Effect of obesity-related plasma hemodilution on serum tumor marker concentration in women.

AIM: We determined to investigate the effect of plasma hemodilution on tumor marker concentration in obese women. METHODS: We collected the data for tumor markers (cancer-associated antigen 125 [CA125], carbohydrate antigen 19-9 [CA19-9], carcinoembryonic antigen [CEA] and α-fetoprotein) from 6917 healthy women who visited the health promotion center at the Chung-Ang University Hospital from 2003 to 2011. We used multivariate linear regression analysis and χ(2) -test for linear-by-linear association adjusting for age, alanine aminotransferase and creatinine to determine the association between the serum tumor marker concentrations, plasma volume, tumor marker mass, and body mass index (BMI). RESULTS: Higher BMI was significantly associated with higher plasma volume (P < 0.001 for trend). The lower concentrations of CA125 and CA19-9 were significantly associated with increasing BMI (P < 0.001). Serum concentration and mass of CEA and α-fetoprotein were increased with higher BMI in obese women (P < 0.001). CEA in women had the opposite result to that in men due to visceral fat in women. CONCLUSION: This study shows that we should consider the hemodilution effect in Asian obese women when interpreting serum tumor marker concentration in cancer screening.

Primary cervical choriocarcinoma during viable intrauterine pregnancy.

A 31-year-old multigravida woman at 27 weeks' gestation was admitted with vaginal bleeding and a hypervascular mass near the cervix on ultrasonography. After discharge with improvement, she was readmitted the next day for uncontrolled, heavy vaginal bleeding and underwent emergency cesarean section at 29 weeks' gestation. A 3-cm friable mass found near the cervix was removed surgically; this lesion was shown to be primary cervical choriocarcinoma. On the 17th postoperative day the patient underwent total abdominal hysterectomy with preservation of both ovaries and biopsy was performed on the right ovary. The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage was I and her World Health Organization prognostic score was 9, representing high risk. The patient received three rounds of chemotherapy until achieving three consecutive normal human chorionic gonadotropin levels with two additional courses to address risk of relapse. DNA genotyping on short tandem repeat polymorphism confirmed the gestational choriocarcinoma.

A Complex of Cirsium japonicum var. maackii (Maxim.) Matisum. and Thymus vulgaris L. Improves Menopausal Symptoms and Supports Healthy Aging in Women.

We evaluated the efficacy and safety of MS-10® for the treatment of menopausal symptoms. A double-blind randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial was performed in 71 premenopausal women for 4 and 12 weeks. A total of 12 individual menopausal symptom scores were assessed using the Kupperman index. MS-10 treatment effectively improved the symptoms by ∼48%. In addition, the quality of life of the women improved by 36% from four perspectives: vasomotor, psychosocial, physical, and sexual symptoms as evaluated using the menopause-specific quality of life (MenQoL) questionnaire. Our results show that MS-10 improves insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and estrogen utilization through receptor activation, which are thought to have causative therapeutic effects on menopause and aging inhibition in women. Improvement of Enthotheline-1 (ET-1) in the blood after MS-10 intake led to an improvement in menopausal vascular symptoms. Improvements in bone formation and absorption markers such as osteocalcin, bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BSALP), C-telopeptides of type I collagen (CTx), deoxypyridinoline (deoxyPYD), and N-telopeptides of type I collagen (NTx) in blood or urine indicate that MS-10 fundamentally improves bone health in women. By confirming the improvement of the psychological well-being index based on the improvement of stress hormone cortisol, MS-10 can solve causative psychological and physical stress-related symptoms. Moreover, various safety tests, such as those for female hormones, were confirmed. Therefore, it can be confirmed that MS-10 is a natural pharmaconutraceutical that causatively and safely improves health of women and aids in antiaging processes.

Underuse of ovarian transposition in reproductive-aged cancer patients treated by primary or adjuvant pelvic irradiation.

AIM: To investigate the application status of ovarian transposition (OT) in reproductive-aged cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy. MATERIAL & METHODS: Between November 1999 and December 2008, 2524 patients had received pelvic irradiation at Seoul National University Hospital. We filtered the patients with the indications of (i) within 12 to 40 years of age, and (ii) receiving primary or adjuvant pelvic irradiation. There were 241 patients within 12 to 40 years of age. After excluding 133 patients with metastatic disease or under palliative radiation treatment, 108 patients were discovered appropriate for OT. We analyzed the application status of OT, surgical types of OT, cancer types and radiation types in those 108 patients. RESULTS: Cervical cancer was the major indication (n = 68, 62.9%). Another 37.1% of indicated disease were composed of rectal cancer (n = 19), vulvo-vaginal cancer (n = 4), non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (n = 3), and other pelvic tumors (n = 14). Among the 108 patients, only 31 (28.7%) patients had received OT before pelvic irradiation. Most of the operations were applied on cervical cancer patients (n = 29) and only two procedures on rectal and endometrial cancer, respectively. OT had been mostly performed during laparotomy. Laparoscopic procedure was applied in only one case with advanced cervical cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Although OT could be a preventive measure of premature ovarian failure from radiation therapy, this procedure has been considerably underused at our institution. This procedure should be applied more widely to preserve the fertility and improve the quality of life in reproductive-aged cancer patients.

Evaluation of preoperative criteria used to predict lymph node metastasis in endometrial cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether we could accurately predict lymph node (LN) metastasis with preoperative tests in endometrial cancer. Design. Retrospective study. SETTING: Seoul National University Hospital, South Korea. Population. Three hundred patients with endometrial cancer who underwent surgical staging including lymphadenectomy between January 1999 and July 2007. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 300 patients with endometrial cancer. The preoperative factors used to predict LN metastasis were as follows: old age (> or = 55 years), serum CA-125 level [level > or = 20 U/mL (if age < 50 years), level > or = 28 U/mL (if age > or = 50 years)], non-endometrioid histologic type and Grade 3, metastatic LN assessed by pelvic MRI or CT, and deep myometrial invasion assessed by pelvic MRI only. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the significant predictive factors. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Sensitivity/specificity and false positive/negative rates. RESULTS: Thirty patients had LN metastasis. Although LN evaluation by pelvic MRI or CT and high CA-125 level were the significant independent predictors for LN metastasis, the sensitivity/specificity and false positive/negative rates for LN metastasis by these two combined preoperative tests were 86.7%/71.4% and 68.7%/2.7%, respectively. However, the sensitivity/specificity and false positive/negative rates for LN metastasis by six combined preoperative tests were 100%/28.9% and 84.6%/0%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The six combined preoperative tests are useful in selecting patients without LN metastasis in endometrial cancer. Lymphadenectomy could be avoided in about 29% of patients with endometrial cancer who have no LN metastasis by using six combined preoperative tests.

Real world effectiveness and safety of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin in platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian, fallopian, or primary peritoneal cancer: a Korean multicenter retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the combination of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin with carboplatin (CD) compared with those of carboplatin and paclitaxel (CP) for platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian, fallopian, or primary peritoneal cancer in a real-world setting in Korea. METHODS: We enrolled relevant patients from 9 institutions. All patients received CD or CP as the second- or third-line chemotherapy in routine clinical practice during 2013-2018. The primary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS) and toxicity. The secondary endpoint included the objective response rate (ORR). RESULTS: Overall, 432 patients (224 and 208 in the CD and CP groups, respectively) were included. With a median follow-up of 18.9 months, the median PFS was not different between the groups (12.7 vs. 13.6 months; hazard ratio, 1.161; 95% confidence interval, 0.923-1.460; p=0.202). The ORR was 74.6% and 80.1% in the CD and CP group, respectively (p=0.556). Age and surgery at relapse were independent prognostic factors. More patients in the CD group significantly experienced a grade 3 to 4 hematologic toxicity and hand-foot syndrome (13.8% vs. 6.3%), whereas grade 2 or more alopecia (6.2% vs. 36.1%), peripheral neuropathy (4.4% vs. 11.4%), and allergic/hypersensitivity reaction (0.4% vs. 8.5%) developed more often in the CP group. CONCLUSIONS: The safety and effectiveness of chemotherapy with CD in a real-world setting were consistent with the results from a randomized controlled study. The different toxicity profiles between the 2 chemotherapy (CD and CP) regimens should be considered in the clinical practice. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03562533.

The effect of visceral fat on the hemodilution effect of serum carcinoembryonic antigen in Korean population.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between visceral fat and the hemodilution effect of carcinoembryonic antigen in both sexes. METHODS: A total of 15,340 females and 20,024 males who visited the health promotion center at Chung-Ang University Hospital from 2011 to 2014 were retrospectively collected. Correlation analysis and chi-square test for linear by linear association were used to determine the correlation between carcinoembryonic antigen concentration, carcinoembryonic antigen mass and visceral fat. Multivariable linear regression analysis was used to calculate the mean of carcinoembryonic antigen concentration and the mean of carcinoembryonic antigen mass, reflecting age, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, creatinine, body fat percentage, body mass index, lean body mass and waist circumference as confounding variables. RESULTS: Higher body mass index was related with lower carcinoembryonic antigen concentration in men (r = -0.019, P = 0.019), but higher carcinoembryonic antigen concentration in women (r = 0.084, P<0.001). Average of waist circumference for male is greater than that of female (P<0.01). Average of body fat percentage for male is lesser than that of female (P<0.01). Male lean body mass mean is larger than that of women (P<0.01). Increased waist circumference was significantly associated with higher carcinoembryonic antigen mass in both female and male (P<0.001 for trend). Postmenopausal women might be more likely to have increased carcinoembryonic antigen mass and carcinoembryonic antigen concentration (P<0.001 for trend). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that visceral fat may increase total amount of CEA in the body. Visceral fat should be taken into account when evaluating serum CEA levels in both sexes.

Predictive value of individualized tumor response testing by ATP-based chemotherapy response assay in ovarian cancer.

The aim of this study is to investigate the correlation between ATP-based chemotherapy response assay (ATP-CRA) results and clinical outcomes in ovarian cancer. Twenty-nine fresh tumor specimens were collected. Tumor cells were isolated and cultured for 48 hrs in medium containing anticancer drugs. The median age of patients was 56 years. The sensitivity, positive predictive value, and accuracy of ATP-CRA were respectively 94.1%, 94.1%, and 90.0%. There was a significant relationship between ATP-CRA results and clinical responses (p = 0.046). This study suggests that ATP-CRA has high sensitivity, positive predictive value, and accuracy for predicting response to chemotherapy in ovarian cancer.

Interleukin-12 p40 gene (IL12B) polymorphisms and the risk of cervical cancer in Korean women.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate whether IL12B polymorphisms might be associated with increased risk and invasiveness of cervical cancer in Korean women. STUDY DESIGN: Peripheral blood samples from patients with invasive cervical cancer (n=154) and non-cancer controls (n=191) were used to detect three biallelic IL12B polymorphisms at IVS2 -912, IVS4 +314, 3'UTR +1188 sites by performing SNaPshot assay. Allelic frequencies, genotype distributions, and haplotype patterns in the case group were compared with those in the control group. The relationships between these polymorphisms and cancer invasiveness were also evaluated by collating the clinicopathologic parameters including FIGO stage, lymph node status, histologic type, and parametrial invasion. The used analytic methods are chi-square test and logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Allelic frequencies of cases (G, 0.853; A, 0.147) were not significantly different from controls (G, 0.796; A, 0.204) in IVS2 -912G/A SNP (P=0.054). GG genotype of IVS2 -912G/A SNP showed increased risk for cervical cancer compared with AA genotype (P=0.040). The IVS2 -912G:IVS4+314A haplotype, IVS2 -912G:IVS4 +314A:3'UTR +1188A haplotype, and IVS2 -912G:IVS4 +314A:3'UTR +1188C haplotype were also significantly associated with increased risk for cervical cancer. A subgroup analysis of the clinicopathologic parameters in cancer group also showed that there is no significant association between IL12B polymorphisms and cervical cancer invasiveness. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that IVS2 -912GG genotype and IVS2 -912G:IVS4 +314A haplotype of IL12B gene are associated with increased risk for cervical cancer in Korean women.

The Effects of Barrier Agents in Postoperative Pelvic Adhesion Formation: A Comparative Study of a Temperature-Sensitive Poloxamer-Based Solution/Gel and a Hyaluronic Acid-Based Solution in a Rat Uterine Horn Model.

OBJECTIVE: The aim is to evaluate the efficacy of poloxamer/alginate/CaCl2 mixture (PACM) solution/gel and hyaluronic acid/carboxymethylcellulose (HA-CMC) solution for reducing pelvic adhesion in a rat uterine horn model. STUDY DESIGN: A total of 48 females, Sprague Dawley rats, were divided into three groups according to the applied materials. A uterine horn adhesion model was created. The control group (group CO; n = 16) received no special materials except saline infusion. The experimental groups were treated with 1.0 mL HA-CMC solution (group HA-CMC; n = 16) or 1.0 mL PACM solution/gel (group PACM; n = 16). Adhesion scores were evaluated with macroscopic, microscopic, and immunohistochemistry grading 14 days postoperatively. RESULTS: Macroscopic adhesion scores, including extent, severity, and total scores in group HA-CMC and group PACM, were significantly lower than those in group CO (P < .001). Among these three categories of scoring, group PACM had a significantly lower score than did group HA-CMC in adhesion severity (P = .025). In the microscopic adhesion score analysis, the fibrosis scores in group HA-CMC and group PACM were also significantly lower than that of group CO. In group PACM, the fibrosis score was significantly lower than that of group HA-CMC. There were no statistical differences across all three groups in the microscopic inflammation and immunohistochemistry staining. CONCLUSION: Both HA-CMC solution and PACM solution/gel effectively reduced adhesion formation. PACM solution/gel was superior to HA-CMC solution in preventing pelvic adhesion, especially in adhesion severity and microscopic fibrosis.

Extra-adrenal paraganglioma masquerading as severe preeclampsia.

Paraganglioma in pregnancy is an extremely rare condition and its diagnosis is often delayed because the clinical symptoms can mimic those of preeclampsia or gestational hypertension. Here, we report the case of a 32-year-old, gravida 2, para 1 woman who presented with severe headache, palpitation, and sweating at 37 weeks' gestation. Although emergent cesarean section was performed on the assumption of severe preeclampsia, blood pressure fluctuated and heart rate remained tachycardiac. We suspected that she might have thromboembolic lesion in the chest or pheochromocytoma. Chest and abdominal computed tomography revealed a 4 cm mass in the left para-aortic space. Serum and urinary catecholamine levels were found to be significantly increased. She underwent laparoscopic mass removal and the pathology confirmed paraganglioma. When typical paroxysmal hypertension is accompanied by headache, palpitation, and sweating during pregnancy, adrenal tumors should be considered.

ERCC1 C19007T polymorphism and the risk and invasiveness of cervical cancer in Korean women.

AIM: Various DNA alterations by environmental or endogenous carcinogens, if not repaired, can cause genetic mutagenesis, resulting in carcinogenesis. A polymorphic variant of excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1) (the DNA repair gene) may be associated with carcinogenesis due to reduced DNA repair capacity. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the ERCC1 C19007T polymorphism might be associated with the increased risk and invasiveness of cervical cancer in Korean women. METHODS: Peripheral blood samples from 229 patients with invasive cervical cancer and 204 non-cancer controls were used to detect the ERCC1 C19007T polymorphism by performing a polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism assay. Allelic frequencies and genotype distributions in the patients' group were compared with those in the control group. The relationship between this polymorphism and cancer invasiveness was also evaluated by analyzing clinicopathological parameters including International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage, lymph node status, histological type and parametrial invasion. The analytic methods used were the χ(2) test and logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The allelic frequencies of patients (A, 0.758; C, 0.242) were not significantly different from that of controls (A, 0.755; C, 0.245) (P = 0.925). The C/C genotype had no increased risk for cervical cancer susceptibility compared with the TT genotype (P = 0.932). A subgroup analysis of the clinicopathological parameters in the cancer group also showed that there is no significant association between the ERCC1 C19007T polymorphism and cervical cancer invasiveness. CONCLUSION: This study shows that the ERCC1 C19007T polymorphism might not be associated with the risk and invasiveness of cervical cancer in Korean women.

Phase II Study of Consolidation Chemotherapy after Adjuvant or Primary Concurrent Chemoradiation Using Paclitaxel and Carboplatin to Treat High-Risk Early-Stage or Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer.

PURPOSE: This study investigated the efficacy and toxicity associated with consolidation chemotherapy using paclitaxel and carboplatin after concurrent chemoradiation (CCR) in cervical cancer patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From a total of 37 patients, 19 with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IB1-IIA cervical cancer (group 1) underwent surgery followed by consolidation chemotherapy after CCR, and 18 with stage IIB-IVA disease (group 2) received consolidation chemotherapy after primary CCR. Three cycles of chemotherapy using paclitaxel (135 mg/m(2)) and carboplatin (AUC 5.0) were administered every 3 weeks for CCR therapy, and three cycles of consolidation chemotherapy using paclitaxel (175 mg/m(2)) and carboplatin (AUC 5.0) were used every 3 weeks after CCR. RESULTS: The complete and partial response rates were 77.8% and 22.2% in group 2. Moreover, the 3-year progression-free and overall survival rates were 62.7% and 90.9% in group 1, and 51.9% and 60% in group 2, respectively. The most common grade 3 or 4 hematologic toxicities observed were leukopenia (group 1, 10.5%; group 2, 13.0%) and neutropenia (group 1, 7.0%; group 2, 14.8%), and grade 3 or 4 diarrhea (group 1, 1.8%) and febrile illness (group 2, 1.9%) were the most frequently observed non-hematologic toxicities. When we compared these results with previous reports, consolidation chemotherapy after CCR using paclitaxel and carboplatin revealed a relatively lower complete response rate (77.8% vs. 87-100%, respectively) and shorter progression-free survival (51.9-62.7% vs. 81-86%, respectively) and overall survival (60-90.9% vs. 81-95%, respectively) in spite of similar toxicity findings. CONCLUSION: Due to low efficacy results, consolidation chemotherapy using paclitaxel and carboplatin after CCR is not a feasible treatment regimen for high-risk early-stage or locally advanced cervical cancer.

Long-term results of laparoscopic colposuspension with bilateral round-infundibulopelvic ligaments after hysterectomy for uterovaginal prolapse.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the long-term outcomes of laparoscopic colposuspension with bilateral round-infundibulopelvic ligaments after hysterectomy in high-grade uterovaginal prolapse. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of medical records (Canadian Task Force Classification II-3). SETTING: University clinic center. PATIENTS: Fifty-one patients with grade 3 (22 patients) or 4 (29 patients) uterovaginal prolapse. INTERVENTIONS: We performed laparoscopic colposuspension with bilateral round-infundibulopelvic ligaments after hysterectomy in 51 patients with grade 3 or 4 uterovaginal prolapse. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: After a mean follow-up of 59.0 months (95% CI, 56.3-61.7), 51 patients (100.0%) had no sign or recurrence of prolapse. Postoperative transient abdominal discomfort, voiding difficulty, and vaginal spotting developed in 4 patients (7.8%), 2 patients (3.9%), and 1 patient (2.0%), respectively. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic colposuspension using bilateral round-infundibulopelvic ligaments after hysterectomy could be an effective surgical option in the treatment of high-grade uterovaginal prolapse.

Expression of MMP-2, MMP-9, and urokinase-type plasminogen activator in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.

Matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), MMP-9, and urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) are important factors for cancer invasion and metastasis, degrading the extracellular matrix. They are also associated with angiogenesis. Angiogenic phenotype is another feature of high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). However, their associations with the progression of low-grade CIN to high-grade CIN are unexplored. We investigated whether these proteolytic enzyme expressions correlate with the progression of CIN. A total of 39 paraffin-embedded specimens from 10 patients with CIN grade 1, nine with CIN grade 2, and 20 with CIN grade 3 were assessed immunohistochemically by specific antibodies against MMP-2, MMP-9, and uPA. MMP-9 expression was higher in CIN 3 lesions (47.4%) than in CIN 1 (22.2%) and CIN 2 (20.2%) lesions, although the difference failed to reach statistical significance. The expression level of uPA and MMP-2 was not associated with the grade of CIN lesions. Interestingly, we found a significant association between expressions of uPA and MMP-2 (P= 0.028). Our results suggest that MMP-9 might play a role in the progression of CIN.

Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and hypoxia inducible factor-1alpha in cervical neoplasia.

Altered angiogenesis is an important phenotype of high-grade cervical lesions and invasive cervical carcinomas. Many researchers, including us, have shown that oncoproteins of human papillomavirus could enhance the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression. We investigated the change in VEGF and hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) expression patterns that occur during the carcinogenesis and progression of cervical cancer. Expressions of HIF-1alpha and VEGF were evaluated by immunohistochemistry using paraffin-embedded specimens obtained from 41 patients with a normal cervix, 39 patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN 1, 10; CIN 2/3, 29), and 36 patients with cervical cancer. The VEGF and HIF-1alpha expressions were higher in CIN and invasive cancer than in normal cervix (P= 0.021, P < 0.001, respectively). It is interesting to note that there was no significant difference in VEGF and HIF-1alpha overexpressions between CIN 2/3 and cervical cancer and between nonmetastatic and metastatic cancers. In addition, there was a significant correlation between the immunohistochemical score of HIF-1alpha and that of VEGF expression (Spearman's correlation coefficient 0.275, P= 0.003, n= 116). Taken together, the results of our study suggest that expressions of VEGF and HIF-1alpha could be involved in cervical carcinogenesis. In addition, the weak correlation between VEGF and HIF-1alpha expressions suggests that regulatory mechanisms other than HIF-1alpha may be involved in the expression of VEGF during cervical carcinogenesis.

Phase I/IIa study of combination chemotherapy with CKD-602 and cisplatin in patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer.

The aim of this study was to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and therapeutic efficacy of a newly developed CKD-602 topoisomerase I inhibitor and cisplatin in patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer. CKD-602 (0.30 mg/m(2) daily for 5 days) and cisplatin (60 mg/m(2) on day 5) were administered to patients every 3 weeks with dose adjustment of CKD-602 by 0.05 mg/m(2) daily until the MTD was reached. Dose-limiting toxicity was defined as grade >or= 3 neutropenia or thrombocytopenia for more than 4 days or accompanied by fever >or= 38.5 degrees C, infection, hemorrhage, or transfusion; grade >or= 3 nonhematological toxicity except for alopecia, nausea, and vomiting. We enrolled 26 patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer who had measurable disease (MD) estimated by computed tomography scan (n= 12) and nonmeasurable disease (NMD) evaluated by serum CA-125 levels (n= 14). All patients received 188 cycles of CKD-602 and cisplatin with a median number of six cycles per patient (range, 2 to 12). MTD of CKD-602 was 0.30 mg/m(2) daily. The overall response rate was 69.2% (18/26) with 58.3% (7/12) and 78.6% (11/14) in MD and NMD, respectively. Among the responsive patients, 14 were platinum sensitive (14/18, 77.7%) and four were platinum resistant (4/8, 50.0%). The most common toxicity was grade >or= 3 neutropenia developing in 17 patients (65.4%) and 72 cycles (38.3%). Grade 3 nausea and anorexia were the most common gastrointestinal toxicities, developing in 15 cycles (8.0%) of four patients (15.4%) and 10 cycles (5.3%) of five patients (19.3%), respectively. The median disease-free interval was 6 months (range 0-26 months). CKD-602 at a concentration of 0.3 mg/m(2) daily for 5 days and cisplatin at 60 mg/m(2) on day 5 every 3 weeks showed high efficacy, with acceptable toxicity, against platinum-sensitive/resistant recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer.

Value of pelvic examination and imaging modality for the evaluation of tumor size in cervical cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare the accuracy of pelvic examination versus imaging modality such as computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the measurement of the tumor size of invasive cervical carcinoma based on pathologic findings. METHODS: Patients with stage Ib-II cervical cancer who underwent primary surgical treatment between January 2003 and December 2005 were evaluated retrospectively. One hundred three consecutive patients aged 24 to 81 years (mean age, 50.6 years), who had not received any treatment previously were included in this study. Accuracy of preoperative CT or MRI versus pelvic examination in the measurement of tumor size was compared based on pathologic findings. All patients were examined and staged clinically by the gynecologic oncologist. Surgery was performed within 2 weeks after imaging studies. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: The largest diameter of the tumor measured by pathologic findings was 2.76+/-1.76 cm. Based on pathologic findings, accuracy was estimated by the degree of agreement with a difference of <0.5 or 1.0 cm between the measurements of tumor size obtained by pelvic examination and imaging modality. Pelvic examination and imaging modality had an accuracy of 46.6% and 39.8%, respectively, with a difference of <0.5 cm, and an accuracy of 72.8% and 55.3%, respectively, with a difference of <1.0 cm. Correlation with pathologic findings was higher for pelvic examination (r(s)=0.680) than for imaging modality (r(s)=0.410). In determining the size of tumor mass differentiating >4.0 cm from