Background: s/Aims: Reported incidence of extrahepatic bile duct cancer is higher in Asians than in Western populations. Korea, in particular, is one of the countries with the highest incidence rates of extrahepatic bile duct cancer in the world. Although research and innovative therapeutic modalities for extrahepatic bile duct cancer are emerging, clinical guidelines are currently unavailable in Korea. The Korean Society of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery in collaboration with related societies (Korean Pancreatic and Biliary Surgery Society, Korean Society of Abdominal Radiology, Korean Society of Medical Oncology, Korean Society of Radiation Oncology, Korean Society of Pathologists, and Korean Society of Nuclear Medicine) decided to establish clinical guideline for extrahepatic bile duct cancer in June 2021. Methods: Contents of the guidelines were developed through subgroup meetings for each key question and a preliminary draft was finalized through a Clinical Guidelines Committee workshop. Results: In November 2021, the finalized draft was presented for public scrutiny during a formal hearing. Conclusions The extrahepatic guideline committee believed that this guideline could be helpful in the treatment of patients.

Purpose: Optimal treatment for stage IIIA/N2 non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is controversial. We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of adjuvant pembrolizumab for stage IIIA/N2 NSCLC completely resected after neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiation therapy (CCRT). Materials and Methods: In this open-label, single-center, single-arm phase 2 trial, patients with stage IIIA/N2 NSCLC received adjuvant pembrolizumab for up to 2 years after complete resection following neoadjuvant CCRT. The primary endpoint was disease-free survival (DFS). Secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS) and safety. As an exploratory biomarker analysis, we evaluated the proliferative response of blood CD39+PD-1+CD8+ T cells using fold changes in the percentage of proliferating Ki-67+ cells from days 1 to 7 of cycle 1 (Ki-67D7/D1). Results: Between October 2017 and October 2018, 37 patients were enrolled. Twelve (32%) and three (8%) patients harbored EGFR and ALK alterations, respectively. Of 34 patients with programmed cell death ligand 1 assessment, 21 (62%), nine (26%), and four (12%) had a tumor proportion score of < 1%, 1%-50%, and ≥ 50%, respectively. The median follow-up was 71 months. The median DFS was 22.4 months in the overall population, with a 5-year DFS rate of 29%. The OS rate was 86% at 2 years and 76% at 5 years. Patients with tumor recurrence within 6 months had a significantly lower Ki-67D7/D1 among CD39+PD-1+CD8+ T cells than those without (p=0.036). No new safety signals were identified. Conclusion Adjuvant pembrolizumab may offer durable disease control in a subset of stage IIIA/N2 NSCLC patients after neoadjuvant CCRT and surgery.

Background: Atherogenic dyslipidemia, which is frequently associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and insulin resistance, contributes to the development of vascular complications. Statin therapy is the primary approach to dyslipidemia management in T2D, however, the role of non-statin therapy remains unclear. Ezetimibe reduces cholesterol burden by inhibiting intestinal cholesterol absorption. Fibrates lower triglyceride levels and increase high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels via peroxisome proliferator- activated receptor alpha agonism. Therefore, when combined, these drugs effectively lower non-HDL-C levels. Despite this, few clinical trials have specifically targeted non-HDL-C, and the efficacy of triple combination therapies, including statins, ezetimibe, and fibrates, has yet to be determined. Methods: This is a multicenter, prospective, randomized, open-label, active-comparator controlled trial involving 3,958 eligible participants with T2D, cardiovascular risk factors, and elevated non-HDL-C (≥100 mg/dL). Participants, already on moderate-intensity statins, will be randomly assigned to either Ezefeno (ezetimibe/fenofibrate) addition or statin dose-escalation. The primary end point is the development of a composite of major adverse cardiovascular and diabetic microvascular events over 48 months. Conclusion This trial aims to assess whether combining statins, ezetimibe, and fenofibrate is as effective as, or possibly superior to, statin monotherapy intensification in lowering cardiovascular and microvascular disease risk for patients with T2D. This could propose a novel therapeutic approach for managing dyslipidemia in T2D.

We report a case about successful surgical treatment of a granular cell tumor in the ascending colon. A 36-year-old man underwent screening colonoscopy. An endoscopic examination revealed a 10-mm yellowish and hemispheric mass in the ascending colon, and lower endoscopic ultrasonography revealed a hypoechoic-to-isoechoic mass invaded the submucosal layer. The mass was suspected to be a colonic carcinoid tumor. Based on the preoperative evaluation, endoscopic complete resection was considered difficult. Therefore, the lesion was removed via laparoscopic right hemicolectomy. Histological examination revealed that the tumor consisted of nests of polygonal cells with abundant granular eosinophilic cytoplasm. Immunohistochemical staining revealed diffuse positivity for S100 and CD68. Therefore, the tumor was diagnosed as a granular cell tumor. We suggest that surgical resection should be considered if it is located in the thin-walled ascending colon prone to perforation, difficult to rule out malignant tumor due to submucosal invasion, or to remove endoscopically.

The aim of this study was to develop evidence-based recommendations for determining the surgical extent in patients with locally invasive differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). Locally invasive DTC with gross extrathyroidal extension invading surrounding anatomical structures may lead to several functional deficits and poor oncological outcomes. At present, the optimal extent of surgery in locally invasive DTC remains a matter of debate, and there are no adequate guidelines. On October 8, 2021, four experts searched the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases; the identified papers were reviewed by 39 experts in thyroid and head and neck surgery. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach was used to assess the quality of evidence, and to develop and report recommendations. The strength of a recommendation reflects the confidence of a guideline panel that the desirable effects of an intervention outweigh any undesirable effects, across all patients for whom the recommendation is applicable. After completing the draft guidelines, Delphi questionnaires were completed by members of the Korean Society of Head and Neck Surgery. Twenty-seven evidence-based recommendations were made for several factors, including the preoperative workup; surgical extent of thyroidectomy; surgery for cancer invading the strap muscles, recurrent laryngeal nerve, laryngeal framework, trachea, or esophagus; and surgery for patients with central and lateral cervical lymph node involvement. Evidence-based guidelines were devised to help clinicians make safer and more efficient clinical decisions for the optimal surgical treatment of patients with locally invasive DTC.

Small intestinal malignant tumor accounts for about 3% of all malignant tumors in the gastrointestinal tract, among which 13% are leiomyosarcoma (LMS). In addition, epithelioid LMS is of very rare occurrence. As small intestinal malignant tumors are initially asymptomatic and nonspecific, diagnosis is often delayed, and this can lead to large tumor at the time of detection and lead to intussusception. We observed ileocolonic intussusception in an 80-year-old male patient who was admitted to the hospital with a complaint of abdominal pain and palpable mass on right lower quadrant. The laparoscopic ileocecectomy was performed by the emergency operation because of obstruction. The pathologic examination revealed that the epithelioid LMS developed in the terminal ileum was the leading point of intussusception. To the best of our knowledge, laparoscopic surgery for ileocolonic intussusception with epithelioid LMS has not yet been reported.

Background/Aims: While switching strategies of P2Y12 receptor inhibitors (RIs) have sometimes been used in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients, the current status of in-hospital P2Y12RI switching remains unknown. Methods: Overall, 8,476 AMI patients who underwent successful revascularization from Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry-National Institute of Health (KAMIR-NIH) were divided according to in-hospital P2Y12RI strategies, and net adverse cardiovascular events (NACEs), defined as a composite of cardiac death, non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, or thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) major bleeding during hospitalization were compared. Results: Patients with in-hospital P2Y12RI switching accounted for 16.5%, of which 867 patients were switched from clopidogrel to potent P2Y12RI (C-P) and 532 patients from potent P2Y12RI to clopidogrel (P-C). There were no differences in NACEs among the unchanged clopidogrel, the unchanged potent P2Y12RIs, and the P2Y12RI switching groups. However, compared to the unchanged clopidogrel group, the C-P group had a higher incidence of non-fatal MI, and the P-C group had a higher incidence of TIMI major bleeding. In clinical events of in-hospital P2Y12RI switching, 90.9% of non-fatal MI occurred during pre-switching clopidogrel administration, 60.7% of TIMI major bleeding was related to pre-switching P2Y12RIs, and 71.4% of TIMI major bleeding was related to potent P2Y12RIs. Only 21.6% of the P2Y12RI switching group switched to P2Y12RIs after a loading dose (LD); however, there were no differences in clinical events between patients with and without LD. Conclusions In-hospital P2Y12RI switching occurred occasionally, but had relatively similar clinical outcomes compared to unchanged P2Y12RIs in Korean AMI patients. Non-fatal MI and bleeding appeared to be mainly related to pre-switching P2Y12RIs.

Objective: Mood disorder and borderline personality pathology (BPP) are frequently comorbid and relate to childhood trauma. We investigated the relationship between childhood trauma and BPP features in mood disorder patients versus controls. Methods: A total of 488 mood disorder patients, particularly major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar I disorder (BD I), and bipolar II disorder (BD II), and 734 controls were included. We examined between-group BPP-related differences and correlated between BPP and childhood trauma using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ) and the Personality Assessment Inventory–Borderline Features Scale. Results: BD II patients showed significantly higher BPP. Emotional abuse and neglect were prominently associated with BPP, while affective instability and negative relationships exhibited a stronger association with childhood trauma. We also found a positive relationship between childhood trauma and BPP in MDD, BD I, and BD II patients. Conclusion The findings of the present study imply that BPP features are more likely to be found in patients with BD II than BD I or MDD. Mood disorder patients with severe childhood trauma may have higher BPP features. Thus, further study of the relationship between childhood trauma and BPP features could improve the therapeutic approaches and help understand patients with mood disorders.

Objective: The Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris, and San Diego Autoquestionnaire (TEMPS-A) has been validated in more than 30 languages and is noted for its broad application in research and clinical settings. This study presents the first attempt to examine the reliability and validity of the TEMPS-A in Korea. Methods: A total of 540 non-clinical participants completed the Korean TEMPS-A, which was adapted from the original English version via a comprehensive translation procedure. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s α, and associations between temperaments were examined using Spearman’s correlation coefficient. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed, and differences in TEMPS-A scores between the gender- and age-based groups were examined using Kruskal-Wallis analysis. Results: The Korean TEMPS-A exhibited excellent internal consistency (0.70–0.91) and significant correlations between subscales. EFA resulted in a two-factor structure: Factor I (depressive, cyclothymic, irritable, and anxious) and Factor II (hyperthymic). Gender and age group differences were observed. Conclusion Overall, our results suggest that TEMPS-A is a reliable and valid measure of affective temperaments for the Korean population. This study opens new possibilities for further research on affective temperaments and their related traits.