Multicenter Quantification of Radiation Exposure and Associated Risks for Prostatic Artery Embolization in 1476 Patients.

Background Prostatic artery embolization (PAE) is a safe, minimally invasive angiographic procedure that effectively treats benign prostatic hyperplasia; however, PAE-related patient radiation exposure and associated risks are not completely understood. Purpose To quantify radiation dose and assess radiation-related adverse events in patients who underwent PAE at multiple centers. Materials and Methods This retrospective study included patients undergoing PAE for any indication performed by experienced operators at 10 high-volume international centers from January 2014 to May 2021. Patient characteristics, procedural and radiation dose data, and radiation-related adverse events were collected. Procedural radiation effective doses were calculated by multiplying kerma-area product values by an established conversion factor for abdominopelvic fluoroscopy-guided procedures. Relationships between cumulative air kerma (CAK) or effective dose and patient body mass index (BMI), fluoroscopy time, or radiation field area were assessed with linear regression. Differences in radiation dose stemming from radiopaque prostheses or fluoroscopy unit type were assessed using two-sample t tests and Wilcoxon rank sum tests. Results A total of 1476 patients (mean age, 69.9 years ± 9.0 [SD]) were included, of whom 1345 (91.1%) and 131 (8.9%) underwent the procedure with fixed interventional or mobile fluoroscopy units, respectively. Median procedure effective dose was 17.8 mSv for fixed interventional units and 12.3 mSv for mobile units. CAK and effective dose both correlated positively with BMI (R2 = 0.15 and 0.17; P < .001) and fluoroscopy time (R2 = 0.16 and 0.08; P < .001). No radiation-related 90-day adverse events were reported. Patients with radiopaque implants versus those without implants had higher median CAK (1452 mGy [range, 900-2685 mGy] vs 1177 mGy [range, 700-1959 mGy], respectively; P = .01). Median effective dose was lower for mobile than for fixed interventional systems (12.3 mSv [range, 8.5-22.0 mSv] vs 20.4 mSv [range, 13.8-30.6 mSv], respectively; P < .001). Conclusion Patients who underwent PAE performed with fixed interventional or mobile fluoroscopy units were exposed to a median effective radiation dose of 17.8 mSv or 12.3 mSv, respectively. No radiation-related adverse events at 90 days were reported. © RSNA, 2024 See also the editorial by Mahesh in this issue.

Hepatobiliary infection after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt creation in patients with prior biliary intervention: A multi-institution retrospective study.

PURPOSE: To estimate the risk of hepatobiliary infection, including endoTIPSitis, liver abscesses, and cholangitis, after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) creation in patients with prior biliary intervention. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This multi-institution, retrospective study identified 76 patients (n=48 males; mean age 54.9; mean model for end stage liver disease score=13.2; n=45 for ascites and n=23 for varices; n=31 with prior liver transplantation) among 2,130 undergoing TIPS (3.6%) who had prior biliary intervention (n=19 bilioenteric anastomoses, n=35 sphincterotomies, n=28 internal plastic stents, n=4 internal metal stents, and n=6 percutaneous biliary drains). The baseline risk of post-TIPS hepatobiliary infection was estimated from a control group of 1,202 TIPS procedures in patients without prior biliary intervention. RESULTS: Eleven of 76 patients (14.5%) developed hepatobiliary infection after TIPS, including 7 with endoTIPSitis, 4 with hepatic abscesses, and 2 with cholangitis. The 30-day risk of infection was 10.9% (95% CI=3.5-17.8%), significantly higher than the 0.4% risk (95% CI=0.1-0.8%) observed in patients without prior biliary intervention (hazard ratio (HR)=25.56, 95% CI=8.36-78.13, p<0.001). All types of biliary intervention were associated with increased risk of infection, with bilioenteric anastomoses conferring the highest risk. Paradoxically, among patients with prior biliary intervention, use of post-procedural antibiotic prophylaxis was associated with an increased infection risk (HR=19.85; 95% CI=2.44-161.50; p=0.005). Microbial culture data showed high rates of Enterococcus, Klebsiella, and Candida species. CONCLUSIONS: Prior biliary intervention was associated with a 10.9% risk of hepatobiliary infection, including endoTIPSitis, liver abscess, and cholangitis, within 30 days after TIPS creation.

Machine learning-derived model for predicting poor post-treatment quality of life in Korean cancer survivors.

PURPOSE: A substantial number of cancer survivors have poor quality of life (QOL) even after completing cancer treatment. Thus, in this study, we used machine learning (ML) to develop predictive models for poor QOL in post-treatment cancer survivors in South Korea. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used online survey data from 1,005 post-treatment cancer survivors in South Korea. The outcome variable was QOL, which was measured using the global QOL subscale of the European Organization of Cancer and Treatment for Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire, where a global QOL score < 60.4 was defined as poor QOL. Three ML models (random forest (RF), support vector machine, and extreme gradient boosting) and three deep learning models were used to develop predictive models for poor QOL. Model performance regarding accuracy, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, F1 score, precision, and recall was evaluated. The SHapely Additive exPlanation (SHAP) method was used to identify important features. RESULTS: Of the 1,005 participants, 65.1% had poor QOL. Among the six models, the RF model had the best performance (accuracy = 0.85, F1 = 0.90). The SHAP method revealed that survivorship concerns (e.g., distress, pain, and fatigue) were the most important factors that affected poor QOL. CONCLUSIONS: The ML-based prediction model developed to predict poor QOL in Korean post-treatment cancer survivors showed good accuracy. The ML model proposed in this study can be used to support clinical decision-making in identifying survivors at risk of poor QOL.

Pediatric Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in Korea: A Multicenter Retrospective Study on Utilization and Outcomes Spanning Over a Decade.

BACKGROUND: Over the last decade, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) use in critically ill children has increased and is associated with favorable outcomes. Our study aims to evaluate the current status of pediatric ECMO in Korea, with a specific focus on its volume and changes in survival rates based on diagnostic indications. METHODS: This multicenter study retrospectively analyzed the indications and outcomes of pediatric ECMO over 10 years in patients at 14 hospitals in Korea from January 2012 to December 2021. Four diagnostic categories (neonatal respiratory, pediatric respiratory, post-cardiotomy, and cardiac-medical) and trends were compared between periods 1 (2012-2016) and 2 (2017-2021). RESULTS: Overall, 1065 ECMO runs were performed on 1032 patients, with the annual number of cases remaining unchanged over the 10 years. ECMO was most frequently used for post-cardiotomy (42.4%), cardiac-medical (31.8%), pediatric respiratory (17.5%), and neonatal respiratory (8.2%) cases. A 3.7% increase and 6.1% decrease in pediatric respiratory and post-cardiotomy cases, respectively, were noted between periods 1 and 2. Among the four groups, the cardiac-medical group had the highest survival rate (51.2%), followed by the pediatric respiratory (46.4%), post-cardiotomy (36.5%), and neonatal respiratory (29.4%) groups. A consistent improvement was noted in patient survival over the 10 years, with a significant increase between the two periods from 38.2% to 47.1% (P = 0.004). Improvement in survival was evident in post-cardiotomy cases (30-45%, P = 0.002). Significant associations with mortality were observed in neonates, patients requiring dialysis, and those treated with extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (P < 0.001). In pediatric respiratory ECMO, immunocompromised patients also showed a significant correlation with mortality (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Pediatric ECMO demonstrated a steady increase in overall survival in Korea; however, further efforts are needed since the outcomes remain suboptimal compared with global outcomes.

Maximization of a frequency splitting on continuous exceptional points in asymmetric optical microdisks.

We study a systematic formation of continuous exceptional points (EPs) in a fully-asymmetric optical microdisk. A parametric generation of chiral EP modes is investigated by analyzing asymmetricity-dependent coupling elements in an effective Hamiltonian. It is shown that given the external perturbation, the frequency splitting around EPs is scaled by the fundamental "strength" of EPs [J. Wiersig, Phys. Rev. Res.4, 023121 (2022)10.1103/PhysRevResearch.4.023121] multiplied by the extra responding strength of the newly added perturbation. Our finding demonstrates that the sensitivity of EP-based sensors can be maximized by carefully examining the continuous formation of EPs.

Subcellular progression of mesenchymal transition identified by two discrete synchronous cell lines derived from the same glioblastoma.

Glioblastomas (GBM) exhibit intratumoral heterogeneity of various oncogenic evolutional processes. We have successfully isolated and established two distinct cancer cell lines with different morphological and biological characteristics that were derived from the same tissue sample of a GBM. When we compared their genomic and transcriptomic characteristics, each cell line harbored distinct mutation clusters while sharing core driver mutations. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that one cell line was undergoing a mesenchymal transition process, unlike the other cell line. Furthermore, we could identify four tumor samples containing our cell line-like clusters from the publicly available single-cell RNA-seq data, and in a set of paired longitudinal GBM samples, we could confirm three pairs where the recurrent sample was enriched in the genes specific to our cell line undergoing mesenchymal transition. The present study provides direct evidence and a valuable source for investigating the ongoing process of subcellular mesenchymal transition in GBM, which has prognostic and therapeutic implications.

Evaluation of off-label medication use and drug safety in a pediatric intensive care unit.

Safety and efficacy are essential in the process of disease treatment. However, off-label medication use is inevitable because various medications do not contain regulatory labels for pediatric use. We aimed to examine off-label medication use and analyze the risk factors correlated with adverse drug reactions (ADRs). This study was performed retrospectively using electronic medical data from a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) of a tertiary hospital in Korea from July 2019 to June 2020. A total 6,183 prescribed medications from 502 PICU patients were examined in the present study. A total of 80% were infants or children, and 96.0% of them were treated with off-label medications. It was discovered that 4,778 off-label cases (77.2%) of the top 100 drugs had prescriptions with dosage (67.8%). Drugs prescribed to patients admitted to the cardiothoracic department (odds ratio [OR], 3.248; p = 0.019), total number of medications (OR, 1.116; p = 0.001), and length of PICU stay of ≥ 7 days (OR, 4.981; p = 0.008) were significantly associated with ADRs. ADRs were noted to be more severe in off-label use (p = 0.0426). For appropriate medication use, evidence regarding the safety of off-label medications is required and ultimately reflected in the official regulation.

Far-Field Correlations Verifying Non-Hermitian Degeneracy of Optical Modes.

An experimental verification of an exceptional point (EP) in a stand-alone chaotic microcavity is a tough issue because as deformation parameters are fixed the traditional frequency analysis methods cannot be applied any more. Through numerical investigations with an asymmetric Reuleaux triangle microcavity (ARTM), we find that the eigenvalue difference of paired modes can approach near-zero regardless of nonorthogonality of the modes. In this case, for a definite verification of EPs in experiments, wave function coalescence should be confirmed. For this, we suggest the method of exploiting correlation of far-field patterns (FFPs), which is directly related to spatial mode patterns. In an ARTM, we demonstrate that the FFP correlation of paired modes can be used to confirm wave function coalescence when an eigenvalue difference approaches near zero.

Effects of a partnership-based, needs-tailored self-management support intervention for post-treatment breast cancer survivors: A randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effectiveness of partnErship-based, needs-tailored self-Management support Program fOr Women with breast cancER (EMPOWER), a partnership-based, needs-tailored, self-management (SM) support intervention designed to empower post-treatment breast cancer survivors (BCSs) and ultimately improve their health outcomes. METHODS: This multi-center, two-armed, randomized controlled trial comprised 94 female BCSs who had completed primary cancer treatment in South Korea. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to the intervention group or the wait-list control group. The intervention group received a 7-week EMPOWER intervention via telephone counseling. The primary outcome was empowerment. Secondary outcomes included self-efficacy for post-treatment SM behaviors, mental adjustment, anxiety, depression, and health-related quality of life. Data were collected via a self-reported questionnaire at baseline (T0) and at 8 (T1) and 20 weeks (T2) of follow-up. Linear mixed models were used to assess group differences over time. Effective sizes were calculated using Cohen's d. RESULTS: Retention rates were excellent (95.7% at T1; 94.7% at T2). Linear mixed model analyses revealed that the EMPOWER group showed significantly improved empowerment (mean difference 2.24, 95% CI = 0.18 to 4.29; p = 0.016) and general health perception (mean difference 3.68, 95% CI = 0.67 to 6.72; p = 0.037) compared with the control group. Time point analysis showed that several secondary outcomes significantly improved at T1, but the effects were not sustained. CONCLUSION: EMPOWER was effective in improving empowerment and general health perception among post-treatment BCS. Further studies are needed to determine the effectiveness of the EMPOWER intervention in other cancer populations.

Nontarget Radiopaque Embolic Deposition during Prostatic Artery Embolization.

This study evaluated detectable nontarget embolization (NTE) during prostatic artery embolization (PAE) and the safety and efficacy of using radiopaque particles in PAE. Ten patients aged >40 years with prostate glands of >50 mL and refractory lower urinary tract symptoms were analyzed. Unenhanced computed tomography scans at baseline and at 3 months after PAE, using 40-90-µm radiopaque spherical embolic beads, were compared to assess the NTE. Growth models evaluated changes from baseline to 3, 6, and 12 months in International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), peak urine flow rate (Qmax), quality of life (QoL), International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF), and postvoid residual (PVR). The IPSS, QoL, and Qmax improved at all time points (P < .05), with no trend in PVR or IIEF. Adverse events that occurred were minor. Radiographic NTE was seen in all patients, correlating at times with postprocedural symptoms (eg, rectal pain). Symptoms were not correlated with the NTE in some patients, whereas other patients remained asymptomatic despite NTE.

Absolute quantification of tumor-infiltrating immune cells in high-grade glioma identifies prognostic and radiomics values.

PURPOSE: To understand the tumor immune microenvironment precisely, it is important to secure the quantified data of tumor-infiltrating immune cells, since the immune cells are true working unit. We analyzed unit immune cell number per unit volume of core tumor tissue of high-grade gliomas (HGG) to correlate their immune microenvironment characteristics with clinical prognosis and radiomic signatures. METHODS: The number of tumor-infiltrating immune cells from 64 HGG core tissue were analyzed using flow cytometry and standardized. After sorting out patient groups according to diverse immune characteristics, the groups were tested if they have any clinical prognostic relevance and specific radiomic signature relationships. Sparse partial least square with discriminant analysis using multimodal magnetic resonance images was employed for all radiomic classifications. RESULTS: The median number of CD45 + cells per one gram of HGG core tissue counted 865,770 cells which was equivalent to 8.0% of total cells including tumor cells. There was heterogeneity in the distribution of immune cell subpopulations among patients. Overall survival was significantly better in T cell-deficient group than T cell-enriched group (p = 0.019), and T8 dominant group than T4 dominant group (p = 0.023). The number of tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) and M2-TAM was significantly decreased in isocitrate dehydrogenase mutated HGG. Radiomic signature classification showed good performance in predicting immune phenotypes especially with features extracted from apparent diffusion coefficient maps. CONCLUSIONS: Absolute quantification of tumor-infiltrating immune cells confirmed the heterogeneity of immune microenvironment in HGG which harbors prognostic impact. This immune microenvironment could be predicted by radiomic signatures non-invasively.

Salient role of the non-Hermitian coupling for optimizing conditions in multiple maximizations of inter-cavity light transfer.

We reveal that non-Hermitian lossy couplings in an inter-cavity light transfer process are crucial for an optimum light transfer, unlike the prevailed belief. Our results turn out the fact that the light transfer can have multiple maxima following the increased inter-cavity distance. To validate this finding both in the weak and strong coupling regimes, we demonstrate our claim in the vicinity of the so-called exceptional point. We believe our results can contribute to realizing coupled-optical-cavity-based devices which is functional with an ultra-efficient light transfer, especially when the device scale is as small as the operation wavelength.

Rayleigh scatterer-induced steady exceptional points of stable-island modes in a deformed optical microdisk.

A formation of second-order non-Hermitian degeneracies, called exceptional points (EPs), in a chaotic oval-shaped dielectric microdisk is studied. Different symmetric optical modes localized on a stable period-3 orbit coalesce to form chiral EPs. Unlike a circular microdisk perturbed by two scatterers (CTS), our proposed system requires only one scatterer to build chiral EPs. The scatterer positions for counterpropagating EP modes are far distant from one another and almost steady against varying scatterer sizes in contrast to the CTS case. Our results can contribute to establishing a more solid platform for EP-based-device applications with flexibility and easy feasibility in obtaining EPs.

Combined lung and liver transplantation for noncirrhotic portal hypertension with severe hepatopulmonary syndrome in a patient with dyskeratosis congenita.

DC is caused by defects at the level of telomere maintenance, and cells from patients with this disease have abnormally short telomeres and show premature senescence. One consequence of DC is bone marrow failure. Thus, patients with DC often require HSCT. However, HSCT does not ameliorate other DC-related manifestations. In fact, HSCT can accelerate organ dysfunction due to treatment-related complications, and solid organ transplantation is required in some patients with DC. In this report, we describe the clinical course of a 5-year-old boy who was transferred to our hospital because of progressive dyspnea, 2 years after HSCT. At admission, he had tachypnea and hypoxemia. A liver biopsy was performed for suspected HPS caused by PH, and LT was considered. Eventually, his hypoxemia worsened, and he was transferred to a PICU and started on VA ECMO. He subsequently underwent a CLLT. ECMO was stopped on post-operative day 12, extubation was achieved on post-operative day 29, and the patient recovered well from the surgery. Our results show that CLLT could be a life-saving treatment option for DC patients with very severe HPS in whom a poor outcome is expected after LT.

Outcomes of infants with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia in the pediatric intensive care unit.

BACKGROUND: Some infants with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (sBPD) are referred to higher-level centers for multidisciplinary care, including the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). However, information regarding these infants is limited in PICUs. METHODS: We investigated the characteristics and outcomes of preterm infants with sBPD referred to the PICU of a tertiary hospital. This retrospective cohort study included 14 preterm infants with sBPD who were transferred to the PICU beyond 40 weeks' postmenstrual age (PMA) because of weaning failure, from January 1, 2014, to September 30, 2018. RESULTS: The median age at referral was 47.1 weeks (range, 43.6-55.9 weeks), and the median length of stay in the previous neonatal intensive care unit was 154 days (range, 105.8-202.3 days) after birth. After referral the following major comorbidities were found in the patients: large airway malacia, n = 7 (50.0%); significant upper airway obstruction, n = 3 (21.4%); and pulmonary arterial hypertension, n = 8 patients (57.1%). Finally, eight patients (57.1%) were successfully extubated without tracheostomy. Final respiratory support of the patients was determined at a median PMA of 56 weeks (range, 48-63 weeks). Age at referral (P = 0.023) and large airway obstruction (P = 0.028) were significantly related to a decrease in successful extubation. CONCLUSION: Based on a timely and individualized multidisciplinary approach, some of the prolonged ventilator-dependent infants, even those beyond term age, could be successfully extubated.

Association between Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Risk of Osteoporosis in Korean Premenopausal Women.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to evaluate irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) as a risk factor for osteoporosis and osteoporotic fracture in Korean women after controlling for basic confounding factors and considering detailed demographic and clinical information. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We performed a nationwide population-based retrospective cohort analysis and matched every IBS case with a non-IBS case at a 1:4 frequency ratio based on age. The population consisted of female patients with data in the Health Insurance Review and Assessment (HIRA) database from 2002 to 2010. To determine the risk of osteoporosis and osteoporotic fracture in IBS and non-IBS patients, hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression models, adjusting for confounding variables, such as the area of residence, health insurance type, and economic status. RESULTS: We identified 1,017,468 patients in the HIRA database with data from 2002 to 2010 who could potentially be included in the cohort. Among these, we identified 1,545 (11.4%) women (age >19 years) with newly diagnosed IBS (IBS group). Additionally, 6,180 patients without IBS and age-matched to the IBS group were selected. Cox modeling revealed that the crude HRs for osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures in patients with IBS were 1.476 (95% CI, 1.241-1.754) and 1.427 (95% CI, 1.086-1.876), respectively. CONCLUSION: Our data showed an increased incidence of osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures in women with IBS compared with age-matched controls.

Development and Validation of the Mood Instability Questionnaire-Trait (MIQ-T).

Background and objectives: Mood instability (MI) is a stable trait associated with psychiatric disorders, yet there is a lack of tools to measure MI. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate the Mood Instability Questionnaire-Trait (MIQ-T) to evaluate MI in mood disorder patients. Material and methods: Items were taken from various established questionnaires to create an initial list of MIQ-T questions. Data from 309 psychiatric patients (n = 309; 62 major depressive disorder, 58 bipolar I disorder, and 189 bipolar II disorder) were gathered from their medical records and were utilized in an exploratory factor analysis to clarify the underlying components of MI. Then, anonymous survey data from 288 individuals from the general population were included in the analysis as a comparison group. Associations between MIQ-T and other previously validated clinical instruments for mood disorders were examined to test external validity. Results: The exploratory factor analysis demonstrated that the five-factor structure (Lability, Upward Tendency, Downward Tendency, Childhood Instability, and Seasonality) of 59 items was the most appropriate with clear, cohesive features. MIQ-T exhibited high internal consistency (α = 0.96) and moderate to strong correlations with other previously validated clinical instruments, which were consistent with theoretical predictions, providing evidence of criterion validity. Short forms were also created to address the high internal consistency value, which can indicate redundancy, and to increase the approachability of the measure. We found that the patients with bipolar II disorder had higher MIQ-T scores than the patients with bipolar I disorder or major depressive disorder and the comparison group. Conclusion: Together, these findings validate the newly developed MIQ-T as an instrument of mood instability. MIQ-T can be a potential research tool for mood disorder.

Lowest threshold lasing modes localized on marginally unstable periodic orbits in a semiconductor microcavity laser.

The lowest threshold lasing mode in a rounded D-shape microcavity is theoretically analyzed and experimentally demonstrated. To identify the lowest threshold lasing mode, we investigate threshold conditions of different periodic orbits by considering the linear gain condition due to the effective pumping region and total loss consisting of internal and scattering losses in ray dynamics. We compare the ray dynamical result with resonance mode analysis, including gain and loss. We find that the resonance modes localized on the pentagonal marginally unstable periodic orbit have the lowest threshold in our fabrication configuration. Our findings are verified by obtaining the path lengths and far-field patterns of lasing modes.

Augmentation of absorption channels induced by wave-chaos effects in free-standing nanowire arrays.

Plenty of issues on quantal features in chaotic systems have been raised since chaos was accepted as one of the intrinsic properties of nature. Through intensive studies, it was revealed that resonance spectra in chaotic systems exhibit complicated structures, which is deeply concerned with sophisticated resonance dynamics. Motivated by these phenomena, we investigate light absorption characteristics of chaotic nanowires in an array. According to our results, a chaotic cross-section of a nanowire induces a remarkable augmentation of absorption channels, that is, an increasing number of absorption modes leads to substantial light absorption enhancement, as the deformation of cross-section increases. We experimentally demonstrate the light absorption enhancement with free-standing Si-nanowire polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composites. Our results are applicable not only to transparent solar cells but also to complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors to maximize absorption efficiency.

Design of a randomized controlled trial of a partnership-based, needs-tailored self-management support intervention for post-treatment breast cancer survivors.

BACKGROUND: Self-management is becoming essential for breast cancer survivors, but evidence about the effectiveness of self-management support (SMS) intervention is lacking. To address this issue, we developed a theory-based SMS intervention, the 'EMPOWER', aimed at empowering breast cancer survivors. Here we describe the rationale of the intervention and its development. METHODS: The conceptual framework of this study is the Chronic Care Model, which posits that SMS can influence patient-provider relationships and ultimately improve health outcomes. We will conduct a multi-center, 2-armed randomized controlled trial to assess the effectiveness of EMPOWER among post-treatment breast cancer survivors in South Korea. The trial will include 94 women who completed primary breast cancer treatment within the last 6 months. Participants will be randomly assigned to the intervention group or the wait-list control group (1:1). The intervention group will receive a 7-week partnership-based and needs-tailored SMS intervention via telephone counseling. The primary outcome is empowerment. The secondary outcomes include self-efficacy for post-treatment self-management behaviors, mental adjustment, psychological distress, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Data will be collected by self-reported questionnaire at baseline, post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up. DISCUSSION: We believe that the EMPOWER intervention could improve HRQOL of post-treatment breast cancer survivors by enhancing their empowerment. If found successful, it could aid clinicians engaged in the long-term care of breast cancer survivors. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Research Information Service, KCT0004794. Registered 5 March 2020.