Predictive Factors of Central Lymph Node Metastasis in Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma / 대한내분비외과학회지

PURPOSE: Despite the excellent overall prognosis for patients with papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC), the rate of central lymph node (CLN) metastasis has been reported to be as great as 60% and the optimal surgical extent of PTMC has been controversial. The aim of this study is to identify factors for predict CLN metastasis in patients with PTMC. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of 535 patients with PTMC who underwent total thyroidectomy with prophylactic CLN dissection between Jan. 2008 and Aug. 2011. We analyzed the association of CLN metastasis and clinicopathologic characteristics. RESULTS: CLN metastasis was found in 181 patients (33.8%). Results of univariate analysis showed an association of younger than 45 years of age, male gender, a tumor size greater than 5 mm, bilaterality, multiplicity, extrathyroidal extension, and positivity of resection margin with CLN metastasis. Of these, results of multivariate analysis showed that age (P=0.003), gender (P=0.004), tumor size (P5 mm), male gender, young age (<45 yr), extrathyroidal extension, and positive resection margin were determined as the predictive factors for CLN metastasis, which occurred in approximately one third of patients with PTMC. Therefore, prophylactic CLN dissectionshould be considered in patients with PTMC who have these factors through investigation before surgery.

alphaB-Crystallin is a Novel Oncoprotein Associated with Poor Prognosis in Breast Cancer / 한국유방암학회지

PURPOSE: alphaB-crystallin, a small heat shock protein, is an anti-apoptotic protein associated with aggressive tumor behavior. A recent study revealed that alphaB-crystallin is overexpressed in a metastatic variant of the GI101A human breast carcinoma cell line. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether alphaB-crystallin is related to other breast tumor markers and can predict a breast cancer prognosis. METHODS: Eighty-two patients who underwent breast cancer surgery at Hallym Sacred Heart Hospital were enrolled. alphaB-crystallin expression was determined by immunohistochemical staining. Estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor, lymphovascular invasion, histological grade, other tumor markers and time to recurrence were compared with alphaB-crystallin expression. RESULTS: alphaB-crystallin expression in breast cancer tissues was associated with PR (p=0.030), the number of metastatic lymph nodes (pN) (p=0.020), lymphovascular invasion (p=0.022), histological grade (p=0.004) and triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) (p=0.004). alphaB-crystallin expression significantly decreased time to recurrence (p=0.039). CONCLUSION: The results revealed a strong relationship between alphaB-crystallin and poor prognostic factors such as the number of metastatic lymph nodes (especially pN2), TNBC, and rapid time to recurrence. We believe that alphaB-crystallin could be a novel oncoprotein biomarker of a poor prognosis in breast cancer.