PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility and survival benefits of combined treatment with radiotherapy and adjuvant temozolomide (TMZ) in a Korean sample. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 750 Korean patients with histologically confirmed glioblastoma multiforme, who received concurrent chemoradiotherapy with TMZ (CCRT) and adjuvant TMZ from January 2006 until June 2011, were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: After the first operation, a gross total resection (GTR), subtotal resection (STR), partial resection (PR), biopsy alone were achieved in 388 (51.7%), 159 (21.2%), 96 (12.8%), and 107 (14.3%) patients, respectively. The methylation status of O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) was reviewed retrospectively in 217 patients. The median follow-up period was 16.3 months and the median overall survival (OS) was 17.5 months. The actuarial survival rates at the 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS were 72.1%, 21.0%, and 9.0%, respectively. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 10.1 months, and the actuarial PFS at 1-, 3-, and 5-year PFS were 42.2%, 13.0%, and 7.8%, respectively. The patients who received GTR showed a significantly longer OS and PFS than those who received STR, PR, or biopsy alone, regardless of the methylation status of the MGMT promoter. Patients with a methylated MGMT promoter also showed a significantly longer OS and PFS than those with an unmethylated MGMT promoter. Patients who received more than six cycles of adjuvant TMZ had a longer OS and PFS than those who received six or fewer cycles. Hematologic toxicity of grade 3 or 4 was observed in 8.4% of patients during the CCRT period and in 10.2% during the adjuvant TMZ period. CONCLUSION: Patients treated with CCRT followed by adjuvant TMZ had more favorable survival rates and tolerable toxicity than those who did not undergo this treatment.
Biopsy ; Chemoradiotherapy* ; Disease-Free Survival ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glioblastoma* ; Humans ; Korea* ; Methylation ; Radiotherapy ; Retrospective Studies* ; Survival Rate

STUDY DESIGN: A noninterventional, multicenter, cross-sectional study. PURPOSE: We investigated the prevalence of neuropathic pain (NP) and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) of the quality of life (QoL) and functional disability in Korean adults with chronic low back pain (CLBP). OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: Among patients with CLBP, 20%–55% had NP. METHODS: Patients older than 20 years with CLBP lasting for longer than three months, with a visual analog scale (VAS) pain score higher than four, and with pain medications being used for at least four weeks before enrollment were recruited from 27 general hospitals between December 2014 and May 2015. Medical chart reviews were performed to collect demographic/clinical features and diagnosis of NP (douleur neuropathique 4, DN4). The QoL (EuroQoL 5-dimension, EQ-5D; EQ-VAS) and functional disability (Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale, QBPDS) were determined through patient surveys. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to compare PROs between the NP (DN4≥4) and non-NP (DN4 < 4) groups. RESULTS: A total of 1,200 patients (females: 65.7%; mean age: 63.4±13.0 years) were enrolled. The mean scores of EQ-5D, EQ-VAS, and QBPDS were 0.5±0.3, 55.7±19.4, and 40.4±21.1, respectively. Among all patients, 492 (41.0%; 95% confidence interval, 38.2%–43.8%) suffered from NP. The prevalence of NP was higher in male patients (46.8%; p < 0.01), in patients who had pain based on radiological and neurological findings (59.0%; p < 0.01), and in patients who had severe pain (49.0%; p < 0.01). There were significant mean differences in EQ-5D (NP group vs. non-NP group: 0.4±0.3 vs. 0.5±0.3; p < 0.01) and QBPDS (NP group vs. non-NP group: 45.8±21.2 vs. 36.3±20.2; p < 0.01) scores. In the multiple linear regression, patients with NP showed lower EQ-5D (β=−0.1; p < 0.01) and higher QBPDS (β=7.0; p < 0.01) scores than those without NP. CONCLUSIONS: NP was highly prevalent in Korean patients with CLBP. Patients with CLBP having NP had a lower QoL and more severe dysfunction than those without NP. To enhance the QoL and functional status of patients with CLBP, this study highlights the importance of appropriately diagnosing and treating NP.
Adult* ; Back Pain ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Diagnosis ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Low Back Pain* ; Male ; Neuralgia* ; Prevalence* ; Quality of Life ; Visual Analog Scale

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The adoption of colonoscopy as a primary colorectal cancer (CRC) screening technique has been argued for in Korea, without evidence of patient preferences. This study aimed to investigate patients’ preferences for the primary CRC screening test for the National Cancer Screening Program (NCSP). METHODS: Between June and August 2016, 414 individuals aged ≥50 years who participated in the NCSP were prospectively invited to complete a questionnaire regarding their preferences for the primary CRC screening test and the reasons for their selection. RESULTS: Among the 396 respondents who completed the questionnaire, 124 individuals (31.3%) preferred the fecal immunochemical test (FIT), whereas 272 individuals (68.7%) preferred colonoscopy. Elderly participants preferred the FIT (p < 0.001), whereas participants with a higher education level (p=0.030), a higher income level (p=0.009), or individuals with a family member (p=0.028) or acquaintance (p=0.013) with a history of CRC preferred colonoscopy. Only 12.9% of participants had a bad experience with a previous FIT; however, 39.3% of participants had a bad experience with a previous colonoscopy. CONCLUSIONS: Colonoscopy was preferred to FIT in a 2.2:1 ratio as the primary CRC screening test for the NCSP. Patients’ preference for colonoscopy should be considered for the NCSP in Korea.
Aged ; Colonoscopy ; Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Early Detection of Cancer ; Education ; Humans ; Korea* ; Mass Screening* ; Patient Preference ; Prospective Studies ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Leiomyosarcoma (LMS) of the small intestine is a rare tumor, accounting for about 1% of all malignant mesenchymal lesions in the gastrointestinal tract. Since small bowel tumors are initially asymptomatic and nonspecific, delayed diagnosis and treatment are common. We found that a 44-year-old male patient who came in for lower abdominal pain had partial obstruction in the small bowel. Multiple ascites and ileal tumors involving peritoneal seeding were observed from his abdominal computed tomography. He was diagnosed as epithelioid LMS involving peritoneal transition after surgical resection, and the outpatient department has planned for a conservative therapy with observation. To the best of our knowledge, ileal epithelioid LMS accompanying a huge omental mass, with a size of 18 cm in dimension, and peritoneal seeding has not yet been reported in Korea. We report this rare case with literature review.
Abdominal Pain ; Adult ; Ascites ; Delayed Diagnosis ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Ileum ; Intestine, Small ; Korea ; Leiomyosarcoma* ; Male ; Outpatients

Peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCLs) are aggressive neoplasms which may involve the liver. The imaging manifestations of hepatic lymphoma are highly variable and show overlapping appearances of numerous other hepatic diseases. As the management and prognosis of lymphoma differ markedly from those of other malignant diseases, prompt diagnosis and early effective treatment are very important. Here, we report an atypical case of primary PTCL not otherwise specified involving the liver that exhibited a solitary hepatic mass mimicking hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) on CT. Liver biopsy is not commonly recommended in highly suspicious cases of HCC. However, in a patient without risk factors for HCC, consideration of other diagnostic possibilities is required and needle biopsy may be a more rational choice. An imaging approach, based on a careful review of clinical and laboratory findings is essential to prevent false-positive diagnosis of HCC and subsequent invasive treatment.
Biopsy ; Biopsy, Needle ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Diagnosis ; Hepatectomy ; Humans ; Liver ; Lymphoma ; Lymphoma, T-Cell, Peripheral* ; Prognosis ; Risk Factors

This article was published with a misspelled the date of acceptance. The date of acceptance should be corrected as “March 7, 2013”.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Humans ; Recurrence*

PURPOSE: This study compared the oncologic results of docetaxel chemotherapy (DOC) in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) according to continuous addition of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) during chemotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 106 patients who received DOC in 6 medical institutes. Among them, 72 patients had a complete medical record: 28 patients with ADT (DOC+continuous ADT group) and 44 without ADT (DOC only group). We compared the progression-free survival of these groups after DOC. RESULTS: Docetaxel was administered an average of 28 months after primary ADT as the first treatment. A median number of 6 cycles of DOC was administered in both groups. In the DOC+continuous ADT group, orchiectomy was performed in 18 patients and luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist was injected in 10 patients. During DOC treatment, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) progression-free survival was statistically different (6.0±4.75 months in DOC+continuous ADT group vs. 4.8±3.2 months in DOC only group, p=0.024), whereas radiologic progression-free survival was not statistically different (5.0±3.12 months in DOC+continuous ADT group vs. 5.0±2.79 months in DOC only group, p=0.387). CONCLUSIONS: In our cohort, continuous addition of ADT showed a significant benefit in PSA progression-free survival during DOC in CRPC patients. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these observations.
Academies and Institutes ; Cohort Studies ; Disease-Free Survival ; Drug Therapy* ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Orchiectomy ; Prospective Studies ; Prostate* ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; Prostatic Neoplasms* ; Retrospective Studies

BACKGROUND/AIMS: A subset of patients may develop colorectal cancer after a colonoscopy that is negative for malignancy. These missed or de novo lesions are referred to as interval cancers. The aim of this study was to determine whether interval colon cancers are more likely to result from the loss of function of mismatch repair genes than sporadic cancers and to demonstrate microsatellite instability (MSI). METHODS: Interval cancer was defined as a cancer that was diagnosed within 5 years of a negative colonoscopy. Among the patients who underwent an operation for colorectal cancer from January 2013 to December 2014, archived cancer specimens were evaluated for MSI by sequencing microsatellite loci. RESULTS: Of the 286 colon cancers diagnosed during the study period, 25 (8.7%) represented interval cancer. MSI was found in eight of the 25 patients (32%) that presented interval cancers compared with 22 of the 261 patients (8.4%) that presented sporadic cancers (p=0.002). In the multivariable logistic regression model, MSI was associated with interval cancer (OR, 3.91; 95% confidence interval, 1.38 to 11.05). CONCLUSIONS: Interval cancers were approximately four times more likely to show high MSI than sporadic cancers. Our findings indicate that certain interval cancers may occur because of distinct biological features.
Colonic Neoplasms ; Colonoscopy ; Colorectal Neoplasms* ; DNA Mismatch Repair ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Microsatellite Instability* ; Microsatellite Repeats*

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) surveillance and preemptive therapy is a widely-used strategy for preventing CMV disease in transplant recipients. However, there are limited data on the incidence and patterns of CMV disease during the preemptive period. Thus, we investigated the incidence and pattern of tissue-invasive CMV disease in CMV seropositive kidney transplantation (KT) and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) recipients during preemptive therapy. METHODS: We prospectively identified patients with tissue-invasive CMV disease among 664 KT (90%) and 496 HCT (96%) recipients who were D+/R+ (both donor and recipient seropositive) during a 4-year period. RESULTS: The incidence rates of CMV disease were 4.1/100 person-years (4%, 27/664) in KT recipients and 5.0/100 person-years (4%, 21/496) in HCT recipients. Twenty-six (96%) of the KT recipients with CMV disease had gastrointestinal CMV, whereas 17 (81%) of the HCT recipients had gastrointestinal CMV and 4 (19%) had CMV retinitis. Thus, CMV retinitis was more common among HCT recipients (p = 0.03). All 27 KT recipients with CMV disease suffered abrupt onset of CMV disease before or during preemptive therapy; 10 (48%) of the 21 HCT recipients with CMV disease were also classified in this way but the other 11 (52%) were classified as CMV disease following successful ganciclovir preemptive therapy (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of CMV disease was about 4% in both KT and HCT recipients during preemptive therapy. However, CMV retinitis and CMV disease as a relapsed infection were more frequently found among HCT recipients.
Cytomegalovirus* ; Ganciclovir ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Kidney Transplantation ; Kidney* ; Prospective Studies ; Retinitis ; Tissue Donors ; Transplant Recipients*

Microbial colonization of the infant gut is unstable and shows a wide range of diversity between individuals. Gut microbiota play an important role in the development of the immune system, and an imbalance in these organisms can affect health, including an increased risk of allergic diseases. Microbial colonization of young infants is affected by the delivery mode at birth and the consequent alterations of gut microbiota in early life affect the development of allergic diseases. We investigated the effects of the delivery mode on the temporal dynamics of gut microbiota in healthy Korean infants. Fecal samples were collected at 1-3 days, 1 month, and 6 months after birth in six healthy infants. Microbiota were characterized by 16S rRNA shotgun sequencing. At the first and third days of life, infants born by vaginal delivery showed a higher richness and diversity of gut microbiota compared with those born by cesarean section. However, these differences disappeared with age. The Bacteroides genus and Bacteroidetes phylum were abundant in infants born by vaginal delivery, whereas Bacilli and Clostridium g4 were increased in infants born by cesarean section. The Firmicutes phylum and Bacteroides genus showed convergent dynamics with age. This study demonstrated the effect of delivery mode on the dynamics of gut microbiota profiles in healthy Korean infants.
Bacteroides ; Bacteroidetes ; Cesarean Section ; Clostridium ; Colon ; Female ; Firmicutes ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome* ; Humans ; Immune System ; Infant* ; Microbiota ; Parturition ; Pregnancy