Cancer Research and Treatment

Original Articles

Unplanned Readmission among Patients with Advanced Cancer on Active Treatment: Multi-center, Retrospective Study: Sun Young Lee, Hong Jun Kim, Shin Hye Yoo, In Gyu Hwang, Beodeul Kang, Yu Jung Kim, Dalyong Kim, Chung Ryul Oh, Sun Kyung Baek, Eun Hee Jung, Go-Un Woo, Woohyeon Cho, In Young Hwang, Kyae Hyung Kim, Min Sun Kim, Belong Cho; Received March 19, 2025 Accepted December 30, 2025 Published online January 2, 2026; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4143/crt.2025.330 [Epub ahead of print]

Abstract PDF Supplementary Material PubReader ePub: Purpose
Unplanned readmissions of patients with cancer increase healthcare costs and disrupt care. Although well-studied in surgical oncology, data on patients receiving active treatment for advanced cancer remain limited. This study examined the causes, clinical characteristics, and outcomes of unplanned readmissions.
Materials and Methods
This retrospective, multicenter study included patients with advanced solid tumors from six South Korean university hospitals who had unplanned readmissions within 1 month of prior hospitalization in 2019. Patients with terminal cancer who did not receive active treatment were excluded. Readmissions were categorized as cancer progression (e.g., worsening symptoms), treatment-related (e.g., therapy complications), or other (e.g., non-cancer conditions). Additional unplanned hospital use within 1 month post-discharge was analyzed in survivors with 6-month follow-up data.
Results
Among the 542 patients, readmissions were classified as cancer progression (42.6%), treatment-related (37.3%), or other (20.1%). The cancer progression group had the longest hospital stay (median, 12 days) and the highest mortality (23.4%). The treatment-related group had shorter stays (8 days) and lower mortality (8.4%). Among the 445 survivors, 24.9% had unplanned hospital visits within 1-month post-discharge. Home discharge increased the likelihood of these events (adjusted odds ratio: 4.82 for readmissions, 2.65 for emergency department visits).
Conclusion
Cancer progression was the leading cause of readmission and was associated with prolonged hospital stays and high mortality rates. Home discharge is a key predictor of early additional unplanned hospital visits, indicating the need for careful post-discharge monitoring in this population.

778 View
54 Download

Breast cancer

Harnessing Institutionally Developed Clinical Targeted Sequencing to Improve Patient Survival in Breast Cancer: A Seven-Year Experience: Jiwon Koh, Jinyong Kim, Go-Un Woo, Hanbaek Yi, So Yean Kwon, Jeongmin Seo, Jeong Mo Bae, Jung Ho Kim, Jae Kyung Won, Han Suk Ryu, Yoon Kyung Jeon, Dae-Won Lee, Miso Kim, Tae-Yong Kim, Kyung-Hun Lee, Tae-You Kim, Jee-Soo Lee, Moon-Woo Seong, Sheehyun Kim, Sungyoung Lee, Hongseok Yun, Myung Geun Song, Jaeyong Choi, Jong-Il Kim, Seock-Ah Im; Cancer Res Treat. 2025;57(2):443-456. Published online August 21, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4143/crt.2024.296

Abstract PDF Supplementary Material PubReader ePub

Purpose
Considering the high disease burden and unique features of Asian patients with breast cancer (BC), it is essential to have a comprehensive view of genetic characteristics in this population. An institutional targeted sequencing platform was developed through the Korea Research-Driven Hospitals project and was incorporated into clinical practice. This study explores the use of targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) and its outcomes in patients with advanced/metastatic BC in the real world.
Materials and Methods
We reviewed the results of NGS tests administered to BC patients using a customized sequencing platform—FiRST Cancer Panel (FCP)—over 7 years. We systematically described clinical translation of FCP for precise diagnostics, personalized therapeutic strategies, and unraveling disease pathogenesis.
Results
NGS tests were conducted on 548 samples from 522 patients with BC. Ninety-seven point six percentage of tested samples harbored at least one pathogenic alteration. The common alterations included mutations in TP53 (56.2%), PIK3CA (31.2%), GATA3 (13.8%), BRCA2 (10.2%), and amplifications of CCND1 (10.8%), FGF19 (10.0%), and ERBB2 (9.5%). NGS analysis of ERBB2 amplification correlated well with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. RNA panel analyses found potentially actionable and prognostic fusion genes. FCP effectively screened for potentially germline pathogenic/likely pathogenic mutation. Ten point three percent of BC patients received matched therapy guided by NGS, resulting in a significant overall survival advantage (p=0.022), especially for metastatic BCs.
Conclusion
Clinical NGS provided multifaceted benefits, deepening our understanding of the disease, improving diagnostic precision, and paving the way for targeted therapies. The concrete advantages of FCP highlight the importance of multi-gene testing for BC, especially for metastatic conditions.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Comprehensive analysis of FGFR2b and its correlation with essential biomarkers, intratumoral heterogeneity, and survival in advanced gastric cancer
Yoonjin Kwak, Tae-Yong Kim, Hye Seung Lee, Soo Kyung Nam, Hyeon Jeong Oh, Do-Youn Oh, Seock-Ah Im
British Journal of Cancer.2026; 134(10): 1429. CrossRef
Genomic and transcriptomic analyses of residual invasive triple-negative breast cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the prospective MIRINAE trial (a randomized phase II trial of adjuvant atezolizumab plus capecitabine compared to capecitabine; KCSG-B
S.-A. Im, K. Park, J. Koh, C. Park, K.H. Jung, J. Lee, H.K. Ahn, A. Lee, S.H. Sim, M.H. Kim, J.H. Kim, J.H. Kim, K.E. Lee, K.H. Park, J. Bae, M.H. Lee, S. Lim, H.J. Kim, D.-W. Lee, J.H. Jeong, K.S. Lee, J. Sohn, K.J. Suh, J.-Y. Kim, Y.J. Cha, J. Moon, C.-
ESMO Open.2025; 10(10): 105804. CrossRef

5,060 View
247 Download
1 Web of Science
2 Crossref

A Real-world Efficacy of Nab-paclitaxel Monotherapy in Metastatic Breast Cancer: Jung Sun Kim, Koung Jin Suh, Dae-Won Lee, Go-un Woo, Miso Kim, Se Hyun Kim, Han Suk Ryu, Kyung-Hun Lee, Tae-Yong Kim, Sae-Won Han, So Yeon Park, In Ae Park, Jee Hyun Kim, Seock-Ah Im; Cancer Res Treat. 2022;54(2):488-496. Published online August 13, 2021; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4143/crt.2021.394

Abstract PDF PubReader ePub

Purpose
We aimed to assess the real-world efficacy of nab-paclitaxel in metastatic breast cancer patients.
Materials and Methods
This is a retrospective study performed in two tertiary referral hospitals in Korea. Patients with metastatic breast cancer treated with nab-paclitaxel (Abraxane®) between March 2016 and March 2020 were enrolled.
Results
A total of 102 patients with metastatic breast cancer were included. Patients were heavily pre-treated with a median of four prior lines of chemotherapy (5 lines when including endocrine therapy in hormone-receptor-positive patients), and 66 patients (64.7%) were exposed to taxanes in the metastatic setting. According to St. Gallen molecular subtypes, 36 patients (35.3%) were luminal A, 28 (27.5%) were luminal B, 18 (17.7%) were human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–positive and 20 (19.6%) had triple-negative disease. Fifty patients (49.0%) were treated with a 3-weekly regimen (260 mg/m² on day 1 every 3 weeks), and 52 (51.0%) were treated with a weekly regimen (100 mg/m² every week). Objective response rate was 22.9%. After a median follow-up of 22.0 months, median progression-free survival (PFS) was 4.0 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.6 to 4.8) and median overall survival was 8.7 months (95% CI, 7.5 to 11.2). Patients treated with weekly regimen had longer PFS compared to 3-weekly regimen (5.5 vs. 2.3 months, p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed the treatment regimen as an independent prognostic factor for PFS. There was no grade 3 or 4 hypersensitivity reaction.
Conclusion
This real-world data shows that nab-paclitaxel is a reasonable treatment option in heavily pre-treated and/or taxane-exposed metastatic breast cancer patients.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Nanomaterials for biomedical applications: Addressing regulatory hurdles and strategic solutions
Sunil Gujjar, Samiksha Kukal, Prakash Jayabal, Neha Balaji, Saloni Sainger, Srabaita Roy, Suneel Rallapalli, Ravikiran Mahadevappa, Shilpi Minocha, Saran Kumar, Santosh Mathapati
Nano Trends.2025; 11: 100127. CrossRef
The efficacy and therapy management of nab-paclitaxel in the real-world setting for patients with advanced breast cancer – the SERAPHINA study
Andreas Schneeweiss, Peter A. Fasching, Marc Thill, Marion van Mackelenbergh, Frederik Marme, Hans Tesch, Tanja N. Fehm, Tjoung-Won Park-Simon, Lothar Häberle, Sabrina Uhrig, Oliver Tome, Thomas Spall, Anna-Katharin Theuser, Matthias Ruebner, Erik Bellevi
Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
Nab-paclitaxel plus bevacizumab for patients with metastatic extrapulmonary neuroendocrine carcinoma: a phase 2 single-arm study
Panpan Zhang, Shengmian Li, Ru Jia, Jing Hao, Chen Chen, Shilin Gan, Jie Li, Lin Shen, Ming Lu
eClinicalMedicine.2025; 90: 103598. CrossRef
Long-term outcomes of a randomized, open-label, phase II study comparing cabazitaxel versus paclitaxel as neoadjuvant treatment in patients with triple-negative or luminal B/HER2-negative breast cancer (GENEVIEVE)
P. Meyer-Wilmes, J. Huober, M. Untch, J.-U. Blohmer, W. Janni, C. Denkert, P. Klare, T. Link, K. Rhiem, C. Bayer, M. Reinisch, V. Bjelic-Radisic, D.M. Zahm, C. Hanusch, C. Solbach, G. Heinrich, A.D. Hartkopf, A. Schneeweiss, P. Fasching, N. Filmann, V. Ne
ESMO Open.2024; 9(5): 103009. CrossRef
Real-world study on the effect of nab-paclitaxel treatment on clinical outcomes and laboratory parameters in patients across metastatic tumor sites
Vikas Talreja, Sangeeta Khetwani, Ethirajan Nanadagopal, Nilesh Eknath Borkar, Kunal Khobragade
International Journal of Molecular and Immuno Oncology.2024; 9: 46. CrossRef
Safety and efficacy of generic nab-paclitaxel-based therapy in Chinese patients with malignant tumors in a real-world setting: a multicenter prospective observational study
Fei He, Yancai Sun, Wenzhou Zhang, Qiongshi Wu, Donghang Xu, Zaixian Bai, Zhiying Hao, Weiyi Feng, Kanghuai Zhang, Jiang Liu, Mei Dong, Guangxuan Liu, Guohui Li
Discover Oncology.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
Nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel and PD-1 inhibitor (sintilimab) combination therapy for soft tissue sarcoma: a retrospective study
Zhichao Tian, Shuping Dong, Yang Yang, Shilei Gao, Yonghao Yang, Jinpo Yang, Peng Zhang, Xin Wang, Weitao Yao
BMC Cancer.2022;[Epub] CrossRef
Paclitaxel

Reactions Weekly.2022; 1926(1): 383. CrossRef
Natural Taxanes: From Plant Composition to Human Pharmacology and Toxicity
Ľuboš Nižnanský, Denisa Osinová, Roman Kuruc, Alexandra Hengerics Szabó, Andrea Szórádová, Marián Masár, Žofia Nižnanská
International Journal of Molecular Sciences.2022; 23(24): 15619. CrossRef
A Novel Microcrystalline BAY-876 Formulation Achieves Long-Acting Antitumor Activity Against Aerobic Glycolysis and Proliferation of Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Hua Yang, Mu-Zi-he Zhang, Hui-wei Sun, Yan-tao Chai, Xiaojuan Li, Qiyu Jiang, Jun Hou
Frontiers in Oncology.2021;[Epub] CrossRef

11,360 View
250 Download
7 Web of Science
10 Crossref

First
Prev
Page of 1
Next
Last

Search