Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a chronic and relapsing gastrointestinal disorder characterized by the reflux of gastric contents into the esophagus, leading to troublesome symptoms and/or complications. Since the publication of the 2020 Seoul Consensus on GERD, significant new evidence has emerged, particularly regarding acid-suppressive therapies and diagnostic approaches. This 2025 focused update aims to refine GERD management strategies by incorporating the latest evidence on acid suppressive therapies and regional considerations in Asian populations. This study builds on the 2020 Seoul Consensus by integrating systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and expert consensuses to offer updated recommendations for the definition and medical treatment of GERD. These guidelines incorporate recent advances in acid-suppressive therapies, particularly potassium-competitive acid blockers, and adopt updated diagnostic frameworks in accordance with the Lyon Consensus 2.0. Key clinical questions were identified and structured using the following format: Population, Intervention, Comparator, Outcome. The resulting recommendations address the initial treatment, long-term maintenance strategies, and role of personalized therapy based on disease severity, such as the grade of reflux esophagitis. Six key statements are presented: updated definition and classification of GERD (Statement 1); initial and long-term treatment strategies tailored to GERD phenotypes, such as non-erosive reflux disease, mild erosive esophagitis, and severe erosive esophagitis (Statements 2-5); and dose optimization strategies for long-term safety (Statement 6). These guidelines aim to support gastroenterologists and general healthcare providers in making individualized evidence-based decisions for GERD management.

Although venous invasion (VI) is associated with distant metastasis and observed in >50% of pT2–4 colorectal cancers (CRCs), the role of VI in pT1 CRCs is not well-defined. Methods: Thirty-four surgically resected pT1 CRCs were reevaluated for 2-dimensional (2D) VI using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)–stained slides with additional elastic and desmin immunohistochemical staining (cohort A). Additionally, 27 pT1 CRCs without knowing VI status were selected for 3-dimensional (3D) VI evaluation only (cohort B). All 61 cases (cohorts A and B) were studied in 3D using tissue clearing. Results: VI was detected more commonly in 3D (17/34, 50.0%) than in 2D H&E slide evaluation (9/34, 26.5%, p = .047). When VI was identified in 3D (27/61, 44.3%), the most common phase was that of intraluminal growth (22/27, 81.5%), followed by intravasation (7/27, 25.9%) and extravasation (5/27, 18.5%). E-cadherin expression was characterized in 3D in foci of VI and varied in each phase of invasion. Conclusions: All three phases were observed in VI of pT1 CRCs. The extravasation of neoplastic cells from foci of VI in pT1 CRC suggests that VI could be a route of intratumoral spreading in a subset of pT1 CRCs.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of adding CT to ultrasound (US) for nodal assessment in patients with papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC), particularly in those with US-node-negative disease. Materials and Methods: This single-center retrospective study included consecutive patients with PTMC (≤1 cm on US) who underwent both US and CT for PTMC staging between August 2016 and January 2020, and subsequently underwent surgery including neck dissection. The number of patients with clinical N1 and pathological N1 disease was assessed. The diagnostic performance of US, CT, and combined US + CT (positive if either was positive) for macroscopic lymph node metastasis (LNM) (i.e., metastatic tumor foci >2 mm) was evaluated. Cases with discordant nodal staging between US and CT were identified.The diagnostic utility of CT was also assessed in a subgroup of patients with node-negative findings on US. Results: Among 982 patients (mean age ± standard deviation, 47.3 ± 11.5 years; 774 female), pathological analysis confirmed cervical LNM in 377 patients, including macroscopic, microscopic, and size-unknown LNM in 187, 175, and 15 patients, respectively. The addition of CT to US improved sensitivity for detecting macroscopic LNM compared to US alone (68.4% [128/187] vs. 26.7% [50/187]; P < 0.001), while maintaining high specificity despite a significant decrease (90.9% [709/780] vs. 97.2% [758/780]; P < 0.001). Discordant nodal staging between US and CT regarding macroscopic LNM was observed in 149 cases (15.2% [149/982]), with 131 patients (87.9% [131/149]) being upstaged by CT. In patients with node-negative US findings, CT detected US-undetected macroscopic LNM in 78 patients (8.7% [78/895]) and exhibited a sensitivity of 56.9% (78/137) and specificity of 93.5% (709/758) for macroscopic LNM. Conclusion The integration of CT with US improved sensitivity for detecting macroscopic LNM in patients with PTMC, identifying those who would otherwise be inappropriately considered candidates for active surveillance based solely on US findings. This may assist in refining patient management.

Purpose: While MRI-based tumor regression grade (mrTRG) has shown promise in evaluating pathologic response to concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) in rectal cancer, its ability to predict pathologic complete response remains limited.This study aimed to enhance mrTRG’s diagnostic performance in predicting ypT0–1N0 status, a key factor in considering non-radical management after CCRT for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). Methods: This retrospective study included 430 patients with LARC who underwent radical resection following CCRT at a single referral hospital between April 2018 and September 2024. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify predictive factors associated with achieving ypT0–1N0 status. The diagnostic performances of mrTRG1–2 alone and in combination with other factors were assessed by comparing sensitivity, specificity, positive-predictive value (PPV), negative-predictive value, and area under the curve (AUC). Results: Ninety-three patients (21.6%) achieved ypT0–1N0. In the multivariable analysis, fungating type, cT1–2, and mrTRG1–2 were independent predictors for ypT0–1N0. Integrating mrTRG with gross tumor type yielded the highest AUC of 0.689 among the combined models. For predicting ypT0–1N0, the combination of mrTRG and gross tumor type improved PPV (79.2% vs. 41.5% for mrTRG alone) while also demonstrating enhanced sensitivity compared with ycT0–1N0, the conventional MRI-based predictor (40.9% vs. 22.6%). Conclusion This study demonstrated that combining mrTRG and gross tumor type improved the PPV of mrTRG in predicting ypT0–1N0 after CCRT in LARC. Further studies are warranted to validate the role of gross tumor type in refining predictive systems for selecting candidates for non-radical treatment.

Autophagy is a conserved catabolic process that degrades proteins and damaged organelles to maintain cellular homeostasis, and its role in cancer depends on stage and context. Farnesyl-diphosphate farnesyltransferase 1 (FDFT1) is an essential enzyme in the sterol branch of the mevalonate pathway, but its functions in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and in the regulation of autophagy remain poorly understood. In this study, we show that FDFT1 acts as a negative regulator of autophagy in HCC cells. Loss of FDFT1 led to increased autophagosome formation and fusion with lysosomes, whereas its overexpression suppressed both basal and induced autophagy. These changes were associated with AMPK–ULK1 signaling, suggesting that FDFT1 influences a central pathway controlling autophagy. Our findings connect cholesterol metabolism with autophagy regulation and tumor growth, highlighting FDFT1 as a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target in liver cancer.

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the practices, perceptions, and barriers related to specialty palliative care (SPC) referrals among oncologists in Korea, highlighting the clinical implications of early integration. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional online survey targeting board-certified hemato-oncology specialists was conducted between August 1-25, 2024. The survey assessed referral practices, attitudes toward early SPC integration, referral criteria, barriers, and institutional characteristics. Results: A total of 227 oncologists participated (response rate, 36.7%). Among them, 68.7% reported frequent SPC referrals, with higher referral rates observed among younger physicians, those in tertiary hospitals, and institutions with in-house SPC teams (p < 0.001). Although 74.9% supported early SPC integration, referrals were often inconsistently timed, frequently occurring after disease progression or at the discontinuation of chemotherapy. For time-based referrals, the most commonly endorsed triggers were disease progression despite palliative second-line treatment and a prognosis of expected mortality within 6-12 months. Need-based referral triggers such as patient or family requests (96.5%), psychological distress (89.9%), or uncontrolled symptoms (83.3%), were also widely endorsed. The major barriers to early SPC integration included patient and family resistance (70.0%) and limited availability of SPC teams (34.4%). Conclusion This study emphasizes the importance of systematic efforts to promote timely SPC integration in Korea, including education to raise patient awareness, improved referral systems, and enhanced infrastructure. The positive attitudes toward early SPC among oncologists reflect a growing recognition of its value, highlighting the need for strategies that align with international standards.

Background: and Purpose Although gastrointestinal (GI) surgery can affect drug efficacy, its impact on oral anticoagulants (OACs) remains unclear. This study investigated the impact of GI surgery on the comparative effectiveness and safety of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) versus warfarin in atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods: Using a nationwide South Korean claims database, AF patients prescribed OACs between 2015 and 2021 were analyzed. The primary outcome was ischemic stroke, and secondary outcomes were major bleeding, all-cause death, and composite outcome (ischemic stroke, major bleeding, all-cause death). Outcomes were compared by OAC type (DOAC vs. warfarin) and GI surgery status using inverse probability of treatment weighting and a Fine–Gray subdistribution hazard model with time-varying covariates. Results: Among 388,214 AF patients (mean age, 71.9 yr; 42.7% male), 6,907 (1.8%) underwent GI surgery. The effect of GI surgery differed between warfarin and DOACs for ischemic stroke (Pint= 0.018), with increased risk for warfarin (adjusted HR [aHR]: 2.32; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.17–4.62), but not for DOACs (aHR: 0.97 [95% CI 0.77–1.22]) after surgery. Effects of surgery on major bleeding, all-cause death, and composite outcome did not differ. In post–GI surgery setting, DOACs demonstrated lower ischemic stroke risk (aHR: 0.35 [95% CI 0.17–0.72]) and comparable risks for other outcomes. Exploratory analyses by surgery location suggested a more favorable profile of DOACs after upper GI surgery. Conclusions In AF patients, GI surgery significantly increased ischemic stroke risk among warfarin users, but not among DOAC users. DOACs showed generally favorable profiles after GI surgery and may remain a reasonable anticoagulant, with potentially more favorable profile after upper GI surgery.

Background/Aims: The absence of standardized clinical minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) breakpoints for Helicobacter pylori infection has resulted in inconsistent resistance definitions, even within the same research group in Korea. Therefore, establishing epidemiological cutoff values (ECOFFs) is essential for standardization. Methods: The MIC distributions for antibiotics commonly used against H. pylori infection in South Korea were analyzed from 2015 to 2023. A total of 5,925 primary H. pylori isolates were collected from five data sources, and MIC values were determined using the serial 2-fold agar dilution method. The ECOFFinder program was used to establish ECOFFs for six antibiotics. Results: The tentative ECOFFs for amoxicillin and clarithromycin were 0.125 μg/mL. The ECOFFs for levofloxacin, metronidazole, and tetracycline were 0.5, 8.0, and 0.25 μg/mL, respec-tively. The ECOFF for rifabutin could not be determined due to insufficient data. On the basis of these ECOFFs, the resistance rate was 17.9% for amoxicillin, 31.9% for clarithromycin, 40.9% for levofloxacin, 24.7% for metronidazole, and 11.5% for tetracycline. Conclusions This comprehensive analysis defined regional antibiotic resistance patterns and established Korea-specific ECOFFs, providing a foundation for determining clinical breakpoints and optimizing H. pylori eradication strategies.

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a minimally invasive treatment modality used as an alternative to surgery in patients with benign thyroid nodules, recurrent thyroid cancers (RTCs), and primary thyroid microcarcinomas. The Korean Society of Thyroid Radiology (KSThR) initially developed recommendations for the optimal use of RFA for thyroid tumors in 2009 and revised them in 2012 and 2017. As new meaningful evidence has accumulated since 2017 and in response to a growing global interest in the use of RFA for treating malignant thyroid lesions, the task force committee members of the KSThR decided to update the guidelines on the use of RFA for the management of RTCs based on a comprehensive analysis of current literature and expert consensus.

Background: Traditionally, dental implants require a healing period of 4 to 9 months for osseointegration, with longer recovery times considered when bone grafting is needed. This retrospective study evaluates the clinical efficacy of demineralized dentin matrix (DDM) combined with recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) during dental implant placement to expedite the osseointegration period for early loading. Methods: Thirty patients (17 male, 13 female; mean age 55.0 ± 8.8 years) requiring bone grafts due to implant fixture exposure (more than four threads; ≥ 3.2 mm) were included, with a total of 96 implants placed. Implants were inserted using a two-stage protocol with DDM/rhBMP-2 grafts. Early loading was initiated at two months postoperatively in the mandible and three months in the maxilla. Clinical outcomes evaluated included primary and secondary stability (implant stability quotient values), healing period, bone width, and marginal bone level assessed via cone-beam computed tomography. Results: All implants successfully supported final prosthetics with a torque of 50Ncm, without any osseointegration failures. The average healing period was 69.6 days in the mandible and 90.5 days in the maxilla, with significantly higher secondary stability in the mandible (80.7 ± 6.7) compared to the maxilla (73.0 ± 9.2, p < 0.001). Histological analysis confirmed new bone formation and vascularization. Conclusion DDM/rhBMP-2 grafting appears to significantly reduce the healing period, enabling early loading with stable and favorable clinical outcomes.