Phase 2 trial of avelumab in combination with gemcitabine in advanced leiomyosarcoma as a second-line treatment (EAGLES, Korean Cancer Study Group UN18-09).

Background: In this single-arm, multicenter, phase 2 trial, the authors evaluated the efficacy and safety of avelumab plus gemcitabine in patients with leiomyosarcoma (LMS) who failed on first-line chemotherapy.

Methods: Patients with advanced LMS received avelumab 10 mg/kg on days 1 and 15 (for up to 24 months) plus gemcitabine 1000 mg/m on days 1, 8, and 15 of a 28-day cycle until they developed disease progression or intolerable toxicity. The primary end point was the objective response rate (ORR).

Redefining YAP1 in small cell lung cancer: shifting from a dominant subtype marker to a favorable prognostic indicator.

Background: Molecular and transcription factor subtyping were recently introduced to identify patients with unique clinical features in small cell lung cancer (SCLC). However, its prognostic relevance is yet to be established. This study aims to investigate the clinical implications and prognostic significance of transcription factor subtyping in SCLC using immunohistochemistry.

Assessing the Efficacy of Bortezomib and Dexamethasone for Induction and Maintenance Therapy in Relapsed/Refractory Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma: A Phase II CISL1701/BIC Study.

Purpose: This multicenter, open-label, phase II trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of bortezomib combined with dexamethasone for the treatment of relapsed/refractory cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) in previously treated patients across 14 institutions in South Korea.

Patients And Methods: Between September 2017 and July 2020, 29 patients with histologically confirmed CTCL received treatment, consisting of eight 4-week cycles of induction therapy followed by maintenance therapy, contingent upon response, for up to one year. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients achieving an objective global response.

Lipocalin-2 as a prognostic biomarker and its association with systemic inflammation in small cell lung cancer.

Background: Systemic inflammation is believed to contribute to small cell lung cancer (SCLC) progression, but the underlying relationship remains unclear. Lipocalin-2, a potential biomarker of inflammation, has been implicated in various cancers but its prognostic value in SCLC is underexplored.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 191 patients with SCLC (72 with limited-stage [LD] and 119 with extensive-stage) treated using platinum-based chemotherapy.

3D bioprinting of stromal cells-laden artificial cornea based on visible light-crosslinkable bioinks forming multilength networks.

3D bioprinting has the potential for the rapid and precise engineering of hydrogel constructs that can mimic the structural and optical complexity of a healthy cornea. However, the use of existing light-activated bioinks for corneal printing is limited by their poor cytocompatibility, use of cytotoxic photoinitiators (PIs), low photo-crosslinking efficiency, and opaque/colored surface of the printed material. Herein, we report a fast-curable, non-cytotoxic, optically transparent bioprinting system using a new water-soluble benzoyl phosphinate-based PI and photocrosslinkable methacrylated hyaluronic acid (HAMA).

Proportion of Non-Medical Opioid Use of Prescription Opioids among Cancer Patients in Korea.

Purpose: Limited research has been conducted on the prevalence of non-medical opioid use (NMOU) in Korean cancer patients who have received prescription opioids (PO). This study aimed to identify the potential proportion of NMOU in cancer patients who had been prescribed opioids in Korea.

Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis was conducted on 14,728 patients who underwent cancer-related treatment between January 2009 and December 2019, using electronically collected data from a tertiary hospital in Korea.

Prognostic impact of pretreatment skeletal muscle index and CONUT score in diffuse large B-cell Lymphoma.

Background: Although the prognostic value of the Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) has been reported in several previous studies, its clinical relevance for the presence of sarcopenia has not been assessed.

Methods: In this study, 305 DLBCL patients were reviewed. They were categorized into normal/mild (n = 219) and moderate/severe (n = 86) CONUT groups.

T/myeloid mixed-phenotype acute leukemia treated with venetoclax and decitabine: A case report.

Background: Mixed-phenotype acute leukemia (MPAL) is characterized by acute undifferentiated leukemia with blasts co-expressing myeloid and lymphoid antigens. However, consensus regarding the ideal management strategy for MPAL is yet to be established, owing to its rarity.

Case Summary: A 55-year-old male was diagnosed with T/myeloid MPAL.

Comparison of first-line treatment with CHOP versus ICED in patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma eligible for upfront autologous stem cell transplantation.

Introduction: Upfront autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) has been recommended for patients who are newly diagnosed with peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL), and CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone), an anthracycline-based chemotherapy has been the frontline chemotherapy for PTCL. However, it is not clear whether anthracycline-based chemotherapies such as CHOP could be standard induction therapy for PTCL.

Methods: We conducted a randomized phase II study to compare CHOP with fractionated ifosfamide, carboplatin, etoposide, and dexamethasone (ICED) for patients eligible for ASCT.

Nanoporous electroporation needle for localized intracellular delivery in deep tissues.

The exogenous control of intracellular drug delivery has been shown to improve the overall efficacy of therapies by reducing nonspecific off-target toxicity. However, achieving a precise on-demand dosage of a drug in deep tissues with minimal damage is still a challenge. In this study, we report an electric-pulse-driven nanopore-electroporation (nEP) system for the localized intracellular delivery of a model agent in deep tissues.

Treatment pattern of chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma in Korea: a multicenter retrospective study (KCSG LY20-06).

Background/aims: Little attention is paid to chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) in Korea due to the rarity of the disease. With its rising incidence, we aimed to evaluate recent changes in treatment patterns and survival outcomes of patients with CLL/SLL.

Methods: A total of 141 patients diagnosed with CLL/SLL between January 2010 and March 2020 who received systemic therapy were analyzed in this multicenter retrospective study.

Application of the Khorana score for cancer-associated thrombosis prediction in patients of East Asian ethnicity undergoing ambulatory chemotherapy.

Background: The Khorana score (KS) has not been well studied in East Asian cancer patients, who have different genetic backgrounds for inherited thrombophilia, body metabolism, and cancer epidemiology.

Methods: By using the Common Data Model, we retrospectively collected deidentified data from 11,714 consecutive newly diagnosed cancer patients who underwent first-line chemotherapy from December 2015 to December 2021 at a single institution in Korea, and we applied the KS for cancer-associated thrombosis (CAT) prediction. Age at diagnosis, sex, and use of highly thrombogenic chemotherapeutics were additionally investigated as potential risk factors for CAT development.

Bendamustine Plus Rituximab for Mantle Cell Lymphoma: A Korean, Multicenter Retrospective Analysis.

Background/aim: The combination of bendamustine and rituximab (BR) is highly effective in both treatment-naïve and relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). Due to the rarity of MCL and limited accessibility of BR, clinical outcome from BR in the routine clinical practice in Korean patients are limited.

Patients And Methods: To evaluate the real-world outcomes of BR treatment for MCL in Korea, medical records from 37 patients were retrospectively analyzed.

Sessile droplet array for sensitive profiling of multiple extracellular vesicle immuno-subtypes.

The sensitive detection of the multiple immuno-subtypes of cancer-specific extracellular vesicles (EVs) has emerged as a promising method for multiclass cancer diagnosis; however, its limitations in sensitivity, accessibility, and multiple detection of EV subtypes have hindered its further implementation. Here, we present a platform for sensitive EV detection enabled by sessile droplet array (eSD) that exploits enhanced immuno-capture of EVs via evaporation-driven radial flows in a sessile droplet. Compared to a micro-well without internal flows, this platform demonstrates significantly enhanced EV capture and detection by detecting low levels of EVs with a detection limit of 384.

Endothelial activation and stress index (EASIX) as a predictive biomarker in small cell lung cancer.

Background: Endothelial activation and insult may contribute to the aggressive clinical course of small-cell lung cancer (SCLC); however, no predictive biomarker for this pathogenesis has been identified.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical impact of the endothelial activation and stress index (EASIX) in SCLC.

Methods: In this retrospective study, the EASIX was calculated from measurements of serum lactate dehydrogenase, creatinine, and platelet levels.

Pyoderma Gangrenosum Mimicking Necrotizing Fasciitis on Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A Case Report and Literature Review.

BACKGROUND Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is a sterile neutrophilic dermatosis that can be associated with systemic diseases, such as ulcerative colitis, polyarthritis, diabetes mellitus, myelodysplastic syndrome, and/or myeloid leukemia, and is often misdiagnosed as a necrotizing infection. Few reports have described imaging studies of PG; however, necrotizing fasciitis (NF) exhibits distinct imaging characteristics. If deep fascial involvement is not demonstrated on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), NF is excluded.