Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate current morbidity rates following cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) in patients with colorectal cancer and peritoneal metastasis. Methods: A total of 42 patients who underwent CRS and HIPEC for colorectal cancer with peritoneal metastasis at a single tertiary referral center between January 2022 and December 2022 were included. Perioperative outcomes and postoperative complications were prospectively assessed. Results: The mean peritoneal cancer index (PCI) was 16.0. The distribution of PCI scores was as follows: <10, 33.3%; 10– 19, 26.2%; and ≥ 20, 40.5%. Completeness of the cytoreduction (CCR) scores were as follows: 57.1% of patients achieved CCR-0, 16.7% achieved CCR-1, 7.1% achieved CCR-2, and 19.0% achieved CCR-3. The mean operation time was 9.1 hours, and the median hospital stay was 17.0 days. Postoperative complications occurred within 30 days in 47.6% of cases and between 30 and 60 days in 11.9% of cases. Reoperation within 30 days was required in 5 cases, and 1 patient died within 30 days. The most common complications were pleural effusion (5 patients), anastomosis site leakage (3 patients), and pneumonia (3 patients). Patients with higher PCI scores were more likely to experience complications (P = 0.038). Conclusion Although CRS and HIPEC are still associated with high morbidity and mortality compared to other colorectal surgeries, outcomes have improved with increased experience. These results suggest that the procedure is becoming a more acceptable treatment option over time.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate current morbidity rates following cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) in patients with colorectal cancer and peritoneal metastasis. Methods: A total of 42 patients who underwent CRS and HIPEC for colorectal cancer with peritoneal metastasis at a single tertiary referral center between January 2022 and December 2022 were included. Perioperative outcomes and postoperative complications were prospectively assessed. Results: The mean peritoneal cancer index (PCI) was 16.0. The distribution of PCI scores was as follows: <10, 33.3%; 10– 19, 26.2%; and ≥ 20, 40.5%. Completeness of the cytoreduction (CCR) scores were as follows: 57.1% of patients achieved CCR-0, 16.7% achieved CCR-1, 7.1% achieved CCR-2, and 19.0% achieved CCR-3. The mean operation time was 9.1 hours, and the median hospital stay was 17.0 days. Postoperative complications occurred within 30 days in 47.6% of cases and between 30 and 60 days in 11.9% of cases. Reoperation within 30 days was required in 5 cases, and 1 patient died within 30 days. The most common complications were pleural effusion (5 patients), anastomosis site leakage (3 patients), and pneumonia (3 patients). Patients with higher PCI scores were more likely to experience complications (P = 0.038). Conclusion Although CRS and HIPEC are still associated with high morbidity and mortality compared to other colorectal surgeries, outcomes have improved with increased experience. These results suggest that the procedure is becoming a more acceptable treatment option over time.

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.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate current morbidity rates following cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) in patients with colorectal cancer and peritoneal metastasis. Methods: A total of 42 patients who underwent CRS and HIPEC for colorectal cancer with peritoneal metastasis at a single tertiary referral center between January 2022 and December 2022 were included. Perioperative outcomes and postoperative complications were prospectively assessed. Results: The mean peritoneal cancer index (PCI) was 16.0. The distribution of PCI scores was as follows: <10, 33.3%; 10– 19, 26.2%; and ≥ 20, 40.5%. Completeness of the cytoreduction (CCR) scores were as follows: 57.1% of patients achieved CCR-0, 16.7% achieved CCR-1, 7.1% achieved CCR-2, and 19.0% achieved CCR-3. The mean operation time was 9.1 hours, and the median hospital stay was 17.0 days. Postoperative complications occurred within 30 days in 47.6% of cases and between 30 and 60 days in 11.9% of cases. Reoperation within 30 days was required in 5 cases, and 1 patient died within 30 days. The most common complications were pleural effusion (5 patients), anastomosis site leakage (3 patients), and pneumonia (3 patients). Patients with higher PCI scores were more likely to experience complications (P = 0.038). Conclusion Although CRS and HIPEC are still associated with high morbidity and mortality compared to other colorectal surgeries, outcomes have improved with increased experience. These results suggest that the procedure is becoming a more acceptable treatment option over time.

Purpose: Unnecessary prostate biopsies for detecting prostate cancer (PCa) should be minimized. Therefore, this study developed a machine learning (ML) model to predict PCa in Korean men and evaluated its usability. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed clinical data from 928 patients who underwent prostate biopsies at Kangwon National University Hospital between May 2013 and May 2023. Of these, 377 (41.6%) were diagnosed with PCa, and 551 (59.4%) did not have cancer. For external validation, clinical data from 385 patients aged 48–89 years who underwent prostate biopsies from September 2005 to September 2023 at Wonju Severance Christian Hospital were also included. Twenty-two clinical features were used to develop an ML model to predict PCa. Features were selected based on their contributions to model performance, leading to the inclusion of 15 features. A meta-learner was constructed using logistic regression to predict the probability of PCa, and the classifier was trained and validated on randomly extracted training and test sets at an 8:2 ratio. Results: The prostate health index, prostate volume, age, nodule on digital rectal examination, and prostate-specific antigen were the top 5 features for predicting PCa. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of the meta-learner logistic regression model was 0.89, and the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were 0.828, 0.711, and 0.909, respectively. Our model also showed excellent prediction performance for high-grade PCa, with a Gleason score of 7 or higher and an AUC of 0.903. Furthermore, we evaluated the performance of the model using external cohort clinical data and achieved an AUC of 0.863. Conclusions Our ML model excelled in predicting PCa, specifically clinically significant PCa. Although extensive cross-validation in other clinical cohorts is needed, this ML model is a promising option for future diagnostics.

Background: In patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC), sites of metastatic involvement have been reported to be associated with a difference in survival. However, the frequency and survival according to different sites of metastases in Korean patients with mRCC remain unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the frequency of metastatic site involvement and the association between sites of metastatic involvement and survival in Korean patients with mRCC. Methods: This retrospective study used the multicenter cohort of the Korean Renal Cancer Study Group mRCC database to identify patients who started targeted therapy between December 2005 and March 2018. Data on the frequency of metastatic organ involvement at the time of mRCC diagnosis and oncologic outcomes according to different sites of metastasis were analyzed. Results: A total of 1,761 patients were eligible for analysis. Of the 1,761 patients, 1,564 (88.8%) had clear cell RCC, and 1,040 (59.1%) had synchronous metastasis. The median number of metastasis sites was 2 (interquartile range [IQR], 1–6). The median age at the initiation of systemic therapy was 60 years (IQR, 29–88), 1,380 (78.4%) were men, and 1,341 (76.1%) underwent nephrectomy. Based on the International Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Database Consortium model, patients were stratified into favorable-, intermediate-, and poor-risk groups with 359 (20.4%), 1,092 (62.0%), and 310 (17.6%) patients, respectively. The lung (70.9%), lymph nodes (37.9%), bone (30.7%), liver (12.7%), adrenal gland (9.8%), and brain (8.2%) were the most common sites of metastasis, followed by the pancreas, pleura, peritoneum, spleen, thyroid, and bowel. Among the most common sites of metastasis (> 5%), the median cancer-specific survival (CSS) ranged from 13.9 (liver) to 29.1 months (lung). An association was observed between liver, bone, and pleural metastases and the shortest median CSS (< 19 months). Conclusion In Korean patients with mRCC, metastases to the lung, lymph nodes, bone, liver, adrenal gland, and brain were more frequent than those to other organs. Metastases to the liver, bone, and pleura were associated with poor CSS. The findings of this study may be valuable for patient counseling and guiding future study designs.

Non-Down syndrome pediatric acute megakaryoblastic leukemia (AMKL) may be classified according to the presence of recurrent genetic abnormalities with prognostic relevance. In this case study, we report on a girl with AMKL, 32 months old at the time of diagnosis, in whom we confirmed the presence of the cryptic, poor prognosis NUP98::KDM5A fusion. The patient achieved complete remission (CR) with the first course of chemotherapy, underwent haploidentical family donor hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) without event, but relapsed 5 months after HSCT. Through this case report, we emphasize the good initial response to chemotherapy, and the early relapse despite undergoing HSCT in first CR. We review the limited literature on NUP98::KDM5A (+) pediatric AML, and underscore the need for further study to improve the outcome of patients with this rare AML subtype.

Essential thrombocytosis (ET) is a rare myeloproliferative disease in children, and there are few standard man‑ agement guidelines. We herein report a case series of 10 pediatric patients with ET diagnosed at our institution over a period of 13 years. All patients fulfilled the World Health Organization diagnostic criteria for ET, and none harbored the canonical ET mutations JAK2 V617F, CALR, or MPL. Overall, 7 of the 10 patients received treatment for ET, and during follow-up, 3 of these 7 patients discontinued cytoreductive therapy. No patient experienced hemorrhagic or thrombotic complications. Our case series emphasizes that the genetic features of pediatric ET may differ signifi‑ cantly from those of adult ET, and that treatment cessation is a possibility for some patients.

Purpose: Right-sided tumors have been reported to have a poorer survival rate than left-sided tumors; however, there remains debate regarding whether sidedness is an independent prognostic factor in colorectal cancer liver metastasis (CRLM). This study aimed to assess the impact of sidedness on prognosis in resectable CRLM and to identify prognostic factors. Methods: Patients who underwent liver resection for CRLM at Samsung Medical Center from January 2008 to December 2021 were included in the investigation. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were analyzed, and prognostic factors were identified. Results: A total of 497 patients were included in the study, with 106 on the right side and 391 on the left side. The rightsided group had a higher percentage of synchronous tumors (90.6% vs. 80.3%, P = 0.020). In survival analysis, the right side showed lower 5-year OS (49.7% vs. 54.2, P = 0.305) and 5-year PFS (57.1% vs. 60.2%, P = 0.271), but the differences were not statistically significant. In the analysis of prognostic factors, synchronous tumor (odds ratio [OR], 5.01; P < 0.001), CEA (OR, 1.46; P = 0.016), and maximum tumor size of hepatic metastasis (OR, 1.09; P = 0.026) were associated with OS. Conclusion In resectable CRLM, there was no difference in prognosis based on sidedness. CEA level, synchronous tumor, and maximum tumor size of hepatic metastasis were identified as prognostic factors.

Purpose: This study aimed to compare the short-term outcomes and safety profiles of androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT)+abiraterone/prednisone with those of ADT+docetaxel in patients with de novo metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC). Materials and Methods: A web-based database system was established to collect prospective cohort data for patients with mHSPC in Korea. From May 2019 to November 2022, 928 patients with mHSPC from 15 institutions were enrolled. Among these patients, data from 122 patients who received ADT+abiraterone/prednisone or ADT+docetaxel as the primary systemic treatment for mHSPC were collected. The patients were divided into two groups: ADT+abiraterone/prednisone group (n=102) and ADT+docetaxel group (n=20). We compared the demographic characteristics, medical histories, baseline cancer status, initial laboratory tests, metastatic burden, oncological outcomes for mHSPC, progression after mHSPC treatment, adverse effects, follow-up, and survival data between the two groups. Results: No significant differences in the demographic characteristics, medical histories, metastatic burden, and baseline cancer status were observed between the two groups. The ADT+abiraterone/prednisone group had a lower prostate-specific antigen (PSA) progression rate (7.8% vs. 30.0%; p=0.011) and lower systemic treatment discontinuation rate (22.5% vs. 45.0%; p=0.037). No significant differences in adverse effects, oncological outcomes, and total follow-up period were observed between the two groups. Conclusions ADT+abiraterone/prednisone had lower PSA progression and systemic treatment discontinuation rates than ADT+docetaxel. In conclusion, further studies involving larger, double-blinded randomized trials with extended follow-up periods are necessary.