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Objective: The criterion of two target lesions per organ in the revised Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) is an arbitrary decision. We assumed that measuring the single largest lesion per organ (modified RECIST 1.1, hereafter referred to as mRECIST 1.1) instead of two (RECIST 1.1) might be enough to assess tumor responses. Methods: We compared tumor response using computed tomography according to the RECIST 1.1 and mRECIST 1.1 in patients with advanced gastric cancer (AGC) who received first-line chemotherapy. Results: A total of 51 patients who had at least two target lesions in any organ according to the RECIST 1.1 were included in the study. The level of concordance in the tumor response between the RECIST 1.1 and mRECIST 1.1 was excellent (k = 0.904). Only 3 patients (5.9%) showed a disagreement of tumor responses between the two criteria. The overall response rate was not significantly different between the two criteria (45.1% by RECIST 1.1 vs. 49.0% by mRECIST 1.1, p = 0.692). Conclusion: The mRECIST 1.1 showed a high concordance with the original RECIST 1.1 in the assessment of tumor response for patients with AGC. Our result suggests that it may be possible to measure the single largest target lesion per organ for assessing tumor response in clinical practice. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conclusion: Factors that affected prognosis were T stage and extracapsular spread in patients that underwent primary surgery with postoperative radiotherapy for pN2 head and neck carcinoma. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine treatment outcomes and define prognostic factors for pN2 head and neck carcinoma. Methods: A total of 209 patients underwent surgery with postoperative radiotherapy between 1994 and 2011. Primary tumor sites were the oropharynx ( n = 70), hypopharynx ( n = 48), larynx ( n = 47), and oral cavity ( n = 44). There were 21, 83, 60, and 45 patients with stage T1 to T4 cancers, respectively. The N stages were 20 N2a, 129 N2b, and 60 N2c. Results: The recurrence rate was 40% (83/209) over a mean observation period of 39 months. The 5-year disease-free survival (DFS), disease-specific survival (DSS), and overall survival (OS) rates in our cohort were 44%, 60%, and 56%, respectively. The presence of advanced T stage or extracapsular spread had a significant adverse effect on 5-year DFS, DSS, and OS rates according to Kaplan-Meier survival curves. Multivariate Cox regression analysis confirmed the significant association between 5-year DSS rate and advanced T stage (hazard ratio (HR), 2.20; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.26-3.82; p = 0.005) and extracapsular spread (HR, 2.29; 95% CI, 1.24-4.21; p = 0.008). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a study conducted to compare the clinical results of arthroscopic meniscectomy and nonoperative treatment for degenerative horizontal tears in the posterior horn of the medial meniscus. The study included 102 patients with knee pain and a degenerative horizontal tear of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus. The study found no difference between arthroscopic meniscectomy and nonoperative management with strengthening exercises in patients after two years of follow-up.

Objectives: This study was designed to evaluate the effect of traditional Korean medical therapy, consisting of needle-embedding therapy and pharmacopuncture therapy, on patients with urinary incontinence. Methods: Twenty-nine patients with urinary incontinence underwent two sessions of traditional Korean medical therapy in a month. The pressure and the duration of pelvic muscle contraction were measured and compared. The primary endpoint of the study was improvement in the strength of pelvic floor muscle contraction. The paired t-test was used for the statistical analysis. Results: Before treatment, a maximum pressure of 16.03±6.28mmHg and an average pressure of 9.62±4.98mmHg were measured, and the duration was 11.82±12.08 seconds. After the first treatment, the pressures were 27.41±10.46mmHg (maximum) and 18.62±9.72mmHg (average), and the duration was 40.75±60.02 seconds. After the second treatment, the pressures were 29±14.86mmHg (maximum) and 20.31±11.51mmHg (average), and the duration was 34.62±42.02 seconds. Comparisons between before treatment and first treatment results and between before treatment and second treatment results showed statistically significant changes but the difference between the first treatment result and the second treatment result was not statistically significant. Conclusions: Patients receiving traditional Korean medical therapy showed improved pelvic muscle contraction ability after a single treatment. If strength of pelvic floor muscle contraction is improved, symptoms of urinary incontinence also get better. Traditional Korean medical therapy, with a focus on needle-embedding therapy and pharmacopuncture therapy, may be effective for treating urinary incontinence. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Conclusion: Fat-graft myringoplasty (FGM) has a reliable tympanic closure rate for small to large perforations, but yields poor hearing improvement in the latter case. A topographic evaluation of FGM showed that the procedure resulted in a reliable perforation closure rate and audiologic outcome, regardless of perforation location. Objectives: This study assessed the utility of FGM in treating perforations of different sizes and locations. Methods: This retrospective study involved 45 patients (46 ears) who underwent FGM at St Mary's Hospital (Seoul, Korea) between August 2007 and February 2010. Results: The total perforation closure rate after FGM was 87% (40 cases), with no statistical difference among perforation size groups, even though the mean closure rates of the 10-20% and >30% perforation groups were lower than other groups. The difference in the closure rates of patients with anteriorly located perforations and those with perforations in other sites was not significant. The mean postoperative air-bone gap (ABG) was 14.3 (±7.5) dB. Mean postoperative ABG improved significantly after FGM; however, on a per-group basis, the >30% perforation group had the poorest results and the difference was statistically significant. The difference in mean postoperative ABGs of the two groups depending on the location of the perforation (anterior and other) was not significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]