• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.9
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• pp.3703-3708
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• 2015

Background: The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a strong predictor of mortality in patients with colorectal, lung, gastric cancer, pancreatic and metastatic renal cell carcinoma. We here evaluated whether preoperative NLR is an independent prognostic factor for non-metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Materials and Methods: Data from 327 patients who underwent curative or palliative nephrectomy were evaluated retrospectively. In preoperative blood routine examination, neutrophils and lymphocytes were obtained. The predictive value of NLR for non-metastatic RCC was analyzed. Results: The NLR of 327 patients was $2.72{\pm}2.25$. NLR <1.7 and NLR ${\geq}1.7$ were classified as low and high NLR groups, respectively. Chi-square test showed that the preoperative NLR was significantly correlated with the tumor size (P=0.025), but not with the histological subtype (P=0.095)and the pT stage (P=0.283). Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Effects of NLR on OS (P=0.007) and DFS (P=0.011) were significant. To evaluate the independent prognostic significance of NLR, multivariate COX regression models were applied and identified increased NLR as an independent prognostic factor for OS (P=0.015), and DFS (P=0.019). Conclusions: Regarding patient survival, an increased NLR represented an independent risk factor, which might reflect a higher risk for severe cardiovascular and other comorbidities. An elevated blood NLR may be a biomarker of poor OS and DFS in patients with non-metastatic RCC.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.131-137
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• 2013

Purpose: We evaluated treatment outcomes of thymic carcinomas to determine prognostic factors for survival. Materials and Methods: Between May 1988 and May 2009, 41 patients had pathologic diagnosis of thymic carcinoma in Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea. Of these, 40 patients were followed up to 188 months after treatment. The mean age of all patients was 58.3 years and male to female ratio was 23 to 17. Results: Among 30 patients who underwent surgical resection, 26 achieved R0 resection and postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) was performed in 22 patients (73%). Various chemotherapeutic regimens were given with local treatment modalities, surgery and/or radiotherapy, in 12 patients. The 5-year locoregional control (LRC), distant metastasis-free survival, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival were 79.4%, 53.0%, 42.6%, and 63.6%, respectively. Patients with Masaoka stage I or II showed excellent prognosis of 5-year PFS around 90%. In advanced stages, invasion of the great vessels or atrium by thymic carcinomas was negative prognostic factor for PFS in univariate analysis. Lymph node involvement was statistically significant factor for LRC and PFS. Local or regional recurrence was infrequent after surgical resection followed by PORT, while distant metastasis was the major component of treatment failure. Conclusion: Complete resection followed by PORT provided remarkable local control without severe acute toxicities in patients with stage II and favorable stage III thymic carcinoma. Invasion of the great vessels or atrium was statistically significant prognostic factor for PFS.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.7
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• pp.4195-4198
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• 2013

Background and Objective: Though researched for years, the prognostic role of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-$1{\alpha}$) in gastric cancer is still controversial. We thus undertook a systematic review to assess the relationship. Method: A systematically literature search of Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science, China Biological Medicine Disc and Cochrane Library was undertaken in February 2013, and the reference lists of articles were retrieved. Results: 12 trials (1,555 participants) were included to assess the association between HIF-$1{\alpha}$ expression and survival. Summary hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated. HIF-$1{\alpha}$ expression was significantly correlated with poor overall survival of gastric cancer patients (HR=1.34, 95%CI: 1.13-1.58; P=0.0009), but not with poor disease free survival of gastric cancer patients (HR=1.67, 95%CI: 0.99-2.82; P=0.06). Conclusion: HIF-$1{\alpha}$ was associated with poor OS, but not DFS, especially for Asian patients. But studies evaluating relationships of HIF-$1{\alpha}$ with OS and DFS in non-Asian gastric cancer patients appear needed.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Oncology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.116-119
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• 2018

Purpose: This study assessed the effect of chemotherapy over stage II colon cancer in terms of presence of high-risk factors. Methods: Data were retrospectively reviewed for 364 patients with stage II colon cancer who underwent curative surgery between January 2007 and December 2012. High-risk factors of stage II colon cancer were examined, and the overall survival (OS) rates were analyzed. Survival benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy was also analyzed. Results: One hundred and fifteen cases had exclusively single high-risk factor and 194 cases were negative for high-risk factors. Postoperative chemotherapy was performed in 262 of 364 patients (72.0%). The 5-year OS was 79.4% and 86.6% for patients without adjuvant chemotherapy and those with chemotherapy, respectively. The 5-year OS was 88.2% and 83.3% for patients having exclusively single high-risk factor with adjuvant chemotherapy and those without chemotherapy, respectively. Conclusion: Adjuvant chemotherapy for patients with stage II colon cancer having exclusively single high-risk factor could be omitted, weighing up the survival benefit and side effect of chemotherapy.

• Journal of Pathology and Translational Medicine
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.386-395
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• 2018

Background: Previous studies on synchronous colorectal carcinoma (SCRC) have reported inconsistent results about its clinicopathologic and molecular features and prognostic significance. Methods: Forty-six patients with multiple advanced tumors (T2 or higher category) who did not receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy and who are not associated with familial adenomatous polyposis were selected and 99 tumors from them were subjected to clinicopathologic and molecular analysis. Ninety-two cases of solitary colorectal carcinoma (CRC) were selected as a control considering the distributions of types of surgeries performed on patients with SCRC and T categories of individual tumors from SCRC. Results: SCRC with multiple advanced tumors was significantly associated with more frequent nodal metastasis (p=.003) and distant metastasis (p=.001) than solitary CRC. KRAS mutation, microsatellite instability, and CpG island methylator phenotype statuses were not different between SCRC and solitary CRC groups. In univariate survival analysis, overall and recurrence-free survival were significantly lower in patients with SCRC than in patients with solitary CRC, even after adjusting for the extensiveness of surgical procedure, adjuvant chemotherapy, or staging. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that tumor multiplicity was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (hazard ratio, 4.618; 95% confidence interval, 2.126 to 10.030; p<.001), but not for recurrence-free survival (p=.151). Conclusions: Findings suggested that multiplicity of advanced T category-tumors might be associated with an increased risk of nodal metastasis and a risk factor for poor survival, which raises a concern about the guideline of American Joint Committee on Cancer's tumor-node-metastasis staging that T staging of an index tumor determines T staging of SCRC.

• The Journal of the Korean bone and joint tumor society
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.89-97
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• 1997

Twenty hundred and five out of 266 patients who were registered in Korea Cancer Center Hospital from Mar. 1985 to Jan. 1994, were analyzed in the aspect of survival and local recurrence. Fifty one patients were excluded due to inadequate data and follow up. Prognostic factors for survival were evaluated statistically. One hundred and four cases were male, 101 female. Average age was 39.7(range 1 to 77) year with a peak incidence around 4th decade. The most frequent diagnosis was malignant fibrous histiocytoma(MFH)(24.1%). Liposarcoma, synovial sarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor and fibrosarcoma were relatively common diagnostic entities, in decreasing order. In location, extremity was 179(87.3%) and trunk 26(12.7%). Average follow up period was 7.5 years(6 months to 10 years). Actuarial 5 years and 10 years survival rate were 64.0% and 40.8% respectively. In univariate analysis with log-lank test, significant differences in survival rate were noted in histopathological diagnosis, size(10 cm), stage and metastasis. Age, sex, tumor location, tumor depth and local recurrence didn't affect the survival rate. Adjuvant chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy did not affect overall survival rate, but lowered the local recurrence rate when compared with surgery only. Surgical margin did not affect the survival rate, but local recurrence rate was different according to each margin; 5.7% in more than wide; 39.5% in marginal; and 60.0% in intralesional excision. In multivariate analysis for results of univariate analysis with Cox's propotional model, metastasis was a meaningful factor for survival of soft tissue sarcoma.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.212-218
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• 2010

An accurate system for predicting the survival of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) will be useful for selecting appropriate therapies. A nomogram for predicting survival was constructed from 96 patients with primary OSCC who underwent surgical resection between January 1994 and June 2003 at the Yonsei Dental Hospital in Seoul, Korea. We performed univariate and multivariate Cox regression to identify survival prognostic factors. For the early stage patients group, the nomogram was able to predict the 5 and 10 year survival from OSCC with a concordance index of 0.72. The total point assigned by the nomogram was a significant factor for predicting survival. This nomogram was able to accurately predict the survival after treatment of an individual patient with OSCC and may have practical utility for deciding adjuvant treatment.

• Journal of Korean Traditional Oncology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2012

Objective : The association of cancer survival and components of the systemic inflammatory response, combined to form inflammation-based prognostic scores (modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS), Neutrophil Lymphocyte Ratio, Platelet Lymphocyte Ratio) is reviewed in this article. Methods and Results : With extensive research of papers in the PubMed, there is good evidence that preoperative measures of the systemic inflammatory response predict cancer survival, independent of tumor stage, in primary operable cancer. GPS also shows its prognostic value as a predictor of survival, independent of tumor stage, performance status and treatment in a variety of advanced cancer. GPS is associated with chemotherapy related toxicities as well as response to treatment and C-reactive protein shows its clinical value as a monitor of chemotherapy response. The systemic inflammatory response is closely related to cachexia and may be suitable measure for the clinical definition of cancer cachexia. Conclusion : Anticipated survival using the inflammation-based prognostic score is a major factor to be taken into consideration when deciding whether active intervention including surgery and chemotherapy or palliation therapy including acupuncture and herb medication is appropriate.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.1309-1312
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• 2016

Inflammation can play an important role in cancer progression and the prognostic importance of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), a marker of inflammation, in cancer is a current investigation topic. In the present study, we aimed to determine whether there is a prognostic link between NLR and metastatic gastric cancer (mGC). A total of 143 patients from the Akdeniz University and Antalya Training and Research Hospital database were retrospectively analyzed. The median NLR value was 3.34. The median overall survival (OS) and median progression-free survival (PFS) were 11.6 and 7.9 months, respectively, in patients with NLR<3.34 while these values were 8.3 and 6.2 months respectively in patients with NLR>3.34 (p<0.001 and p=0.011, respectively). Our study showed that increased NLR is an independent prognostic factor associated with short survival in patients with mGC.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.1123-1127
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• 2016

Chemotherapy is the primary treatment for advanced and recurrent cervical cancer. To evaluate the survival outcomes of chemotherapy and the prognostic factors in this setting, we conducted a retrospective study by reviewing the medical records of advanced and recurrent cervical cancer patients treated with systemic chemotherapy at our institute between January, 2008 and December, 2014. One hundred and seventy-three patients met the criteria with a mean age of 50.9 years. 4.1% of them were HIV positive. The most common initial stage was stage IVB (30.1%) and the most common histology was squamous cell carcinoma (68.6%). Ninety-two (53.2%) patients were previously treated with concurrent chemoradiation with 53% developing combined sites of recurrence. The median recurrence free interval was 16.7 months. Cisplatin + 5 fluorouracil (5FU) (53.2%) was the most frequent first line chemotherapy followed by carboplatin + paclitaxel (20.2%) with an objective response of 39.3%. Seventy-two patients received subsequent chemotherapy. The median overall survival of all studied patients was 13.2 months. Only a recurrence free interval of less than 12 months was an independent prognostic factor for survival outcome. In conclusion, chemotherapy treatment for advanced and recurrent cervical cancer patients showed modest efficacy with a shorter recurrence free survival less than 12 months as a significant poor prognosis factor.