Trends in Cancer Screening Rates among Korean Men and Women: Results from the Korean National Cancer Screening Survey (KNCSS), 2004-2011

Utilization of colorectal cancer screening tests: a systematic review and time trend analysis of nationally representative data

Background

The substantial and increasing global burden of colorectal cancer (CRC) underscores the imperative to enhance implementation and utilization of effective CRC screening offers. Therefore, we examined the lifetime and up-to-date use of CRC screening tests across various countries, and described utilization trends over time.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review on the extent and recent trends of utilization of CRC screening tests among people 45 years or older in different countries around the globe. PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, and Embase electronic databases were screened for eligible studies from inception to June 30, 2024. The study protocol was registered with international prospective register of systematic reviews (PROSPERO) (CRD42023391344).

Findings

A total of 50 studies, based on nationally-representative data, were finally included - 27 from the United States (US) and 23 from other countries. The overall utilization of CRC screening has steadily increased over time in many countries, reaching 74.9% in Denmark in 2018-2020, 64% in Korea in 2020, and 72% in the US in 2021. Nevertheless, the utilization rates remain far below the national or continental targets in most countries. In contrast to European and Asian countries, where screening was predominantly fecal test-based, the approach in the US was primarily driven by colonoscopy, and the uptake of fecal tests and sigmoidoscopy gradually declined in the past two decades.

Interpretation

Despite ongoing progress in CRC screening offers and utilization, there remains large potential for enhanced roll-out and utilization of effective CRC screening programs for enhanced control of CRC incidence and mortality in the years ahead.

Funding

There was no funding source for this study.

Better survival of patients with hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma in South Korea: Changes in 16-years cohorts

Aims

The incidence and mortality of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have decreased over time in South Korea, where hepatitis B virus (HBV) in endemic. This study investigated the changes in the characteristics and clinical outcomes of HCC patients in Korea.

Methods

Patients initially diagnosed with HCC and treated at the National Cancer Center, Korea between 2000 and 2015 (n = 4,291) were followed up until February 2017. Differences in patient characteristics and outcomes were compared between chronological cohorts: cohort A (2000–2004, n = 1,157) vs. B (2005–2009, n = 1,678) vs. C (2010–2015, n = 1,456).

Results

The median age of the patient cohort was 57 years (range, 13–98 years), and male predominance was noted (81.6%). HBV infection was the most common etiology (74.8%). The proportion of patients diagnosed with good liver function and small tumors (<2 cm) increased significantly over time: 74.6%, 79.9%, and 87.4% for Child–Pugh class A (p<0.001) and 8.0%, 8.5%, and 12.0% for modified UICC stage I (p<0.001) in cohorts A, B, and C, respectively. Median overall survival improved significantly over time: 14.4 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 12.0–16.8 months), 22.9 months (95% CI, 20.3–25.5 months), and 53.6 months (95% CI, 45.7–61.5 months) in cohorts A, B, and C, respectively. HBV-related patients showed significantly improved survival (12.7 vs. 20.4 vs. 64.5 months, p<0.001) associated with the use of antiviral treatments (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.64–0.80).

Conclusions

The survival of patients with HCC, especially HBV-related HCC, has improved significantly over time in Korea.

Disparities in the utilisation of preventive health services by the employment status: An analysis of 2007-2012 South Korean national survey

Objectives

This study aims to investigate the differences in the utilisation of preventive health services among standard, nonstandard workers, the self-employed, and unpaid family workers.

Methods

We used the 4^th and 5^th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a nationwide survey conducted from the year 2007 to 2012. Economically active workers between the ages of 25 and 64 were grouped into standard, nonstandard, the self-employed, and the unpaid family workers (N = 16,964). Outcome variables are the uptake of preventive health services including influenza vaccination, regular medical check-up, and four types of cancer screenings. We used multivariate logistic models.

Results

Overall, non-standard workers, the self-employed, and unpaid family workers were less likely to use the preventive health care compared to the standard workers. In particular, the self-employed were less likely to use all the six services compared to the standard workers and showed the lowest level of uptakes among the four working groups. Moreover, the service uptake of the non-standard workers was lower than that of standard workers in all services; except the colon cancer screening. On the other hand, unpaid family workers showed mixed results. While the uptake of influenza vaccination and regular health screening were lower, participation to the cancer screening was not lower compared to that of standard workers.

Conclusion

There were gaps in the utilisation of preventive services among workers depending on their employment types. Access to preventive health care services of nonstandard workers, the self-employed, and unpaid family workers should be prioritised.

Risk factors for developing liver cancer in people with and without liver disease

BACKGROUND

The National Liver Cancer Surveillance Program (NLCSP) targets patients with liver diseases that lead to liver cancer in South Korea. This study aimed to investigate the risk of liver disease leading to liver cancer using nationally representative data to establish an efficient NLCSP.

METHODS

This study used data from the National Health Insurance Service National Sample Cohort (NHIS-NSC) from 2002 to 2013. A retrospective matched cohort design was applied to compare the development of liver cancer in patients with and without liver disease. Cox- proportional hazard regression for liver cancer with competing risk of death was performed for all subjects or each group stratified according to age or income level.

RESULTS

A total of 66,192 patients with liver disease and matched subjects without liver disease were included in the study. The incidences of liver cancer among patients with and without liver disease within a median 8-year follow-up period were 2.68% (n = 1,772) and 0.34% (n = 210), respectively. Cox- regression analysis for liver cancer incidence indicated that cirrhosis had the highest risk (hazard ratio [HR]: 18.13, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 15.24-21.58), followed by hepatitis B (HR: 9.32, 95% CI: 8.00-10.85). Subgroup analysis showed that the presence of liver disease was an important risk factor in younger as well as elderly people, and a higher risk of liver disease was also observed in the patients with Medicaid.

CONCLUSIONS

Attention should be paid to the development of liver cancer in young people under 50 years old and preventive efforts to decrease the incidence of liver cancer among Medicaid recipients is needed.

Temporal improvement in survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in a hepatitis B virus-endemic population

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Over the past decade, the management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and viral hepatitis has been improved. We explored survival trends and factors affecting survival of HCC in a hepatitis B virus (HBV)-endemic population.

METHODS

From 31 521 and 38 167 HCC registrants to the population-based national cancer registry in Korea, an HBV-endemic country, in the period of 2003-2005 and 2008-2010, we randomly sampled cohorts of 4515 and 4582 patients, respectively, for the investigation of clinical characteristics and survival.

RESULTS

Compared with Cohort 2003-2005, Cohort 2008-2010 had significantly better liver function (Child-Turcotte-Pugh class A, 64.2% vs 71.6%; P < 0.001) and had more advanced tumor stages (Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage B-D, 45.8% vs 50.4%; P < 0.001). HBV was the predominant cause of HCC in both cohorts (62.5% vs 62.2%; P = 0.70). Cohort 2008-2010 had significantly better overall survival than Cohort 2003-2005 by age-adjusted univariate, multivariable, and propensity score-matched analyses (median survival time, 17.2 vs 28.4 months; P < 0.001). In a subcohort analysis, a consistently significant inter-cohort improvement in survival was observed only in patients with HBV-related HCC (median survival, 16.1 vs 30.4 months; P < 0.001). The annual number of patients with HCC receiving oral antiviral agents for HBV precipitously increased from 93 in 2005 to 28 520 in 2010 in the country.

CONCLUSIONS

The consistent improvement in survival of patients with HCC was confined to HBV-related HCC subcohort over the last decade in an HBV-endemic population. The survival improvement coincided with the exponential use of oral antiviral agents for HBV in the patients.

Different prognosis of young breast cancer patients in their 20s and 30s depending on subtype: a nationwide study from the Korean Breast Cancer Society

PURPOSE

Numerous studies have demonstrated that breast cancer in young women (BCY) has unfavorable prognostic features and more unfavorable subtypes. However, few studies have evaluated the effect of subtype disparities on breast cancer prognosis by age, especially for BCY. We analyzed breast cancer mortality stratified by tumor subtype according to age among patients younger than 50 years.

METHODS

Data from the Korean Breast Cancer Society Registry for patients diagnosed with invasive breast cancer when aged less than 50 years between 2003 and 2010 were reviewed retrospectively.

RESULTS

We identified 30,793 patients with breast cancer who were eligible for analysis. Of these, 793 (2.6%) were aged 20-29 and 8926 (28.8%) were aged 30-39. Median follow-up duration was 84 months. Mean age was 42.4 years. Patients in their 20s were more likely to have cancer of advanced stage and higher nuclear grade, present with lymphovascular invasion, and have unfavorable subtypes. Patients in the 20s group showed worse prognosis. In multivariate analysis for overall survival (OS), the hazard ratio (HR) for patients in the 20s group was higher than that for the 30s and 40s groups, and patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) showed higher HR than patients with HER-2 or luminal subtype (all p < 0.0001). When stratified by subtype, luminal subtype showed significantly worse prognosis in the 20s group than the 30s and 40s groups, whereas HER-2 and TNBC subtypes showed no significant difference.

CONCLUSION

Patients in their 20s with breast cancer had unfavorable characteristics and worse prognosis than patients in their 30s and 40s. When stratified by tumor subtype, patients in their 20s with luminal subtype of breast cancer showed worse prognosis than older patients, whereas HER-2 and TNBC subtypes showed no significant differences.

Predictive Value of Antiviral Effects in the Development of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in the General Korean Population with Chronic Hepatitis B

Background/Aims

The benefit of oral antiviral therapy in preventing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the general population is not well understood. We used a novel prediction method to estimate the risk of HCC in the Korean population based on various treatment guidelines.

Methods

The 5-year risk of HCC following antiviral therapy was calculated using an HCC risk prediction model. A virtual cohort that represented Koreans (>40 years old) with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection was established using the fifth National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The antiviral indications tested were the Korean National Health Insurance (NHI) and European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) guidelines as well as a new extended indication (serum HBV DNA >2,000 IU/mL regardless of serum aminotransferase level).

Results

A total of 993,872 subjects were infected with HBV in the general Korean population. Over a 5-year period, 2,725 HCC cases were predicted per 100,000 persons (0.55%/yr). When the cohort was treated based on the Korean NHI, the EASL, and the newly extended indications, HCC risks decreased to 2,531 (-7.1%), 2,089 (-23.3%), and 1,122 (-58.8%) cases per 100,000 persons, respectively (p<0.0001).

Conclusions

Simulated risk prediction suggests that extending of oral antiviral indication may reduce the HCC risk in the general population.

Prognostic value of ABO blood types in young patients with breast cancer; a nationwide study in Korean Breast Cancer Society

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between ABO blood types and breast cancer survival in young Korean patients. This was a retrospective study of 115,474 patients who were surgically treated for primary breast cancer between 1987 and 2011 in Korea. All data were collected by the Korean Breast Cancer Society (KBCS) online breast cancer registry. Each hospital serologically examined the ABO blood types of patients before surgery. There was no significant difference in overall survival (OS) or breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) among ABO blood types. Type of surgery; T stage; N stage; histologic grade; status of estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and HER2; and chemotherapy were significant prognostic factors of OS and BCSS in univariate analysis and multivariate analyses. Compared to women with blood type O, there was a difference in OS and BCSS for blood type A, blood type B, or blood type AB. Compared to blood group non-O, patients with blood group O were more likely to have favorable prognosis when younger than 40 years. Further follow-up studies are necessary to clarify the role of the impact of ABO blood types on prognosis of breast cancer.

Screening methods (clinical breast examination and mammography) to detect breast cancer in women aged 40-49 years

Objective:

The aim of this study is to detect breast cancer rate, nodal status, tumor size, and associated risk factors using clinical breast examination (CBE) and mammography as screening tools in women aged 40–49 years.

Materials and Methods:

A total of 500 women were screened in a time period of 2 years, between the ages of 40–49 years for breast cancer. Screening tools used were CBE and mammography. Clinical history and risk factors related to breast cancer were recorded. CBE was performed to detect any breast pathology followed by mammographic screening. Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) mammographic density categories were used for reporting breast imaging on mammography. For women with dense breasts or an inconclusive mammography report, ultrasonography was performed to assess the lesion/s. Suspicious lesion was subjected to fine-needle aspiration cytology or an open surgical biopsy for a confirmatory diagnosis. Women with history of breast cancer were excluded from the study.

Results:

CBE was normal in almost 90% of the women. Screening mammography revealed Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) I and BI-RADS II in 58.4% and 34.6% of women, respectively. Only 7% of women belonged to BI-RADS III and none in BI-RADS IV category.

Conclusion:

The study findings are in agreement with the recommendations of the World Health Organization, US preventive task force and UK guidelines that recommend screening mammography in women starting at 50 years.

Oral Medications Enhance Adherence to Surveillance for Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Survival in Chronic Hepatitis B Patients

Background/Aims

Regular surveillance for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients is essential to detect HCC earlier and to improve prognosis. This study investigated whether prescription of oral medication contributes to adherence to surveillance, early tumor detection, and overall survival (OS).

Methods

A total of 401 CHB patients who were newly diagnosed with HCC were included: 134 patients received no medication (group 1), 151 received hepatoprotective agents such as ursodeoxycholic acid and silymarin (group 2), and 116 received antiviral agents (group 3) at two years before HCC diagnosis. The primary endpoint was OS, and secondary endpoints were compliance to regular surveillance and HCC status at diagnosis.

Results

Compared to group 1, both group 2 and 3 had higher rates of good compliance to regular surveillance (defined as participation in >80% of imaging intervals being ≤6 months) (58.2%, 90.1%, and 97.4%, respectively; P<0.001), more HCC diagnosed at a very early stage (20.9%, 32.5%, and 36.2%; P = 0.019) and smaller tumor size (2.8±2.4cm, 1.9±1.1cm, and 1.8±0.9cm; P<0.001). Finally, compared to group 1, both group 2 (hazard ratio, 0.63; 95% confidence interval, 0.41–0.97; P = 0.035) and group 3 (hazard ratio, 0.40; 95% confidence interval, 0.22–0.71; P = 0.002) had significantly longer OS. In mediation analysis, prolonged OS is resulted considerably from indirect effect mediated by shorter imaging interval (>100% in group 2 and 14.5% in group 3) rather than direct effect of medication itself.

Conclusions

Prescription of oral medication improves compliance to surveillance and enables early detection of HCC, which is associated with enhanced survival.

Breast cancer-specific mortality in small-sized tumor with node-positive breast cancer: a nation-wide study in Korean breast cancer society

Tumor size and number of lymph node (LN) metastases are well known as the most important prognostic factors of breast cancer. We hypothesized that very small breast cancers with LN metastasis represent a progressive biologic behavior and evaluated tumor size stratified by LN metastasis. Data between 1990 and 2010 were obtained retrospectively from the Korean Breast Cancer Society Registry with inclusion criteria of female, non-metastatic, unilateral, and T1/2 breast cancer. We collected the following variables: age at surgery, tumor size, number of LN metastases, nuclear grade (NG), lymphovascular invasion (LVI), estrogen receptor status, progesterone receptor status, and epidermal growth factor receptor-2 status. Patient characteristics were compared by means of independent t-tests for continuous variables and the Chi-square or Fisher's exact test for categorical variables. Kaplan-Meier curves, with corresponding results of log-rank tests, were constructed for breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS). Five- and eight-year breast cancer-specific mortality (BCSM) was obtained in groups of 300 patients, followed by smoothing according to the confidence interval using the lowess method. We identified 39,826 breast cancer patients who met the inclusion criteria. Among them, 1433 (3.6 %) patients died due to breast cancer. The median follow-up duration was 63.4 (3-255) months. In the multivariate analysis, age at surgery, NG, LVI, subtype, and tumor size-nodal interactions were independently associated with BCSM. The N1 group had lower BCSS for T1a than T1b. The N2+ group also had lower BCSS for T1b than T1c or T2. In the N1 group of tumors smaller than 10 mm, 5- and 8-year BCSM decreased with larger tumor size. Patients with very small tumors with LN metastasis have decreased BCSM according to increase tumor size. Small tumors with LN metastasis could have aggressive biological behavior.

Cancer literacy as a mediator for cancer screening behaviour in Korean adults

This study investigates the cancer literacy level in Korean adults and examines whether cancer literacy plays a mediating role in the relationship between population characteristics and cancer screening behaviours. We collected data from 585 community-dwelling adults in Korea using self-administered surveys and face-to-face interviews from October to December in 2009. Guided by Andersen's behavioural model, we used a structural equation model to estimate the effect of cancer literacy as a mediator and found that cancer literacy mediated cancer screening behaviour. In the individual path analysis models, cancer literacy played a significant mediating role for the use of eastern medicine, fatalism, health status and the number of chronic diseases. When controlling for other relevant covariates, we found that in the optimal path model, cancer literacy played a mediating role in the relationship between the use of eastern medicine and self-rated health status as well as cancer screening behaviour. Thus, developing community-based cancer education programmes and training clinical practitioners in eastern medicine clinics about the importance of informing their patients about regular cancer screening may be an option to boost cancer literacy and screening behaviour in Korea.

Prediction of future hepatocellular carcinoma incidence in moderate to heavy alcohol drinkers with the FIB-4 liver fibrosis index

BACKGROUND

Although heavy alcoholics are at heightened risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), there are no guidelines that recommend HCC screening for heavy alcoholics. This study investigated FIB-4, a noninvasive and easily applicable liver fibrosis index, as a risk factor for HCC incidence among alcohol drinkers without viral hepatitis.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study included 6661 generally healthy adults who were 30 years old or older, did not have chronic viral hepatitis, and visited Seoul National University Hospital for a general, routine health evaluation. The future HCC incidence was determined from National Health Insurance medical service claims data (median follow-up, 6.2 years).

RESULTS

With adjustments for age, sex, body mass index, smoking, and alcohol, compared with subjects with FIB-4 values less 1.00, subjects with FIB-4 values greater than or equal to 1.75 and less than 2.10 and subjects with FIB-4 values greater than or equal to 2.10 had adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) of 5.18 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12-24.00) and 13.63 (95% CI, 3.77-49.33), respectively, for HCC incidence. This was heightened in subjects who drank more 30 g of alcohol per day: the aHRs were 8.39 (95% CI, 1.28-54.87) and 16.58 (95% CI, 3.87-71.04), respectively. FIB-4 was shown to have a higher predictive value for HCC incidence than ultrasonographically detected liver cirrhosis (C-index, 0.665 vs 0.527; P = .044).

CONCLUSIONS

High FIB-4 is a risk factor with a high predictive value for HCC incidence, especially among moderate to heavy alcoholics (>30 g/d). FIB-4 is a readily available and probably cost-effective clinical tool with potential value for identifying subpopulations of alcoholics at particularly high risk who would benefit from regular HCC screening. Further investigations are warranted to validate our results; nonetheless, our study suggests that FIB-4 may be useful in HCC screening among alcoholics.

High liver fibrosis index FIB-4 is highly predictive of hepatocellular carcinoma in chronic hepatitis B carriers

Screening for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is clinically important given that its early detection has remarkable survival benefits. We investigated the possible role of FIB-4, a recently developed noninvasive marker for liver fibrosis based on routine laboratory tests, as a clinical indicator for predicting future HCC among hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers. Our retrospective cohort study involved 986 Korean HBsAg carriers 40 years of age or older who visited Seoul National University Hospital for a health checkup. National medical service claims data were used to determine HCC incidence. Median follow-up time was 5.4 years (interquartile range: 4.4 years). Adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, smoking, alcohol, and antiviral medication for hepatitis B, compared to subjects with FIB-4 <1.25, subjects with 1.7≤ FIB-4 <2.4 showed an adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of 4.57 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.50-13.92) and subjects with FIB-4 ≥2.4 showed an aHR of 21.34 (95% CI: 7.73-58.92) for HCC incidence. FIB-4 was shown to have incremental predictive value to ultrasonographic liver cirrhosis for HCC incidence (C-index: 0.701 vs. 0.831; P = 0.001). FIB-4 was also better predictive of HCC incidence, compared to that of ultrasonographic liver cirrhosis (C-index: 0.775 vs. 0.701; P = 0.040).

CONCLUSION

High FIB-4 is a highly predictive risk factor for HCC incidence among Korean HBsAg carriers. FIB-4 is a promising, easily applicable, and cost-effective clinical tool in identifying a subpopulation of HBsAg carriers who are at heightened risk. Our study needs to be replicated in larger future studies on various ethnic groups; nonetheless, our study suggests that FIB-4 may play a valuable role in HCC screening among HBsAg carriers.

Long-term outcome comparison of endoscopic resection and surgery in early gastric cancer meeting the absolute indication for endoscopic resection

BACKGROUND

Endoscopic resection (ER) of early gastric cancer (EGC) meeting the absolute indication has excellent long-term outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

To compare long-term outcomes of ER with those of surgery in patients with EGC who met the absolute indication for ER.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

A specialized center for the treatment of cancer.

PATIENTS AND INTERVENTIONS

We retrospectively reviewed data from patients who underwent gastrectomy or ER for EGC between 2002 and 2007. Gastric cancers were differentiated-type adenocarcinoma without ulceration confined to the mucosal layer and 2 cm or smaller in size.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS

The primary outcome was overall survival (OS). Metachronous cancer rates and adverse event rates were compared. Kaplan-Meier plots and Cox proportional hazard regression analyses were applied for comparisons. Differences in baseline characteristics were adjusted by propensity score.

RESULTS

Among 375 patients, 261 underwent ER and 114 underwent surgery. The median follow-up duration was 76.4 months. The 5-year OS rates did not significantly differ between the ER and surgery groups (95.7% vs 93.6%, respectively; P = .725 by log-rank test). There were no gastric cancer-related deaths in either group. Metachronous gastric cancer developed more frequently in the ER group (6.1%, 16/261) than in the surgery group (0.9%, 1/114) (P = .024). However, most patients (93.8%, 15/16) in the ER group were curatively treated with repeat ER. Adverse event rates were higher in the surgery group than those in the ER group (7.9% vs 2.7%, P = .028).

LIMITATIONS

Retrospective, single-center study.

CONCLUSIONS

The OS rate after ER for mucosal gastric cancer that met the absolute indication was comparable to that achieved with surgery. Although metachronous cancers were more common after ER, they were usually treatable and did not affect survival.

Robotic distal subtotal gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy for gastric cancer patients with high body mass index: comparison with conventional laparoscopic distal subtotal gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy

BACKGROUND

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has emerged as a treatment of choice for early-stage gastric cancer. However, applying MIS to gastric patients with high body mass index (BMI) is technically challenging, especially when performing D2 lymphadenectomy. Recently, robotic systems have been adopted to overcome the technical limitations of conventional laparoscopic surgery. Nevertheless, studies on the impact of the use of robotic systems to perform D2 lymphadenectomy in high BMI patients are lacking. Accordingly, this study was designed to compare the quality of lymphadenectomy, together with surgical outcomes, by robotic distal subtotal gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy (RDGD2) to those by laparoscopic distal subtotal gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy (LDGD2) in patients of different BMI status.

METHODS

Retrospective review of a prospectively collected database identified 400 gastric cancer patients who underwent either RDGD2 (n = 133) or LDGD2 (n = 267) between 2003 and 2010. Patients were categorized according to surgical approach and BMI. We compared clinicopathologic characteristics, as well as short-term and long-term outcomes, between surgery and BMI groups.

RESULTS

Regardless of BMI, RDGD2 required significantly longer operation time than LDGD2 (p = 0.001); meanwhile, RDGD2 showed significantly less blood loss than LDGD2 (p = 0.005). Between BMI groups, RDGD2 showed no significant difference in the rate of retrieving more than 25 lymph nodes (p = 0.181); however, LDGD2 was associated with a significantly lower rate of retrieving more than 25 lymph nodes in high BMI patients (p = 0.006). In high BMI patients, complications did not significantly differ between surgical approaches. As well, RDGD2 and LDGD2 demonstrated no statistically significant survival difference according to BMI status.

CONCLUSIONS

The benefits of a robotic approach were more evident in high BMI patients than in normal BMI patients when performing distal subtotal gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy, particularly in terms of blood loss and consistent quality of lymphadenectomy. Robotic surgery could be an effective alternative to conventional laparoscopic surgery in treating gastric cancer patients with high BMI.

Cancer screening in Korea, 2012: results from the Korean National Cancer Screening Survey

We investigated the cancer screening rates for five types of cancer (stomach, liver, colorectal, breast, and cervix uteri) using data from the Korean National Cancer Screening Survey (KNCSS), which is a nationwide, annual cross-sectional survey. The eligible study population included cancer-free men 40 years of age and older and women 30 years of age and older. The lifetime screening rate and screening rate with recommendation were calculated. The lifetime screening rates for gastric, liver, colorectal, breast, and cervical cancers were 77.9%, 69.9%, 65.8%, 82.9%, and 77.1%, respectively. The screening rates with recommendation were 70.9%, 21.5%, 44.7%, 70.9%, and 67.9%, respectively. The most common reason for all types of cancer was "no symptoms, " followed by "lack of time" and "fear of the examination procedure. " Efforts to facilitate participation in liver and colorectal cancer screening among Korean men and women are needed.

Endoscopic resection for synchronous esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and gastric adenocarcinoma in early stage is a possible alternative to surgery

BACKGROUND/AIMS

We investigated the clinical outcomes according to the method of treatment in synchronous esophageal and gastric cancer.

METHODS

Synchronous esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and gastric adenocarcinoma were diagnosed in 79 patients between 1996 and 2010. We divided the patients into four groups according to treatment; Group 1 received surgical resection for both cancers or surgery for gastric cancer with chemoradiotherapy for esophageal cancer (n=27); Group 2 was treated by endoscopic resection with or without additional treatment (n=14); Group 3 received chemoradiotherapy only (n=18); and Group 4 received supportive care only (n=20).

RESULTS

The median survival times in groups 1 and 2 were 86 and 60 months, respectively. The recurrence rate and mortality were 23% and 48%, respectively, in group 1 and 21% and 4%, respectively, in group 2. The median survival time was 12 months in group 3 and 9 months in group 4. Multivariate analysis showed that age (p<0.001) and treatment group (p=0.019) were significantly associated with death. Compared with group 1, treatment in the intensive care unit (p=0.003), loss of body weight (p=0.042), and decrease in hemoglobin (p=0.033) were worse in group 1.

CONCLUSIONS

Endoscopic resection for synchronous esophageal and gastric cancer could be considered as a possible alternative to surgery for early-stage cancer.

Breast Cancer Screening Knowledge and Perceived Health Beliefs among Immigrant Women in Korea

Purpose

Recently, through international marriage, immigrant women have rapidly increased throughout Korea. This study was performed to identify health beliefs and practices related to breast cancer screening in immigrant women in Korea.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was carried out between March and July 2012, and study population included immigrant females from six other Asian countries (Cambodia, China, Japan, Mongolia, Vietnam, and the Philippines). We surveyed 197 women and categorized them into four groups according to home countries. The questionnaire consisted of 55 items, including demographic and socioeconomic factors, breast cancer-related knowledge regarding risk factors and symptoms, beliefs and attitudes towards health and breast cancer, perceived susceptibility, barriers, and benefits of screening.

Results

Japanese participants were significantly older and had resided in Korea for more years than other country-of-origin groups (all p<0.001), and showed higher screening rates without statistical significance (p=0.392). In multivariate analysis, country of origin showed a significant correlation with knowledge (p=0.001), positive beliefs (p=0.002), and perceived benefits (p=0.025) of breast cancer screening. The group with the lowest household income showed a significantly lower score of perceived benefits (p=0.022). Through analysis to identify factors affecting participation in screening mammography, we found that education level (p=0.009), occupation status (p=0.006), and Korean language fluency (p=0.002) were independent predictors for screening behavior.

Conclusion

This study identified conditions related to breast cancer screening knowledge, perception, and behavior of immigrant women in Korea. The results reflect the need for increased social aids to remove barriers to medical services and more educational programs to facilitate higher rates of screening.

Relationship between Social Network and Stage of Adoption of Gastric Cancer Screening among the Korean Population

Few studies have examined the relationship between social support and stages of adoption of cancer screening. Here we investigated associations between both structural and functional aspects of social support and stages of adoption of gastric cancer screening in the general population of Korea. The study population was derived from the 2011 Korean National Cancer Screening Survey (KNCSS), an annual cross-sectional survey that uses nationally representative random sampling to investigate cancer screening rates. Data were analyzed from 3,477 randomly selected respondents aged 40-74 years. Respondents were classified according to their stage of adoption of gastric cancer screening: precontemplation (13.2%), contemplation (18.0%), action/maintenance (56.1%), relapse risk (8.5%), and relapse stage (4.1%). Respondents with larger social networks were more likely to be in the contemplation/action/maintenance, or the relapse risk/relapse stages versus the precontemplation stage (OR=1.91, 95%CI: 1.52-2.91; p for tend=0.025). Emotional and instrumental supports were not associated with any stage of adoption of gastric cancer screening. However, respondents who reported receiving sufficient informational support were more likely to be in the relapse risk/relapse stages versus the precontemplation, or the contemplation/action/maintenance stage (p for trend=0.016). Interventions involving interactions between social network members could play an important role in increasing participation in gastric cancer screening.

[Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection in Korea, 2013 revised edition]

Since the Korean College of Helicobacter and Upper Gastrointestinal Research has first developed the guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection in 1998, the revised guideline was proposed in 2009 by the same group. Although the revised guideline was made by comprehensive review of previous articles and consensus of authoritative expert opinions, the evidence-based developmental process was not applied in the revision of the guideline. This new guideline has been revised especially in terms of changes in the indication and treatment of H. pylori infection in Korea, and developed by the adaptation process as evidence-based method; 6 guidelines were retrieved by systematic review and the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II process, 21 statements were made with grading system and revised by modified Delphi method. After revision, 11 statements for the indication of test and treatment, 4 statements for the diagnosis and 4 statements for the treatment have been developed, respectively. The revised guideline has been reviewed by external experts before the official endorsement, and will be disseminated for usual clinical practice in Korea. Also, the scheduled update and revision of the guideline will be made periodically.

Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection in Korea, 2013 revised edition

The Korean College of Helicobacter and Upper Gastrointestinal Research first developed guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in 1998, and revised guidelines were proposed in 2009 by the same group. Although the revised guidelines were based on a comprehensive review of published articles and the consensus of expert opinions, the revised guidelines were not developed using an evidence-based process. The new guidelines presented in this study include specific changes regarding indication and treatment of H. pylori infection in Korea, and were developed through the adaptation process using an evidence-based approach. After systematic review of the literature, six guidelines were selected using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II process. A total of 21 statements were proposed with the grading system and revised using the modified Delphi method. After the guideline revisions, 11 statements about indication of test and treatment, four statements about diagnosis, and four statements about treatment of H. pylori infection were developed. The revised guidelines were reviewed by external experts before receiving official endorsement from the Korean College of Helicobacter and Upper Gastrointestinal Research, and disseminated to physicians and other medical professionals for use in clinical practice in Korea. The guidelines will continue to be updated and revised periodically.

Effects of screening on gastric cancer management: comparative analysis of the results in 2006 and in 2011

Purpose

This study aimed to analyze the effect of screening by using endoscopy on the diagnosis and treatment of gastric cancer.

Materials and Methods

The clinicopathologic characteristics of gastric cancer were compared in individuals who underwent an endoscopy because of symptoms (non-screening group) or for screening purposes (screening group). The distributions of gastric cancer stages and treatment modalities in 2006 and 2011 were compared.

Results

The proportion of patients in the screening group increased from 45.1% in 2006 to 65.4% in 2011 (P<0.001). The proportion of stage I cancers in the entire patient sample also increased (from 60.5% in 2006 to 70.6% in 2011; P=0.029). In 2011, the percentages of patients with cancer stages I, II, III, and IV were 79.9%, 8.2%, 10.9%, and 1.1%, respectively, in the screening group, and 47.9%, 10.8%, 29.8%, and 11.5%, respectively, in the non-screening group. The proportion of laparoscopic and robotic surgeries increased from 9.6% in 2006 to 48.3% in 2011 (P<0.001), and endoscopic submucosal dissection increased from 9.8% in 2006 to 19.1% 2011 (P<0.001).

Conclusions

The proportion of patients diagnosed with gastric cancer by using the screening program increased between 2006 and 2011. This increase was associated with a high proportion of early-stage cancer diagnoses and increased use of minimally invasive treatments.

Is microsatellite instability a prognostic marker in gastric cancer? A systematic review with meta-analysis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

The relationship between survival in gastric cancer patients and the status of microsatellite instability (MSI) has not yet been established. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to obtain integrated and more precise data for the value of MSI as a prognostic marker in gastric cancer.

METHODS

A comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted using major electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central) with keywords related to "microsatellite instability," "gastric cancer," and "prognosis."

RESULTS

Twenty-four studies with 5,438 participants (712 cases were MSI gastric cancer) were included for pooling risk estimates of MSI in gastric cancer. Seventeen studies reported overall survival. The pooled hazard ratio (HR) for overall survival of MSI vs. non-MSI was 0.72 (95%CI: 0.59-0.88, P = .001) in a random-effects model. In the sensitivity analysis, the result from the most recent study showed the most heterogeneity.

CONCLUSION

MSI gastric cancer was associated with good prognosis but there was heterogeneity in the recent studies. Changed epidemiology and effects of chemotherapy are potential causes of heterogeneity. Establishing a consensus for defining MSI in gastric cancer should be preferred for future studies.

Knowledge of colorectal cancer screening among young Malaysians

The objective of this study was to determine the knowledge and associated factors regarding colorectal cancer screening among university students in Malaysia. The questionnaire consisted of three parts: socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyle practice and knowledge of colorectal screening. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 300 students (21.3±1.4 years old). The majority of the participants were Malay with a monthly family income of less than 5,000 Ringgit Malaysia (equal to 1,700 USD) (67.0% and 76.0%, respectively). Regarding their lifestyle practices, the majority were non-smokers and had never consumed alcohol (83.7%, and 88.0%, respectively). The majority of the participants had no knowledge of digital rectal examination, colonoscopy, barium enema and fecal occult blood screening (63.3%, 60.7%, 74.0% and 62.3%, respectively). Univariate and multivariate analysis revealed that their age and the discipline which the students were studying significantly influenced their level of knowledge about colorectal screening. The present study results indicate that education campaigns about colorectal cancer should be promoted.

Incidence of cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancer in Korea, 1999-2010

Objective

To investigate the recent incidence of and trends in cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancer in Korean females.

Methods

Data from the Korea Central Cancer Registry between 1999 and 2010 were analyzed. Age-standardized rates (ASRs) and annual percent changes (APCs) were calculated.

Results

The absolute incidence rates of the three major gynecologic cancers increased: 6,394 in 1999 to 7,454 in 2010. The ASR for gynecologic cancer was 23.7 per 100,000 in 1999 and decreased to 21.0 in 2010 (APC, -1.1%; 95% confidence interval [CI], -1.53 to -0.70) due to a definitive decrease in the incidence of cervical cancer (APC, -4.3%). Endometrial cancer has been definitively increasing (APC, 6.9% during 1999-2010), especially in females <30 years old (APC, 11.2%) and in females ≥80 years old (APC, 9.5%). The incidence of ovarian cancer is increasing gradually (APC, 1.5%).

Conclusion

ASRs and APC for gynecologic cancers overall are decreasing due to the decrease in the incidence of cervical cancer. However, the incidence of endometrial and ovarian cancer has been increasing.

Factors associated with compliance with recommendations for liver cancer screening in Korea: a nationwide survey in Korea

To investigate the factors associated with compliance with recommendations regarding liver cancer screening intervals and methods among individuals at high-risk for liver cancer in the Republic of Korea. We used data from the fourth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES IV), a representative cross-sectional nationwide survey conducted between 2007 and 2009. The liver cancer screening rate and factors associated with compliance with recommended screening intervals (6 months) and methods (both abdominal ultrasonography and serum alpha-fetoprotein testing) among individuals at high risk for liver cancer such as hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers were investigated. Out of 24,871 KNHANES IV participants, 604 HBV carriers aged ≥20 years were included in our analysis. 39.6% of our study sample reported attending liver cancer screening at least once in their lifetime, 12.3% had attended within the previous 6 months, and 14.6% were screened using both recommended methods. Older age was associated with increased compliance with screening intervals (P-trend 0.011) and methods (40–49 year: OR = 3.25, 95% CI: 1.62–6.51; 50–59 years: OR = 3.09, 95% CI: 1.44–6.66; 60–69 years: OR = 3.17, 95% CI: 1.28–7.82). Unawareness of HBV infection status was negatively related to compliance with screening intervals and methods (OR = 0.30, 95% CI: 0.17–0.53; OR = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.26–0.79). Female sex (OR = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.25–0.78), lower household income (P-trend 0.011), and routine and manual occupations (OR = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.22–0.97) were associated with decreased compliance with screening methods. The liver cancer screening rate among high-risk individuals is much less suboptimal. Considering that those unaware of their HBV infection status got regular and complete liver cancer screening much less often, efforts should be made not only to decrease sociodemographic disparities, but also to better identify the high-risk population.

Prevalence of and risk factors for gastrointestinal diseases in korean americans and native koreans undergoing screening endoscopy

BACKGROUND/AIMS

In South Korea, health check-ups are readily accessible to the public. We aimed to compare the prevalence of upper gastrointestinal (GI) and lower GI diseases in Korean Americans and native Koreans to determine differences and risk factors.

METHODS

In total, 1,942 subjects who visited Gangnam Severance Hospital from July 2008 to November 2010 for a health check-up were enrolled. Basic characteristics and laboratory data for the subjects were collected. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy and colonoscopy were performed. In total, 940 Korean Americans (group 1) and 1,002 native Koreans (group 2) were enrolled.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence of GI diseases for each group (group 1 vs group 2) were as follows: reflux esophagitis (RE) (9.65% vs 7.9%), gastric ulcer (2.8% vs 3.4%), duodenal ulcer (2.3% vs 3.6%), gastric cancer (0.4% vs 0.3%), colorectal polyp (35.9% vs 35.6%), colorectal cancer (0.5% vs 0.5%), and hemorrhoids (29.4% vs 21.3%). The prevalence of hemorrhoids was significantly higher in group 1 than in group 2 (p=0.001). In the multivariable analysis of group 1, male sex, age over 50 years, hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia predicted colorectal polyps. Male sex and high fasting glucose levels were associated with RE.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study showed that the prevalence of GI diseases (except hemorrhoids) in Korean Americans was similar to that observed in native Koreans. Therefore, the Korean guidelines for upper and lower screening endoscopy may be applicable to Korean Americans.

Effectiveness of gastric cancer screening programs in South Korea: Organized vs opportunistic models

AIM: To investigate the outcome and effectiveness of two screening programs, National Cancer Screening Program (NCSP) and opportunistic screening (OS), for the detection of gastric cancer.

METHODS: A total of 45  654 subjects underwent upper endoscopy as part of the NCSP or OS at the Chung-Ang University Healthcare System in Korea between January 2007 and December 2010. The study population was comprised of subjects over the age of 40 years. More specifically, subjects who took part in the NCSP were Medicaid recipients and beneficiaries of the National Health Insurance Corporation. Still photographs from the endoscopies diagnosed as gastric cancer were reviewed by two experienced endoscopists.

RESULTS: The mean age of the screened subjects was 55 years for men and 54 years for women. A total of 126 cases (0.28%) of gastric cancer were detected from both screening programs; 100 cases (0.3%) from NCSP and in 26 cases (0.2%) from OS. The proportion of early gastric cancer (EGC) detected in NCSP was higher than that in OS (74.0% vs 53.8%, P = 0.046). Among the 34  416 screenees in NCSP, 6585 (19.1%) underwent upper endoscopy every other year as scheduled. Among the 11  238 screenees in OS, 3050 (27.1%) underwent upper endoscopy at least once every two years during the study period. The detection rate of gastric cancer was found to be significantly higher during irregular follow-up than during regular follow-up in both screening programs (0.3% vs 0.2%, P = 0.036). A higher incidence of EGC than advanced gastric cancer was observed during regular follow-up compared with irregular follow-up.

CONCLUSION: Compliance to the screening program is more important than the type of screening system used.