Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science

Original articles

Medical Informatics
Barriers and opportunities in biobank utilization: insights from a 3-year repeated cross-sectional survey of the Female Breast and Genital Disease with Microbiome Biobank Network (FDMNet) in South Korea: Sangzin Ahn, Hwa Jin Cho, Mi-Seon Kang, An Na Seo, Lucia Kim, Kyung Un Choi, Mee Sook Roh, Eun-Young Kim; J Yeungnam Med Sci. 2025;42:46. Published online August 27, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.12701/jyms.2025.42.46

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Background
This study aimed to document the patterns, challenges, and opportunities for biobank utilization within the Female Breast and Genital Disease with Microbiome Biobank Network (FDMNet) in South Korea. Annual surveys (2022–2024) assessed researcher awareness, utilization patterns, barriers to access, research requirements, and interest in microbiome research.
Methods
Online questionnaires were distributed to staff members at five university hospitals participating in FDMNet. Data from 155 respondents across 3 years were analyzed using descriptive statistics for quantitative data. Qualitative feedback was examined using Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection and natural language processing to identify the thematic clusters of user challenges.
Results
Despite high engagement with biobank resources (76% of the respondents), declining participation rates and interinstitutional collaborations were observed, particularly in 2024, amid the nationwide healthcare crisis. The major barriers to utilization included complex access procedures (31.0%), lack of process knowledge (23.9%), and concerns about Institutional Review Board approval (11.6%). Breast neoplasms (12.3%) and female genital neoplasms (11.0%) were the primary research interests, with blood (24.5%) and tissue (23.9%) samples being the most requested specimens. Most respondents (66.5%) expressed interest in microbiome research but reported insufficient knowledge.
Conclusion
These findings highlight the need for streamlined access procedures, improved researcher education, enhanced clinical data integration, and stronger governance structures to overcome existing barriers to biobank utilization. These insights can guide strategic improvements in biobank operations and resource allocation to serve the evolving needs of the research community better.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Experience in establishing the female breast and genital diseases with microbiome biobank network
Woo-Young Kim, Mi-Seon Kang, Ja Young Lee, An Na Seo, Mee Sook Roh, Kyung Un Choi, Lucia Kim, Eun-Young Kim
Journal of Medicine and Life Science.2026; 23(1): 42. CrossRef

Pathology and Forensic Medicine
What are the most important prognostic factors in patients with residual rectal cancer after preoperative chemoradiotherapy?: Sol-Min Kim, Ghilsuk Yoon, An Na Seo; Yeungnam Univ J Med. 2019;36(2):124-135. Published online April 1, 2019; DOI: https://doi.org/10.12701/yujm.2019.00157

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Abstract PDF

Background
We aimed to establish robust histoprognostic predictors on residual rectal cancer after preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT).
Methods
Analyzing known histoprognostic factors in 146 patients with residual disease allows associations with patient outcome to be evaluated.
Results
The median follow-up time was 77.8 months, during which 59 patients (40.4%) experienced recurrence and 41 (28.1%) died of rectal cancer. On univariate analysis, residual tumor size, ypT category, ypN category, ypTNM stage, downstage, tumor regression grade, lymphatic invasion, perineural invasion, venous invasion, and circumferential resection margin (CRM) were significantly associated with recurrence free survival (RFS) or/and cancer-specific survival (CSS) (all p<0.005). On multivariate analysis, higher ypTNM stage and CRM positivity were identified as independent prognostic factors for RFS (ypTNM stage, p=0.024; CRM positivity, p<0.001) and CSS (p=0.022, p=0.017, respectively). Furthermore, CRM positivity was an independent predictor of reduced RFS, irrespective of subgrouping according to downstage (non-downstage, p=0.001; downstage, p=0.010) or lymph node metastasis (non-metastasis, p=0.004; metastasis, p=0.007).
Conclusion
CRM status may be as powerful as ypTNM stage as a prognostic indicator for patient outcome in patients with residual rectal cancer after preoperative CRT.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Risk score model for predicting local control and survival in patients with rectal cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy
Tuba Kurt Catal, Günay Can, İsmai̇l Demi̇rel, Sefi̇ka Ergen, Di̇dem Öksüz
Oncology Letters.2025; 29(5): 1. CrossRef
Potential Prognostic Factors in Low Rectal Cancer Patients Treated With Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation and Abdominoperineal Resection
Mohamed I Fahim, Fady Shafeik, Rasha M Allam, Marina Asaad, Mohammad Taher
Cureus.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
Poor nutrition and sarcopenia are related to systemic inflammatory response in patients with rectal cancer undergoing preoperative chemoradiotherapy
Shinya Abe, Hiroaki Nozawa, Kazushige Kawai, Kazuhito Sasaki, Koji Murono, Shigenobu Emoto, Junko Kishikawa, Tsuyoshi Ozawa, Yuichiro Yokoyama, Yuzo Nagai, Hiroyuki Anzai, Hirofumi Sonoda, Soichiro Ishihara
International Journal of Colorectal Disease.2022; 37(1): 189. CrossRef
Preoperative sarcopenia is a poor prognostic factor in lower rectal cancer patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy: a retrospective study
Shinya Abe, Kazushige Kawai, Hiroaki Nozawa, Kazuhito Sasaki, Koji Murono, Shigenobu Emoto, Junko Kishikawa, Hiroaki Ishii, Yuichiro Yokoyama, Yuzo Nagai, Hiroyuki Anzai, Hirofumi Sonoda, Koji Oba, Soichiro Ishihara
International Journal of Clinical Oncology.2022; 27(1): 141. CrossRef
A Four-Methylated lncRNAs-Based Prognostic Signature for Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Le-En Liao, Dan-Dan Hu, Yun Zheng
Genes.2020; 11(8): 908. CrossRef

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