Rectal cancer, which accounts for approximately 40% of colorectal cancers, remains a major clinical concern. Recent advances in diagnostic imaging, surgical techniques, radiotherapy, and systemic treatment have steadily improved rectal cancer outcomes. Considering this, the Korean Rectal Cancer Multidisciplinary (KRCM) Committee has aimed to provide clinicians and policymakers with up-to-date, evidence-based clinical practice guidelines to support optimal decision-making, reflecting current evidence, the Korean healthcare context, and patient values and preferences. The Clinical Practice Guidelines for Rectal Cancer version 2.0 were developed through multidisciplinary collaboration with related academic societies, building upon and updating the KRCM Clinical Practice Guidelines version 1.0 (titled “Multidisciplinary guidelines for the management of rectal cancer”). These consensus guidelines of the KRCM were established based on a comprehensive literature review, evidence synthesis, with recommendation development guided by the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) methodology, and consideration of applicability in real-world clinical practice under the national health insurance system. Each recommendation has been presented with its strength and level of evidence.

Background: Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder characterized by erythema, papules, ocular symptoms, and heightened sensitivity. Patients with neurogenic symptoms such as burning or stinging remain particularly difficult to manage. Current guidelines often underrepresent energy-based devices (EBDs), pigmentary sequelae, psychosocial burden, and ocular comorbidities. Objective: To examine Korean dermatologists’ expert perspectives on rosacea management, focusing on skin sensitivity, neurogenic symptoms, pigmentary changes, psychosocial impact, ocular involvement, and EBD use. Methods: A web-based, 29-item survey was administered to 25 board-certified Korean dermatologists (May–June 2025). Quantitative and qualitative responses were analyzed. Results: Erythematotelangiectatic and papulopustular phenotypes with sensitivity skin predominated. EBDs (pulsed dye laser, intense pulsed light) were frequently used but limited by cost and sensitivity issues. Neurogenic symptoms were recognized but rarely treated with neuromodulators. Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation was infrequent, yet monitoring was inconsistent.Psychosocial and ocular aspects were acknowledged but seldomly systematically addressed.Respondents expressed interest in emerging adjunctive treatments such as cold plasma, skin boosters, and holistic care approaches. Conclusion Korean dermatologists adopt individualized strategies for rosacea, yet practice gaps remain regarding neurogenic symptoms, pigmentary complications, and psychosocial and ocular comorbidities. Findings support the need for updated multidisciplinary, phenotype-driven guidelines aligned with real-world practice.

Purpose: Accumulating evidence has clarified that gut dysbiosis is involved in lung cancer development and progression. Although the relationship between tumors and gut microbiota has been extensively studied using clinical samples, no studies have examined the association between mutant epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)–induced lung carcinogenesis and dysbiosis in gut microbiota. Therefore, we investigated the gut microbiota profiles in stool samples from human lung-specific conditional EGFR-mutant transgenic mice during lung tumor carcinogenesis. Materials and Methods: Stool samples were collected before tamoxifen treatment (V1) and at each time point following mutant EGFR expression in lung tissue (V2) and lung tumor appearance (V3). Fecal 16S rRNA taxonomy was analyzed to assess microbial diversity, composition, and dynamic changes at each time point. Results: We found that microbiota richness and diversity were significantly elevated when tumors developed and grew in the lung. Phylogenetic analysis of the microbial community revealed that Lachnospiraceae, Ruminococcaceae, Porphyromonadaceae, Rhodospirillaceae, Odoribacteraceae, and Desulfovibrionaceae showed a significant increase at the V3 stage compared to the V1 stage at the family level. In contrast, Lactobacillaceae, Bacteroidaceae, Muribaculaceae, Coriobacteriaceae, and Rikenellaceae significantly decreased at the V3 stage compared to the V1 stage. Furthermore, Lactobacillus species, also known as short chain fatty acid-producing bacteria, were relatively abundant at the V1 stage but were depleted with the occurrence of lung tumors at the V3 stage. Conclusion Changes in gut microbiota, such as Lactobacillus species, may be a predictive factor for the emergence and progression of tumors in an animal model of lung adenocarcinoma induced by mutant EGFR.

Background: With the aging population and advancements in medical care worldwide, the number of older patients with end-stage kidney disease continues to rise. This study aimed to identify factors associated with osteoporosis and osteopenia in older patients undergoing incident hemodialysis and assess their impact on mortality. Methods: We analyzed a large multicenter retrospective cohort of patients aged ≥70 years undergoing incident hemodialysis to identify factors associated with osteoporosis using logistic regression analysis and to assess the association of death with osteoporosis and osteopenia using Cox multivariable analysis. Results: Among 710 patients, 39.0% and 19.6% had osteoporosis and osteopenia, respectively. Osteoporosis was significantly associated with female sex, a history of fractures, and the absence of phosphate binder use. During a median follow-up of 36.8 months, 348 participants (58.8%) died. Mortality rates were the highest in the osteoporosis group (79.8%), followed by the osteopenia (77.2%) and normal bone mineral density (BMD) groups (35.2%). Cox regression analysis revealed that even after adjusting for covariates, the osteoporosis group was significantly associated with a higher mortality risk than the normal BMD group. Osteoporosis at the start of hemodialysis was significantly associated with higher mortality. Conclusion We should consider the importance of bone health in patients undergoing incident hemodialysis and pay attention to the use of phosphate binders and fracture prevention.

Background: The conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) grading system for foraminal stenosis (FS), known as the Lee classification, was introduced in 2010 and is widely utilized in clinical practice. Previous studies have reported that the conventional grading system for FS lacks prediction ability for surgical treatment. The purpose of this study was to develop a novel MRI grading system for lumbar FS with improved prediction ability for surgical treatment by incorporating facet effusion to indicate segmental instability. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients diagnosed with lumbar FS between 2011 and 2017 who had a follow-up period of at least 5 years. The FS severity was assessed using a conventional MRI grading system developed by Lee et al. We recorded whether the patient underwent surgical treatment for FS during the follow-up period and the time from the initial diagnosis to surgery. Survival analysis using a Kaplan-Meier curve and log-rank test was performed to verify the impact of FS severity on the surgical treatment. We performed additional survival analysis after modifying the grading system by incorporating the presence of excessive facet joint effusion assessed using axial MRI. We also compared the discrimination ability of the modified and conventional grading systems using Uno’s concordance index (C-index). Results: In total, 235 patients with a mean age of 63.7 years were included in this study. During the mean follow-up period of 8.1 years, 63 patients underwent surgical treatment for FS. The conventional grading system revealed no significant difference in survival between the grade 2 and 3 groups (p = 0.104). Conversely, the modified grading system revealed a significant difference in survival between the new grade 2 and 3 groups (p < 0.001). After modification, the discrimination ability, assessed using Uno’s Cindex, significantly improved from 0.69 to 0.73. Conclusions The Facet Effusion-Incorporating Grading System, which adds excessive facet joint effusion to the conventional MRI grading framework, demonstrated improved predictive value for surgical treatment and better discriminatory ability compared with the original system.

Background: and Purpose: To assess the long-term effectiveness, safety, and economic viability of recently approved Alzheimer’s disease (AD) therapies, as well as to evaluate the real-world application of novel diagnostics among AD patients with diverse comorbidities, comprehensive real-world data (RWD) analysis is essential. The Korean JOint RegistrY for ALZheimer’s Treatment and Diagnostics (JOY-ALZ) endeavors to create a registry of RWD derived from clinical practice on new diagnostic methods and therapeutic agents for AD introduced in Korea since 2021. Methods: Participants must fulfill all the following: 1) be at least 19 years old; 2) be actively receiving, scheduled to initiate, or undergoing evaluation for any AD disease-modifying treatment; 3) have completed amyloid positron emission tomography or cerebrospinal fluid AD immunoassay (a positive result is not essential for participation); 4) have a clinical classification of cognitively unimpaired, mild cognitive impairment, or probable AD dementia. Data generated during routine care is segmented into a minimum dataset, extended dataset, and research-only dataset requiring extra consent. Assessments encompass clinical, cognitive, functional, neurobehavioral, neuroimaging, and biomarker evaluations, in addition to systematic monitoring of new AD treatments and their safety.Data are collected and monitored at baseline, at semiannual intervals during the initial 2 years, and then annually up to 2034. To date, 46 medical centers will participate in JOY-ALZ. Conclusions JOY-ALZ is expected to promote understanding of the long-term clinical outcomes, safety, and cost-effectiveness of recently introduced diagnostics and treatments for AD, thereby supporting the progress of precision medicine in AD care and diagnosis.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Rosa hybrida has been demonstrated to exert biological effects on several cell types. This study investigated the efficacy of the edible ethanol extract of R.hybrida (EERH) against human colorectal carcinoma cell line (HCT116) cells.MATERIALS/METHODS: HCT116 cells were cultured with different concentrations of EERH (0, 400, 600, 800, and 1,000 µg/mL) in Dulbecco’s modified Eagle medium. Cell viability was measured using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide and viable cell counting assays. Cell cycle pattern was observed by flow cytometry analysis. The wound-healing migration assay, invasion assay, and zymography were used to determine the migratory and invasive level of HCT116 cells treated with EERH. The protein expression and binding ability level of HCT116 cells following EERH treatment were analyzed via immunoblotting and the electrophoretic mobility shift assay. RESULTS: EERH suppressed HCT116 cell proliferation, thus arresting the G1-phase cell cycle.It also reduced cyclin-dependent kinases and cyclins, which are associated with p27KIP1 expression. Additionally, EERH differentially regulated the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase, p38, and protein kinase B. Moreover, EERH treatment inhibited the enzymatic activity of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and MMP-2, resulting in HCT116 cell migration and invasion. The EERH-induced inhibition of MMP-9 and MMP-2 was attributed to the reduced transcriptional binding of activator protein-1, specificity protein-1, and nuclear factor-κB motifs in HCT116 cells. Kaempferol was identified as the main compound contributing to EERH's antitumor activity. CONCLUSION EERH inhibits HCT116 cell proliferation and metastatic potential. Therefore, it is potentially useful as a preventive and curative nutraceutical agent against colorectal cancer.