessary that education for BMT patients should be focused on life after discharge and on relapse and complications after BMT. Especially education for allogeneic BMT patients should be emphasized on GVHD. For all of these, it is necessary to develop systematic and concrete educational program.