Eun Hwa Park

BACKGROUND: Research has been conducted with regard to the development of methods for improving the pharmaceutical effect of ginseng by conversion of ginsenosides, which are the major active components of ginseng, via high temperature or high-pressure processing. METHODS: The present study sought to investigate the anticancer effect of heat-processed American ginseng (HAG) in human gastric cancer AGS cells with a focus on assessing the role of apoptosis as an important mechanistic element in its anticancer actions. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: HAG significantly reduced the cancer cell proliferation, and the contents of ginsenosides Rb1 and Re were markedly decreased, whereas the peaks of less-polar ginsenosides [20(S,R)-Rg3, Rk1, and Rg5] were newly detected. Based on the activity-guided fractionation of HAG, ginsenoside 20(S)-Rg3 played a key role in inducing apoptosis in human gastric cancer AGS cells, and it was generated mainly from ginsenoside Rb1. Ginsenoside 20(S)-Rg3 induced apoptosis through activation of caspase-3, caspase-8, and caspase-9, as well as regulation of Bcl-2 and Bax expression. Taken together, these findings suggest that heat-processing serves as an increase in the antitumor activity of American ginseng in AGS cells, and ginsenoside 20(S)-Rg3, the active component produced by heat-processing, induces the activation of caspase-3, caspase-8, and caspase-9, which contributes to the apoptotic cell death.

, were 83.4 cases and 63.9 cases per 100,000 women, respectively. The ASR showed an annual increase of 6.1% from 1999 to 2014; however, although the increase of the ASR had slowed since 2008, the incidence rate itself continuously increased. The proportion of early breast cancer increased consistently, and the pathological features changed accordingly. While breast-conserving surgery was mainly performed, the proportion of total mastectomy was slightly increased. The total number of breast reconstruction surgeries increased rapidly. The 5-year and 10-year overall survival rates for all stages of breast cancer patients were 91.2% and 84.8%, respectively. The overall survival rate of Korean patients with breast cancer was extremely high, compared with other developed countries. Thus, we consider that the clinical characteristics of breast cancer have changed over the past decade. A nationwide registry data will contribute to a better understanding of the characteristics of breast cancer in Korea.

OBJECTIVE: The present study evaluated the oncological safety and technical outcomes following nipple areola skin-sparing mastectomy (NASSM), skin-sparing mastectomy (SSM), and mastectomy. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Cosmetic issues associated with breast cancer surgery are important. The original SSM technique included removal of the gland and the nipple areola complex (NAC). However, the risk of tumor involvement of the NAC has been overestimated. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective study included 520 patients who underwent SSM (368 patients) or NASSM (152 patients) with immediate breast reconstruction using a pedicled transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous (TRAM) flap, and 1990 patients who underwent a mastectomy between July 2001 and December 2006. The indications for NASSM were any stage, any tumor size, and any tumor areola distance. Briefly, the NAC was preserved when the shape, color, and palpation of the nipple were normal. RESULTS: The median follow-up durations for NASSM and SSM were 60 and 67 months, respectively. Complete nipple areola necrosis developed in 11 (9.6%) NASSM patients. The 5-year disease-free survival rates were 89% and 87.2% for NASSM and SSM, respectively (P = 0.695). The 5-year overall survival rates were similar for NASSM and SSM (97.1% and 95.8%, respectively; P = 0.669). Local failure occurred in 3 (2%) NASSM and 3 (0.8%) SSM patients (P = 0.27). There were 2 (1.3%) nipple areola recurrences in NASSM patients. The LRRs were similar for NASSM and mastectomy patients. CONCLUSION: NASSM with immediate transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous reconstruction is a viable surgical treatment in breast cancer patients in any stage. Recurrence and complication rates for NASSM were similar to those for standard surgical breast cancer treatments.

This article provides an annual update of Korean breast cancer statistics, including the incidence, tumor stage, type of surgical treatment, and mortality.The data was collected from the Korean Breast Cancer Society registry system and Korean Central Cancer Registry.In 2019, 29,729 women were newly diagnosed with breast cancer.Breast cancer has continued to increase in incidence since 2002 and been the most common cancer in Korean women since 2019.Of the newly diagnosed cases in 2019, 24,820 (83.5%) were of invasive carcinomas, and 4,909 (16.5%) were of carcinoma in situ.The median age of women with breast cancer was 52.8 years, and breast cancer was most commonly diagnosed in the age group of 40-49 years.The number of patients who have undergone breast conserving surgery has continued to increase since 2016, with 68.6% of patients undergoing breast conserving surgery in 2019.The incidence of early-stage breast cancer continues to increase, with stage 0 or I breast cancer accounting for 61.6% of cases.The most common subtype of breast cancer is the hormone receptor-positive human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative subtype (63.1%).The 5-year relative survival rate of patients with breast cancer from 2015 to 2019 was 93.6%, with an increase of 14.3% compared to that from 1993 to 1995.This report improves our understanding of breast cancer characteristics in South Korea.