Heart failure (HF) is a major cause of mortality and morbidity in South Korea, imposing substantial physical, emotional, and financial burdens on patients and society. Despite the high burden of symptom and complex care needs of HF patients, palliative care and hospice services remain underutilized in South Korea due to cultural, institutional, and knowledge-related barriers. This position statement from the Korean Society of Heart Failure emphasizes the need for integrating palliative and hospice care into HF management to improve quality of life and support holistic care for patients and their families. By clarifying the role of palliative care in HF and proposing practical referral criteria, this position statement aims to bridge the gap between HF and palliative care services in South Korea, ultimately improving patient-centered outcomes and aligning treatment with the goals and values of HF patients.

Peyronie’s disease is an acquired condition characterized by penile deformities caused by fibrosis of the penile tunica albuginea, leading to symptoms such as penile pain, erectile dysfunction, and other associated issues. Despite extensive research, the pathophysiology of this condition remains poorly understood, and standardized diagnostic and treatment protocols are lacking. While clinical guidelines from several professional societies exist, they do not consistently account for factors such as patient ethnicity, geography, and socioeconomic status. Thus, the Korean Society for Sexual Medicine and Andrology (KSSMA) aimed to develop recommendations tailored to clinical practice in Korea. These recommendations summarize the latest evidence, including clinical practice guidelines from various international professional societies, and represent the consensus opinion of an expert group within the KSSMA. They encompass all aspects of Peyronie’s disease, including the definition, diagnosis, non-surgical interventions, and surgical treatment options.

Peyronie’s disease is an acquired condition characterized by penile deformities caused by fibrosis of the penile tunica albuginea, leading to symptoms such as penile pain, erectile dysfunction, and other associated issues. Despite extensive research, the pathophysiology of this condition remains poorly understood, and standardized diagnostic and treatment protocols are lacking. While clinical guidelines from several professional societies exist, they do not consistently account for factors such as patient ethnicity, geography, and socioeconomic status. Thus, the Korean Society for Sexual Medicine and Andrology (KSSMA) aimed to develop recommendations tailored to clinical practice in Korea. These recommendations summarize the latest evidence, including clinical practice guidelines from various international professional societies, and represent the consensus opinion of an expert group within the KSSMA. They encompass all aspects of Peyronie’s disease, including the definition, diagnosis, non-surgical interventions, and surgical treatment options.

Purpose: Since 1995, the Korean Gastric Cancer Association (KGCA) has been periodically conducting nationwide surveys on patients with surgically treated gastric cancer. This study details the results of the survey conducted in 2023. Materials and Methods: The survey was conducted from March to December 2024 using a standardized case report form. Data were collected on 86 items, including patient demographics, tumor characteristics, surgical procedures, and surgical outcomes. The results of the 2023 survey were compared with those of previous surveys. Results: Data from 12,751 cases were collected from 66 institutions. The mean patient age was 64.6 years, and the proportion of patients aged ≥71 years increased from 9.1% in 1995 to 31.7% in 2023. The proportion of upper-third tumors slightly decreased to 16.8% compared to 20.9% in 2019. Early gastric cancer accounted for 63.1% of cases in 2023.Regarding operative procedures, a totally laparoscopic approach was most frequently applied (63.2%) in 2023, while robotic gastrectomy steadily increased to 9.5% from 2.1% in 2014.The most common anastomotic method was the Billroth II procedure (48.8%) after distal gastrectomy and double-tract reconstruction (51.9%) after proximal gastrectomy in 2023.However, the proportion of esophago-gastrostomy with anti-reflux procedures increased to 30.9%. The rates of post-operative mortality and overall complications were 1.0% and 15.3%, respectively. Conclusions The results of the 2023 nationwide survey demonstrate the current status of gastric cancer treatment in Korea. This information will provide a basis for future gastric cancer research.

Peyronie’s disease is an acquired condition characterized by penile deformities caused by fibrosis of the penile tunica albuginea, leading to symptoms such as penile pain, erectile dysfunction, and other associated issues. Despite extensive research, the pathophysiology of this condition remains poorly understood, and standardized diagnostic and treatment protocols are lacking. While clinical guidelines from several professional societies exist, they do not consistently account for factors such as patient ethnicity, geography, and socioeconomic status. Thus, the Korean Society for Sexual Medicine and Andrology (KSSMA) aimed to develop recommendations tailored to clinical practice in Korea. These recommendations summarize the latest evidence, including clinical practice guidelines from various international professional societies, and represent the consensus opinion of an expert group within the KSSMA. They encompass all aspects of Peyronie’s disease, including the definition, diagnosis, non-surgical interventions, and surgical treatment options.

Background: Chromosomal alterations serve as diagnostic and prognostic markers in acute leukemia. Given the evolving landscape of chromosomal abnormalities in acute leukemia, we previously studied these over two periods. In this study, we investigated the frequency of these abnormalities and clinical trends in acute leukemia in Korea across three time periods. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from 1,787 patients with acute leukemia (319 children and 1,468 adults) diagnosed between 2006 and 2020. Conventional cytogenetics, FISH, and multiplex quantitative PCR were used for analysis. The patient groups were divided according to the following three study periods: 2006–2009 (I), 2010–2015 (II), and 2016–2020 (III). Results: Chromosomal aberrations were detected in 92% of patients. The PML::RARA translocation was the most frequent. Over the 15-yr period, chromosomal aberrations showed minimal changes, with specific fusion transcripts being common among patients.ALL was more prevalent in children than in adults and correlated significantly with the ETV6::RUNX1 and RUNX1::RUNX1T1 aberrations. The incidence of ALL increased during the three periods, with PML::RARA remaining common. Conclusions The frequency of chromosomal abnormalities in acute leukemia has changed subtly over time. Notably, the age of onset of adult AML has continuously increased. Our results may help in establishing diagnoses and clinical treatment strategies and developing various molecular diagnostic platforms.

Purpose: Since 1995, the Korean Gastric Cancer Association (KGCA) has been periodically conducting nationwide surveys on patients with surgically treated gastric cancer. This study details the results of the survey conducted in 2023. Materials and Methods: The survey was conducted from March to December 2024 using a standardized case report form. Data were collected on 86 items, including patient demographics, tumor characteristics, surgical procedures, and surgical outcomes. The results of the 2023 survey were compared with those of previous surveys. Results: Data from 12,751 cases were collected from 66 institutions. The mean patient age was 64.6 years, and the proportion of patients aged ≥71 years increased from 9.1% in 1995 to 31.7% in 2023. The proportion of upper-third tumors slightly decreased to 16.8% compared to 20.9% in 2019. Early gastric cancer accounted for 63.1% of cases in 2023.Regarding operative procedures, a totally laparoscopic approach was most frequently applied (63.2%) in 2023, while robotic gastrectomy steadily increased to 9.5% from 2.1% in 2014.The most common anastomotic method was the Billroth II procedure (48.8%) after distal gastrectomy and double-tract reconstruction (51.9%) after proximal gastrectomy in 2023.However, the proportion of esophago-gastrostomy with anti-reflux procedures increased to 30.9%. The rates of post-operative mortality and overall complications were 1.0% and 15.3%, respectively. Conclusions The results of the 2023 nationwide survey demonstrate the current status of gastric cancer treatment in Korea. This information will provide a basis for future gastric cancer research.

Peyronie’s disease is an acquired condition characterized by penile deformities caused by fibrosis of the penile tunica albuginea, leading to symptoms such as penile pain, erectile dysfunction, and other associated issues. Despite extensive research, the pathophysiology of this condition remains poorly understood, and standardized diagnostic and treatment protocols are lacking. While clinical guidelines from several professional societies exist, they do not consistently account for factors such as patient ethnicity, geography, and socioeconomic status. Thus, the Korean Society for Sexual Medicine and Andrology (KSSMA) aimed to develop recommendations tailored to clinical practice in Korea. These recommendations summarize the latest evidence, including clinical practice guidelines from various international professional societies, and represent the consensus opinion of an expert group within the KSSMA. They encompass all aspects of Peyronie’s disease, including the definition, diagnosis, non-surgical interventions, and surgical treatment options.