Clinicopathological Characteristics of Asymptomatic Young Patients with Gastric Cancer Detected during a Health Checkup.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The Korean National Cancer Screening Program recommends biennial gastric cancer screening for patients aged ≥40 years. This study compared the characteristics of asymptomatic young gastric cancer patients aged <40 years, whose cancer was detected during a health checkup (screening group), with those whose disease was detected because of symptoms (diagnostic group). METHODS: Data were collected retrospectively from 84 subjects who underwent a gastroduodenoscopy before the age of 40 years and who were diagnosed with gastric cancer from January 2006 to February 2017 in three tertiary centers in Korea. The clinicopathological characteristics, including age, sex, stage, location, pathology, and survival, were compared according to the purpose of endoscopy (screening group, n=23 vs. diagnostic group, n=61). RESULTS: The median age of the screening group was higher than that of the diagnostic group (37 vs. 35 years, p=0.027), as was the proportion of early gastric cancer cases (78.3% vs. 29.5%, p<0.01), curative endoscopic treatment or operation rate (95.7% vs. 52.5%, p<0.01), and the overall survival (p<0.01). Poorly differentiated or signet ring cell carcinoma was less common in the screening group than in the diagnostic group (56.5% vs. 83.6%, p=0.006). The sex ratio, smoking status, family history of gastric cancer, Helicobacter pylori infection status, and tumor location were similar in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Screening gastroduodenoscopy may enable the early detection of gastric cancer and prolong survival in patients <40 years of age.

Spontaneous Bleeding from Internal Pudendal Artery associated with Abciximab after Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Successful Treatment with Percutaneous Gel-Foam Embolization.

We describe a case of spontaneous bleeding from a branch of the right internal pudendal artery that resulted in massive scrotal swelling in a patient who had underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention with the use of abciximab concurrent with conventional anticoagulation and dual antiplatelet therapies for the treatment of acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. This unusual complication was promptly identified by percutaneous peripheral arteriography and successfully treated with gel-foam embolization.

Clinical Experience of the Use of CT-P13, a Biosimilar to Infliximab in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Case Series.

BACKGROUND: CT-P13 is the first biosimilar monoclonal antibody to infliximab. However, the antibody was tested only in rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis, which demonstrated equivalence to the originator in efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetic profile. Extrapolation of its efficacy and safety to other pathologies is tenuous. Interchangeability with its originator is another unclear area. AIM: We aimed to describe the experience of CT-P13 use in inflammatory bowel disease at a tertiary center. METHODS: Seventeen subjects diagnosed with Crohn's disease (CD, n = 8) or ulcerative colitis (UC, n = 9) who were administered CT-P13 from November 2012 to October 2013 at Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital were retrospectively enrolled. Medical records analyzed included patients' characteristics, previous history of anti-tumor necrosis factor administration, response and remission to this biosimilar antibody, disease flare-up, and adverse drug reaction. RESULTS: Male-female ratio was 1.8. Mean age was 35.4 years (range 15-57). Mean number of CT-P13 administrations was 4.2 ± 1.9. Induction treatments were done in five UC and three CD patients. Clinical response and remission at 8 weeks were achieved in seven patients (five UC and two CD). One CD patient did not respond to CT-P13. Nine patients in maintenance with the originator were interchanged with CT-P13 (four UC and five CD patients). One UC patient experienced arthralgia and CT-P13 was discontinued. One patient experienced loss of response during the study period. CONCLUSIONS: CT-P13 may have biosimilarity and interchangeability with its originator in inflammatory bowel disease. A large, randomized, double-blind, prospective study is needed.