So Ra Kang

BACKGROUND: The interest in HER2-low breast cancer (BC) has increased in recent years with the development of novel anti-HER2 antibody-drug conjugates. Here, we investigated the clinical outcomes and relapse patterns of patients with HER2-low or -zero BCs in an Asian population. METHODS: We retrospectively identified HER2-low or -zero BC patients with stage I-III tumours who were treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and underwent curative surgery, between 2014 and 2018 at Asan Medical Center, S

Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease, and its subtypes are characterized by hormone receptor and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) expression status. "HER2-low" tumors, which exhibit a low level of HER2 expression (immunohistochemistry 1+ or 2+ without gene amplification), were conventionally considered not amenable to anti-HER2 targeting agents based on the results of a phase III trial of trastuzumab. However, this perspective is being challenged by the emergence of novel anti

BACKGROUND: The transition of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in HER2-low breast cancer has not been thoroughly evaluated. Here, we evaluated the HER2 transition among HER2-zero and HER2-low breast cancer cases post-NAC and its impact on clinical outcomes. METHODS: We included 1288 patients with HER2-low or zero breast cancer who underwent NAC and surgery between 2014 and 2018 and had paired pre- and post-therapeutic HER2 status results

Cancer of unknown primary (CUP) is a heterogeneous malignancy in which the primary site of the tumor cannot be identified through standard work-up. The survival outcome of CUP is generally poor, and there is no consensus for treatment. Here, we comprehensively analyzed the real-world data of 218 patients with CUP (median age, 62 years [range, 19-91]; male, 62.3%). Next-generation sequencing was conducted in 22 (10%) patients, one of whom showed level 1 genetic alteration. Most (60.3%) patients w

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) offer a promising therapeutic approach for various cancers, enhancing the therapeutic window while mitigating systemic adverse effects on healthy tissues. ADCs have achieved remarkable clinical success, particularly in treating breast cancer, becoming a standard therapy across all subtypes, including hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive, and triple-negative breast cancer. Although designed to selectively target antigens via

PURPOSE: Three years of adjuvant imatinib is the standard treatment for resected gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) with rupture, but the recurrence rate is prominently high. We aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of 5-year adjuvant imatinib compared with 3-year treatment in patients with a ruptured GIST following surgical resection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 51 patients were included in the analysis. The assessment of GIST rupture was based on Nishida's classification. Twe

PURPOSE: Prognostic Index for Natural Killer Lymphoma (PINK) is the most widely accepted prognostic model for patients withextranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTL) treated with non-anthracycline-based therapy. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic implications of serum β-2 microglobulin (β2M) in the context of PINK and proposed a new prognostic model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 138 patients who were newly diagnosed with ENKTL and treated with non-anthracycline-based chemotherapy we

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is the most widely used tumor marker in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). However, its potential as a predictive marker of progression in mCRC during systemic chemotherapy, particularly in patients receiving monoclonal antibodies as a combination therapy, has remained of interest. Herein, we investigated whether CEA changes could predict disease progression and clinical outcomes in patients with mCRC cotreated with systemic chemotherapy and/or biologic agents. A

Background: Adjuvant chemotherapy is the standard treatment after curative-intent surgery for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The phase-3 ESPAC-4 trial demonstrated significantly improved overall survival (OS) with Gemcitabine plus capecitabine (GemCap) over Gemcitabine (Gem) in Europe. We conducted a retrospective efficacy and safety evaluation of GemCap versus Gem in an Asian population. Methods: This retrospective analysis included 292 patients with PDAC who received adjuvant Gem or