• Title/Summary/Keyword: Risk-Free Rate

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A Study on the Relationship Between Entrepreneur Characteristics and the Performance of Small Firms (창업자 특성과 소기업 사업성과 간 관계에 관한 연구)

  • Kim, Wan-Jae;Chung, Hwa-Young
    • Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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    • v.2 no.3
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    • pp.33-60
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    • 2007
  • This study alms to analyze the entrepreneur characteristics of founder on enterprise performance from the strategic viewpoint as well as features of founder of small firms such as background feature of founder, psychological features and management skill. As considered by Background features of founder include educational background of founder, his experience in business creation, consultation or course related to business creation. This study verified the effects of factor which business performance (financial, non financial) on small firms. Also, this study considered psychological features of founder include achievement desire, risk-free propensity, level of patience on vagueness and control position. And it analyzed that between such factors and performance of small firms were examined in related. In the mean time, management ability of founder, entrepreneur ability, technical and function ability were considered for management skill of founder and alalyzed effect of the factors on performance of small firm were examined. Effects of strategic intention of founder of small firm were analyzed by the strategic viewpoint. At this time, strategy of small firm was divided into product-service reform differentiation strategy, marketing differentiation strategy and cost leadership strategy. This study distributed questionnaire on CEO of small firms in Daejeon and Chungnam area for accomplish the study objective and it collected a total of 145 copies of questionnaires. As a result of analyzing collected questionnaire, this study deduced the following study results and suggestions. First, results different from those of existing studies were found Since sales, net income and profit rate of small firm were not high cause economic depression on the whole. Second, entrepreneur ability was found to be required for success of business creation. Entrepreneur ability of founder was the factor that affects both financial and non - financial performance of small firm. As such, entrepreneur ability can be regarded as the most important factor for success in business creation of small firm. Accordingly, entrepreneur ability is the most important source for success in business creation of small firm. Third, strategy of small firm was found to be the important factor that affects the non-financial performance even if it could not give significant effects on financial performance. Thus, product service reform differentiation strategy, marketing differentiation strategy and cost leadership strategy have significant effects on non - financial performance of small firm. Accordingly, it is required to operate small firm with strategic mind - set for small firm to achieve success. This study analyzed the effects of feature of founder and strategy of small firm on business performance of small firm through practical analysis on small firms in Daejeon and Chungnam area, and deduced meaningful results. However, Since this study collected data on small firms in Daejeon and Chungnam only, there is a limit in generalizing the results of this study to all small firms in Korea. Companies answering to this questionnaire process were mainly wholesale and retail service companies. In addition, there is a limit in that it failed to analyze feature of representative type of industry due to limit in number of sample, it is required to divide representative type of industry and to compare and analyze types of industry in future studies.

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Radiation Therapy and Chemotherapy after Breast Conserving Surgery for Invasive Breast Cancer: An Intermediate Result (침윤성 유방암에서 유방보존수술 후 방사선치료 및 항암화학 병용치료의 성적 및 위험인자 분석)

  • Lee, Seok-Ho;Choi, Jin-Ho;Lee, Young-Don;Park, Heoung-Kyu;Kim, Hyun-Young;Park, Se-Hoon;Lee, Kyu-Chan
    • Radiation Oncology Journal
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    • v.25 no.1
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    • pp.16-25
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    • 2007
  • [ $\underline{Purpose}$ ]: Breast conserving surgery (BCS) followed by chemotherapy (CTx.) and radiation therapy (RT) is widely performed for the treatment of early breast cancer. This retrospective study was undertaken to evaluate our interim results in terms of failure patterns, survival and relative risk factors. $\underline{Materials\;and\;Methods}$: From January 1999 through December 2003, 129 patients diagnosed with invasive breast cancer and treated with BCS followed by RT were subject to retrospective review. The median age of the patients was 45 years (age distribution, $27{\sim}76$ years). The proportions of patients according to their tumor, nodes, and metastases (TNM) stage were 65 (50.4%) in stage I, 41 (31.7%) in stage IIa, 13 (10.1%) in stage IIb, 9 (7.0%) in stage III, and 1 patient (0.8%) in stage IIIc. For 32 patients (24.8%), axillary node metastasis was found after dissection. BCS consisted of quadrantectomy in 115 patients (89.1%) and lumpectomy in 14 patients (10.6%). Axillary node dissection at axillary level I and II was performed for 120 patients (93%). For 7 patients (5.4%), only sentinel node dissection was performed with BCS. For 2 patients (1.6%) axillary dissection of any type was not performed. Postoperative RT was given with 6 MV X-rays. A tumor dose of 50.4 Gy was delivered to the entire breast area using a tangential field with a wedge compensator. An aditional dose of $9{\sim}16\;Gy$ was given to the primary tumor bed areas with electron beams. In 30 patients (23.3%), RT was delivered to the supraclavicular node. Most patients had adjuvant CTx. with $4{\sim}6$ cycles of CMF (cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil) regimens. The median follow-up period was 50 months (range: $17{\sim}93$ months). $\underline{Results}$: The actuarial 5 year survival rate (5Y-OSR) was 96.9%, and the 5 year disease free survival rate (5Y-DFSR) was 93.7%. Local recurrences were noted in 2 patients (true: 2, regional node: 1) as the first sign of recurrence at a mean time of 29.3 months after surgery. Five patients developed distant metastases as the first sign of recurrence at $6{\sim}33$ months (mean 21 months). Sites of distant metastatic sites were bone in 3 patients, liver in 1 patient and systemic lesions in 1 patient. Among the patients with distant metastatic sites, two patients died at 17 and 25 months during the follow-up period. According to stage, the 5Y-OSR was 95.5%, 100%, 84.6%, and 100% for stage I, IIa, IIb, and III respectively. The 5Y-DFSR was 96.8%, 92.7%, 76.9%, and 100% for stage I, IIa, IIb, and III respectively. Stage was the only risk factor for local recurrence based on univariate analysis. Ten stage III patients included in this analysis had a primary tumor size of less than 3 cm and had more than 4 axillary lymph node metastases. The 10 stage III patients received not only breast RT but also received posterior axillary boost RT to the supraclavicular node. During the median 53.3 months follow-up period, no any local or distant failure was found. Complications were asymptomatic radiation pneumonitis in 10 patients, symptomatic pneumonitis in 1 patient and lymphedema in 8 patients. $\underline{Conclusion}$: Although our follow up period is short, we had excellent local control and survival results and reaffirmed that BCS followed by RT and CTx. appears to be an adequate treatment method. These results also provide evidence that distant failure occurs earlier and more frequent as compared with local failure. Further studies and a longer follow-up period are needed to assess the effectiveness of BCS followed by RT for the patients with less than a 3 cm primary tumor and more than 4 axillary node metastases.

A Study on BRCA1/2 Mutations, Hormone Status and HER-2 Status in Korean Women with Early-onset Breast Cancer (젊은 한국인 유방암 환자에서 BRCA1/2 돌연변이와 호르몬 수용체, HER-2 상태에 관한 연구)

  • Choi, Doo-Ho;Jin, So-Young;Lee, Dong-Wha;Kim, Eun-Seog;Kim, Yong-Ho
    • Radiation Oncology Journal
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    • v.26 no.1
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    • pp.65-73
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    • 2008
  • Purpose: Women with breast cancer diagnosed at an age of 40 years or younger have a greater prevalence of germline BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations than the prevalence of women with breast cancer diagnosed at older ages. Several immunohistochemical characteristics have been identified in breast cancers from studies of Caucasian women with BRCA1/2 mutations having familial or early-onset breast cancers. The aim of this study is to determine whether early-onset breast cancer in BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation carriers, who were not selected from a family history, could be distinguished by the use of immunohistochemical methods and could be distinguished from breast cancer in women of a similar age without a germline BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation. We also analyzed the prognostic difference between BRCA1/2 related and BRCA1/2 non-related patients by the use of univariate and multivariate analysis. Materials and Methods: Breast cancer tissue specimens from Korean women with early-onset breast cancers were studied using a tumor tissue microarray. Immunohistochemical staining of estrogen receptor(ER), progesterone receptor(PR) and HER-2, as well as the histology and grade of these specimens, were compared. The prognostic impact of immunohistochemical and histological factors as well as the BRCA1/2 mutation status was investigated separately. Results: There were 14 cases and 16 deleterious BRCA1/2 mutations among 101 patients tested. A family history(4/14) and bilateral breast cancers(3/9) were high risk factors for BRCA1/2 mutations. BRCA1/2-associated cancers demonstrated more expression of ER-negative(19.4% versus 5.1%, p=0.038) and HER-2 negative than BRCA1/2 negative tumors, especially for tumors with BRCA1 tumors The BRCA1/2 mutation rate for patients with triple negative tumors(negative expression of ER, PR and HER-2) was 24.2%. Tumor size, nodal status, and HER-2 expression status were significantly associated with disease free survival, as determined by univariate and multivariate analysis, but the BRCA1/2 status was not a prognostic factor. Conclusion: Breast cancer that occurs in women with a germline BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations have recognizable immunohistochemical features, which may be useful in identifying individuals that are more likely to carry germline mutations. Although the BRCA1/2 mutation status was not a prognostic factor in Korean women with early-onset breast cancer, more cases with a longer follow-up period are needed for further study.