Efficacy of the granisetron transdermal system for the control of nausea and vomiting induced by highly emetogenic chemotherapy: a multicenter, randomized, controlled trial

Background/Aims@#We compared the efficacy of the granisetron transdermal system (GTS) with that of ondansetron for controlling chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) in patients treated with highly emetogenic chemotherapy (HEC). @*Methods@#We randomized a total of 389 patients to groups treated by GTS and ondansetron before HEC. The primary endpoint was the percentage of patients achieving complete response (CR; no retching/vomiting/rescue medication) of CINV from the time of chemotherapy initiation to 24 hours after the last administration of chemotherapy (prespecified non-inferiority margin of 15%). Quality of life (QoL) was also assessed using the Functional Living Index-Emesis (FLIE). @*Results@#The per protocol analysis included 152 (47.80%) and 166 patients (52.20%) in the GTS and ondansetron groups, respectively. In the full analysis set, the most common diagnosis, regimen, and period of chemotherapy were lung cancer (149 patients, 40.27%), cisplatin-based regimen (297 patients, 80.27%), and 1 day chemotherapy (221 patients, 59.73%). The CR rates were 86.84% and 90.36% in the GTS and ondansetron groups, respectively; the treatment difference was −3.52% (95% confidence interval, −10.52 to 3.48) and met the primary endpoint, indicating that GTS was not inferior to ondansetron. Patient satisfaction, assessed on the FLIE, showed significantly higher scores in the GTS group compared to the ondansetron group (mean ± standard deviation, 1,547.38 ± 306.00 and 1,494.07 ± 312.05 mm, respectively; p = 0.0449). @*Conclusions@#GTS provided effective, safe, and well-tolerated control of CINV and improved the QoL in HEC.

A Randomized Phase III Study of Patients With Advanced Gastric Adenocarcinoma Without Progression After Six Cycles of XELOX (Capecitabine Plus Oxaliplatin) Followed by Capecitabine Maintenance or Clinical Observation

Purpose@#Oxaliplatin, a component of the capecitabine plus oxaliplatin (XELOX) regimen, has a more favorable toxicity profile than cisplatin in patients with advanced gastric cancer (GC). However, oxaliplatin can induce sensory neuropathy and cumulative, dose-related toxicities. Thus, the capecitabine maintenance regimen may achieve the maximum treatment effect while reducing the cumulative neurotoxicity of oxaliplatin. This study aimed to compare the survival of patients with advanced GC between capecitabine maintenance and observation after 1st line XELOX chemotherapy. @*Materials and Methods@#Sixty-three patients treated with six cycles of XELOX for advanced GC in six hospitals of the Catholic University of Korea were randomized 1:1 to receive capecitabine maintenance or observation. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS), analyzed using a two-sided log-rank test stratified at a 5% significance level. @*Results@#Between 2015 and 2020, 32 and 31 patients were randomized into the maintenance and observation groups, respectively. After randomization, the median number of capecitabine maintenance cycles was 6. The PFS was significantly higher in the maintenance group than the observation group (6.3 vs. 4.1 months, P=0.010). Overall survival was not significantly different between the 2 groups (18.2 vs. 16.5 months, P=0.624). Toxicities, such as hand-foot syndrome, were reported in some maintenance group patients. Maintenance treatment was a significant factor associated with PFS in multivariate analysis (hazard ratio, 0.472; 95% confidence interval, 0.250–0.890; P=0.020). @*Conclusions@#After 6 cycles of XELOX chemotherapy, capecitabine maintenance significantly prolonged PFS compared with observation, and toxicity was manageable. Maintenance treatment was a significant prognostic factor associated with PFS.

A Phase 3 Randomized Clinical Trial to Compare Efficacy and Safety between Combination Therapy and Monotherapy in Elderly Patients with Advanced Gastric Cancer (KCSG ST13-10) / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

Purpose@#This study evaluated whether combination therapy is more effective than monotherapy in elderly patients with metastatic or recurrent gastric cancer (MRGC) as first-line chemotherapy. @*Materials and Methods@#Elderly (≥ 70 years) chemo-naïve patients with MRGC were allocated to receive either combination therapy (group A: 5-fluorouracil [5-FU]/oxaliplatin, capecitabine/oxaliplatin, capecitabine/cisplatin, or S-1/cisplatin) or monotherapy (group B: 5-FU, capecitabine, or S-1). In group A, starting doses were 80% of standard doses, and they could be escalated to 100% at the discretion of the investigator. Primary endpoint was to confirm superior overall survival (OS) of combination therapy vs. monotherapy. @*Results@#After 111 of the planned 238 patients were randomized, enrollment was terminated due to poor accrual. In the full-analysis population (group A [n=53] and group B [n=51]), median OS of combination therapy vs. monotherapy was 11.5 vs. 7.5 months (hazard ratio [HR], 0.86; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.56 to 1.30; p=0.231). Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 5.6 vs. 3.7 months (HR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.34 to 0.83; p=0.005). In subgroup analyses, patients aged 70-74 years tended to have superior OS with combination therapy (15.9 vs. 7.2 months, p=0.056). Treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) occurred more frequently in group A vs. group B. However, among severe TRAEs (≥ grade 3), there were no TRAEs with a frequency difference of > 5%. @*Conclusion@#Combination therapy was associated with numerically improved OS, although statistically insignificant, and a significant PFS benefit compared with monotherapy. Although combination therapy showed more frequent TRAEs, there was no difference in the frequency of severe TRAEs.

Physical activity of Korean cancer survivors is associated with age and sex

Background/Aims@#This study aimed to assess adherence to physical activity guidelines in cancer survivors and to investigate related factors. @*Methods@#The cross-sectional data of 39,845 community-dwelling participants aged ≥ 20 years (1,254 cancer survivors) in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were analyzed. The age- and sex-stratified prevalence for meeting exercise guidelines was obtained. The correlates of meeting exercise recommendations were evaluated by using complex-sample logistic regression models. @*Results@#Overall, 36.2% and 20.5% of cancer survivors met the recommendations for aerobic and resistance exercises, respectively. Cancer survivors and noncancer controls had similar low adherence to exercise recommendations in most age and sex groups, except young female cancer survivors (20 to 49 years old) who showed higher engagement in aerobic exercise than female noncancer controls in the same age group. Old cancer survivors (≥ 65 years) were less likely to engage in recommended levels of aerobic exercise than young cancer survivors (odds ratio [OR], 0.44; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.24 to 0.79). Female cancer survivors were less likely to meet resistance exercise guidelines than male cancer survivors (OR, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.21 to 0.50). In addition, cancer survivors with current smoking status and cardiovascular disease were less likely to meet aerobic exercise recommendations. @*Conclusions@#The prevalence of meeting exercise guidelines are low in Korean cancer survivors and varied by age and sex. Old age is associated with an insufficient level of aerobic exercise, and female sex is associated with low participation in resistance exercise.

Risk factors for primary lung cancer among never-smoking women in South Korea: a retrospective nationwide population-based cohort study

Background/Aims@#We performed a large-scale, retrospective, nationwide, cohort study to investigate the risk factors for lung cancer among never-smoking Korean females. @*Methods@#The study data were collected from a general health examination and questionnaire survey of eligible populations conducted between January 1, 2003 and December 31, 2004; the data were acquired from the tailored big data distribution service of the National Health Insurance Service. After a 1-year clearance period, 5,860,922 of 6,318,878 never-smoking female participants with no previous history of lung cancer were investigated. After a median follow-up of 11.4 years, 43,473 (0.74%) participants were defined as “newly diagnosed lung cancer”. @*Results@#After adjusting for all variables at baseline, the variables older age, lower body mass index (BMI), less exercise, frequent alcohol drinking, meat-based diet, rural residence, and previous history of cancer were associated with a higher incidence of lung cancer. Low BMI (< 18.5 kg/m2: hazard ratio [HR], 1.33; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.27 to 1.40) was a significant independent risk factor; as BMI decreased, HR increased. Negative associations between BMI and lung-cancer development were also observed after controlling for age (p for trend < 0.001). Drinking alcohol one to two times a week (HR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.21 to 1.28) and eating a meat-based diet (HR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.15) were associated with lung-cancer incidence. @*Conclusions@#Modifiable baseline characteristics, such as BMI, exercise, alcohol consumption, and diet, are risk factors for lung-cancer development among never- smoking females. Thus, lifestyle modifications may help prevent lung cancer.

Prognostic implications of stromal hyaluronic acid protein expression in resected oropharyngeal and oral cavity cancers

Background/Aims@#Hyaluronic acid (HA) regulates cell adhesion, migration and proliferation in various cancers. The clinical implications of HA in resected head and neck squamous cell carcinoma have not been elucidated. We investigated the clinical significance and prognostic value of the expression of tumoral and stromal HA and its related proteins in oropharyngeal and oral cavity cancer. @*Methods@#Resected tissues from oropharyngeal or oral cavity cancer patients undergoing surgery were analysed in tissue microarrays divided into stroma and cancer panels. The expression levels of HA, HA synthases and hyaluronidases were also assessed by immunohistochemistry. @*Results@#A total of 160 resected oropharyngeal or oral cavity cancer tissues were analysed. Stromal HA expression was observed more frequently in human papilloma virus (HPV)-negative tumors, but other clinicopathological characteristics did not differ. In patients with HPV-negative oral cavity cancers, high stromal HA expression was associated with significantly shorter recurrence-free survival and overall survival compared with low stromal HA expression. The expression of HA in both tumors and stroma was significantly correlated with poorer outcomes than other combinations in patients with HPV-negative oral cavity cancers. However, these prognostic roles of HA were not observed in patients with HPV-negative oropharyngeal cancers. In the HPV-stratified multivariate analysis, high stromal HA expression remained an independent indicator of poor prognosis in terms of recurrence-free survival. @*Conclusions@#High stromal HA and expression of HA in both tumors and stroma were correlated with poor prognosis in HPV-negative oral cavity cancer, but not in HPV-negative oropharyngeal cancers.

Treatment Patterns and Changes in Quality of Life during First-Line Palliative Chemotherapy in Korean Patients with Advanced Gastric Cancer / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate chemotherapy patterns and changes in quality of life (QOL) during first-line palliative chemotherapy for Korean patients with unresectable or metastatic/recurrent gastric cancer (GC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thiswas a non-interventional, multi-center, prospective, observational study of 527 patients in Korea. QOL assessments were conducted using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaires (QLQ)-C30 and QLQ-STO22 every 3 months over a 12-month period during first-line palliative chemotherapy. The specific chemotherapy regimens were selected by individual clinicians. RESULTS: Most patients (93.2%) received combination chemotherapy (mainly fluoropyrimidine plus platinum) as their first-line palliative chemotherapy. The median progression-free survival and overall survival were 8.2 and 14.8 months, respectively. Overall, “a little” changes (differences of 5-10 points from baseline)were observed in some of the functioning or symptom scales; none of the QOL scales showed either “moderate” or “very much” change (i.e., ≥ 11 point difference from baseline). When examining the best change in each QOL domain from baseline, scales related to some aspects of functioning, global health status/QOL, and most symptoms revealed significant improvements (p < 0.05). Throughout the course of first-line palliative chemotherapy, most patients' QOL was maintained to a similar degree, regardless of their actual response to chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: This observational study provides important information on the chemotherapy patterns and QOL changes in Korean patientswith advanced GC. Overall, first-line palliative chemotherapy was found to maintain QOL, and most parameters showed an improvement compared with the baseline at some point during the course.

Investigating the Feasibility of Targeted Next-Generation Sequencing to Guide the Treatment of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

PURPOSE: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a deadly disease in which precision medicine needs to be incorporated. We aimed to implement next-generation sequencing (NGS) in determining actionable targets to guide appropriate molecular targeted therapy in HNSCC patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety-three tumors and matched blood samples underwent targeted sequencing of 244 genes using the Illumina HiSeq 2500 platform with an average depth of coverage of greater than 1,000×. Clinicopathological data from patients were obtained from 17 centers in Korea, and were analyzed in correlation with NGS data. RESULTS: Ninety-two of the 93 tumors were amenable to data analysis. TP53 was the most common mutation, occurring in 47 (51%) patients, followed by CDKN2A (n=23, 25%), CCND1 (n=22, 24%), and PIK3CA (n=19, 21%). The total mutational burden was similar between human papillomavirus (HPV)–negative vs. positive tumors, although TP53, CDKN2A and CCND1 gene alterations occurred more frequently in HPV-negative tumors. HPV-positive tumors were significantly associated with immune signature-related genes compared to HPV-negative tumors. Mutations of NOTCH1 (p=0.027), CDKN2A (p < 0.001), and TP53 (p=0.038) were significantly associated with poorer overall survival. FAT1 mutations were highly enriched in cisplatin responders, and potentially targetable alterations such as PIK3CA E545K and CDKN2A R58X were noted in 14 patients (15%). CONCLUSION: We found several targetable genetic alterations, and our findings suggest that implementation of precision medicine in HNSCC is feasible. The predictive value of each targetable alteration should be assessed in a future umbrella trial using matched molecular targeted agents.

Factors associated with treatment interruption in elderly patients with cancer

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study was conducted to identify risk factors that predict vulnerability to cancer therapy on the basis of the clinical, geriatric, and quality of life assessment before starting treatment in elderly patients. METHODS: Seventy-five patients aged 65 years and over with newly diagnosed stage IV solid cancer receiving chemotherapy were analyzed. Clinical and laboratory data were collected. The geriatric assessment was performed using the Korean versions of the Modified Barthel Index, Instrumental Activities of Daily Living, Mini-Mental State Examination, and Geriatric Depression Scale. The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality-of-Life Core Questionnaire (EORTC-QLQ-C30) was also performed. RESULTS: Forty-one patients stopped cancer treatment during or after the end of first-line therapy and were classified as the treatment interruption group. By univariate analysis, treatment interruption was associated with metastases to ≥ 2 distant sites, lower albumin level, lower EORTC-QLQ-C30 physical and role functioning scores, and higher EORTC-QLQ-C30 fatigue and appetite loss symptom scores. By multivariate analysis, treatment interruption was significantly associated with low score for the EORTC-QLQ-C30 physical functioning scale (odds ratio [OR], 1.020; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.002 to 1.039; p = 0.030), and ≥ 2 sites of distant metastases (OR, 2.965; 95% CI, 1.012 to 8.681; p = 0.047). CONCLUSIONS: The EORTC-QLQ-C30 physical functioning score and metastases to ≥ 2 organs, which indicate a poor physical functional status and metastatic high tumor burden, were significantly associated with interruption of first-line treatment in elderly patients with cancer.

Prospective Validation of The Korean Cancer Study Group Geriatric Score (KG)-7, a Novel Geriatric Screening Tool, in Older Patients with Advanced Cancer Undergoing First-line Palliative Chemotherapy / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to prospectively validate the Korean Cancer Study Group Geriatric Score (KG)-7, a novel geriatric screening tool, in older patients with advanced cancer planned to undergo first-line palliative chemotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Participants answered the KG-7 questionnaire before undergoing geriatric assessment (GA) and first-line palliative chemotherapy. The performance of KG-7 was evaluated by calculating the sensitivity (SE), specificity (SP), positive and negative predictive value (PPV and NPV), balanced accuracy (BA), and area under the curve (AUC). RESULTS: The baseline GA and KG-7 results were collected from 301 patients. The median age was 75 years (range, 70 to 93 years). Abnormal GA was documented in 222 patients (73.8%). Based on the ≤ 5 cut-off value of KG-7 for abnormal GA, abnormal KG-7 score was shown in 200 patients (66.4%). KG-7 showed SE, SP, PPV, NPV, and BA of 75.7%, 59.7%, 84.4%, 46.0%, and 67.7%, respectively; AUC was 0.745 (95% confidence interval, 0.687 to 0.803). Furthermore, patients with higher KG-7 scores showed significantly longer survival (p=0.006). CONCLUSION: KG-7 appears to be adequate in identifying patients with abnormal GA prospectively. Hence, KG-7 can be a useful screening tool for Asian countries with limited resources and high patient volume.

The impact of sarcopenia on health-related quality of life in elderly people: Korean NationalHealth and Nutrition Examination Survey

BACKGROUND/AIMS@#The purpose of the study is to investigate the associations between sarcopenia and health-related quality of life in elderly men and women in Korea.@*METHODS@#In a cross-sectional study using data from 2008 to 2011 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 4,937 adults aged 60 years and older who underwent a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan were included in the study. Sarcopenia is defined as an appendicular skeletal muscle index of two standard deviations or more below the mean for young, healthy reference populations. The health-related quality of life was measured using the EuroQol-5 dimension questionnaire.@*RESULTS@#The overall prevalence of sarcopenia was 6.6% in these Korean people over the age of 60 years: 11.1% for men and 3.2% for women. Sarcopenic men tended to have lower income, lower physical activity, lower body mass index, and smaller waist circumference compared with nonsarcopenic men. Sarcopenic women tended to have higher body mass index and larger waist circumference compared with nonsarcopenic women. Sarcopenic men showed higher impairments in mobility, self-care, usual activities, and pain/discomfort compared with nonsarcopenic men. Women with sarcopenia also showed higher impairments in mobility, self-care, usual activities, and anxiety/depression compared with nonsarcopenic women. Sarcopenia showed an association with impairments in selfcare for men, and with impairments in self-care, usual activities, and anxiety/depression for women, after adjusting for other confounding factors.@*CONCLUSIONS@#There is a significant association between sarcopenia and impaired health-related quality of life in this elderly Korean population, and these results differ between men and women.

Circulating Microparticles and Coagulation Profiles in Patients with Advanced Stage Solid Tumors

No abstract available.

Novel Therapeutics for Recurrent or Metastatic Gastric Cancer / 대한내과학회지

Despite advances in cancer therapy, gastric cancer has a poor prognosis and high cancer-related mortality. Based on the molecular characteristics of cancer, specific targeted therapies have shown clinical benefits for various tumors. In addition, immunotherapy using immune checkpoint inhibitors has led to a paradigm shift in cancer treatment and shown remarkable results in some solid tumors. Although immunotherapy has been actively applied to gastric cancer, the efficacy is unsatisfactory compared with other solid tumors, such as melanoma and lung cancers. This is because of the complex mechanism of gastric cancer, tumor heterogeneity, heterogeneity among patients, and the absence of appropriate biomarkers to predict response. An effective new cancer treatment strategy that combines targeted therapies and various immunotherapies based on biological markers such as tumor mutation burden and microsatellite instability is urgently needed. Furthermore, customized treatment is necessary to overcome tumor heterogeneity.

Novel Therapeutics for Recurrent or Metastatic Gastric Cancer / 대한내과학회지

Despite advances in cancer therapy, gastric cancer has a poor prognosis and high cancer-related mortality. Based on the molecular characteristics of cancer, specific targeted therapies have shown clinical benefits for various tumors. In addition, immunotherapy using immune checkpoint inhibitors has led to a paradigm shift in cancer treatment and shown remarkable results in some solid tumors. Although immunotherapy has been actively applied to gastric cancer, the efficacy is unsatisfactory compared with other solid tumors, such as melanoma and lung cancers. This is because of the complex mechanism of gastric cancer, tumor heterogeneity, heterogeneity among patients, and the absence of appropriate biomarkers to predict response. An effective new cancer treatment strategy that combines targeted therapies and various immunotherapies based on biological markers such as tumor mutation burden and microsatellite instability is urgently needed. Furthermore, customized treatment is necessary to overcome tumor heterogeneity.

Wernicke encephalopathy as initial presentation of lymphoma

No abstract available.

Prevalence and risk factors of periodontitis among adults with or without diabetes mellitus

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study examined prevalence and risk factors of periodontitis in representative samples of Korean adults, with and without diabetes mellitus (DM). METHODS: Data from the 2012 Korean National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey were analyzed. A total of 4,477 adults (≥ 30 years old) were selected from 8,057 individuals who completed a nutrition survey, a self-reported general health behavior questionnaire, an oral examination, an oral hygiene behaviors survey, and laboratory tests. DM was defined as a fasting plasma glucose ≥ 126 mg/dL, or self-reported diagnosed diabetes, or current use of oral hypoglycemic agents and/or insulin. The community periodontal index was used to assess periodontitis status and comparisons between the periodontitis and the non-periodontitis group, were performed, according to the presence of DM. Risk factors for periodontitis in adults with DM and without DM were evaluated by multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The prevalence of periodontitis was significantly higher in adults with DM (43.7%) than in those without DM (25%, p < 0.001). In adults without DM, risk factors for periodontitis were older age, male, urban habitation, waist circumference, smoking, oral pain, and less frequent tooth brushing. Significant risk factors for periodontitis in adults with DM were the smoking, oral pain, and not-using an oral hygiene product. CONCLUSIONS: Adults with DM have an increased risk of periodontitis than those without DM. Current smoking and oral pain increase this risk. Using an oral hygiene product can reduce risk of periodontal disease in adults with DM.

Genetic–pathologic characterization of myeloproliferative neoplasms

Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are clonal hematopoietic stem cell disorders characterized by the proliferation of one or more myeloid lineages. The current study demonstrates that three driver mutations were detected in 82.6% of 407 MPNs with a mutation distribution of JAK2 in 275 (67.6%), CALR in 55 (13.5%) and MPL in 6 (1.5%). The mutations were mutually exclusive in principle except in one patient with both CALR and MPL mutations. The driver mutation directed the pathologic features of MPNs, including lineage hyperplasia, laboratory findings and clinical presentation. JAK2-mutated MPN showed erythroid, granulocytic and/or megakaryocytic hyperplasia whereas CALR- and MPL-mutated MPNs displayed granulocytic and/or megakaryocytic hyperplasia. The lineage hyperplasia was closely associated with a higher mutant allele burden and peripheral cytosis. These findings corroborated that the lineage hyperplasia consisted of clonal proliferation of each hematopoietic lineage acquiring driver mutations. Our study has also demonstrated that bone marrow (BM) fibrosis was associated with disease progression. Patients with overt fibrosis (grade ⩾2) presented an increased mutant allele burden (P<0.001), an increase in chromosomal abnormalities (P<0.001) and a poor prognosis (P<0.001). Moreover, among patients with overt fibrosis, all patients with wild-type JAK2/CALR/MPL (triple-negative) showed genomic alterations by genome-wide microarray study and revealed the poorest overall survival, followed by JAK2-mutated MPNs. The genetic–pathologic characteristics provided the information for understanding disease pathogenesis and the progression of MPNs. The prognostic significance of the driver mutation and BM fibrosis suggests the necessity of a prospective therapeutic strategy to improve the clinical outcome.

Triple-negative breast cancer that progressed as estrogen receptor-positive skin metastases

No abstract available.

Pseudocirrhosis of Breast Cancer Metastases to the Liver Treated by Chemotherapy / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

Pseudocirrhosis refers to a condition that shows changes in hepatic contour that mimic cirrhosis radiographically in the absence of the typical histopathological findings of cirrhosis. This condition has been observed in patients with cancer metastatic to the liver, both in those who have undergone prior systemic chemotherapy and those who have not. Pseudocirrhosis may cause difficulty in interpretation of the response to chemotherapy and hepatic decompression and complication of portal hypertension have a negative effect on the prognosis. We report on a case of breast cancer with liver metastases that showed cirrhotic changes during disease progression. Progression of liver metastases was confirmed by F18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET-CT). We also performed ultrasound-guided liver biopsy and confirmed tumor infiltration with severe desmoplastic fibrosis. This case suggests the pathogenesis of pseudocirrhosis through histopathological findings and the role of PET-CT in evaluation of the response to chemotherapy in patients with pseudocirrhosis.

Pseudocirrhosis of Breast Cancer Metastases to the Liver Treated by Chemotherapy / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

Pseudocirrhosis refers to a condition that shows changes in hepatic contour that mimic cirrhosis radiographically in the absence of the typical histopathological findings of cirrhosis. This condition has been observed in patients with cancer metastatic to the liver, both in those who have undergone prior systemic chemotherapy and those who have not. Pseudocirrhosis may cause difficulty in interpretation of the response to chemotherapy and hepatic decompression and complication of portal hypertension have a negative effect on the prognosis. We report on a case of breast cancer with liver metastases that showed cirrhotic changes during disease progression. Progression of liver metastases was confirmed by F18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET-CT). We also performed ultrasound-guided liver biopsy and confirmed tumor infiltration with severe desmoplastic fibrosis. This case suggests the pathogenesis of pseudocirrhosis through histopathological findings and the role of PET-CT in evaluation of the response to chemotherapy in patients with pseudocirrhosis.