Decision-making for treatment of newly diagnosed prostate cancer (PCa) is complex due to the multiple initial treatment modalities available. We aimed to externally validate the SCaP (Severance Study Group of Prostate Cancer) Survival Calculator that incorporates a long short-term memory artificial neural network (ANN) model to estimate survival outcomes of PCa according to initial treatment modality. Materials and Methods The validation cohort consisted of clinicopathological data of 4,415 patients diagnosed with biopsy-proven PCa between April 2005 and November 2018 at three institutions. Area under the curves (AUCs) and time-to-event calibration plots were utilized to determine the predictive accuracies of the SCaP Survival Calculator in terms of progression to castration-resistant PCa (CRPC)–free survival, cancer-specific survival (CSS), and overall survival (OS). Results Excellent discrimination was observed for CRPC-free survival, CSS, and OS outcomes, with AUCs of 0.962, 0.944, and 0.884 for 5-year outcomes and 0.959, 0.928, and 0.854 for 10-year outcomes, respectively. The AUC values were higher for all survival endpoints compared to those of the development cohort. Calibration plots showed that predicted probabilities of 5-year survival endpoints had concordance comparable to those of the observed frequencies. However, calibration performances declined for 10-year predictions with an overall underestimation. Conclusion The SCaP Survival Calculator is a reliable and useful tool for determining the optimal initial treatment modality and for guiding survival predictions for patients with newly diagnosed PCa. Further modifications in the ANN model incorporating cases with more extended follow-up periods are warranted to improve the ANN model for long-term predictions.

Decision-making for treatment of newly diagnosed prostate cancer (PCa) is complex due to the multiple initial treatment modalities available. We aimed to externally validate the SCaP (Severance Study Group of Prostate Cancer) Survival Calculator that incorporates a long short-term memory artificial neural network (ANN) model to estimate survival outcomes of PCa according to initial treatment modality. Materials and Methods The validation cohort consisted of clinicopathological data of 4,415 patients diagnosed with biopsy-proven PCa between April 2005 and November 2018 at three institutions. Area under the curves (AUCs) and time-to-event calibration plots were utilized to determine the predictive accuracies of the SCaP Survival Calculator in terms of progression to castration-resistant PCa (CRPC)–free survival, cancer-specific survival (CSS), and overall survival (OS). Results Excellent discrimination was observed for CRPC-free survival, CSS, and OS outcomes, with AUCs of 0.962, 0.944, and 0.884 for 5-year outcomes and 0.959, 0.928, and 0.854 for 10-year outcomes, respectively. The AUC values were higher for all survival endpoints compared to those of the development cohort. Calibration plots showed that predicted probabilities of 5-year survival endpoints had concordance comparable to those of the observed frequencies. However, calibration performances declined for 10-year predictions with an overall underestimation. Conclusion The SCaP Survival Calculator is a reliable and useful tool for determining the optimal initial treatment modality and for guiding survival predictions for patients with newly diagnosed PCa. Further modifications in the ANN model incorporating cases with more extended follow-up periods are warranted to improve the ANN model for long-term predictions.

No abstract available.
Risk Assessment ; Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary ; Coronary Artery Disease

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has been accepted as one of primary options for treatment of symptomatic severe aortic stenosis. Although TAVI has been predominantly used for patients at high risk or with old age who were not considered optimal candidates for surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR), its indication is now expanding toward low risk profile and younger age. Many clinical trials are now ongoing to test the possibility of TAVI for use in patients even with uncharted indications who are not eligible for SAVR in current guidelines but may benefit from valve replacement. Current issues including periprocedural safety, long-term adverse events, hemodynamics and durability associated with TAVI should be also solved for expanding use of TAVI. The review presents current status and future directions of TAVI and discusses perspectives in Korea.
Aortic Valve ; Aortic Valve Stenosis ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Korea ; Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

PURPOSE: Radial head fractures, which account for 33% of all fractures, are treated depending on the Mason classification. In comminuted type 3 fractures, open reduction internal fixation (ORIF), and radial head arthroplasty are the treatment options. This study examined the clinical outcome of modified Mason type 3 radial head fractures using ORIF with a plate. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical records and image of 33 patients, who underwent ORIF for modified Mason type 3 radial head fractures, were reviewed retrospectively. The preoperative plain radiographs and computed tomography images were used to examine the location of the fracture of the radial head, the number of fragments, union, joint alignment, and traumatic arthritis at the final follow-up. The range of motion (ROM) of the elbow at the last follow-up, pain score (visual analogue scale), modified Mayo elbow score (MMES), and complications were analyzed for the clinical outcome. RESULTS: Of the 33 cases, 14 were men and 19 were women. The mean age was 41.8 years and the average follow-up period was 19 months. The functional ROM was divided into three groups according to the number of bone fragments: 141.2°±9.3° of 3 (n=20), 123.8°±18.5° of 4 (n=7), 100.7°±24.4° of more than 4 (n=6). Furthermore, the MMES were 88.2±2.9, 83.7±4.3, and 77.3±8.4, respectively (p=0.027). Depending on the radial head fracture location, the ROM and MMES were 130.7°±7.5° and 82.1±4.7, respectively, with poor outcomes on the ulnar aspect compared to 143.1°±3.8° and 89.9±3.2 on the radial aspect. CONCLUSION: Various factors, such as the degree of crushing and location involved in the clinical outcome. In particular, the result was poor in the case of more than four comminuted fragments or chief position located in the ulnar aspect. In this case, radial head arthroplasty may be considered in the early stages.
Arthritis ; Arthroplasty ; Classification ; Elbow ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fractures, Open ; Head ; Humans ; Joints ; Male ; Medical Records ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Retrospective Studies

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has been accepted as one of primary options for treatment of symptomatic severe aortic stenosis. Although TAVI has been predominantly used for patients at high risk or with old age who were not considered optimal candidates for surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR), its indication is now expanding toward low risk profile and younger age. Many clinical trials are now ongoing to test the possibility of TAVI for use in patients even with uncharted indications who are not eligible for SAVR in current guidelines but may benefit from valve replacement. Current issues including periprocedural safety, long-term adverse events, hemodynamics and durability associated with TAVI should be also solved for expanding use of TAVI. The review presents current status and future directions of TAVI and discusses perspectives in Korea.

PURPOSE: The present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of polymer-free drug-coated BioFreedom stent implantation in comparison to coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) before major noncardiac surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a multicenter registry, 55 patients required revascularization before major noncardiac surgery that should not be delayed >6 months. Of them, 27 underwent BioFreedom stent implantation and 28 underwent CABG. Primary outcomes included rate of noncardiac surgery, time from revascularization to noncardiac surgery, and occurrence of composite outcomes (all-cause death, myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, stroke, repeat revascularization, or major bleeding). RESULTS: The rate of major noncardiac surgery was significantly higher in the BioFreedom group (92.6%) than in the CABG group (64.3%; p=0.027). Time from revascularization to noncardiac surgery was significantly shorter in the BioFreedom group (38.0 days) than in the CABG group (73.0 days; p=0.042). During the hospitalization for revascularization period, the occurrence of primary outcomes did not differ between the groups. However, the BioFreedom group showed a shorter hospitalization period and lower total treatment cost than the CABG group. During the hospital stay for noncardiac surgery, the occurrence of composite outcome was not significantly different between groups (4% vs. 0%; p>0.999): stroke occurred in only 1 case, and there were no cases of death or stent thrombosis in the BioFreedom group. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that BioFreedom stenting as a revascularization strategy before major noncardiac surgery might be feasible and safe in selected patients with less severe coronary artery diseases.
Coronary Artery Bypass ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Vessels* ; Drug-Eluting Stents ; Health Care Costs ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Myocardial Infarction ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ; Preoperative Care ; Stents* ; Stroke ; Thrombosis ; Transplants

PURPOSE: This study aimed to compare the effects of ticagrelor and clopidogrel on early neointimal healing assessed with optical coherence tomography (OCT) after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: AMI patients were randomly assigned to either the ticagrelor or clopidogrel arm. After DES implantation, OCT was performed to assess the percentages of uncovered struts immediately after procedure and 3 months later. RESULTS: Due to early termination, 83 patients out of 106 initially enrolled patients (24% of planned participants) underwent 3-month OCT. Differences in vascular healing patterns between the two groups, including percentage of uncovered struts on 3-month OCT (9.6% vs. 11.7% in ticagrelor vs. clopidogrel, respectively; p=0.867), neointimal thickness, percentage of malapposed struts, and healing scores did not reach statistical significance. The predictors of uncovered strut on 3-month OCT included greater reference vessel diameter [odds ratio (OR)=1.96, p < 0.001] and more malapposed struts (OR=1.12, p=0.003). CONCLUSION: The current study did not explore favorable effect of ticagrelor on 3-month vascular healing after DES implantation. Our findings should only be considered for generating hypothesis, due to insufficient power.
Arm ; Drug-Eluting Stents ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Neointima ; Tomography, Optical Coherence*

No abstract available.
Humans