Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science

Original articles

Oncology and Cancer Research
Extended therapeutic efficacy of dacarbazine following prior treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors in metastatic melanoma: a single center retrospective study in Korea: Jihyun Na, Jun Young Kim, Seok-Jong Lee, In Hee Lee, Soo Jung Lee; J Yeungnam Med Sci. 2026;43:14. Published online January 16, 2026; DOI: https://doi.org/10.12701/jyms.2026.43.14

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Background
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized the treatment of advanced malignant melanoma. This study examined the real-world efficacy of dacarbazine (dimethyl triazeno imidazole carboxamide, DTIC) in patients who had previously received pembrolizumab, based on the hypothesis that prior ICI treatment enhances the therapeutic response to subsequent chemotherapy.
Methods
This retrospective study included 71 patients with histologically confirmed malignant melanoma treated at Kyungpook National University Chilgok Hospital (Daegu, Korea) between 2011 and 2023. The patients received DTIC for unresectable stage IIIC, IIID, or IV melanoma (American Joint Committee on Cancer, 8th edition).
Results
Among the 71 patients, the median patient age was 64 years (range, 25–89 years). When categorized by melanoma subtype, 18 patients (25.4%) had acral melanoma, 40 (56.3%) had cutaneous melanoma, and 13 (18.3%) had mucosal melanoma. Sixteen of the DTIC-treated patients had not received pembrolizumab previously (DTIC-only group), while 55 had (pem-DTIC group). The median progression-free survival was 2.3 months in the DTIC-only group and 3.9 months in the pem-DTIC group (hazard ratio [HR], 0.246; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.106–0.576; p=0.001). The median overall survival was 6.8 months in the DTIC-only group and 19.0 months in the pem-DTIC group (HR, 0.198; 95% CI, 0.068–0.574; p=0.003). The duration of response (DoR) was 4.64 months in the DTIC group and 8.11 months in the pem-DTIC group.
Conclusion
This study demonstrated that the DoR to DTIC was prolonged following ICI therapy (4.64 months vs. 8.11 months). This indicates that prior ICI treatment may enhance tumor sensitivity to chemotherapy, making DTIC a viable option for treating refractory, relapsed, or progressive melanoma.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Real-World Treatment Outcomes After Nivolumab Progression in BRAF-Negative Metastatic Melanoma: A Multicenter Cohort Study by the Turkish Oncology Group
Emine Bihter Eniseler, Atike Pinar Erdogan, Mustafa Şahbazlar, Fatma Keskin Uzundere, Teoman Şakalar, Hasibe Bilge Gür, İlhan Hacıbekiroğlu, Onur Yazdan Balcık, İsmail Beypınar, Mehmet Gürdal Savsar, Gözde Pempe, Sila Oksuz, Tuğba Başoğlu, Özge Demirkıran
Journal of Clinical Medicine.2026; 15(13): 5224. CrossRef

Nephrology
The impact of quality of life measured by WHOQOL-BREF on mortality in maintenance hemodialysis patients: a single center retrospective cross-sectional study: Seong Gyu Kim, In Hee Lee; J Yeungnam Med Sci. 2023;40(1):49-57. Published online April 18, 2022; DOI: https://doi.org/10.12701/jyms.2022.00080

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Abstract PDF

Background
Several previous studies have reported that quality of life (QoL) in hemodialysis patients affects mortality. However, the 36-item Short Form Health Survey, which has been used mainly in previous studies, is complicated in terms of questionnaire composition and interpretation. This study aimed to identify the impact of QoL on mortality in hemodialysis patients using an easier and simpler diagnostic tool.
Methods
This retrospective study included 160 hemodialysis patients. QoL was evaluated using the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire-Brief version (WHOQOL-BREF). Psychosocial factors were evaluated using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. We also evaluated medical factors, such as dialysis adequacy and laboratory results.
Results
The mean hemodialysis vintage was 70.7±38.0 months. The proportion of patients who were elderly was higher in the mortality group than in the surviving group, and the Charlson Comorbidity Index score was also higher in the former group. Of the four domains of the WHOQOL-BREF, the physical health and psychological scores of the mortality group were significantly lower than those of the survival group. When the score in the physical health domain or psychological domain was ≤10, the 10-year mortality rate after hemodialysis initiation increased by approximately 2.3- and 2-fold, respectively.
Conclusion
QoL may have a significant effect on mortality in patients undergoing hemodialysis. The WHOQOL-BREF is an instrument that can measure QoL relatively easily and can be used to improve the long-term prognosis of patients undergoing hemodialysis.

Citations

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Dual trajectories of capacity management behavior and quality of life in hemodialysis patients: a longitudinal study
Mengyuan Zhang, Yingying Cai, Yue Hou, Bin Ma, Ou Chen
Quality of Life Research.2026;[Epub] CrossRef
Health-Related Social Needs Are Associated with Lower Self-Reported Quality of Life in Patients on Hemodialysis
Hailey Yetman, Huei Hsun Wen, Lin-Chun Wang, Zijun Dong, Lela Tisdale, Yvette Foby, Carol R. Horowitz, Len Usvyat, Jennifer Scherer, Stephan Thijssen, Peter Kotanko, Steven Coca, Girish Nadkarni, Lili Chan
Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.2026; 21(4): 593. CrossRef
Influence of Social Support and Quality of Life on Mortality Among Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis
Lu ZHANG, Yongai ZHANG, Sumei ZHANG, Xuanbing TANG, Shengyan SHI, Haiying QUAN, Xiu YANG
Journal of Nursing Research.2026; 34(2): e443. CrossRef
Quality of Life Among End-Stage Renal Disease Patients Undergoing Maintenance Hemodialysis at King Abdulaziz Hospital, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study
Nuha Eid Alotaibi, Anna Joyce Pitsoane, Felipe G. Martinez, Ramy I. Abulikailik
Healthcare.2026; 14(14): 2071. CrossRef
Rebuilding Quality of Life and Health-Related Quality of Life in Adolescents After Parental Divorce: A Randomized Controlled Trial of the SES NXT Digital Intervention
Gert Martin Hald, Camilla S. Øverup
Applied Research in Quality of Life.2026;[Epub] CrossRef
Application of standardized management and effect evaluation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients using the big data center of the Internet of Things
Xiaoping Chen, Fei He, Yan Jiang, Xuezhen Chen, Yubing Yan
DIGITAL HEALTH.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
Effects of Urban Forest Therapy on Depression, Anxiety, and Sleep Quality in People Experiencing Cancer
Youngsin Jeon, Ye-Seul Kim, Ga Yeon Kim, Poung-Sik Yeon
Journal of People, Plants, and Environment.2024; 27(4): 303. CrossRef

Oncology and Cancer Research
Treatment decision for cancer patients with fever during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic: In Hee Lee, Sung Ae Koh, Soo Jung Lee, Sun Ah Lee, Yoon Young Cho, Ji Yeon Lee, Jin Young Kim; Yeungnam Univ J Med. 2021;38(4):344-349. Published online August 23, 2021; DOI: https://doi.org/10.12701/yujm.2021.01144

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Abstract PDF: Background
Cancer patients have been disproportionally affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, with high rates of severe outcomes and mortality. Fever is the most common symptom in COVID-19 patients. During the COVID-19 pandemic, physicians may have difficulty in determining the cause of fever (COVID-19, another infection, or cancer fever) in cancer patients. Furthermore, there are no specific guidelines for managing cancer patients with fever during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, this study evaluated the clinical characteristics and outcomes of cancer patients with fever during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods
This study retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 328 cancer patients with COVID-19 symptoms (fever) admitted to five hospitals in Daegu, Korea from January to October 2020. We obtained data on demographics, clinical manifestations, laboratory test results, chest computed tomography images, cancer history, cancer treatment, and outcomes of all enrolled patients from electronic medical records.
Results
The most common COVID-19-like symptoms were fever (n=256, 78%). Among 256 patients with fever, only three (1.2%) were diagnosed with COVID-19. Most patients (253, 98.8%) with fever were not diagnosed with COVID-19. The most common solid malignancies were lung cancer (65, 19.8%) and hepatobiliary cancer (61, 18.6%). Twenty patients with fever experienced a delay in receiving cancer treatment. Eighteen patients discontinued active cancer treatment because of fever. Major events during the treatment delay period included death (2.7%), cancer progression (1.5%), and major organ dysfunction (2.7%).
Conclusion
Considering that only 0.9% of patients tested for COVID-19 were positive, screening for COVID-19 in cancer patients with fever should be based on the physician’s clinical decision, and patients might not be routinely tested.

Case Reports

Nephrology
A Case of Osmotic Demyelination Syndrome in a Patient with Severe Hyponatremia Complicated by Rhabdomyolysis.: Da Young Lee, Chang Woo Hong, In Hee Lee; Yeungnam Univ J Med. 2013;30(1):25-30. Published online June 30, 2013; DOI: https://doi.org/10.12701/yujm.2013.30.1.25

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Abstract PDF

Hyponatremia, the most common electrolyte disorder, has been rarely reported as causing rhabdomyolysis. Osmotic demyelination syndrome (ODS), a demyelinating disease of the central pons and/or other areas of the brain, is infrequently reported as associated with rapid correction of hyponatremia. This paper reports a case of ODS after correction of severe hyponatremia complicated by rhabdomyolysis. A 47-year-old female with a history of chronic alcoholism presented herself at the hospital with altered consciousness after three days of nausea and vomiting. She was on a thiazide diuretic for essential hypertension. Her blood tests upon her hospital admission showed hyponatremia (Na+ 98 mEq/L), hypokalemia (K+ 3.0 mEq/L), and elevation of her serum creatine phosphokinase (3,370 IU/L) with an increase in her serum myoglobin level 11,267 ng/mL). She was treated with intravenous fluid therapy that included isotonic and hypertonic salines along with potassium chloride. She became more alert, and her neurological condition gradually improved after the first five days of her therapy. On the ninth day after her admission, she developed progressive quadiaresis associated with dysarthria, dysphagia, and dystonia despite the resolution of her hyponatremia. Magnetic resonance imaging of her brain on 16th day revealed symmetrical areas of signal hyperintensity in her central pons, basal ganglia, and precentral gyrus in T2-weighted images, which are consistent with ODS. Her neurological symptoms steadily improved after six weeks with only supportive treatment and rehabilitation.

Citations

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Severe hyponatremia and seizures after bowel preparation with low-volume polyethylene glycol plus ascorbic acid solution
Jae Young Lee, Byung Ik Jang, Yoon Jeong Nam, Jay Song, Min Cheol Kim, Seung Min Chung, Jong Geol Jang, Jae Ho Cho
Yeungnam University Journal of Medicine.2015; 32(1): 55. CrossRef

Nephrology
A Case of Primary Aldosteronism Accompanied by Hypokalemic Rhabdomyolysis.: Hong Ik Kim, Sang Ah Baek, Hyun Sik Hwang, Woo Hyun Lee, Gun Woo Kang, In Hee Lee; Yeungnam Univ J Med. 2012;29(2):113-117. Published online December 31, 2012; DOI: https://doi.org/10.12701/yujm.2012.29.2.113

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Abstract PDF

Primary aldosteronism is characterized by hypertension, hypokalemia, and metabolic alkalosis, associated with excessive aldosterone production and suppressed plasma renin activity. Hypokalemia-induced rhabdomyolysis has been rarely reported in primary aldosteronism patients. This paper reports a case of primary aldosteronism presented with rhabdomyolysis due to severe hypokalemia. A 48-year-old male with a three-year history of hypertension presented himself at the authors' hospital with generalized weakness and myalgia in both legs over a period of several days. His laboratory findings showed hypokalemia (1.8 mEq/L) with elevations of his serum creatine phosphokinase and serum myoglobin. His plasma aldosterone level was also elevated, and his plasma renin activity was reduced. An abdominal computed tomography revealed a 2.0 cm hypodense mass in the left adrenal gland, which suggested adrenal adenoma. The accordingly underwent laparoscopic adrenalectomy. Three months later, his plasma potassium level and blood pressure became normal without the use of medications.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Primary Aldosteronism Presenting as Hypokalemia and Rhabdomyolysis
Kee Hong Park, Soo-Kyung Kim, Eun Bin Cho, Heejeong Jeong, Nack-Cheon Choi, Oh-Young Kwon, Byeong Hoon Lim, Jong Ryeal Hahm, Ki-Jong Park
Korean Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology.2016; 18(1): 21. CrossRef

Nephrology
Two Cases of Severe Pancytopenia Associated with Low-Dose Methotrexate Therapy in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease and Rheumatoid Arthritis.: Hong Ik Kim, Woo Hyun Lee, Jang Seok Oh, Hyo Rim Hong, In Hee Lee; Yeungnam Univ J Med. 2011;28(1):60-69. Published online June 30, 2011; DOI: https://doi.org/10.12701/yujm.2011.28.1.60

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Abstract PDF: Due to its efficacy and tolerability, low dose oral methotrexate(MTX) therapy has been widely used for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis(RA). However, it can rarely cause serious, life-threatening hematologic toxicities, such as pancytopenia. We report here on two patients with chronic kidney disease(CKD), who developed severe pancytopenia after 5 years (cumulative dose 1,240mg) and 4 years(cumulative dose 1,320mg) of low dose MTX therapy for treatment of RA, respectively. Both patients presented with renal insufficiency, hypoalbuminemia, concurrent use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and elevated mean corpuscular volume of red blood cells(RBCs), all of which are known as risk factors of MTX-induced pancytopenia. Despite receiving treatment, which included RBC and platelet transfusions, antibiotic therapy, granulocyte colony stimulating factor, and leucovorin rescue, one patient died of sepsis. Based on our case study, prompt investigation of risk factors associated with MTX toxicity is required for all patients receiving MTX therapy. MTX treatment, even at a low dose, should be discontinued in patients with advanced CKD.

Nephrology
Milk-alkali syndrome secondary to the intake of calcium supplements.: In Hee Lee, Sin Young Noh, Gun Woo Kang; Yeungnam Univ J Med. 2016;33(1):48-51.; DOI: https://doi.org/10.12701/yujm.2016.33.1.48

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Abstract PDF: Milk-alkali syndrome (MAS), a triad of hypercalcemia, metabolic alkalosis, and renal failure, is associated with ingestion of large amounts of calcium and absorbable alkali. MAS is the third most common cause of hypercalcemia in hospital, after primary hyperparathyroidism and malignant neoplasm. MAS is not often reported in the Korean literature. We describe MAS secondary to intake of calcium citrate for the treatment of osteoporosis with thoracic spine compression fracture. A 70-year-old man presented to our hospital with a 1-week history of general weakness and lethargy. He was found with acute kidney injury (serum creatinine, 4.6 mg/dL), hypercalcemia (total calcium, 14.8 mg/dL), and alkalosis. Laboratory evaluation excluded both hyperparathyroidism and malignancy. Mental status and serum calcium level was normalized within a week after proper hydration and intravenous administration of furosemide. However, he developed aspiration pneumonia, pseudomembranous colitis, and sepsis with multi-organ failure. Despite intensive treatment including inotropics, mechanical ventilation, and renal replacement therapy, he expired with no signs of renal recovery on the 28th hospital day.

Nephrology
Amlodipine intoxication complicated by acute kidney injury and rhabdomyolysis.: In Hee Lee, Gun Woo Kang; Yeungnam Univ J Med. 2015;32(1):17-21.; DOI: https://doi.org/10.12701/yujm.2015.32.1.17

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Abstract PDF: Amlodipine, a calcium channel blocker of the dihydropyridine group, is commonly used in management of hypertension, angina, and myocardial infarction. Amlodipine overdose, characterized by severe hypotension, arrythmias, and pulmonary edema, has seldom been reported in Korean literature. We report on a fatal case of amlodipine intoxication with complications including rhabdomyolysis and oliguric acute kidney injury. A 70-year-old woman with a medical history of hypertension was presented at the author's hospital 6 hours after ingestion of 50 amlodipine (norvasc) tablets (total dosage 250 mg) in an attempted suicide. Her laboratory tests showed a serum creatinine level of 2.5 mg/dL, with elevated serum creatine phosphokinase and myoglobin. The patient was initially treated with fluids, alkali, calcium gluconate, glucagon, and vasopressors without a hemodynamic effect. High-dose insulin therapy was also started with a bolus injection of regular insulin (RI), followed by continuous infusion of RI and 50% dextrose with water. Despite intensive treatment including insulin therapy, inotropics, mechanical ventilation, and continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration, the patient died of refractory shock and cardiac arrest with no signs of renal recovery 116 hours after her hospital admission.

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