Plasma Cell-Free DNA in Uterine Cervical Cancer: Therapeutic Monitoring and Prognostic Values after Radical Radiotherapy / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

Purpose@#In the present study, we aimed to establish a liquid biopsy-based monitoring method using peripheral blood cell-free DNA (cfDNA) for patients with cervical cancer who underwent radical radiotherapy (RT). @*Materials and Methods@#Twenty-five patients with cervical cancer were prospectively recruited and treated with external beam RT and brachytherapy. In all patients, except one, chemotherapy was administered concurrently during RT. Whole peripheral blood samples were obtained at least twice from each patient. We performed next-generation sequencing (NGS) for the target-captured libraries (67 oncogenes and human papillomavirus [HPV] type 16/18) using 64 plasma cfDNA samples from the 25 participants. The ratio of HPV cfDNA and the variant allele frequency (VAF) in cfDNA was calculated, and their dynamic changes were monitored. The median follow-up duration was 25.4 months. @*Results@#In total, we identified 21,866 cfDNA variants. ARID1A and frameshift variants occupied the largest portion of altered genes and HIGH-grade variant types, respectively. In most cases, tumor shrinkage was followed by a decrease in the HPV ratio; however, an increase in HPV ratio indicated distant metastasis, despite the reduced tumor size. The initial HPV ratio reflecting the tumor burden was likely associated with treatment outcomes (p = 0.16). We did not determine a role for serial changes in the VAF in cfDNA. @*Conclusion@#Our findings suggest that the HPV cfDNA ratio, calculated after targeted NGS, may be valuable for monitoring and predicting treatment responses. Accordingly, further validation of these findings is warranted.

Exploring the past, present, and future of postoperative radiotherapy for N2 stage non-small cell lung cancer

Despite conventionally applied postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) in pathological N2 (pN2) stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) considering high locoregional recurrence, its survival benefit has been a continuous topic of debate. Although several randomized clinical trials have been conducted, many of them have been withdrawn or analyzed without statistical significance due to slow accrual, making it difficult to determine the efficacy of PORT. Recently, the results of large-scale randomized clinical trials have been published, which showed some improvement in disease-free survival with PORT, but finally had no impact on overall survival. Based on these results, it was expected that the debate over PORT in pN2 patients with NSCLC would come to an end. However, since pN2 patients have different clinicopathologic features, it has become more important to carefully select the patient population who will benefit from PORT. In addition, given the development of systemic treatments such as molecular-targeted therapy and immunotherapy, it is crucial to evaluate whether there is any benefit to PORT in the midst of these recent changes. Therefore, determining the optimal treatment approach for NSCLC pN2 patients remains a complex issue that requires further research and evaluation.

Identification of Genes Involved in EGF-induced Apoptosis Using CRISPR/Cas9 Knockout Screening: Implications for Novel Therapeutic Targets in EGFR-Overexpressing Cancers / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

Purpose@#Exogenous epidermal growth factor (EGF) causes apoptosis in EGF receptor (EGFR)–overexpressing cell lines. The apoptosis-inducing factors could be a therapeutic target. We aimed to determine the mechanism of EGF-induced apoptosis using a genome-wide clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-based knockout screen. @*Materials and Methods@#Two-vector system of the human genome-scale CRISPR knockout library v2 was used to target 19,050 genes using 123,411 single guide RNAs (sgRNAs). Recombinant human EGF (100 nM) or distilled water four times was administered to the experimental and control groups, respectively. The read counts of each sgRNA obtained from next-generation sequencing were analyzed using the edgeR algorithm. We used another EGFR-overexpressing cell line (A549) and short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) targeting five EGF-resistance genes for validation. DUSP1 expression in A431, A549, and HEK293FT cells was calculated using reverse transcription–quantitative polymerase chain reaction. @*Results@#We found 77 enriched and 189 depleted genes in the experimental group using the CRISPR-based knockout screen and identified the top five EGF-resistance genes: DDX20, LHFP, REPS1, DUSP1, and KRTAP10-12. Transfecting shRNAs targeting these genes into A549 cells significantly increased the surviving fractions after EGF treatment, compared with those observed in the control shRNA-transfected cells. The expression ratio of DUSP1 (inhibits ERK signaling) increased in A431 and A549 cells after EGF treatment. However, DUSP1 expression remained unchanged in HEK293FT cells after EGF treatment. @*Conclusion@#The CRISPR-based knockout screen revealed 266 genes possibly responsible for EGF-induced apoptosis. DUSP1 might be a critical component of EGF-induced apoptosis and a novel target for EGFR-overexpressing cancers.

Exceptional response to radiotherapy in unresectable pleuropulmonary blastoma of a child

Pleuropulmonary blastoma (PPB) is a rare intrathoracic neoplasm in children. Although surgery with or without chemotherapy mainly conducted, the response of radiotherapy (RT) has not been evaluated yet. For unresectable tumor, RT might be considered as one option to decrease tumor extent to relieve obstructing symptoms or to facilitate successive treatment. We report one child in whom PPB with DICER1 mutation recurred after surgery and lead to respiratory distress. She emergently received palliative RT with a relatively low dose (20 Gy), and symptoms sufficiently relieved. Even she showed an 84.3% reduction in diameter and maintained the remission status for 1 year. These might reflect possible radiosensitivity of PPB, and further investigations of RT might be necessary for unresectable PPB.

Cervical Lymph Node Involvement above the Supraclavicular Fossa in Breast Cancer: Comparison with Stage IIIC (KROG 18-02) / 한국유방암학회지

Purpose@#We aimed to analyze the treatment outcomes of ipsilateral cervical lymph node (CLN)-positive breast cancer without other distant metastasis and compare the outcomes with those of supraclavicular lymph node (SCL)-positive breast cancer. @*Methods@#Seventy-eight patients with breast cancer and ipsilateral CLN metastasis above the supraclavicular fossa (CLN[+] group) were treated at 7 institutions (2000–2014). Seventy-four patients received systemic chemotherapy and breast surgery followed by locoregional radiotherapy. Outcomes of the CLN(+) group were compared with those of the SCL(+) group, which included 183 patients with SCL involvement. @*Results@#The median follow-up duration was 55.9 months. Twenty-two regional failures were found in 15 patients—axillary lymph node (LN) in 8, SCL in 6, internal mammary LN in 3, previously involved CLN in 4, and previously uninvolved ipsilateral CLN in one patient. The 5-year overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), locoregional relapse-free survival (LRRFS), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) rates were 68.6%, 46.7%, 68.4%, and 57.0%, respectively. Neck dissection did not improve LRRFS and DFS (p = 0.86 and p = 0.26, respectively). Multivariate analysis showed that hormone receptor negativity and the presence of extracapsular extension were prognostic factors for poor DFS. On comparison with stage IIIC using propensity score matching, survival outcomes of the CLN(+) and SCL(+) groups were not different (5-year OS, p = 0.75; DFS, p = 0.88; LRRFS, p = 0.86; and DMFS, p = 0.45). @*Conclusion@#The comparable clinical outcomes indicate that patients with breast cancer who have ipsilateral CLN metastasis without other distant metastasis may benefit from locoregional treatment of the ipsilateral breast and systemic therapies, as do those with N3c disease.

The Prognostic Value of Albumin-to-Alkaline Phosphatase Ratio before Radical Radiotherapy in Patients with Non-metastatic Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

PURPOSE: We first analyzed the prognostic power of albumin-to-alkaline phosphatase ratio (AAPR) before radical radiotherapy (RT) in non-metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The records of 170 patients with biopsy-proven, non-metastatic NPC treated by radical RT between 1998 and 2016 at our institution were retrospectively reviewed. Median follow-up duration was 50.6 months. All patients received intensity-modulated RT and cisplatin based chemotherapy before, during, or after RT. The major treatment of patients was based on concurrent chemoradiotherapy (92.4%). The AAPR was calculated by the last value of both albumin and alkaline phosphatase within 1 month immediately preceding RT. The optimal cut-off level of AAPR was determined by using Cutoff Finder, a web-based system. Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was performed. RESULTS: The optimal cut-off level of AAPR was 0.4876. After PSM analysis of whole cohort, an AAPR was not related to survival outcomes. In PSM analysis for patients with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LA-NPC), an AAPR ≥ 0.4876 was related to better overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and locoregional relapse–free survival (LRRFS) (OS: hazard ratio [HR], 0.341; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.144 to 0.805; p=0.014; PFS: HR, 0.416; 95% CI, 0.189 to 0.914; p=0.029; and LRRFS: HR, 0.243; 95% CI, 0.077 to 0.769; p=0.016, respectively). CONCLUSION: The AAPR, inexpensive and readily derived from a routine blood test, could be an independent prognostic factor for patients with LA-NPC. And it might help physicians determine treatment plans by identifying the patient's current status. Future prospective clinical trials to validate its prognostic value are needed.

Survival outcomes after adjuvant radiotherapy for aggressive fibromatosis depend on time frame and nuclear β-catenin

PURPOSE: To identify prognostic factors influencing progression-free survival (PFS) of aggressive fibromatosis (AF) after postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) and assess correlations between immunohistochemistry (IHC) features of β-catenin/smooth muscle actin (SMA) and PFS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Records of 37 patients with AF treated by PORT from 1984 to 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Fifteen patients underwent wide excision for AF and 22 patients received debulking operation. The median total dose of PORT was 59.4 Gy. IHC staining results of β-catenin and SMA were available for 11 and 12 patients, respectively. RESULTS: The median follow-up duration was 105.9 months. Five-year PFS rate was 70.9%. Tumor size or margin status was not related to PFS in univariate analysis (p = 0.197 and p = 0.716, respectively). Multivariate analysis showed that increased interval from surgery to PORT (>5.7 weeks) was a marginal risk factor for PFS (p = 0.054). Administration of PORT at the initial diagnosis resulted in significantly improved PFS compared to deferring PORT after recurrence (p = 0.045). Patient with both risk factors of deferring PORT after recurrence and interval from surgery to PORT >5.7 weeks had significantly lower 5-year PFS than patients without risk factor (34.1% vs. 100.0%; p = 0.012). Nuclear β-catenin intensity tended to inversely correlate with 5-year PFS, although it did not reach statistical significance (62.5% at low vs. 100.0% at high; p = 0.260). SMA intensity was not related to PFS (p = 0.700). CONCLUSION: PORT should be performed immediately after surgery irrespective of margin status or tumor size especially in recurrent case. Nuclear β-catenin staining intensity of IHC might correlate with local recurrence.

The Effect of Cardiovascular Risk Factors on the Patient with Erectile Dysfunction and Diabetes and the Response to Phosphodiesterase Type 5 Inhibitors / 대한남성과학회지

PURPOSE: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common comorbidity with diabetes mellitus (DM). The goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) on ED patients with DM and the response to phosphodiesterase type-5 (PDE5) inhibitors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective study on 32 patients with ED and type II DM. The CVRFs were defined as hypertension, coronary artery disease, hyperlipidemia, smoking and obesity. All the patients were checked for CVRFs and the erectile function was assessed with the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) score. Tadalafil (20mg) was taken for 3 months, and then the IIEF score was checked again. The scores of the IIEF-EF, Q3 and Q4 and the number of risk factors were analyzed. RESULTS: The scores of the IIEF-EF, Q3 and Q4 were higher in the non-risk factor group than that in the risk factor group. After Tadalafil treatment, the score of the group that had less than 1 risk factor was significantly improved, but the score of the group that had more than 2 risk factors showed little change. CONCLUSIONS: To treat ED patients with DM, their cardiovascular risk factors must be assessed.

Changes in Causative Organisms and Antibiotic Sensitivity in Intensive Care Unit-Acquired Urinary Tract Infection

PURPOSE: Patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) are usually at greater risk for acquiring urinary tract infection (UTI). Few studies have focused on UTI specifically acquired within the ICU. We retrospectively studied and compared the microbiology and antibiotic sensitivity of UTI in ICU-admitted patients between 2001 and 2008. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of a total of 1,818 ICU patients who had undergone a urine culture exam in 2001 and 2008 in a single hospital. Changes in causative organisms and their antibiotic sensitivity between 2001 and 2008 were analyzed. RESULTS: The common pathogens in 2008 were Escherichia coli (20.3%), Pseudomonas (19.5%), Enterococcus (18.0%), Klebsiella (7.8%), coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CNS) (4.3%), and Staphylococcus (4.3%). Pseudomonas species significantly increased in 2008 compared with 2001 (p=0.002). Gram-negative organisms showed relatively higher sensitivities to amikacin, imipenem, and Tazocin (72.1%, 76.2%, and 74.6%, respectively), whereas they showed relatively lower sensitivities to third-generation cephalosporins and ciprofloxacin (43% to 59%). Gram-positive organisms showed high sensitivities to teicoplanin and vancomycin (91.2% and 86.8%, respectively), whereas they showed low sensitivities to ampicillin and ciprofloxacin (25% and 26.5%, respectively). The antibiotic resistance of Pseudomonas species was nearly double that of E. coli. CONCLUSIONS: E. coli, Pseudomonas, and Enterococcus were the three most common organisms in ICU-acquired UTI in our study. In particular, Pseudomonas species were found to have increased significantly in recent years. Pseudomonas species had a significantly lower susceptibility to antibiotic sensitivity than did the other organisms.

A comparative study of initial lateral cephalometric characteristics: mandibular setback surgery only versus mandibular setback surgery with advancement genioplasty / 대한치과교정학회지

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the initial lateral cephalometric characteristics in two groups of patients: those that had mandibular setback surgery only and those that had mandibular setback surgery with advancement genioplasty. METHODS: The lateral cephalograms of thirty-one patients were studied. Twenty-one Class III patients (group A) had only madibular setback surgery. Twelve Class III patients (group B) had mandibular setback surgery with advancement genioplasty. RESULTS: Differences between two groups were found in N-Me, ANS-Me, Occlusal Plane angle, Palatal Plane to U1, Mandibular Plane to L1, Mandibular Plane to L6, SN to U1, Sn-Stms, and Pog' projection. Compared to group A, group B showed more linguoversion and extrusion of upper incisors, more extrusion of lower incisors and lower first molar, and more steepness of the occlusal plane. N-Me, ANS-Me, and Sn-Stms were also longer in group B. But Pog' projection was shorter than group A. CONCLUSION: We conclude that certain initial lateral cephalometric characteristics may help indicate the inclusion of advancement genioplasty when mandibular setback surgery is planned in skeletal Class III patients.

Vesicouterine Fistula Following Repeated Cesarean Section / 대한비뇨기과학회지

Vesicouterine fistula is a rare disease that comprises 1 to 4% of all reported urogenital fistulas. Repeated cesarean section may be related to the formation of vesicouterine fistula. We experienced a case of vesicouterine fistula, and the patient's symptom was gross hematuria during her mensturation period after repeated cesarean section.

The Effect of Palliative Transurethral Resection of Prostate(Channel TURP) for Acute Urinary Retention in Patients with Metastatic Prostatic Cancer

PURPOSE: Obstructive voiding difficulties were frequent in the patients with metastatic prostatic cancer, and sometimes acute urinary retention may be developed even though medical treatments. We performed channel transurethral resection of prostate(TURP) as palliative treatment for those patients and reported the results. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifteen patients with metastatic prostatic cancer were taken TURP aiming for relief of infravesical obstruction. All patients were under the anti-androgen hormonal therapy and had sudden onset of acute urinary retention. TURP was done under general or epidural anesthesia. After TURP, 30~50 cc ballooning urethral Foley catheter was placed for 4 days. We analyzed voiding parameters comparatively before and 3 months after TURP. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 75.6+/-5.7 years old. Mean prostatic volume was 47.8+/-1.4 cc. Mean resected prostatic tissue was 6.4+/-2.1 cc. All patients had stage D prostatic cancer. Mean serum PSA was 75.2+/-73.8 ng/ml and mean gleason score was 7.8+/-0.9. After TURP, mean international prostatic symptom score(IPSS) was improved from 25.5+/-2.0 to 13.8+/-2.0, mean quality of life score(QOL) was improved from 4.4+/-0.5 to 2.0+/-0.5, and mean maximum uroflow rate was increased from 5.0+/-1.1 ml/sec to 6.0+/-1.6 ml/sec. All patients did not have any complications according to TURP. CONCLUSION: In patients with metastatic prostatic cancer, channel TURP could be considered as a treatment option to relieve severe obstructive voiding difficulty.

The Recurrence of Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome and the Role of Uro-Vaxom(R) / 대한비뇨기과학회지

PURPOSE: Chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) is the most common urogenital disease in middle aged men, and it shows various symptoms and a high recurrent rate. Uro-Vaxom(R) is effective for the treatment of urinary tract infection via the activation of the urothelial immune system. The main objectives of this study were to investigate the recurrence of CPPS and to find out if Uro-Vaxom(R) is helpful to suppress the recurrence of this condition. MATERIALS AND METHODS: After completing treatment for CPPS (NIH-IIIa 45, NIH-IIIb 85), 130 patients were given a 12 week course of Uro-Vaxom(R) 60mg once a day before breakfast. Sixty patients were also included in the study as a control group after they completed the treatment for CPPS (NIH-IIIa 22, NIH-IIIb 38). All of patients were reevaluated 12 weeks and 24 weeks later with the NIH-CPSI criteria and the EPS findings. RESULTS: The overall recurrent rate for NIH-IIIa disease was 22.7%, and it was 26.3% for the patients with NIH-IIIb disease in the control group, and it was 6.7% for the patients with NIH-IIIa disease and 7.1% for the patients with NIH-IIIb disease in the Uro-Vaxom(R) group (p<0.05). The classification of the recurrent CPPS was 46.7% NIH-IIIa and 53.3% NIH- IIIb in the control group, and 11.1% NIH-IIIa and 88.9% NIH-IIIb in the Uro-Vaxom(R) group. The possible predisposing factors related to the recurrence of CPPS were excessive alcoholic drinking (29.2%), overwork (25.0%) and stress (16.7%). In the non-recurrent patients, there was no change of the NIH-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index and the EPS findings for all patients during the follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: There was about a 30% recurrence rate of CPPS within 6 months after treatment, and Uro-Vaxom(R) may play a significant role to suppress the recurrence of CPPS.

The Long Term Effect of Extracorporeal Magnetic Innervation Therapy with Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercise for Stress Urinary Incontinence / 대한비뇨기과학회지

PURPOSE: Extracorporeal magnetic innervation (ExMI) therapy has been known to be safe and immediately effective in stress urinary incontinence (SUI). However, no long term follow-up results have been reported. Therefore; herein, are reported our results from a two year follow-up study on ExMI therapy, with pelvic floor muscle exercises, for SUI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study group was comprised of 94 patients with SUI. ExMI therapy was performed for 20 minutes (10Hz and 50Hz for each 10 minutes), twice a week, for 6 weeks. Thereafter, 44 of the 94 patients underwent pelvic floor muscle exercises. Objective measures (quality-of-life surveys, pad changes, and leak episodes per day) were evaluated before, immediately after and 24 months after the ExMI therapy. RESULTS: After 6-week of ExMI therapy, the quality-of-life score improved from 5.1+/-0.9 to 1.8+/-1.1. The mean frequency of pad changes was reduced from 2.1+/-1.6 to 1.1+/-1.0. The mean frequency of leak episodes was also reduced from 2.8+/-1.8 to 1.7+/-1.5 times. After 24 months, the 44 patients having also undergone pelvic floor muscle exercise had persistent improvements in their leak episodes per day compared to the 50 patients that had not. CONCLUSIONS: When ExMI therapy was followed by pelvic floor muscle exercises, the favorable effect in leak episodes per day after ExMI therapy may persist for at least 24 months.

Voiding Dysfunction of Men is Associated with Metabolic Syndrome / 대한비뇨기과학회지

PURPOSE: With the recent changes in eating habits and the westernization of peoples' lifestyle, the occurrence of coronary artery disease is on the rise. In 1998, the World Health Organization (WHO) defined "metabolic syndrome" as a condition in which all the risk factors of coronary artery disease exist in an elderly individual. We investigated the relationship between metabolic syndrome and voiding difficulty. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 2004, we investigated 123 male out-patients who visited the endocrinology department and the health care center between the months of March and October. We divided the patients into two groups: one group met the criteria for metabolic syndrome (n=90, 58.7+/-8.9 years old) and one group didn't met the criteria (n=33, 57.8+/-9.5 years old), and we compared factors of voiding difficulty between the these two groups. RESULTS: When comparing the components of metabolic syndrome in the patient study group to the control study group, the metabolic syndrome patients scored poorly for all the metabolic syndrome components in comparison to the control group (p<0.05). When comparing the voiding factors of the metabolic syndrome patients to the control group, the metabolic syndrome patient group scored substantially lower than the control group for all the voiding factors (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study proved that metabolic syndrome and voiding difficulty are related. Therefore, the earlier diagnosis of metabolic syndrome should be possible by performing a more active investigation for metabolic syndrome in the patients who are admitted with voiding difficulty.

Report on the Patients Parents' Understanding and the Pediatricians' Understanding of Cryptorchidism: The Optimal Time for Surgical Correction / 대한비뇨기과학회지

PURPOSE: Cryptorchidism is a common congenital anomaly seen in urology practice, and early diagnosis and treatment plays an important role in the prognosis of the disease. This survey was performed to discover how many parents and primary care physicians understand cryptorchidism from the aspect of the optimal time for surgical correction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 100 pediatricians and 200 parents of the patients who were operated on for treating cryptorchidism in Pusan National University Hospital (PNUH) between the years 2000 and 2004 were enrolled in this survey. We sent out survey letters and conducted individual counseling secessions with using questionnaires that consisted of 11 items for the parents and 12 items for the pediatricians. RESULTS: Most of the parents (62.7%) and a portion of the pediatricians (21.1%) preferred to operate beyond 2 years of age for treating cryptorchidism. For the pediatricians, there was no significant interconnection between the physicians' gender, the post-residentship interval, experience of employment, the practice duration, the necessity of hormonal therapy and the additional studies on the univariated and multivariated analyses (p>0.05). However, with a longer post-residentship interval and practice duration, the pediatricians tended to prefer delayed orchiopexy (p<0.05). For the parents, there was a significant relationship between paternal age, the parents' academic background and income level and the optimal operation time on both the univariated and multivariaged analyses (p<0.05). The younger parents, the more educated parents and the higher income parents showed earlier recognition of cryptorchidism and they preferred earlier orchiopexy (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The education programs and public activities targeting on the parents and the primary care physicians should be emphasized for achieving a better therapeutic outcome of cryptorchidism.

Analysis of the Risk Factors Related to Progression of Chronic Prostatitis / 대한비뇨기과학회지

PURPOSE: Chronic prostatitis displays various pathophysiologies due to various causes, and is a life time affliction, but the diagnosis and treatment are still unclear. Therefore, it is important to find if some elements influence the incidence and progress of the disease; attempts were made to recognize the risk factors for chronic prostatitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 184 chronic prostatitis patients were selected, and divided, after treatment, into the improvement (IG; n=147) and non-improvement groups (NIG; n=37). 40 healthy men were chosen as the control group (CG) for a comparative analysis. Subjects were investigated for their professional stati and form of work, driving, motorcycle or bicycle utilization, drinking, smoking, sex and their style of diet. RESULTS: The ratio of sedentary desk workers in the NIG (73.0%) was higher than in the other groups. The ratio of those that drove for more than 1 hour was much high in the NIG by 54.1%. The ratio of the people who ejaculated more than once a week, either through sexual intercourse or masturbation, was lower in the NIG by 56.5%, but that of people who ejaculated every day was higher in the NIG (13.5%). People drinking more than once a week was greater in the NIG (67.6%), and those who drank more than 1 bottle of Korean wine, Soju, were showed an expressively higher ratio in the NIG (72.0%). In relation to dietary behavior, the NIG showed a high ratio (73.0%) for a preference for salty food only. CONCLUSIONS: Factors that may influence the prognosis of chronic prostatitis are thought to be the form of profession, number ejaculations, frequency and amount of drinking, an a habit of eating salty food. Therefore, these factors should be considered together when looking for a cure for chronic prostatitis.

Screening Test for Urinary Tract Abonormalities of Pusan Children in Elementary School Ages / 대한비뇨기과학회지

No abstract available.

Screening Test for Urinary Tract Abonormalities of Pusan Children in Elementary School Ages / 대한비뇨기과학회지

No abstract available.

The Prevalence of Urinary Incontinence in Elderly Women at Institutionalized Facilities in Pusan / 대한비뇨기과학회지

PURPOSE: The goal of this study was to estimate the prevalence rate of incontinence in institutionalized facilities-dwelling women over 60 years of age. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was conducted in five institutionalized facilities of Pusan. The data were collected from June 12th to July 12th in 1998. The total number of 5 institutionalized facilities-dwelling women over 60 years old were 382 women. The interviews using questionnaires regarding general characteristics, obstetric history, disease-related factors, and urinary symptoms including incontinence were performed and additional uroflowmetry was done. RESULTS: Of 382 women residents over 60 years old, 308 women were participated in our study. The response rate was 80.6%. The prevalence rate of incontinence in all age groups was 45.5%(140/308). The prevalence rate of stress incontinence, urge incontinence and mixed incontinence were 15.6%(48/308), 6.2%(19/308) and 23.7%(73/308) respectively. There was no statistical differences of prevalence rate according to obstetric history(p>0.05). The results of uroflowmetry had not shown any difference according to types of incontinence. Among the bothersome symptoms in incontinent women, weak stream was 31.9%(43/135), dribbling 14.8%(20/135) and abdominal straining 8.9%(12/135). Among 140 incontinent women, 14.3%(20/140) of women have been worn diaper and 3.6%(5/140) of women kept on urethral catheter. The prevalence rate of incontinence was relatively high, however, 112 out of 140 incontinent women had no specific complaints. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence rate of incontinence for elderly women over 60 years old at institutionalized facilities in Pusan, Korea was 45.5%. Because of this high prevalence and lack of medical service and knowledge of incontinence, the governmental based medical service and education will be needed for the proper care of these women.