The Korean Breast Cancer Society (KBCS) has collected nationwide registry data on clinicopathologic characteristics and treatment since 1996. This study aimed to analyze the clinical characteristics of breast cancer in Korea and assess changes in breast cancer statistics for 2021 using data from the KBCS registry and the Korean Central Cancer Registry. In 2021, 34,628 women were newly diagnosed with breast cancer. The median age of women diagnosed with breast cancer was 53.4 years, with the highest incidence occurring in the 40–49 age group. The most common molecular subtype was hormone receptor-positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative, accounting for 69.1% of cases, while HER2-positive subtypes comprised 19.3%. During the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, the national breast cancer screening rate declined. However, the incidence of early-stage breast cancer (stages 0 and I) continued to increase, accounting for 65.6% of newly diagnosed cases in 2021. Our results showed that the overall survival rate for patients with breast cancer has improved, primarily due to a rise in early-stage diagnoses and advancements in treatment.

The Korean Breast Cancer Society (KBCS) has collected nationwide registry data on clinicopathologic characteristics and treatment since 1996. This study aimed to analyze the clinical characteristics of breast cancer in Korea and assess changes in breast cancer statistics for 2021 using data from the KBCS registry and the Korean Central Cancer Registry. In 2021, 34,628 women were newly diagnosed with breast cancer. The median age of women diagnosed with breast cancer was 53.4 years, with the highest incidence occurring in the 40–49 age group. The most common molecular subtype was hormone receptor-positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative, accounting for 69.1% of cases, while HER2-positive subtypes comprised 19.3%. During the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, the national breast cancer screening rate declined. However, the incidence of early-stage breast cancer (stages 0 and I) continued to increase, accounting for 65.6% of newly diagnosed cases in 2021. Our results showed that the overall survival rate for patients with breast cancer has improved, primarily due to a rise in early-stage diagnoses and advancements in treatment.

The Korean Breast Cancer Society (KBCS) has collected nationwide registry data on clinicopathologic characteristics and treatment since 1996. This study aimed to analyze the clinical characteristics of breast cancer in Korea and assess changes in breast cancer statistics for 2021 using data from the KBCS registry and the Korean Central Cancer Registry. In 2021, 34,628 women were newly diagnosed with breast cancer. The median age of women diagnosed with breast cancer was 53.4 years, with the highest incidence occurring in the 40–49 age group. The most common molecular subtype was hormone receptor-positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative, accounting for 69.1% of cases, while HER2-positive subtypes comprised 19.3%. During the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, the national breast cancer screening rate declined. However, the incidence of early-stage breast cancer (stages 0 and I) continued to increase, accounting for 65.6% of newly diagnosed cases in 2021. Our results showed that the overall survival rate for patients with breast cancer has improved, primarily due to a rise in early-stage diagnoses and advancements in treatment.

Complete mesocolic excision and central vascular ligation with D3 lymphadenectomy are important surgical principles for improving oncological outcomes in colon cancer. The cranial-first approach is a colonic mobilization–first approach to radical right hemicolectomy, which has several advantages, including early feasibility assessment, safe dissection from surrounding organs, preestablished inferior margin of lymph node dissection, and revelation of the tangible anatomy of the tributaries of the gastrocolic trunk. This video demonstrates the cranial-first approach to radical right hemicolectomy in a 66-year-old man with locally advanced cecal cancer.

Purpose: Managing recurrent inguinal hernias is complex, and choosing the right surgical approach (laparoscopic vs. open) is vital for patient outcomes. This study compared the outcomes of using the same vs. different surgical approaches for initial and subsequent hernia repairs. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients who underwent recurrent inguinal hernia repair at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital between January 2014 and May 2023. Patients were divided into the “concordant” and “discordant” groups, comprising patients who underwent same and different approaches in both surgeries, respectively. Preoperative baseline characteristics, index surgery data, postoperative outcomes, and recurrence rates were analyzed and compared. Results: In total, 131 patients were enrolled; the concordant and discordant groups comprised 31 (open, n = 19; laparoscopic, n = 12) and 100 patients (open to laparoscopic, n = 68; laparoscopic to open, n = 32), respectively. No significant differences were observed in the mean operation time (50.5 ± 21.7 minutes vs. 50.2 ± 20.0 minutes, P = 0.979), complication rates (6.5% vs. 14.0%, P = 0.356), or 36-month cumulative recurrence rates (9.8% vs. 9.8%; P = 0.865). The mean postoperative hospital stay was significantly shorter in the discordant than in the concordant group (1.8 ± 0.7 vs. 1.4 ± 0.6, P = 0.003). Conclusion Most recurrent inguinal hernia repairs were performed using the discordant surgical approach. Overall, concordance in the surgical approach did not significantly affect postoperative outcomes. Therefore, the selection of the surgical approach based on the patient’s condition and surgeon’s preference may be advisable.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of prophylactic abdominal drainage (AD) in laparoscopic hemicolectomy, focusing on assessing postoperative pain outcomes. Methods: Patients were categorized into two groups: those with and without AD (AD group vs.no-AD group). A numerical rating scale (NRS) was used to assess postoperative pain on each postoperative day (POD). Further, the inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) method was used to reduce intergroup bias. Results: In total, 204 patients who underwent laparoscopic hemicolectomies by a single surgeon between June 2013 and September 2022 at a single institution were retrospectively reviewed. After adjusting for IPTW, NRS scores on POD 2 were significantly lower in the no-AD group (3.2 ± 0.8 vs. 3.4 ± 0.8, p = 0.043). Further examination of postoperative outcomes showed no statistically significant differences in complications between the AD (17.3%) and no-AD (12.4%) groups (p = 0.170). The postoperative length of hospital stay was 7.3 ± 2.8 days in the AD group and 6.9 ± 3.0 days in the no-AD group, with no significant difference (p = 0.298). Time to first flatus was 3.0 ± 0.9 days in the AD group and 2.7 ± 0.9 days in the no-AD group, with no significant difference (p = 0.078). Regarding readmission within 1 month, there were four cases each in the AD (2.3%) and no-AD (1.7%) groups, with no significant difference (p = 0.733). Conclusion Laparoscopic hemicolectomy without AD resulted in no significant differences in postoperative clinical outcomes, except for postoperative pain. This finding suggests that prophylactic AD may exacerbate postoperative pain.

Purpose: The benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy following curative-intent surgery in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients who had received neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX is unclear. This study aimed to assess the survival benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy in this patient population. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 218 patients with localized non-metastatic PDAC who received neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX and underwent curative-intent surgery (R0 or R1) between January 2017 and December 2020. The association of adjuvant chemotherapy with disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) was evaluated in overall patients and in the propensity score matched (PSM) cohort. Subgroup analysis was conducted according to the pathology-proven lymph node status. Results: Adjuvant chemotherapy was administered to 149 patients (68.3%). In the overall cohort, the adjuvant chemotherapy group had significantly improved DFS and OS compared to the observation group (DFS: median, 13.8 months [95% confidence interval (CI), 11.0 to 19.1] vs. 8.2 months [95% CI, 6.5 to 12.0]; p < 0.001; and OS: median, 38.0 months [95% CI, 32.2 to not assessable] vs. 25.7 months [95% CI, 18.3 to not assessable]; p=0.005). In the PSM cohort of 57 matched pairs of patients, DFS and OS were better in the adjuvant chemotherapy group than in the observation group (p < 0.001 and p=0.038, respectively). In the multivariate analysis, adjuvant chemotherapy was a significant favorable prognostic factor (vs. observation; DFS: hazard ratio [HR], 0.51 [95% CI, 0.36 to 0.71; p < 0.001]; OS: HR, 0.45 [95% CI, 0.29 to 0.71; p < 0.001]). Conclusion Among PDAC patients who underwent surgery following neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX, adjuvant chemotherapy may be associated with improved survival. Randomized studies should be conducted to validate this finding.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the physiological role of nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) associated with odontogenic differentiation during tooth development in mice. Mouse dental papilla cell-23 (MDPC-23) cells cultured in differentiation media were stimulated with the specific NAMPT inhibitor, FK866, and Visfatin (NAMPT) for up to 10 days. The cells were evaluated after 0, 4, 7, and 10 days. Cell viability was measured using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. The mineralization assay was performed by staining MDPC-23 cells with Alizarin Red S solution. After cultivation, MDPC-23 cells were harvested for quantitative PCR or Western blotting. Analysis of variance was performed using StatView 5.0 software (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA). Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. The expression of NAMPT increased during the differentiation of murine odontoblast-like MDPC-23 cells. Furthermore, the up-regulation of NAMPT promoted odontogenic differentiation and accelerated mineralization through an increase in representative odontoblastic biomarkers, such as dentin sialophosphoprotein, dentin matrix protein-1, and alkaline phosphatase in MDPC-23 cells. However, treatment of the cells with the NAMPT inhibitor, FK866, attenuated odontogenic differentiation, as evidenced by the suppression of odontoblastic biomarkers. These data indicate that NAMPT regulated odontoblastic differentiation through the regulation of odontoblastic biomarkers. The increase in NAMPT expression in odontoblasts was closely related to the formation of the extracellular matrix and dentin via the Runx signaling pathway. Therefore, these data suggest that NAMPT is a critical regulator of odontoblast differentiation during tooth development.

Purpose: Long-term oncologic differences in outcome between groups of patients with Lynch syndrome (LS) colorectal cancer (CRC) and sporadic CRC with microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) are the focus of investigation in the current study. Methods: Patients registered in the Korean Hereditary Tumor Registry and 2 tertiary referral hospitals treated for stage I– III CRC between 2005 and 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. Detection for both groups was performed using pedigree, microsatellite instability, and mismatch repair (MMR) gene testing. Multivariate analyses for overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were conducted. Results: Cases of LS (n = 77) and sporadic CRC with MSI-H (n = 96) were identified. LS CRC patients were younger in age and displayed tumor sidedness, typically involving left-sided colon and rectum, compared to patients with sporadic CRC with MSI-H. OS and DFS were lower for LS CRC relative to CRC with MSI-H (OS, 72.7% vs. 93.8%, P = 0.001; DFS, 71.4% vs. 88.5%, P = 0.001). In multivariate analyses, tumor sidedness, stage, and chemotherapy were independent factors for OS and DFS. LS CRC was a prognostic factor for poorer OS (hazard ratio, 2.740; 95% confidence interval, 1.003–7.487; P = 0.049), but not DFS. Conclusion Our findings indicate that LS CRC is associated with poorer outcomes compared to sporadic CRC with MSI-H, presenting distinct clinical features. In view of the current lack of knowledge on genetic and molecular mechanisms, appropriate management taking into consideration the difficulty of identification of CRC with hypermutable tumors harboring heterogeneity is essential.

Demethoxycurcumin (DMC), which is a curcuminoid found in turmeric, has anti-proliferative effects on cancer cells. However, the effect of DMC on osteosarcoma has not been established. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of DMC on cell growth and apoptosis induction in MG-63 human osteosarcoma cells. This study was investigated using 3-[4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2, 5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromid assay, Live/Dead cell assay, 4’, 6-diamidino-2-phenylindole staining, and immunoblotting in MG-63 cells. DMC induced MG-63 cell death in a dosedependent manner, with an estimated IC50 value of 54.4 μM. DMC treatment resulted in nuclear condensation in MG-63 cells. DMC-induced apoptosis in MG-63 cells was mediated by the expression of Fas and activation of caspase-8, caspase-3, and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase. Immunoblotting results showed that Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL were downregulated, while Bax and Bad were upregulated by DMC in MG-63 cells. These results indicated that DMC inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptotic cell death in MG-63 human osteosarcoma cells via the death receptormediated extrinsic apoptotic pathway and mitochondria-mediated intrinsic apoptotic pathway.