• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.13 no.4
• /
• pp.1533-1537
• /
• 2012

In general, breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women in developed as well as some developing countries, often being the second leading cause of cancer mortality after lung cancer. Using a parametric log-logistic model to consider the effects of prognostic factors, the present study focused on the 5-year survival of women with the diagnosis of breast cancer in Southern Iran. A total of 1,148 women who were diagnosed with primary invasive breast cancer from January 2001 to January 2005 were included and divided into three prognosis groups: poor, medium, and good. The survival times as well as the hazard rates of the three different groups were compared. The log-logistic model was employed as the best parametric model which could explain survival times. The hazard rates of the poor and the medium prognosis groups were respectively 13 and 3 times greater than in the good prognosis group. Also, the difference between the overall survival rates of the poor and the medium prognosis groups was highly significant in comparison to the good prognosis group. Use of the parametric log-logistic model - also a proportional odds model - allowed assessment of the natural process of the disease based on hazard and identification of trends.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
• /
• v.30 no.11
• /
• pp.17-23
• /
• 2014

In this study, the prognostic model for the prediction of the road surface temperature is developed using the surface energy balance theory. This model not only has a detailed micro meteorological physical attribute but also is able to accurately represent each surface energy budget. To verify the performance, the developed model output was compared with the German Weather Service (DWD)'s Energy Balance Model (EBM) output, which is based on the energy budget balance theory, and the observations. The simulated results by using both models are very similar to each other and are compatible with the observed data.

• Annals of Laboratory Medicine
• /
• v.38 no.6
• /
• pp.495-502
• /
• 2018

Background: Molecular genetic abnormalities are observed in over 90% of chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) cases. Recently, several studies have demonstrated the negative prognostic impact of ASXL1 mutations in CMML patients. We evaluated the prognostic impact of ASXL1 mutations and compared five CMML prognostic models in Korean patients with CMML. Methods: We analyzed data from 36 of 57 patients diagnosed as having CMML from January 2000 to March 2016. ASXL1 mutation analysis was performed by direct sequencing, and the clinical and laboratory features of patients were compared according to ASXL1 mutation status. Results: ASXL1 mutations were detected in 18 patients (50%). There were no significant differences between the clinical and laboratory characteristics of ASXL1-mutated ($ASXL1^+$) CMML and ASXL1-nonmutated ($ASXL1^-$) CMML patients (all P >0.05). During the median follow-up of 14 months (range, 0-111 months), the overall survival (OS) of $ASXL1^+$ CMML patients was significantly inferior to that of $ASXL1^-$ CMML patients with a median survival of 11 months and 19 months, respectively (log-rank P =0.049). An evaluation of OS according to the prognostic models demonstrated inferior survival in patients with a higher risk category according to the Mayo molecular model (log-rank P =0.001); the other scoring systems did not demonstrate a significant association with survival. Conclusions: We demonstrated that ASXL1 mutations, occurring in half of the Korean CMML patients examined, were associated with inferior survival. ASXL1 mutation status needs to be determined for risk stratification in CMML.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.12 no.9
• /
• pp.977-986
• /
• 2003

In this study, the scenario for a numerical modeling of the fine grid scale air dispersion phenomena was proposed and an analysis of the special event which was occurred on September 3, 2002 was performed using by a coarse grid prognostic meteorological model, a fine grid diagnostic meteorological model and a fine grid air dispersion model. Based on the results, we found that the local circulations, like as land-sea breeze, should be seriously considered for evaluating the high PM10 concentration event and for making the reduction policy of the major air pollutant emissions in Ansan area.

• Gut and Liver
• /
• v.12 no.6
• /
• pp.714-721
• /
• 2018

Background/Aims: Recently reported prognostic models for primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) have been shown to be effective in Western populations but have not been well-validated in Asian patients. This study aimed to compare the performance of prognostic models in Korean patients and to investigate whether inflammation-based scores can further help in prognosis prediction. Methods: This study included 271 consecutive patients diagnosed with PBC in Korea. The following prognostic models were evaluated: the Barcelona model, the Paris-I/II model, the Rotterdam criteria, the GLOBE score and the UK-PBC score. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) was analyzed with reference to its association with prognosis. Results: For predicting liver transplant or death at the 5-year and 10-year follow-up examinations, the UK-PBC score (areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUCs], 0.88 and 0.82) and GLOBE score (AUCs, 0.85 and 0.83) were significantly more accurate in predicting prognosis than the other scoring systems (all p<0.05). There was no significant difference between the performance of the UK-PBC and GLOBE scores. In addition to the prognostic models, a high NLR (>2.46) at baseline was an independent predictor of reduced transplant-free survival in the multivariate analysis (adjusted hazard ratio, 3.74; p<0.01). When the NLR was applied to the prognostic models, it significantly differentiated the prognosis of patients. Conclusions: The UK-PBC and GLOBE scores showed good prognostic performance in Korean patients with PBC. In addition, a high NLR was associated with a poorer prognosis. Including the NLR in prognostic models may further help to stratify patients with PBC.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.13 no.8
• /
• pp.3869-3872
• /
• 2012

Background: The majority of patients with gastric cancer in developing countries present with advanced disease. Systemic chemotherapy therefore has limited impact on overall survival. Patients eligible for chemotherapy should be selected carefully. The aim of this study was to analyze prognostic factors for survival in advanced gastric cancer patients undergoing first-line palliative chemotherapy. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 107 locally advanced or metastatic gastric cancer patients who were treated with docetaxel and cisplatin plus fluorouracil (DCF) as first-line treatment between June 2007 and August 2011. Twenty-eight potential prognostic variables were chosen for univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: Among the 28 variables of univariate analysis, nine variables were identified to have prognostic significance: performance status, histology, location of primary tumor, lung metastasis, peritoneum metastasis, ascites, hemoglobin, albumin, weight loss and bone metastasis. Multivariate analysis by Cox proportional hazard model, including nine prognostic significance factors evident in univariate analysis, revealed weight loss, histology, peritoneum metastasis, ascites and serum hemoglobin level to be independent variables. Conclusion: Performance status, weight loss, histology, peritoneum metastasis, ascites and serum hemoglobin level were identified as important prognostic factors in advanced gastric cancer patients. These findings may facilitate pretreatment prediction of survival and can be used for selecting patients for treatment.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.36 no.2
• /
• pp.95-102
• /
• 2018

Purpose: To evaluate the prognostic value of $^{18}F$-fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography (FDG PET) with computed tomography (CT) before and during radiotherapy (RT) in patients with head and neck cancer. Methods: Twenty patients with primary head and neck squamous cell carcinoma were enrolled in this study, of whom 6 had oropharyngeal cancer, 10 had hypopharyngeal cancer, and 4 had laryngeal cancer. Fifteen patients received concurrent cisplatin and 2 received concurrent cetuximab chemotherapy. FDG PET/CT was performed before RT and in the 4th week of RT. The parameters of maximum standardized uptake value, metabolic tumor volume, and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) of the primary tumor were measured, and the prognostic significance of each was analyzed with the Cox proportional hazards model. Results: Higher TLG (>19.0) on FDG PET/CT during RT was a poor prognostic factor for overall survival (OS) (p = 0.001) and progression-free survival (PFS) (p = 0.007). In the multivariate analysis, TLG during RT as a continuous variable was significantly associated with OS and PFS rate (p = 0.023 and p = 0.016, respectively). Tumor response worse than partial remission at 1 month after RT was another independent prognostic factor for PFS (p = 0.024). Conclusions: Higher TLG of the primary tumor on FDG PET/CT during RT was a poor prognostic factor for OS and PFS in patients with head and neck cancer.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.89-94
• /
• 2004

Purpose: There is no established treatment-related prognostic factor for gastric cancer except a curative tumor resection. This study was done to clarify the prognostic value of early postoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy (EPIC) in patients with serosa-positive gastric cancer. Materials and Methods: We analyzed retrospectively the postoperative survival data of 209 patients with serosapositive gastric cancer treated by surgery and chemotherapy. The survival period for patients was calculated from the date of resection until cancer-related death or the last date of follow-up; Kaplan-Meier survival curves were plotted and compared by using the log-rank test. A multivariate analysis was done by using the Cox proportional hazards model. Results: Statistically significant differences in survival rates were noted based on gender, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, stage, location of tumor, macroscopic type, extent of gastric resection, curability of surgery, and adjuvant chemotherapy. Five-year survival rates of patients who received EPIC and systemic chemotherapy were 49 per cent and 25 per cent, respectively (P=0.009). A multivariate analysis revealed that invasion of an adjacent organ, lymph node metastasis, total gastrectomy, and palliative surgery were poor independent prognostic factors. Also, EPIC had a marginal prognostic value (P=0.056). Conclusion: Perioperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy can possibly be one of the independent prognostic indicators in case of serosa-positive gastric cancer. (J Korean Gastric Cancer Assoc 2004;4:89-94)

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• v.5 no.2
• /
• pp.113-119
• /
• 2005

Purpose: Some controversies exist over the prognostic values of lymphatic, venous, and neural invasion in patients with gastric cancer. This study was conducted to confirm the prognostic values of these histopathologic factors in gastric cancer patients who received a gastrectomy. Materials and Methods: Data for clinicopathologic factors and clinical outcomes were collected retrospectively from the medical records of 1,018 gastric cancer patients who received a gastrectomy at Yeungnam University Medical Center between January 1995 and December 1999. A statistical analysis was done using the SPSS program for Windows (Version 10.0, SPSS Inc., USA). The Kaplan-Meier method was used for the survival analysis. Prognostic factors were analyzed by using a multivariate analysis with Cox proportional hazard regression model. Results: Ages ranged from 21 to 79 (median age, 56). A univariate analysis revealed that age, tumor size, location, gross type, depth of invasion, extent of gastrectomy or lymph node dissection, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, lymphatic invasion, venous invasion, neural invasion, pathologic stage, histologic type, and curability of surgery had statistical significance. Among these factors, lymph node metastasis, curability of surgery, neural invasion, lymphatic invasion, and depth of invasion were found to be independent prognostic factors by using a multivariate analysis. Venous invasion showed no prognostic value in the multivariate analysis. Conclusion: Neural invasion and lymphatic invasion are useful parameters in determining a prognosis for gastric cancer patients.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.72 no.1
• /
• pp.15-23
• /
• 2012

Background: The survival of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with brain metastases is reported to be 3~6 months even with aggressive treatment. Some patients have very short survival after aggressive treatment and reliable prognostic scoring systems for patients with cancer have a strong correlation with outcome, often supporting decision making and treatment recommendations. Methods: A total of one hundred twenty two NSCLC patients with brain metastases who received gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS) were analyzed. Survival analysis was calculated in all patients for thirteen available prognostic factors and four prognostic scoring systems: score index for radiosurgery (SIR), recursive partitioning analysis (RPA), graded prognostic assessment (GPA), and basic score for brain metastases (BSBM). Results: Age, Karnofsky performance status, largest brain lesion volume, systemic chemotherapy, primary tumor control, and medication of epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor were statistically independent prognostic factors for survival. A multivariate model of SIR and RPA identified significant differences between each group of scores. We found that three-tiered indices such as SIR and RPA are more useful than four-tiered scoring systems (GPA and BSBM). Conclusion: There is little value of RPA class III (most unfavorable group) for the same results of 6-month and 1-year survival rate. Thus, SIR is the most useful index to sort out patients with poorer prognosis. Further prospective trials should be performed to develop a new molecular- and gene-based prognostic index model.