Publications by authors named "Hee-Seung Kim"

Introduction: Human papillomavirus circulating tumor DNA (HPV ctDNA) is a promising biomarker for monitoring cervical cancer. HPV ctDNA level at baseline (before treatment) reflects tumor burden. However, reported HPV ctDNA detection rates at baseline have shown variations across studies, suggesting the existence of other potential contributing factors.

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Objective: We evaluated the pharmacokinetics, tissue concentrations, and toxicities of belotecan during rotational intraperitoneal pressurized aerosol chemotherapy (RIPAC) in pigs.

Methods: We sprayed belotecan in 10% and 30% of doses for intravenous chemotherapy in six pigs (cohort 1, n=3, 0.50 mg/m²; cohort 2, n=3, 1.

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  • A nationwide survey in Korea was conducted to investigate the practices of gynecologic oncologists regarding peritonectomy techniques (total vs. selective) for treating advanced ovarian/fallopian tube cancer.
  • Results showed that 98.9% and 93.8% of the oncologists performed selective parietal peritonectomy (SPP) during primary and interval debulking surgeries, while only 4.9% performed total parietal peritonectomy (TPP).
  • Concerns about patient morbidity and unclear benefits of TPP were the main reasons for its low usage, indicating a need for further studies to assess TPP's feasibility before initiating a larger clinical trial.
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  • - The study aimed to determine if intraoperative rupture during surgeries for early-stage epithelial ovarian cancer affects patient outcomes, specifically focusing on progression-free survival (PFS).
  • - Researchers analyzed data from 338 patients (197 unruptured and 141 ruptured) and found no significant difference in 5-year PFS before matching but a concerning trend after adjusting for other factors, particularly in patients with aggressive tumor types.
  • - The conclusions suggest that while the effect of rupture on PFS wasn’t statistically significant, it could still have negative implications for treatment and outcomes, emphasizing the importance of preventing rupture during surgery.
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Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the influence of baseline sarcopenia and changes in body composition on survival during cervical cancer treatment.

Methods: Patients diagnosed with stage IB1-IVB cervical cancer who underwent primary concurrent chemoradiation therapy (CCRT) between 2002 and 2022 were included. The exclusion criteria were prior radical hysterectomy, lack of pretreatment computed tomography (CT) imaging, or significant comorbidities.

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Background: Although two recent phase III randomized controlled trials showed survival benefits of undergoing secondary cytoreductive surgery for an initial relapse of ovarian cancer, patients who received a poly-ADP ribose polymerase inhibitor (PARPi) as the first-line maintenance treatment, which is currently the standard treatment for advanced ovarian cancer, were not included in those trials. Therefore, determining an optimal treatment strategy, including secondary cytoreductive surgery, in patients whose cancer progresses even with PARPi treatment, is needed.

Primary Objective: To determine whether secondary cytoreductive surgery is beneficial in patients who have progressed on PARPi maintenance treatment.

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Objective: This study aimed to compare survival and complications between minimally invasive surgery and open surgery and evaluate related risk factors in patients with non-endometrioid endometrial cancer.

Methods: Clinicopathologic characteristics; survival outcomes; complications; and prognostic factors associated with progression-free survival and overall survival were compared among patients with non-endometrioid endometrial cancer who underwent primary staging surgery using laparoscopic, robotic, or open abdominal surgery (2004-2017).

Results: In total, 91 patients were included: 41 and 50 underwent minimally invasive surgery and open surgery, respectively.

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  • The report examines the outcomes of advanced ovarian cancer patients who underwent bowel surgery as part of maximal cytoreductive surgery, comparing results between surgeries performed by gynecologic oncologists (GOs) and general surgeons (GSs).
  • It involved 761 patients, revealing that both groups had similar characteristics and complication rates, but GOs had shorter operation times.
  • The study concludes that GOs can safely and feasibly perform bowel surgeries without impacting patient survival, suggesting a need for enhanced training for GOs in this area.
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  • The study aimed to assess the exposure levels of healthcare workers during the use of cisplatin in rotational pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy (RIPAC) in a large animal model (pigs).
  • Surface and air samples were collected during the procedure, with results showing that 93.2% of surface samples contained detectable levels of platinum, while airborne samples did not.
  • Though there was some dermal exposure to platinum on surfaces, the study concluded that there was no significant respiratory exposure risk to healthcare workers during RIPAC procedures.
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Background: Baicalein is a flavonoid extracted from the roots of Scutellaria baicalensis G. that has anti-inflammatory and antitumor effects. However, therapeutic mechanisms of baicalein in patients with endometriosis in vivo have yet to be elucidated.

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  • Over the past decades, new anti-cancer drugs, including bevacizumab, have improved treatment outcomes for patients with advanced or recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer.
  • A study analyzed two groups of patients with platinum-resistant relapsed ovarian cancer: one receiving bevacizumab plus chemotherapy and the other receiving chemotherapy alone.
  • Results showed that patients in the bevacizumab group had significantly longer overall survival and fewer severe adverse events compared to those receiving only chemotherapy, highlighting bevacizumab's positive impact in a real-world setting.
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Objective: To evaluate whether treatment with erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) for chemotherapy-induced anemia affects progression-free survival (PFS) in patients receiving front-line chemotherapy following surgery for ovarian cancer (OC).

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all consecutive patients who received front-line chemotherapy after surgery between 2013 and 2019 at six institutions. The patients were divided according to the use of ESAs during front-line chemotherapy.

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Background: BVAC-C, a B cell- and monocyte-based immunotherapeutic vaccine transfected with recombinant HPV E6/E7, was well tolerated in HPV-positive recurrent cervical carcinoma patients in a phase I study. This phase IIa study investigates the antitumor activity of BVAC-C in patients with HPV 16- or 18-positive cervical cancer who had experienced recurrence after a platinum-based combination chemotherapy.

Patients And Methods: Patients were allocated to 3 arms; Arm 1, BVAC-C injection at 0, 4, 8 weeks; Arm 2, BVAC-C injection at 0, 4, 8, 12 weeks; Arm 3, BVAC-C injection at 0, 4, 8, 12 weeks with topotecan at 2, 6, 10, 14 weeks.

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This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of using optimized parameters obtained by computer simulation for ultrasound-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment of uterine adenomyosis in comparison with conventional parameters. We retrospectively assessed a single-institution, prospective study that was registered at Clinical Research Information Service (CRiS) of Republic of Korea (KCT0003586). Sixty-six female participants (median age: 44 years) with focal uterine adenomyosis were prospectively enrolled.

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  • This study investigated the effectiveness of lymphadenectomy (removal of lymph nodes) in patients with early-stage epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) to see if it improves survival rates compared to those who did not undergo the procedure.
  • The research included 586 patients and found no significant difference in survival rates between the lymphadenectomy group and the non-lymphadenectomy group, although those with serous histology did experience better disease-free survival with lymphadenectomy.
  • Despite some potential benefits, the lymphadenectomy group had longer surgery times and higher rates of complications, suggesting it should be considered carefully based on individual patient factors.
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Refractory chylous ascites can cause significant nutritional and immunologic morbidity, but no clear treatment has been established. This article introduces a case of a 22-year-old female patient with an underlying lymphatic anomaly who presented with refractory chylous ascites after laparoscopic adnexectomy for ovarian teratoma which aggravated after thoracic duct embolization. Ascites (>3,000 mL/d) had to be drained via a percutaneous catheter to relieve abdominal distention and consequent dyspnea, leading to significant cachexia and weight loss.

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Introduction: We evaluated the effect of high-dose polymeric nanoparticle micellar paclitaxel (PM-Pac) on survival in patients with stage III-IV high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSC) who underwent upfront surgery.

Methods: We prospectively recruited the patients who received PM-Pac (280 mg/m) and carboplatin at an area under the curve (AUC) of 5 (cohort 1) in two tertiary centers between October 2015 and June 2019. As historical controls, we retrospectively collected data on those who received paclitaxel (175 mg/m) and carboplatin (AUC 5; cohort 2) or paclitaxel (175 mg/m), carboplatin (AUC 5) and bevacizumab (15 mg/kg; cohort 3).

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Aim: We investigated the efficacy and safety of durvalumab (D) with or without tremelimumab (T) in addition to single-agent chemotherapy (CT) in patients with platinum-resistant recurrent ovarian cancer (PROC) lacking homologous recombination repair (HRR) gene mutations.

Patients And Methods: KGOG 3045 was an open-label, investigator-initiated phase II umbrella trial. Patients with PROC without HRR gene mutations who had received ≥2 prior lines of therapy were enrolled.

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This study is aimed at identifying variations in the effect of endometriosis on fecundity in a mouse model based on prior pregnancy experience. Endometriosis is one of the most prevalent gynecological diseases and is known to impact female fecundity adversely. In this study, an endometriosis mouse model was established by allografting uterine horn tissue using Pelch's method.

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Background/aim: We investigated factors affecting the long-term duration of bevacizumab-based maintenance therapy (BMT) and survival in patients with the first platinum-sensitive recurrence of ovarian cancer (PSR).

Patients And Methods: We included patients with the first PSR in two tertiary centers from January 2015 till August 2021. All patients received six cycles of paclitaxel, carboplatin, and bevacizumab followed by BMT.

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Background/aim: Vasopressin injected during myomectomy is known to effectively reduce bleeding but is sometimes associated with intraoperative vasoconstriction and hypertension due to systemic absorption. Although there is a growing preference for the use of diluted vasopressin, evidence of its effect and safety is still lacking.

Patients And Methods: We performed a randomized controlled pilot trial to evaluate the effect and safety of vasopressin diluted in a constant volume during robot-assisted laparoscopic myomectomy (RALM), where a total of 39 women with uterine fibroids were randomly assigned into the following three groups (group 1, 0.

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Background: Fraxetin, a phytochemical obtained from Fraxinus rhynchophylla, is well known for its anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic properties. However, fraxetin regulates the progression of endometriosis, which is a benign reproductive disease that results in low quality of life and infertility.

Hypothesis/purpose: We hypothesized that fraxetin may have therapeutic effects on endometriosis and aimed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of mitochondrial function and tiRNA regulation.

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