Publications by authors named "Hsiu-Ying Ku"
Article Synopsis
- * Despite the effectiveness of EGFR kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs), resistance often develops due to alternative pathways like AXL and MET activation, linked to EMT characteristics.
- * The study found that AXL phosphorylation stabilizes MIG6, a negative regulator of EGFR signaling, indicating a complex interplay that could enhance our understanding of cancer treatment strategies.
Background: Tumour differentiation is an important index for adjuvant therapy in many cancers; however, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is an exception. Furthermore, postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) is controversial in patients with NSCLC with N0-1 and N2 disease. We aimed to evaluate the impact of tumour-related factors on overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and distant control (DC) in patients with completely resected stage IIIA NSCLC.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Gastrectomy remains the curative option in gastric cancer. However, the growing concern that preoperative waiting jeopardizes survival has not been fully addressed. The present population-based cohort study aimed to clarify the impact of preoperative waiting time (PreWT).
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- Due to increasing cancer cases and an aging population in Taiwan, researchers aimed to analyze cancer prevalence and the comorbidities of older patients with the five most common cancers: breast, colorectal, liver, lung, and oral.
- They created the Taiwan Cancer Comorbidity Index (TCCI) using data from multiple health databases to assess the actual prognosis of these patients based on age, cancer stage, and comorbidities.
- Findings showed that cancer prevalence nearly doubled from 2004 to 2014, with stage being a key predictor of prognosis; interestingly, patients in Taiwan faced lower noncancer-related death rates than in the US, but higher cancer death rates, aiding in clinical treatment decisions and health policy planning
Article Synopsis
- The study focuses on the impact of ALK fusion mutations in lung cancer, particularly assessing how smoking status and ALK-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) affect overall survival in treatment-naïve advanced lung adenocarcinoma patients.
- The analysis included 9,575 advanced stage lung adenocarcinoma patients, revealing that 6.8% had ALK mutations, with never-smokers showing a significantly longer median overall survival (OS) compared to smokers when treated with first-line ALK-TKIs.
- The findings highlight the importance of ALK testing regardless of smoking status and suggest that smokers not receiving first-line ALK-TKIs experience worse outcomes, indicating a need for further research in this
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major cause of cancer death in Taiwan, and in the past 30-40 years, Taiwan has been committed to its prevention and treatment. We aimed to investigate the secular trends of characteristics and the survival of HCC in recent decades after making increased efforts. Between 2011 and 2019, a total of 73,817 cases were enrolled from the TCR database.
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- - The study investigates the effectiveness of high-dose versus low-dose radiotherapy for patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in Taiwan, using data from the Taiwan Cancer Registry.
- - 644 patients diagnosed between 2010 and 2019 were analyzed, with hazard ratios calculated to compare death rates between the two radiation doses.
- - Results showed no significant difference in overall survival or other outcomes when comparing high-dose (50-50.4 Gy) and low-dose (40-41.4 Gy) treatments, indicating similar effectiveness in this population.
Article Synopsis
- - Chemotherapy is the primary treatment for metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma, while the effectiveness of surgery without symptoms remains debated.
- - A study using data from the Taiwan Cancer Registry assessed survival outcomes of various treatment methods for 5,599 patients diagnosed between 2008 and 2015.
- - Results showed that patients receiving both surgery and chemotherapy had the longest median survival of 14.2 months, compared to 7.0 months for chemotherapy alone and 3.9 months for surgery alone, suggesting surgery combined with chemotherapy can improve survival for certain patients.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to determine how the timing between adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy affects survival in patients with completely resected stage IIIA non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
- Researchers analyzed data from 2,515 patients to compare survival outcomes between concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) and two types of sequential treatment with different intervals (SCRT1 and SCRT2).
- Results showed that a longer interval (SCRT2) led to better overall survival compared to CCRT, especially for elderly patients, highlighting the importance of treatment timing.
Article Synopsis
- - The study investigates the effects of high-dose versus standard-dose radiotherapy on survival rates in patients with locally advanced cervical esophageal squamous cell carcinoma treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy.
- - Using data from the Taiwan Cancer Registry and propensity score weighting, researchers analyzed outcomes for 141 eligible patients and found a trend suggesting that high-dose radiation (60-70 Gy) might improve overall survival compared to the standard dose (50-50.4 Gy), though the results were not statistically significant.
- - The authors conclude that while there is some indication that higher radiation doses could be beneficial, further research is needed to validate these findings due to the limitations of their nonrandomized study design.
Background: The role of radiotherapy for cT4bNanyM0 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESqCC) is relatively unclear, with both chemotherapy (C/T) alone and definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy (dCCRT) being treatment options in the current guidelines. We aimed to compare the survival of dCCRT versus C/T for these patients via a population-based approach.
Methods: Eligible cT4b ESqCC patients diagnosed between 2011 and 2017 were identified via the Taiwan Cancer Registry.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the link between early-life exposure to phthalic acid esters (PAE) and behavioral issues, especially ADHD traits, in children.
- Researchers analyzed temperament evaluations of maternal-infant pairs and urine samples from mothers during pregnancy to measure PAE metabolites.
- Findings revealed that higher levels of specific PAE metabolites in mothers correlated with increased distractibility and behavioral characteristics associated with ADHD in preschool-aged children.
Outcomes for Cervical Cancer Patients Treated With Radiation in High-Volume and Low-Volume Hospitals.
Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys
September 2018
Article Synopsis
- The study examined how different patient loads in hospitals affect the treatment outcomes and care standards for cervical cancer patients receiving radiation therapy.
- Data on 2,582 patients from Taiwan's Cancer Registry showed that those treated at hospitals with fewer cases per year had poorer survival rates, largely due to less chemotherapy and brachytherapy being used.
- The findings suggest that hospitals with larger patient loads may provide better care, leading to improved survival chances for patients, especially those with more advanced stages of disease.
The importance of the overall treatment time (OTT) has a paradoxical status in the current era of concomitant chemoradiotherapy. The main objective of this nationwide study was to evaluate the correlation between overall treatment duration and clinical outcome in cervical cancer patients treated primarily with curative concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). In this population-based cohort study, 2,594 patients diagnosed with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage I-IVA uterine cervical cancer were studied.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNeoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiation (CCRT) is standard treatment for clinical stage II/III rectal cancers. However, whether patients with pathological complete response (pT0N0, pCR) should receive adjuvant chemotherapy and whether delayed surgery will influence the pCR rate remains controversial. A nationwide population study was conducted using the Taiwan Cancer Registry Database from January 2007 to December 2013.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCharacteristics of young lung cancer: Analysis of Taiwan's nationwide lung cancer registry focusing on epidermal growth factor receptor mutation and smoking status.
Oncotarget
July 2016
Article Synopsis
- Lung cancer is uncommon in young individuals, with the average diagnosis age being 65-70 years; this study focuses on patients aged 45 and under in Taiwan.
- An analysis of the National Taiwan Lung Cancer Registry (2011-2012) revealed that young lung cancer patients were more likely to be female, never-smokers, and diagnosed with adenocarcinoma, while having a lower rate of EGFR mutations compared to older patients.
- The study concluded that lung cancer in younger patients presents distinct traits, highlighting differences in gender, smoking status, and cancer type, though the overall stage and primary site of lung cancer were similar across age groups.
Previous studies have shown that phthalate exposure in childhood is associated with the development of respiratory problems. However, few studies have assessed the relative impact of prenatal and postnatal exposure to phthalates on the development of asthma later in childhood. Therefore, we assessed the impact of prenatal and postnatal phthalate exposure on the development of asthma and wheezing using a Taiwanese birth cohort.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Few studies have shown an association between prenatal phthalate exposure and adverse effects on neurodevelopment and behavior in young children.
Objectives: We aimed to assess the relationship between prenatal exposure to phthalate esters and behavior syndromes in children at 8 years of age.
Methods: A total of 122 mother-child pairs from the general population in central Taiwan were studied from 2000 to 2009.
Article Synopsis
- Phthalate exposure is linked to various health issues like endocrine disruption and reproductive toxicity, with higher risks observed in young children in Taiwan due to plastic use.
- In a study of 430 pregnant women, researchers measured phthalate metabolites in maternal urine, cord blood, and breast milk, revealing that 2-year-olds and 5-year-olds had higher metabolite concentrations than their mothers.
- DEHP was the main contributor to urinary phthalate levels, and while maternal urine showed high DEHP metabolite levels, cord blood and breast milk had lower phthalate concentrations similar to those in other populations worldwide.
The aims of this study were to determine the concentrations of 4-nonylphenol (NP) and 4-octylphenol (OP) in 59 human milk samples and to examine related factors including mothers' demographics and dietary habits. Women who consumed over the median amount of cooking oil had significantly higher OP concentrations (0.98 ng/g) than those who consumed less (0.
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- This study is the first to examine the potential hematological effects of inhaling hexachloroethane-zinc oxide (HC/ZnO) smoke in soldiers during military training.
- Twenty soldiers exposed to HC/ZnO smoke were compared to 64 non-exposed soldiers, revealing significant differences in hemoglobin, red blood cell count, and hematocrit levels shortly after exposure.
- The study found that while these hematological changes were acute, they returned to normal within 11 weeks, indicating temporary effects from HC/ZnO inhalation.
Unlabelled: There has been no human epidemiological data regarding the hepatic injuries of hexachloroethane-zinc oxide (HC/ZnO) inhalation. This is the first epidemiological study to investigate whether HC/ZnO inhalation exposure can induce hepatic dysfunction in exposed soldiers. Twenty soldiers, exposed to high concentration of HC/ZnO smoke for 3-10 min in a narrow tunnel (0.
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