• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제17권3호
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• pp.1149-1155
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• 2016

Background: Examination of sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsies provides accurate nodal staging for breast cancer and plays a key role in patient management. Procurement of SLNs and the methods used to process specimens are equally important. Increasing the level of detail in histopathological examination of SLNs increases detection of metastatic tumours but will also increase the burden of busy laboratories and thus may not be carried out routinely. Recommendation of a reasonable standard in SLN examination is required to ensure high sensitivity of results while maintaining a manageable practice workload. Materials and Methods: Twenty-four patients with clinically node-negative breast cancer were recruited. Combined radiotracer and blue dye methods were used for identification of SLNs. The nodes were thinly sliced and embedded. Serial sectioning and immunohistochemical (IHC) staining against AE1/AE3 were performed if initial H&E sections of the blocks were negative. Results: SLNs were successfully identified in all patients. Ten cases had nodal metastases with 7 detected in SLNs and 3 detected only in axillary nodes (false negative rate, FNR=30%). Some 5 out of 7 metastatic lesions in the SLNs (71.4%) were detected in initial sections of the thinly sliced tissue. Serial sectioning detected the remaining two cases with either micrometastases or isolated tumour cells (ITC). Conclusions: Thin slicing of tissue to 3-5mm thickness and serial sectioning improved the detection of micro and macro-metastases but the additional burden of serial sectioning gave low yield of micrometastases or ITC and may not be cost effective. IHC validation did not further increase sensitivity of detection. Therefore its use should only be limited to confirmation of suspicious lesions. False negative cases where SLNs were not involved could be due to skipped metastases to non-sentinel nodes or poor technique during procurement, resulting in missed detection of actual SLNs.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• 제18권1호
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• pp.20-29
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• 2018

Purpose: Pre-operative lymph node (LN) size is a valuable parameter for determining treatment strategy for gastric cancer. However, a correlation between LN size and metastasis has not been established. Materials and Methods: Thirty-six LN-positive (LNP) and matched 36 LN-negative (LNN) patients were included, and pathology slides of the LNs of these patients were reviewed. All the LNs were measured along the long-axis (LA) and short-axis (SA), manually. Results: Average retrieved LNs were $37.3{\pm}19.8$ and $40.5{\pm}11.6$ in the LNN and LNP groups, respectively. In total 2,800 LNs, including 136 metastatic LNs (MLNs) and 2,664 non-metastatic LNs (nMLNs), were evaluated. Mean length was significantly more in MLNs along both, the LA and SA (MLN_LA vs. nMLN_LA: $4.97{\pm}3.84$ vs. $3.37{\pm}2.40mm$, MLN_SA vs. nMLN_SA: $3.86{\pm}3.19$ vs. $2.43{\pm}1.59mm$; P<0.001). However, 92.6% (126/136) and 95.6% (130/136) of MLNs were <10 mm along the LA and SA, respectively. In addition, only 22.2% of the LNP group exhibited an MLN as the largest LN. Conclusions: Pre-operative multi-detector computed tomography has limited ability in estimating the presence of metastasis in LNs because most MLNs are less than 10 mm, and only a small proportion of the LNP group exhibits an MLN as the largest MLN.

• 대한종양외과학회지
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.120-127
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• 2018

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the immunologic role of lymph node (LN) and stage migration by assessing LN count and metastatic LN count. Methods: A total of 2,117 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma located in the body and antrum who underwent distal/subtotal gastrectomy with D2 LN dissection between January 1, 1998 and December 31, 2008 were enrolled. LN count and number of metastases were determined in the N1 tier (area of D1 dissection) and N2 tier (area of D2 dissection). The lower and upper quartiles of LN counts in the same pN stage were grouped to compare the prognosis and LN positivity according to the LN tier. Results: Stage migration from N1 tier to N2 tier occurred in 3.2% of cases. The 5-year disease-specific survival rates of the upper and lower LN count groups within the N1 tier were 91.0% and 86.7% (P=0.01), respectively. LN positivity in the N2 tier of the lower LN count group was higher than that of the upper LN count group (14.1% vs. 8.2%, P<0.01). Stage migration in the N2 tier of the lower LN count group was also higher than that of the upper LN count group (4.6% vs. 1.8%, P<0.01). Conclusion: The lower LN count group had a decreased survival rate compared to that of the upper LN count group, suggesting that perigastric LN has an immunological defense role in weakening the disseminating power of metastatic tumor cells, as indicated by the LN count.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• 제21권5호
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• pp.598-604
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• 2020

Objective: Proper management of lymph nodes (LNs) with ultrasonographic (US) indeterminate features in thyroid cancer patients remains elusive. We aimed to evaluate the malignancy risk and US findings predictive of malignancy for US indeterminate LNs in preoperative thyroid cancer patients through node-by-node correlation. Materials and Methods: A total of 348 LNs in 284 thyroid cancer patients, who underwent fine-needle aspiration or core-needle biopsy between December 2006 and June 2015, were included. We determined the malignancy risks for US probably benign, indeterminate, and suspicious categories. For US indeterminate LNs, which had neither echogenic hilum nor hilar vascularity in the absence of any suspicious finding, US findings were compared between benign and metastatic LNs using Mann-Whitney U test and Fisher's exact test. Results: US imaging diagnoses were probably benign in 20.7% (n = 72) cases, indeterminate in 23.6% (n = 82), and suspicious in 55.7% (n = 194). Malignancy risk of US indeterminate LNs (19.5% [16/82]) differed from those of the US probably benign (2.8% [2/72]) (p = 0.002) and US suspicious LNs (78.4% [152/194]) (p < 0.001). Among US indeterminate LNs, there were no significant differences in short, long, and long-to-short diameter (L/S) ratios between benign and metastatic LNs (3.9 vs. 3.8 mm, p = 0.619; 7.3 vs. 7.3 mm, p = 0.590; 1.9 vs. 1.9, p = 0.652). Conclusion: US indeterminate LNs were frequently encountered during preoperative evaluation and had intermediate malignancy risk. Given the lack of discriminative power of size criteria and L/S ratio, clinical factors such as surgical strategy and node size should be considered for proper triage of US indeterminate LNs in thyroid cancer.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• 제21권12호
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• pp.1355-1366
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• 2020

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value and prognostic relevance of FDG positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET-CT) in extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma patients. Materials and Methods: This study included 234 extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma patients who underwent FDG PET-CT between June 2008 and February 2016. The diagnostic performance of FDG PEG-CT was compared to that of contrast-enhanced multidetector row CT (MDCT) and MRI. Independent prognosticators for poor survival were also assessed. Results: The sensitivity of FDG PET-CT for detecting primary tumor and regional lymph node metastases was lower than that of MDCT or MRI (p < 0.001), whereas the specificity and positive predictive value for detecting regional lymph nodes metastases was significantly better in FDG PET-CT compared to MDCT and MRI (all p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the diagnostic yield of distant metastases detection among three diagnostic imaging techniques. In a multivariate analysis, maximum standardized uptake values (SUV_max) of the primary tumor (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.75; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13-2.69) and of the metastatic lesions ≥ 5 (adjusted HR, 8.10; 95% CI, 1.96-33.5) were independent contributors to poor overall survival in extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma patients. In a subgroup analysis of 187 patients with periductal infiltrating type of cholangiocarcinoma, an SUV_max of the primary tumor ≥ 5 was associated with an increased risk of regional lymph node (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.60; 95% CI, 0.55-4.63) and distant metastases (adjusted OR, 100.57; 95% CI, 3.94-2567.43) at diagnosis as well as with poor overall survival (adjusted HR, 1.81; 95% CI, 1.04-3.15). Conclusion: FDG PET-CT showed lower sensitivity for detecting primary tumor and regional lymph node involvement than MDCT and MRI. However, the SUV_max of primary tumors and metastatic lesions derived from FDG PET-CT could have significant implications for predicting prognoses in extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma patients.

• 대한암한의학회지
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• 제19권1호
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• pp.33-41
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• 2014

This report is aimed to investigate the effect of Integrative Medicine Therapy (IMT) in treating metastasized ovary and endometrial cancer. A 51-year-old woman who was diagnosed double primary ovarian and endometrial cancer in 2009. The patient was treated with Laparoscopic Assisted Vaginal Hysterectomy (LAVH), Bilateral Salpingo Oophorectomy (BSO) Pelvic Lymph Node Dissection (PLND), adjuvant chemotherapy till Sep. in 2013. But metastases to Rt. External Iliac artery, Aortocaval area Lymph Nodes, Liver(caudate lobe), Rt. Buttock subcutaneous area, Lt. Gastric Area Lymph Nodes were found. Finally, the patient decided to be treated by IMT including Abnoba Viscum, Vitamin C, herbal medication and pharmacopuncture combined with chemotherapy. The efficacy was evaluated with Positron Emission Tomography and Computed Tomography (PET-CT) and Abdomen Computed Tomography (CT). The metastatic tumor in liver was disappeared and Rt. external iliac artery, aortocaval area Lymph Nodes, Rt. buttock subcutaneous area were also decreased after 6 months treatment. These results suggest that IMT may have a potential role for metastatic cancer.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• 제33권3호
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• pp.199-203
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• 2007

Several matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have been shown to play an important role in the invasion and metastasis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The members of the TGF-$\beta$ signaling pathway are being considered as predictive biomarkers for progressive tumorigenesis and molecular targets for the prevention and the treatment of cancer and metastasis. The aim of the present study was to find the clinical significance of the expression of TGF-${\beta}1$ and MMP-2 related to the regional lymph node metastasis in OSCC. This study included 76 cases of primary OSCC, of which 42 cases showed regional lymph node metastases. Immunohistochemistry was used for the localization of protein. The relation between the expression of each protein and clinical variables was statistically evaluated. In results, the expression of TGF-${\beta}1$ both main mass with lymph node metastasis and without lymph node metastasis was found not to be statistically significant (p>0.05). The expression of MMP-2 was found to be statistically significant related to regional lymph node metastasis (p<0.05). When compared the expression in the metastatic lymph node, TGF-${\beta}1$ was significantly highly expressed than MMP-2 (p<0.05). In conclusion, the expression of MMP-2 was significantly elevated in patients with lymph node metastasis as compared to the patients without lymph node metastasis, which could be useful in predicting the risk of lymph node metastasis in OSCC.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• 제28권1호
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• pp.37-41
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• 1995

To determine the role of mediastinoscopy in the preoperative staging of the primary lung cancer, we studied 23 patients from January 1993 to December 1993 and compared the results of mediastinoscopy and computed tomographic scanning with the findings at thoracotomy. Mediastinoscopy was performed in 14 patients when they had larger than 10mm mediastinal nodes at computed tomographic scanning. Six of them were found to have metastatic nodes. Nine patients, who had negative computed tomographic scanning and negative mediastinoscopic results,underwent thoracotomy. One of them was found to have a metastatic mediastinal lymph node. When results from both series of patients were compared, the sensitivity and specificity of computed tomographic scanning showed 83.3% and 47.1% respectively with an accuracy of 56.5%. The results of mediastinoscopy showed that the sensitivity was 85.7%, the specificity was 100% and the accuracy was 95.7%.Because of the low accuracy rate of computed tomographic scanning, a more routine use of mediastinoscopy seems to be justified.

• 대한기관식도과학회지
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• 제5권1호
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• pp.96-101
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• 1999

For many years it has been reported that seemingly benign neck cysts may contain carcinoma. Cystic metastases have often mistaken for either branchial cleft cysts or benign mass. Authors experienced two cases which presents cystic cervical metastatic cancer One was a tonsillar carcinoma and the other was a tongue carcinoma. Patients with a cystic squamous carcinoma in the neck likely have a primary in upper aero-digestive system and It is known that the tonsil is most common site. Radiologic examination and fine needle aspiration biopsy of the cyst proved to be non-diagnostic. The development of cervical lymph node metastases before clinical signs of carcinoma of the tonsil is also well recognized. So, in old patients, thorough head If neck examination, panendoscopy and ipsilateral tonsillectomy is mandatory to identify a primary carcinoma prior to cyst excision.

• Journal of Breast Cancer
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• 제21권4호
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• pp.463-467
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• 2018

Metastasis from primary cancer to the thyroid is uncommon in breast cancer. Here we present a case of lobular breast carcinoma that metastasized to the thyroid. A 54-year-old woman without symptoms was admitted to our institution for staging of the lymph node above the left clavicle. An $^{18}F$-fluoro-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography scan was performed for staging, and low uptakes were observed in the left supraclavicular and cervical lymph nodes. High uptake was seen in the posterior and lower left lobe of the thyroid. Histologic findings indicated lobular breast carcinoma (positive GATA3, loss of E-cadherin expression) metastatic to the thyroid with a luminal profile. Immunohistochemical analysis was negative for primary thyroid or parathyroid carcinoma. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a patient presenting a metastatic invasive lobular carcinoma in the thyroid and lymph nodes without a prior diagnosis of breast cancer.