OBJECTIVE: To establish a Parotid Imaging Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS) for CT diagnosis of the parotid gland neoplasms and to investigate the clinical applicable value and feasibility of PI-RADS. METHODS: Patients who had been diagnosed with primary parotid gland neoplasms and had received surgical treatments in Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology during the period of January 2013 to December 2016 were included in this study. The diagnoses were confirmed by the postoperative pathological examinations in all the patients. The CT imaging data of all patients were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed by two readers in consensus. Imaging characteristics related to the parotid neoplasms were extracted and quantified. Based on comprehensive analysis of the imaging characteristics, the probabilities of the benign and malignant neoplasms were evaluated and classified into six grades, PI-RADS 1-6 (PI-RADS 1: normal parotid gland; PI-RADS 2: confidently benign lesions; PI-RADS 3: probably benign lesions without confirmed evidence of malignancy; PI-RADS 4: suspected malignancy without sufficient evidence of malignancy; PI-RADS 5: confidently malignant lesions; PI-RADS 6: lesions with confirmed pathological evidence of malignancy). RESULTS: A total of 897 patients with 1 003 parotid lesions were included. The lesions included 905 benign and 98 malignant lesions. The proportions of the malignancies in PI-RADS 2, PI-RADS 3, PI-RADS 4 and PI-RADS 5 according to the two readers in consensus were 0.4%, 5.7%, 35.5% and 96.7% respectively. The overall Cohen's Kappa test showed medium consistency between the two independent researchers (κ=0.614, P<0.001, 95%CI: 0.569-0.695). Pearson Chi-square test showed that the proportions of malignancies increased with the diagnostic PI-RADS grades (Cochran-Armitage trend test, Z=-15.579, P<0.001). The results of Pearson Chi-square tests showed significant differences between the grades [PI-RADS 2 and 3 (χ²=12.048, P=0.001); PI-RADS 3 and 4 (χ²=75.231, P<0.001); PI-RADS 4 and 5 (χ²=32.266, P<0.001)]. CONCLUSION PI-RADS can be used to evaluate the risk of malignancy and will be helpful to improve the imaging diagnosis and clinical treatment of parotid gland neoplasms.
Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Parotid Gland/diagnostic imaging* ; Parotid Neoplasms ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

BACKGROUND: Korean Americans constitute the fifth largest subgroup in the Asian American population. Despite their increasing population, research and guidelines regarding their health status assessment and disease screening are lacking. This study aimed to compare the prevalence of diseases in Korean Americans and native Koreans to determine the risk factors and guidelines for disease screening. METHODS: Patients who visited the Gangnam Severance Hospital from February 2010 to May 2015 for a health checkup were enrolled in this study. Baseline characteristics, laboratory data, and the organs (stomach, colon, thyroid, brain, prostate, lung, liver, kidney, pancreas, adrenal gland, and heart) of patients were examined. Data regarding patients' dietary patterns were also obtained. Overall, 1,514 Korean Americans (group 1) and 1,514 native Koreans (group 2) were enrolled. RESULTS: The following diseases were more prevalent in group 1 than in group 2: reflux esophagitis (12.9% vs. 10%), gastric ulcer (3.0% vs. 5.5%), colorectal polyp (37.7% vs. 28.7%), hemorrhoids (32.2% vs. 29.9%), and benign prostatic hyperplasia (30.2% vs. 14.3%). Although not statistically significant, coronary artery disease has a high prevalence rate of >20% in both groups. Dietary patterns were not significant between the two groups. CONCLUSION: This study showed that the prevalence of several diseases in Korean Americans differed from that observed in native Koreans. Therefore, a foundation for setting up new guidelines for disease screening among Korean Americans is established.
Adrenal Glands ; Asian Americans ; Brain ; Colon ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Esophagitis, Peptic ; Hemorrhoids ; Humans ; Kidney ; Liver ; Lung ; Mass Screening ; Pancreas ; Polyps ; Prevalence ; Prostate ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; Risk Factors ; Stomach Ulcer ; Thyroid Gland

PURPOSE: We examined the association between thyroid hormone and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS)/benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 5,708 middle aged men were included. LUTS/BPH were assessed using the international prostate symptom score (IPSS), total prostate volume (TPV), maximal flow rate (Qmax), and a full metabolic workup. Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine (FT4) levels were measured using chemiluminescence immunoassay. We divided participants into quartiles based on their TSH and FT4 levels: first to fourth quartile (Q1–Q4). RESULTS: There was a significant increase in the percentage of men with IPSS>7, Qmax<10 mL/s, and TPV≥30 mL with increase of FT4 quartile. The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for TPV≥30 mL and IPSS>7 were significantly different between FT4 quartile groups (ORs; [5–95 percentile interval], p; TPV≥30 mL, Q1: 0.000 [references]; Q2: 1.140 [0.911–1.361], p=0.291; Q3: 1.260 [1.030–1.541], p=0.025; Q4: 1.367 [1.122–1.665], p=0.002; IPSS>7: Q1: 0.000 [references]; Q2: 0.969 [0.836–1.123], p=0.677; Q3: 1.123 [0.965–1.308], p=0.133; Q4: 1.221 [1.049–1.420], p=0.010). In men with above median levels of testosterone, the FT4 correlated positively with TPV, even after adjusting for confounders. However, the FT4 was not correlated with TPV in men with below median levels of testosterone. TSH was not related to LUTS/BPH measurements. CONCLUSIONS: TPV, IPSS, and Qmax were significantly related to FT4. TPV and IPSS were significantly and independently related to FT4. Additionally, the relationship between FT4 and TPV was distinct when testosterone levels are high.
Humans ; Immunoassay ; Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms ; Luminescence ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Odds Ratio ; Prostate ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; Testosterone ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyrotropin ; Thyroxine ; Urinary Tract ; Urologic Diseases

Cancer is a major cause of morbidity and the most common cause of death in Korea. There are currently approximately 200,000 incident cancer cases and 78,000 individuals die from cancer every year. The factors directly related to cancer incidence, including aging, smoking, obesity, and Westernized dietary habits, have been increasing during the past several decades. Since 1999, trends toward increased incidence have been observed for thyroid, breast (in women), colorectal, and prostate cancer. Currently, these trends have changed direction, and the incidence of stomach and liver cancer in both sexes, and cervical cancer in women have continually declined. Although the number of cancer deaths increased by a factor of 2.7 from 1983 to 2016, the age-standardized mortality associated with cancer has been decreasing by 3% every year. The 5-year relative survival rate (RSR) has also improved over the past several decades, especially for stomach, prostate, and breast cancer, which had 5-year RSRs greater than 90% in the most recent report.
Aging ; Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Cause of Death ; Epidemiology* ; Female ; Food Habits ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea* ; Liver Neoplasms ; Mortality ; Obesity ; Prostate ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Republic of Korea ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Stomach ; Survival Rate ; Thyroid Gland ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

The dose-limiting salivary gland toxicity of ²²⁵Ac-labelled PSMA for treatment of metastatic, castration-resistant prostate cancer remains unresolved. Suppressing the metabolism of the gland by intraparenchymal injections of botulinum toxin appears to be a promising method to reduce off-target uptake. A ⁶⁸Ga-PSMA PET/CT scan performed 45 days after injection of 80 units of botulinum toxin A into the right parotid gland in a 63-year-old patient showed a decrease in the SUVmean in the right parotid gland of up to 64% as compared with baseline. This approach could be a significant breakthrough for radioprotection of the salivary glands during PSMA radioligand therapy.
Botulinum Toxins ; Humans ; Metabolism ; Methods ; Middle Aged ; Parotid Gland ; Positron-Emission Tomography and Computed Tomography ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Salivary Glands ; Xerostomia

Cancer is the leading cause of death in Korea. Cancer screening has become a basic health program because of the increased incidence of cancers and heightened interest. In September 2015, experts gathered at the National Cancer Institute of Korea proposed screening guidelines for seven cancers: lung, gastric, colon, breast, cervical, and thyroid cancers and hepatoma. The Korean cancer screening guidelines recommend annual screening for lung cancer with low-dose computed tomography in adults ages 55 to 74 years who have a 30 pack-year smoking history and currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years. For gastric cancer, endoscopy screening is recommended once every 2 years and gastrography is recommended optionally in adults ages 40 to 74 years. For hepatoma screening, alpha-fetoprotein and liver ultrasound are recommended every 6 months for patients older than 40 years old at high risk. For colon cancer screening, fecal occult blood testing is recommended with optional colonoscopy every 1-2 years in adults ages 40 to 80 years. For breast cancer screening, mammography is recommended every 2 years for all women ages 40-69 years. For cervical cancer screening, a Pap smear is recommended every 3 years for all women older than 20 years or with sexual experience. No routine screening is recommended for thyroid cancer. The author reviews the background and practices of cancer screening guidelines for seven major cancers and prostate cancer.
Adult ; alpha-Fetoproteins ; Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Cause of Death ; Colon ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Colonoscopy ; Early Detection of Cancer* ; Endoscopy ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea* ; Liver ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Mammography ; Mass Screening ; National Cancer Institute (U.S.) ; Occult Blood ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; Ultrasonography ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

Metastatic bone disease is a major sequela of several malignancies, such as the prostate, breast, lung, kidney and thyroid. Bone pain is a common symptom in advancing malignancy and often determines the quality of life in the later stages of disease. Management of bone pain from metastasis remains palliative at present. With the improved cancer survival resulting from advances in cancer management, the population of patients seeking relief of bone pain has increased. Radiopharmaceutical therapy offers potential pain relief with minimal adverse effects. This is a case report on the clinical utility of strontium-89 chloride for the palliation of bone pain in metastatic prostate cancer. A 67-year-old male presented with bone pain due to disseminated bone metastases form prostate cancer, most intense in the lower back (Visual Analogue Scale pain score of 8). Strontium-89 chloride was administered intravenously at a dose of 148 MBq (4mCi). There was a transient, moderate, tolerable pain flare (Visual Analogue Scale pain score of 4) within the first week of treatment, which was relieved by oral opioid analgesics. He was pain-free thereafter (Visual Analogue Scale pain score of 0). Reversible bone marrow suppression was also observed a few weeks after the treatment.

Human ; Male ; Aged ; .analgesics, Opioid ; Radiopharmaceuticals ; Strontium Chloride ; Strontium ; Thyroid Gland ; Bone Marrow ; Quality Of Life ; Visual Analog Scale ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Bone Neoplasms ; Pain Management

Metastatic bone disease is a major sequela of several malignancies, such as the prostate, breast, lung, kidney and thyroid. Bone pain is a common symptom in advancing malignancy and often determines the quality of life in the later stages of disease. Management of bone pain from metastasis remains palliative at present. With the improved cancer survival resulting from advances in cancer management, the population of patients seeking relief of bone pain has increased. Radiopharmaceutical therapy offers potential pain relief with minimal adverse effects. This is a case report on the clinical utility of strontium-89 chloride for the palliation of bone pain in metastatic prostate cancer. A 67-year-old male presented with bone pain due to disseminated bone metastases form prostate cancer, most intense in the lower back (Visual Analogue Scale pain score of 8). Strontium-89 chloride was administered intravenously at a dose of 148 MBq (4mCi). There was a transient, moderate, tolerable pain flare (Visual Analogue Scale pain score of 4) within the first week of treatment, which was relieved by oral opioid analgesics. He was pain-free thereafter (Visual Analogue Scale pain score of 0). Reversible bone marrow suppression was also observed a few weeks after the treatment.

Human ; Male ; Aged ; .analgesics, Opioid ; Radiopharmaceuticals ; Strontium Chloride ; Strontium ; Thyroid Gland ; Bone Marrow ; Quality Of Life ; Visual Analog Scale ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Bone Neoplasms ; Pain Management

Medullary thyroid carcinomas (MTC) are rare tumors that account for approximately 5-10% of all thyroid malignancy in the West. The reported incidence of MTC is less than 5% in Korea. Its prognosis is relatively good with a 15-year survival rate of 64-84%. The incidence of thyroid cancer has been increasing rapidly worldwide and the overall survival of patients with thyroid cancer is excellent. The occurrence of second primary malignancy (SPM) among survivors of thyroid cancer is a concern, together with life expectancy. Recent studies reported a 6-45% increase in the risk of developing SPM after the diagnosis thyroid cancer. We reported a patient with prostate and colon cancer that were diagnosed 10 years after the diagnosis of medullary thyroid carcinoma.
Aged* ; Colonic Neoplasms* ; Diagnosis* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Life Expectancy ; Prognosis ; Prostate ; Prostatic Neoplasms* ; Survival Rate ; Survivors ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroid Neoplasms*

PURPOSE: This study estimated the economic burden of cancer in Korea during 2000-2010 by cancer site, gender, age group, and cost component. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data came from national health insurance claims data and information from Statistics Korea. Based on the cost of illness method, this study calculated direct, morbidity and mortality cost of cancer in the nation during 2000-2010 by cancer site, gender, and age group. RESULTS: With an average annual growth rate of 8.9%, the economic burden of cancer in Korea increased from 11,424 to 20,858 million US$ (current US dollars) during 2000-2010. Colorectal, thyroid, and breast cancers became more significant during the period, i.e., the 5th/837, the 11th/257, and the 7th/529 in 2000 to the 3rd/2,210, the 5th/1,724, and the 6th/1,659 in 2010, respectively (rank/amount in million US$ for the total population). In addition, liver and stomach cancers were prominent during the period in terms of the same measures, i.e., the 1st/2,065 and the 2nd/2,036 in 2000 to the 1st/3,114 and the 2nd/3,046 in 2010, respectively. Finally, the share of mortality cost in the total burden dropped from 71% to 51% in Korea during 2000-2010, led by colorectal, thyroid, breast, and prostate cancers during the period. These results show that the economic burden of cancer in Korea is characterized by an increasing importance of chronic components. CONCLUSION: Incorporation of distinctive epidemiological, sociocultural contexts into Korea's cancer control program, with greater emphasis on primary prevention such as sodium-controlled diet and hepatitis B vaccination, may be needed.
Aging ; Breast ; Cost of Illness ; Diet ; Hepatitis B ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Liver ; Mortality ; National Health Programs ; Primary Prevention ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Thyroid Gland ; Vaccination