• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.743-746
• /
• 2013

Background: Some studies have indicated an inverse relationship between cancer risk and sunlight exposure. Others have reported that the prognosis of some cancers such as prostate, colon, ovarian and non melanoma skin cancer, were affected by the season in which the cancer was diagnosed. In our study, we evaluated whether season is prognostic in Turkish patients with breast cancer. Materials and Methods: A total of 517 patients from Kayseri Training and Research Hospital were analysed retrospectively. Patients were divided into 4 groups according to season of cancer diagnosis: winter, spring, summer and autumn. The prognostic factors for disease free survival and overall survival were investigated. Results: No significant differences were found among groups regarding prognostic factors overall. Only estrogen receptor status and lymphovascular invasion were independent prognostic factors (p=0.001 and p=0.001 respectively). We found significantly differences for mean disease free survival among groups (p=0.019). Winter group had better mean DFS while summer group had worse DFS. Mean overall survival was similar in the four groups (p=0.637). Conclusions: The season is not an independent predictive factor. However, due to interaction with other factors, we think that the season of cancer diagnosis is important for cancer prognosis.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.149-155
• /
• 2017

Cerebral palsy is a non-progressive disorder resulting from central nervous system damage caused by multiple factors. Almost all cerebral palsy patients have a movement disorder that makes dental treatment difficult. Oral hygiene management is difficult and the risks for periodontitis, dental caries and loss of multiple teeth are high. Placement of dental implants for multiple missing teeth in cerebral palsy patients needs multiple rounds of general anesthesia, and the prognosis is poor despite the expense. Therefore, making the decision to perform multiple dental implant treatments on cerebral palsy patients is difficult. A 33-year-old female patient with cerebral palsy and mental retardation was scheduled for multiple implant treatments. She underwent computed tomography (CT) under sedation and the operation of nine dental implants under general anesthesia. Implant-supported fixed prosthesis treatment was completed. During follow-up, she had the anterior incisors extracted and underwent the surgery of 3 additional dental implants, completing the prosthetic treatment. Although oral parafunctions existed due to cerebral palsy, no implant failure was observed 9 years after the first implant surgery.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.11-16
• /
• 2014

Accurate diagnosis and proper monitoring of cancer patients remain important obstacles for successful cancer treatment. The search for cancer biomarkers can aid in more accurate prediction of clinical outcome and may also reveal novel predictive factors and therapeutic targets. One such prognostic marker seems to be FOXA1. Many studies have shown that FOXA1 is strongly expressed in a vast majority of cancers, including breast cancer, in which high expression is associated with a good prognosis. In this review, we summarize the role of this transcription factor in the development and prognosis of breast cancer in the hope of providing insights into utility of FOXA1 as a novel biomarker.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• v.10 no.4
• /
• pp.196-205
• /
• 2010

Purpose: We did a retrospective study to understand the prognostic effects of preoperative blood transfusions in stomach cancer surgery. Materials and Methods: Data for 1,360 patients who underwent gastrectomy for stomach cancer between 2001 and 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. We analyzed factors that affect preoperative transfusion and clinicopathologic features. We also analyzed 5-year and overall survival rates of the transfusion and non transfusion subgroups. Results: Sixty patients (4.4%) required blood transfusion within the preoperative period. The transfused group included patients who took aspirin or clopidogrel (P<0.001), with more advanced T stages (P<0.001), with more advanced nodal metastasis (P=0.00), and with more advanced stages (P=0.00) than the non transfusion group. On multivariate analysis, preoperative transfusion was a statistically significant negative influence on 5-year survival and overall survival rates (58.2% vs 79.9% (P=0.00), 58.2% vs 76.8% (P=0.00)). Applying Cox-regression analyses, blood transfusion did appear to have an effect on prognosis and on 5-year and overall survival rates. Conclusions: We found a direct negative relation between preoperative transfusion and long term prognosis in patients receiving gastric cancer surgery.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.65 no.1
• /
• pp.21-28
• /
• 2022

Crohn disease (CD) is a multifactorial inflammatory disorder that can affect all segments of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract but typically involves the ileum and/or colon. To assess patient prognosis and choose appropriate treatment, it is necessary to accurately evaluate the factors influencing poor outcomes, including disease phenotype. Pediatric CD involving the upper GI (UGI) tract has become increasingly recognized with the introduction of routine upper endoscopy with biopsies for all patients and the increased availability of accurate small bowel evaluations. Most clinical manifestations are mild and nonspecific; however, UGI involvement should not be overlooked since it can cause serious complications. Although controversy persists about the definition of upper GI involvement, aphthoid ulcers, longitudinal ulcers, a bamboo joint-like appearance, stenosis, and fistula are endoscopic findings suggestive of CD. In addition, the primary histological findings, such as focally enhanced gastritis and noncaseating granulomas, are highly suggestive of CD. The association between UGI involvement and poor prognosis of CD remains controversial. However, the unstandardized definition and absence of a validated tool for evaluating disease severity complicate the objective assessment of UGI involvement in CD. Therefore, more prospective studies are needed to provide further insight into the standardized assessment of UGI involvement and long-term prognosis of CD. Our review summarizes the findings to date in the literature as well as UGI involvement in CD and its clinical implications.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.76 no.2
• /
• pp.53-58
• /
• 2014

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common airway disease that has considerable impact on disease burdens and mortality rates. A large number of articles on COPD are published within the last few years. Many aspects on COPD ranging from risk factors to management have continued to be fertile fields of investigation. This review summarizes 6 clinical articles with regards to the risk factors, phenotype, assessment, exacerbation, management and prognosis of patients with COPD which were being published last year in major medical journals.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• v.2 no.3
• /
• pp.157-162
• /
• 2002

Purpose: The prognosis of stage IV gastric cancer is very grave. However, some of these patients survive long periods after surgery. This study was undertaken to investigate various clinico-pathological profiles related to the prognosis for these long-term survivors. Materials and Methods: One hundred fifty-five patients with stage IV gastric cancer who underwent a gastric resection from 1992 to 1997 at Hanyang University Hospital were evaluated. Thirty-three patients who survived more than 5 years after surgery were designated as long-term survivors (LTS); on the other hand, one hundred twenty-two patients who died within 5 years after surgery were named as short-term survivors (STS). Results: The rate of the patients with T4, preoperative serum level of CA19-9 greater than 37 U/g protein, and peritoneal dissemination was lower for the LTS than in for the STS (P=0.002, P=0.045, and P=0.0000, respectively). Tumors were smaller (7.3 cm vs. 8.9 cm, P=0.030) and metastatic lymph node were fewer (19.7 vs. 28.8, P=0.019) for the LTS than for the STS. Curative surgery ($\76\%\;vs.\;\46\%$, P=0.002) and a subtotal gastrectomy ($\76\%\;vs.\;46\%$, P=0.026) were performed more frequently for the LTS than for the STS. From a univariate survival analysis, depth of invasion, distant metastasis, extent of gastric resection, postoperative chemotherapy, and curability were statistically significant factors. From a multivariate survival analysis, curability, depth of invasion, and extent of gastric resection were independent prognostic factors. Conclusions: If feasible, we have to exert our efforts to achieve curative surgery although the tumor is considered to be a stage IV gastric cancer. Thereafter, multi-modality treatments including chemotherapy can be considered to improve the prognosis.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
• /
• v.36 no.3
• /
• pp.299-305
• /
• 2009

Purpose: Recently, the incidence of malignant melanoma has been steadily increasing. Malignant melanoma is already known to have poorer prognosis than other primary skin cancers. Despite the poor prognosis, it is relatively less known to the public so that a number of patients visit hospital carrying advanced stage tumor. Yet, extensive study about malignant melanoma is currently insufficient, and specific guidelines and statistical figures in Korea are almost inexistent. Therefore, authors reviewed patients with malignant melanoma who have visited our hospital for last 14 years. Methods: Between January 1994 and January 2008, 62 patients were diagnosed with malignant melanoma at our hospital. A retrospective study was performed with data from patients' charts and biopsy results. Annual incidence, mean age of onset, gender, tumor location, tumor thickness, pathologic ulceration, clinicopathologic subtype, and clinical AJCC stage were evaluated. Analysis of factors associated with survival were performed using the Cox proportional hazard model. Kaplan - Meier method was used to generate survival curves. Results: Clinicopathologic features of 62 patients (32 male, 30 female) with average age of 57 years were evaluated. Most lesions were found in lower limb, and the most common subtype was acral lentiginous melanoma. We could also find that age, tumor thickness, and clinical stage were the only significant prognostic factors. Conclusion: Clinicopathologic features of malignant melanoma were analyzed in this study, but the result is not ready to be generalized because the number of cases is too small. Further study must be performed to report clinical guidelines for prognosis and treatment for malignant melanoma patients in Korea.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.29 no.10
• /
• pp.1322-1327
• /
• 2000

Objectives : To assess the surgical results for patients with multiple intracranial aneurysms and factors related to prognosis of patients. Materials and Methods : We retrospectively analyzed the clinical characteristics of 47 patients with multiple intracranial aneurysms and assessed the types of surgical treatment and prognosis of 44 patients who received surgical treatment from January 1986 to March 1999. Results : The 47 patients presented altogether 108 aneurysms with male to female ratio of 1 : 3.7, and average age 54.9 years(range 33-81 years). Common locations for multiple aneurysms were P-com(31%), MCA(30%) and Acom( 15%). The postoperative good and poor outcomes were 30 cases(68%) and 11 cases(25%), respectively and there were 3 deaths(7%). The analyzed results for 44 surgically treated patients were as follows ; 1) The size of aneurysm was relevant to frequency of rupture ; the lowest for lesions less than 1cm(21%), rising to 85% for lesions greater than 3cm(p<0.05). 2) The surgical outcome was significantly correlated with preoperative clinical status of the patients(p<0.05). 3) The good outcome was associated with surgery within 7 days(especially 24 hours) after clinical onset of symptoms but not with type of operation and laterality of aneurysms. Conclusion : With regard to the surgical treatment for multiple aneurysm cases, surgeons should consider the salient factors in a good prognosis such as patient's preoperative status, size of aneurysm, timing of surgery, and type of operation.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.4
• /
• pp.1627-1632
• /
• 2014

Background: Several studies indicated that the diagnosis season affects the prognosis of some cancers, such as examples in the prostate, colon and breast. This retrospective study aimed to investigate whether the diagnosis and recurrent season impacts the prognosis of epithelial ovarian cancer patients. Methods: From January 2005 to August 2010, 161 epithelial ovarian cancer patients were analyzed and followed up until August 2013. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and the log-rank test were used to make the survival analysis. Multivariate analysis was conducted to identify independent prognostic factors. Results: The prognostic factors of overall survival in epithelial ovarian cancer patients included age, clinical stage, pathological type, histological grade, residual disease after primary surgery, recurrent season and adjuvant chemotherapy cycles. Moreover, clinical stage, histological grade, residual disease after primary surgery, recurrent season and adjuvant chemotherapy cycles also impacted the progression-free survival of epithelial ovarian cancer patients. The diagnosis season did not have a significantly relationship with the survival of operable epithelial ovarian cancer patients. Median overall survival of patients with recurrent month from April to November was 47 months, which was longer (P < 0.001) than that of patients with recurrence month from December to March (19 months). Median progression-free survival of patients with recurrence month from April to November and December to March was 20 and 8 months, respectively (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The recurrence season impacts the survival of epithelial ovarian cancer patients. However, the diagnosed season does not appear to exert a significant influence.