Clinical Features of Gastric Cancer Patients with a Second Primary Cancer

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to clarify the risk factors and clinicopathologic features of gastric cancer patients with a second primary cancer (SPC). METHODS: The data on 2455 patients with gastric cancer was analyzed retrospectively with respect to the clinicopathologic features of the pathologically proven SPC. RESULTS: Of the 2,455 patients, there were 90 (3.7%) gastric cancer patients with SPC. Among them, 31 patients had synchronous cancers and 59 had metachronous cancers. Of the 59 metachronous cancers, 21 were found before the gastric surgery and 38 were found after the gastric surgery. The most prevalent SPC was colorectal cancer (28 cases) and followed by cancer in the liver (13 cases) kidney and pancreas (6 cases each, respectively). Among the 61 patients with SPC found after gastric cancer surgery, 31 cases (50%) were diagnosed within 2 years. On comparison of the clinicopathologic features, the patients with SPC tended to be older, more prone to have early gastric carcinoma and to have multiple gastric lesions. The survival rate of the patients with SPC and gastric cancer alone was not different; however, there was a significantly difference for the patients with early gastric cancer (61.7% vs. 91.3%, respectively, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: For the patients who were older, had multiple primary lesions or they had early gastric cancer, evaluation for SPC, and especially in the colon and liver, should be considered during routine follow up.

Clinical Significance of PTEN Expression in Colorectal Cancer

PURPOSE: Tumor suppressor gene called PTEN has been localized to 10q23 in 1997 and its mutation has been implicated in some malignancies. Loss of the PTEN gene has been clinically associated with unfavorable histology and influencing tumor staging and recurrence in the determination of a prognosis in patients suffering from other cancers, its role in colorectal cancers is inconclusive as of yet. The purpose of this study is shed light on PTEN expression in colorectal cancer and its significance associated with pathological findings and clinical findings. METHODS: A total of 217 patients who had been diagnosed with colorectal cancer, had undergone radical colectomy from October of 1993 to December of 2000, and for whom follow-up was possible were selected for this study. Their clinical records were analyzed and specimens were stained immunohistochemically RESULTS: In comparing the PTEN positive group (48 patients, 22.1%) with the negative group (171 patients, 77.9%), there was a significantly (P=0.021) higher frequency of recurrence in the negative group (29.0%) than in the positive group (12.5%), and an especially higher frequency of distant metastasis in the negative group (18.3%) than in the positive group (4.2%), with P=0.010. Although there was no meaningful difference in the overall five year survival rate, the five year disease free survival rate was significantly (P=0.029) higher in the positive group. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study reveal the possibility of using PTEN as a prognostic indicator in colorectal cancer.

Mesenteric and Omental Cysts in Children

Mesenteric and omental cysts are rare intra-abdominal lesions in childhood, and may present various clinical features such as an asymptomatic mass or an acute abdomen. Therefore, these entities are frequently misdiagnosed preoperatively or are found only incidentally at operation for other conditions. We analyzed our experiences of 19 cases in a 19 year period from 1981 to 1999, at College of Medicine, Catholic University of Korea. There were 12 boys and 7 girls with a mean age of 4.8 years (range, 3 days to 15 years). Common presenting symptoms were abdominal pain (47%), abdominal distension (31%), abdominal mass (24%), vomiting (15%) and fever (10%). Ultrasonography was the most preferred method of diagnosis. Other diagnostic modalities include CT, MRI, and abdominal ascites tapping in selected patients. Location of the mesenteric cysts was small bowel mesentery in nine, the right mesocolon and retroperitoneum in one, the left mesocolon in one, and the jejunum, sigmoid-colon mesentery in one. Most of the patients underwent cyst excision, but six patients required concomitant bowel resection for complete removal of the lesions, and two patients underwent unroofing and simple aspiration respectively. There was one mortality case due to sepsis.

Prognostic Significance of Hormonal Receptors in Very Young Women with Early Breast Cancer / 한국유방암학회지

PURPOSE: The prognosis of breast cancer in very young women is generally considered to be unfavorable. In addition, younger patients (<35 years) with estrogen- receptor (ER) positive tumor had shown a significantly worse disease- free survival than younger patients with ER negative tumors. To confirm the prognostic effects of ER on the survival in very young Korean women with early breast cancer, we performed a retrospective study with survival analyses according to the expression of hormonal receptors. METHODS: Total 74 very young women with early breast cancer (invasive ductal carcinoma, NOS, < or=35 years, and stage