Purpose: This study evaluated the postoperative quality of life (QoL) after various types of gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Materials and Methods: A multicenter prospective observational study was conducted in Korea using the Korean Quality of Life in Stomach Cancer Patients Study (KOQUSS)-40, a new QoL assessment tool focusing on postgastrectomy syndrome. Overall, 496 patients with gastric cancer were enrolled, and QoL was assessed at 5 time points: preoperatively and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery. Results: Distal gastrectomy (DG) and pylorus-preserving gastrectomy (PPG) showed significantly better outcomes than total gastrectomy (TG) and proximal gastrectomy (PG) with regard to total score, indigestion, and dysphagia. DG, PPG, and TG also showed significantly better outcomes than PG in terms of dumping syndrome and worry about cancer. Postoperative QoL did not differ significantly according to anastomosis type in DG, except for Billroth I anastomosis, which achieved better bowel habit change scores than the others. No domains differed significantly when comparing double tract reconstruction and esophagogastrostomy after PG. The total QoL score correlated significantly with postoperative body weight loss (more than 10%) and extent of resection (P<0.05 for both).Reflux as assessed by KOQUSS-40 did not correlate significantly with reflux observed on gastroscopy 1 year postoperatively (P=0.064). Conclusions Our prospective observation using KOQUSS-40 revealed that DG and PPG lead to better QoL than TG and PG. Further study is needed to compare postoperative QoL according to anastomosis type in DG and PG.

Purpose: This study evaluated the postoperative quality of life (QoL) after various types of gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Materials and Methods: A multicenter prospective observational study was conducted in Korea using the Korean Quality of Life in Stomach Cancer Patients Study (KOQUSS)-40, a new QoL assessment tool focusing on postgastrectomy syndrome. Overall, 496 patients with gastric cancer were enrolled, and QoL was assessed at 5 time points: preoperatively and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery. Results: Distal gastrectomy (DG) and pylorus-preserving gastrectomy (PPG) showed significantly better outcomes than total gastrectomy (TG) and proximal gastrectomy (PG) with regard to total score, indigestion, and dysphagia. DG, PPG, and TG also showed significantly better outcomes than PG in terms of dumping syndrome and worry about cancer. Postoperative QoL did not differ significantly according to anastomosis type in DG, except for Billroth I anastomosis, which achieved better bowel habit change scores than the others. No domains differed significantly when comparing double tract reconstruction and esophagogastrostomy after PG. The total QoL score correlated significantly with postoperative body weight loss (more than 10%) and extent of resection (P<0.05 for both).Reflux as assessed by KOQUSS-40 did not correlate significantly with reflux observed on gastroscopy 1 year postoperatively (P=0.064). Conclusions Our prospective observation using KOQUSS-40 revealed that DG and PPG lead to better QoL than TG and PG. Further study is needed to compare postoperative QoL according to anastomosis type in DG and PG.

Purpose: This study evaluated the postoperative quality of life (QoL) after various types of gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Materials and Methods: A multicenter prospective observational study was conducted in Korea using the Korean Quality of Life in Stomach Cancer Patients Study (KOQUSS)-40, a new QoL assessment tool focusing on postgastrectomy syndrome. Overall, 496 patients with gastric cancer were enrolled, and QoL was assessed at 5 time points: preoperatively and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery. Results: Distal gastrectomy (DG) and pylorus-preserving gastrectomy (PPG) showed significantly better outcomes than total gastrectomy (TG) and proximal gastrectomy (PG) with regard to total score, indigestion, and dysphagia. DG, PPG, and TG also showed significantly better outcomes than PG in terms of dumping syndrome and worry about cancer. Postoperative QoL did not differ significantly according to anastomosis type in DG, except for Billroth I anastomosis, which achieved better bowel habit change scores than the others. No domains differed significantly when comparing double tract reconstruction and esophagogastrostomy after PG. The total QoL score correlated significantly with postoperative body weight loss (more than 10%) and extent of resection (P<0.05 for both).Reflux as assessed by KOQUSS-40 did not correlate significantly with reflux observed on gastroscopy 1 year postoperatively (P=0.064). Conclusions Our prospective observation using KOQUSS-40 revealed that DG and PPG lead to better QoL than TG and PG. Further study is needed to compare postoperative QoL according to anastomosis type in DG and PG.

Objective: This study aimed to review domestic and international literature on oral health interven-tions for pregnant women and provide basic data for the development of oral health intervention programs. Methods: We used domestic and international search databases, such as Medline, Embase, Re-search Information Sharing Service, Science On, Korea Citation Index, and DBpia. Among papers published between 2003 and 2023, 22 met the selection criteria by combining “pregnant women,” “oral hygiene,” and “oral health.” Results: Since 2007, foreign literature has steadily increased; however, domestic literature has decreased. Overseas research designs were mostly randomized control trials, whereas domestic designs were mostly non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest. The intervention methods in-cluded three preventive programs, five specialized oral care programs, and 14 oral health education programs. Conclusions In-depth research should be conducted to increase the understanding and interest of pregnant women. Systematic intervention programs that consider the effectiveness and sus-tainability of intervention methods should be developed, and policy support should be provided to strengthen the importance of oral health education by experts and institutional improvements.

Objectives: The study aim was to analyze smoking knowledge and smoking cessation intentions according to the stage of change in smoking cessation behavior among smokers in their 20s. This program was implemented to prepare smoking cessation educational content in order to increase the success rate of smoking cessation. Methods: The analysis included 99 smokers in their 20s who lived in Seoul and Gyeonggi; the study period was February 14-16, 2024. After explaining the study purpose and obtaining consent for participation in the study, an online Google Forms survey was conducted. Results: Smoking cessation intention and smoking knowledge according to the smoking cessa-tion behavior change stage were significantly different depending on the presence of smokers and whether they attempted smoking cessation in the pre-contemplation period (P<0.05). In addition, the intention to quit smoking significantly increased in the pre-contemplation, contemplation, and preparation periods in the smoking cessation behavior change stage (P<0.001). Conclusions By operating a smoking cessation intervention program for smokers in their 20s, pro-viding correct smoking knowledge and finding ways to increase smoking cessation intention, smok-ers’ behavior can change and they can form a quitting habit. Therefore, we can expect that even middle-aged or older people can quit smoking.

Background: Korea recently established 70 emergency medical service areas. However, there are many concerns that medical resources for stroke could not be evenly distributed through the country. We aimed to compare the treatment quality and outcomes of acute stroke among the emergency medical service areas. Methods: This study analyzed the data of 28,800 patients admitted in 248 hospitals which participated in the 8th acute stroke quality assessment by Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. Individual hospitals were regrouped into emergency service areas according to the address of the location. Assessment indicators and fatality were compared by the service areas. We defined the appropriate hospital by the performance of intravenous thrombolysis. Results: In seven service areas, there were no hospitals which received more than 10 stroke patients for 6 months. In nine service areas, there were no patients who underwent intravenous thrombolysis (IVT). Among 167 designated emergency medical centers, 50 hospitals (29.9%) responded that IVT was impossible 24 hours a day. There are 97 (39.1%) hospitals that meet the definitions of appropriate hospital. In 23 service areas (32.9%) had no appropriate or feasible hospitals. The fatality of service areas with stroke centers were 6.9% within 30 days and 15.6% within 1 year from stroke onset than those without stroke centers (7.7%, 16.9%, respectively). Conclusions There was a wide regional gap in the medical resource and the quality of treatments for acute stroke among emergency medical service areas in Korea. The poststroke fatality rate of the service areas which have stroke centers or appropriate hospitals were significantly low.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the potential role of copine-1 (CPNE1), a calcium-dependent membrane-binding protein encoded by the CPNE1 gene, in colorectal cancer (CRC). Despite previous research on the involvement of copine family members in various solid tumors, the specific role of CPNE1 in CRC remains poorly understood. Methods: We conducted clinicopathological analysis and functional studies to explore the impact of CPNE1 in human CRC.We examined the expression levels of CPNE1 in CRC patients and correlated it with invasive depth, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, lymphatic invasion, and TNM stage. Additionally, we performed experiments to assess the functional consequences of CPNE1 knockdown in CRC cells, including proliferation, colony formation, migration, invasion, and the expression of key regulators involved in the cell cycle and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Furthermore, we evaluated the effects of CPNE1 knockdown on tumor growth using a xenograft mouse model. Results: High expression of CPNE1 was significantly associated with advanced tumor features in CRC patients. CPNE1 knockdown in CRC cells led to impaired abilities in proliferation, colony formation, migration, and invasion. Furthermore, CPNE1 silencing resulted in the suppression of protein expression related to the cell cycle and EMT. In the xenograft mouse model, CPNE1 knockdown inhibited tumor growth. Conclusion CPNE1 plays a crucial role in promoting tumorigenesis and metastasis in human CRC. By regulating the cell cycle and EMT, CPNE1 influences critical cellular processes at the membrane-cytoplasm interface. These results provide valuable insights into the potential development of novel therapeutic strategies for CRC targeting CPNE1.