Cheongyang Gun

Researchers are investigating glioblastoma, a highly aggressive brain tumor with limited treatment options, by studying patient-derived glioblastoma organoids GBOs. These organoids are used to test how well drugs, including temozolomide and other repurposed chemotherapeutic agents, work in lab settings compared to patient responses. The study aims to see if drug responses in GBOs can predict patient outcomes like progression-free survival. The study uses an organoid-based drug sensitivity test DST to assess responses to temozolomide by measuring cell viability and determining drug sensitivity or resistance. This is a retrospective observational study where clinical outcomes from patients who have undergone standard treatment, including surgery and temozolomide-based chemoradiation therapy, are compared to the drug responses seen in their corresponding GBOs. No treatments are changed based on DST results. Participants provide tumor samples and clinical data, including genetic information and radiologic scans, which are collected prospectively. Researchers evaluate progression-free survival 12 months after surgery and overall survival after 18 months. The goal is to validate GBO-DST as a reliable preclinical model to potentially replace traditional clinical trials for glioblastoma drug testing.

Researchers are evaluating treatments for patients with stage III-IV primary epithelial ovarian cancer. This phase III randomized controlled trial aims to compare the effects of adding hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy HIPEC with cisplatin to interval cytoreductive surgery followed by neoadjuvant chemotherapy, against surgery without HIPEC. The study is led by the National Cancer Center in Korea and seeks to understand if HIPEC improves survival outcomes for these patients. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups one receiving interval cytoreductive surgery combined with HIPEC using cisplatin at a dose of 75 mgm2, and the other undergoing surgery without HIPEC. Both groups will continue with neoadjuvant chemotherapy after surgery. The study follows patients over time to assess differences between these treatments. During the trial, participants will undergo regular assessments including survival tracking, cancer progression monitoring, and evaluation of treatment side effects. Quality of life will be measured using specific questionnaires over a five-year period. Researchers will also collect data on the timing of subsequent therapies and analyze cost-effectiveness. Safety and health status will be closely monitored throughout the study, which lasts up to five years after randomization.