OBJECTIVE: To retrospectively evaluate the safety and efficacy of percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in patients with metachronous hepatic metastases arising from pancreatic adenocarcinoma who had previously received curative surgery.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 2002 and 2017, percutaneous RFA was performed on 94 metachronous hepatic metastases (median diameter, 1.5 cm) arising from pancreatic cancer in 60 patients (mean age, 60.5 years). Patients were included if they had fewer than five metastases, a maximum tumor diameter of ≤ 5 cm, and disease confined to the liver or stable extrahepatic disease. For comparisons during the same period, we included 66 patients who received chemotherapy only and met the same eligibility criteria described.RESULTS: Technical success was achieved in all hepatic metastasis without any procedure-related mortality. During follow-up, local tumor progression of treated lesions was observed in 38.3% of the tumors. Overall median survival and 3-year survival rates were 12 months and 0%, respectively from initial RFA, and 14.7 months and 2.1%, respectively from the first diagnosis of liver metastasis. Multivariate analysis showed that a large tumor diameter of > 1.5 cm, a late TNM stage (≥ IIB) before curative surgery, a time from surgery to recurrence of < 1 year, and the presence of extrahepatic metastasis, were all prognostic of reduced overall survival after RFA. Median overall (12 months vs. 9.1 months, p = 0.094) and progression-free survival (5 months vs. 3.3 months, p = 0.068) were higher in the RFA group than in the chemotherapy group with borderline statistical difference.CONCLUSION: RFA is safe and may offer successful local tumor control in patients with metachronous hepatic metastases arising from pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Patients with a small diameter tumor, early TNM stage before curative surgery, late hepatic recurrence, and liver-only metastasis benefit most from RFA treatment. RFA provided better survival outcomes than chemotherapy for this specific group with borderline statistical difference.
Adenocarcinoma ; Catheter Ablation ; Diagnosis ; Disease-Free Survival ; Drug Therapy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Liver ; Mortality ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

Gastric intestinal metaplasia (GIM) is a known premalignant condition of the human stomach along the pathway to gastric cancer (GC). Histologically, GIM represents the replacement of normal gastric mucosa by mucin-secreting intestinal mucosa. Helicobacter pylori infection is the most common etiologic agent of GIM development worldwide. The prevalence of GIM is heterogeneous among different regions of the world and correlates with the population endemicity of H. pylori carriage, among other environmental factors. GC remains the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality globally. GIM is usually diagnosed by upper endoscopy with biopsy, and histologic scoring systems have been developed to risk-stratify patients at highest risk for progression to GC. Several recent endoscopic imaging modalities may improve the optical detection of GIM and early GC. Appropriate surveillance of GIM may be cost effective and represents an opportunity for the early diagnosis and therapy of GC. Certain East Asian nations have established population-level programs for the screening and surveillance of GIM; guidelines regarding GIM surveillance have also recently been published in Europe. By contrast, few data exist regarding the appropriateness of surveillance of GIM in the United States. In this review, we discuss the pathogenesis, epidemiology, diagnosis, and management of GIM with an emphasis on the role of appropriate endoscopic surveillance.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Biopsy ; Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis ; Endoscopy ; Epidemiology ; Europe ; Gastric Mucosa ; Helicobacter pylori ; Humans ; Intestinal Mucosa ; Mass Screening ; Metaplasia ; Mortality ; Prevalence ; Stomach ; Stomach Neoplasms ; United States

PURPOSE: The extension of endocrine therapy beyond 5 years for recurrence-free survivors of breast cancer improves survival; however, the issue on how to clinically identify appropriate candidates remains controversial. This study aimed to identify prognostic factors for breast-cancer-specific mortality in patients who have had 5 years of tamoxifen treatment and categorize subgroups based on the risk of death using combinations of these prognostic factors to assist in the clinical decision to perform further endocrine therapy. METHODS: In total, 3,158 patients with breast cancer were enrolled. Breast cancer-specific survival rates after 5 years of tamoxifen treatment were calculated, and associated prognostic factors were analyzed using a Cox proportional-hazards model. RESULTS: An age extreme at diagnosis (i.e., < 40 or ≥ 60 years), tumor size > 2 cm, and positive lymphovascular invasion were robust independent prognostic factors for late breast cancer-specific death in tamoxifen-treated patients (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.162, 1.739, and 1.993; p = 0.001, 0.047, and 0.011, respectively). Lymph node metastasis and progesterone receptor negativity had borderline significance in this regard (HR = 1.741 and 1.638, p = 0.099 and 0.061). The study patients were classified into four groups according to the number of prognostic indicators, i.e., low, intermediate, high, and extremely high risk. The additional 5- and 10-year cumulative risks of breast cancer-specific death were 0.8% and 1.5% in the low-risk group, 0.9% and 3.9% in the intermediate-risk group, 1.3% and 7.3% in the high-risk group, and 4.8% and 13.8% in the extremely high-risk group, respectively. CONCLUSION: This new risk stratification system for late mortality in breast cancer can be used to identify the right candidates for extended endocrine therapy after 5 years of tamoxifen treatment.
Breast Neoplasms ; Breast ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Mortality ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Receptors, Progesterone ; Survival Rate ; Survivors ; Tamoxifen

BACKGROUND: Cancer is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Yet, limited is known about patterns of cancer and risk factors for advanced stage cancers in Ethiopia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 919 patients with biopsy-confirmed cancers at Tikur Anbessa Hospital in Ethiopia, 2010 to 2014. Pearson chi-square test, t-test, analysis of variance and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed. RESULTS: The majority of the patients were females (72.4%). The commonest malignancies among males were bone and soft tissue (16.5%), colorectal (12.2%), and esophageal (9.1%). Among females, the most common cancers were cervical (39.7%), breast (18.3%), and ovarian (7.1%); of these, 41.7%, 59.0%, and 42.6% were diagnosed at advanced stages, respectively. Females had more advanced stage cancers at diagnosis than males (37.6% vs. 24.8%, P < 0.01). Among males, 46.7% of prostate and 29.0% of colorectal cancers were in advanced stages at the time of diagnosis. Delay in presentation from onset of symptoms was associated with advanced cancer among females (OR = 3.21; 95% CI = 1.69–6.10). Prostate cancer among males (OR = 5.22; 95% CI = 1.26–21.60) and breast cancer among females (OR = 1.93; 95% CI = 1.23–3.03) were more likely to be diagnosed at advanced stages. CONCLUSIONS: Cancers with effective screening tests are common in Ethiopia and significant proportions of these were diagnosed at advanced stages, typically several months after onset of symptoms. Timely access to preventive care along with effective educational and screening strategies is needed in Ethiopia for early detection and treatment of common malignancies, such as cervical, breast and colorectal cancers.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Diagnosis ; Ethiopia ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Mortality ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prostate ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Risk Factors

BACKGROUND: Malignant melanoma is a cutaneous malignancy with a high mortality rate and high potential for metastases. Detailed information on the clinicopathologic characteristics and prognostic factors of cutaneous melanoma is currently limited in Korea. This study aimed to identify the epidemiological and clinicopathologic characteristics of primary cutaneous melanoma in Korean patients, and to assess which prognostic variables could influence both the development of metastases in primary cutaneous melanoma and overall survival (OS). METHODS: A total of 261 patients diagnosed with primary cutaneous melanoma in seven medical centers between 1997 and 2017 were retrospectively investigated with regard to clinical presentation, localization of the tumor, histopathologic subtype, and survival time. RESULTS: The nodular histologic subtype, ulceration, and Breslow thickness were significantly associated with the development of metastasis; and overweight and obesity (body mass index > 23) were significantly associated with increased Breslow thickness. The location of the metastases appeared to influence OS: brain metastases were associated with the highest risk of death, followed by gastrointestinal, lung, and extra-regional lymph node metastases. CONCLUSION: In this study, tumor thickness, nodular histologic subtype, and ulceration predicted metastatic spread of primary cutaneous melanoma. In addition, OS was associated with the location of metastases. Obesity was related to the prognosis of primary cutaneous melanoma. Clinicians should bear these findings in mind when forming a diagnosis because of the risk of a poor prognosis.
Brain ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Korea ; Lung ; Lymph Nodes ; Melanoma ; Mortality ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Obesity ; Overweight ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Skin Neoplasms ; Ulcer

OBJECTIVES: In women, breast cancer is the most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer death. Screening tests are the basis for early diagnosis. In Iranian women, the mortality rate of breast cancer is high due to insufficient screening examinations and delayed visits for care. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the factors affecting breast self-examinations among Iranian women employed in medical careers. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 501 women working in the medical professions at Hamadan University of Medical Sciences in western Iran in 2018. The subjects were selected by stratified random sampling. Data were collected using a researcher-developed, self-report questionnaire that contained demographic information and questions based on protection motivation theory and social support theory. Descriptive data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 23 and model fitting with PLS version 2. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 37.1±8.3 years, and most of the women (80.4%) were married. Most women had a bachelor's degree (67.5%). The findings of this study showed that the coping appraisal construct was a predictor of protection motivation (β=0.380, p<0.05), and protection motivation (β=0.604, p<0.05) was a predictor of breast self-examination behavior. Additionally, social support theory (β=0.202, p<0.05) had a significant positive effect on breast self-examination behavior. CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of practicing self-examinations among women employees in the medical sector was low; considering the influence of social support as a factor promoting screening, it is necessary to pay attention to influential people in women's lives when designing educational interventions.
Breast Neoplasms ; Breast Self-Examination ; Breast ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Delivery of Health Care ; Early Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Iran ; Mass Screening ; Mortality ; Motivation ; Self-Examination ; Statistics as Topic

Pancreatic cancer is a major cause of cancer-related mortality and morbidity, and its incidence is increasing as the population is aging. On the other hand, significant improvement in the prognosis has not occurred. The absence of early diagnosis means that many patients are diagnosed only when they develop symptoms, such as jaundice, due to a biliary obstruction. The role of endoscopy in multidisciplinary care for patients with pancreatic cancer continues to evolve. Controversy remains regarding the best preoperative biliary drainage in patients with surgically resectable pancreatic head cancer. In general, patients undergoing a surgical resection usually do not require preoperative biliary drainage unless they have cholangitis or receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy. If biliary drainage is performed prior to surgery, the patient's condition and a multidisciplinary approach should be considered. With the increasing life expectancy of patients with pancreatic cancer, the need for more long-time biliary drainage or pre-operative biliary drainage is also increasing. Strong evidence of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) as a first-line and essential treatment for biliary decompression has been provided. On the other hand, the use of endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary drainage as well as percutaneous biliary drainage has been also recommended. During ERCP, self-expandable metal stent could be recommended instead of a plastic stent for the purpose of long stent patency and minimizing stent-induced complications. In this review, several points of view regarding the relief of obstruction in patients with pancreatic cancer, and optimal techniques are being discussed.
Aging ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Cholangitis ; Decompression ; Drainage ; Drug Therapy ; Early Diagnosis ; Endoscopy ; Hand ; Head and Neck Neoplasms ; Humans ; Incidence ; Jaundice ; Life Expectancy ; Mortality ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; Plastics ; Prognosis ; Stents

Pancreatitis, panniculitis, and polyarthritis (PPP) syndrome is a rare but critical disease with a high mortality rate. The diagnostic dilemma of PPP syndrome is the fact that symptoms occur unexpectedly. A 48-year-old man presented with fever and painful swelling of the left foot that was initially mistaken for cellulitis and gouty arthritis. The diagnosis of PPP syndrome was made based on the abdominal CT findings and elevated pancreatic enzyme levels, lobular panniculitis with ghost cells on a skin biopsy, and polyarthritis on a bone scan. The pancreatitis and panniculitis disappeared spontaneously over time, but the polyarthritis followed its own course despite the use of anti-inflammatory agents. In addition to this case, 30 cases of PPP syndrome in the English literature were reviewed. Most of the patients had initial symptoms other than abdominal pain, leading to misdiagnosis. About one-third of them were finally diagnosed with a pancreatic tumor, of which pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma was the most dominant. They showed a mortality rate of 32.3%, associated mainly with the pancreatic malignancy. Therefore, PPP syndrome should be considered when cutaneous or osteoarticular manifestations occur in patients with pancreatitis. Active investigation and continued observations are needed for patients suspected of PPP syndrome.
Abdominal Pain ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; Arthritis ; Arthritis, Gouty ; Biopsy ; Carcinoma, Acinar Cell ; Cellulitis ; Diagnosis ; Diagnostic Errors ; Fever ; Foot ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Mortality ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; Pancreatitis ; Panniculitis ; Skin ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Esophageal cancer is an aggressive malignant tumor with a poor prognosis because of its typically advanced stage at diagnosis and treatment-related morbidity and mortality. Of the two major subtypes, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and esophageal adenocarcinoma, ESCC is prevalent in more than 90 percent of esophageal cancer patients in Korea. Both the incidence and mortality of esophageal cancer are declining, and the relative survival rate of patients with esophageal cancer has improved. These epidemiological changes are attributed to increase in the detection rate of esophageal cancer at localized and regional stages before distant spread of the disease. And the most well-known risk factors for esophageal adenocarcinoma are obesity and gastro-esophageal reflux disease. The carcinogenesis of ESCC is associated with chronic irritation caused by smoking, heavy alcohol use, drinking very hot beverages, and a low socioeconomic status. Understanding the risk factors for esophageal cancer can lead to the identification of preventative strategies to reduce the risk of developing esophageal cancer or to improve the long-term prognosis.
Adenocarcinoma ; Beverages ; Carcinogenesis ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Diagnosis ; Drinking ; Epidemiology ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; Gastroesophageal Reflux ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Mortality ; Obesity ; Prognosis ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Social Class ; Survival Rate

The broad dissemination of next-generation sequencing capability has increased recognition of clonal hematopoiesis in various clinical settings. In hematologically normal individuals, somatic mutations may occur at an increasing frequency with age in genes that are also commonly mutated in overt myeloid malignancies such as AML and MDS (e.g., DNMT3A, TET2, and ASXL1). This is referred to as clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) and is a benign state; however, it carries a risk of progression to hematologic malignancy as well as mortality primarily because of increased cardiovascular events. In clinical settings, clonal hematopoiesis may be observed in cytopenic patients who do not otherwise meet the criteria for hematologic malignancy, a condition referred to as clonal cytopenias of undetermined significance (CCUS). Distinguishing CCUS from overt MDS or other myeloid neoplasms can be challenging because of the overlapping mutational landscape observed in these conditions. Genetic features that could be diagnostically helpful in making this distinction include the number and biological function of mutated genes as well as the observed variant allele frequency. A working knowledge of clonal hematopoiesis is essential for the diagnosis and clinical management of patients with hematologic conditions. This review describes the key characteristics of clonal hematopoiesis with particular focus on implications for differential diagnosis in patients with CHIP, idiopathic cytopenia, CCUS, and myeloid malignancy.
Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Gene Frequency ; Hematologic Neoplasms ; Hematopoiesis ; Humans ; Mortality