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Background Although several studies have evaluated health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in breast cancer survivors, few have compared HRQoL between breast cancer survivors and an age-matched general population in terms of improvement patterns according to time after surgery. Thus, we compared the postoperative changes in HRQoL in breast cancer survivors with those of age-matched general population groups using the EuroQoL five-dimension three-level questionnaire (EQ-5D-3 L). Methods EQ-5D-3 L questionnaires were obtained from 686 breast cancer survivors during follow-up visits. They were divided into five groups according to time after surgery: 0–5 months, 6–11 months, 12–35 months, 36–59 months, and ≥ 60 months. Their EQ-5D-3 L data, covering five dimensions (mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression), were compared with those of age-matched general population groups. Results The mean EQ-5D-3 L index of breast cancer survivors was high in group with longer time after surgery and the mean EQ-5D-3 L index of breast cancer group over 5 years after surgery was similar to that of an age-matched general population (0.919 vs 0.928, p = 0.305). Although there were deficits in all dimensions of breast cancer survivors, motility eventually exceeded that of general population groups and self-care and usual activities of groups over 3 years after surgery matched those of general population however, pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression of survivors over 5 years after surgery remained worse than those of the general population (p = 0.028, p

We aimed to assess utility weight of health states associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) that reflect the societal preference of the Korean population and to estimate the quality-adjusted life year (QALY) loss with CRC. We recruited 607 individuals from the Korean population; they were surveyed via face-to-face computer-assisted interviews. The participants evaluated each CRC-associated health state using standard gamble. Utility weight for each health state was calculated as the possibility of full health restoration. Moreover, we estimated total QALY loss due to CRC in Korean individuals aged ≥30 years in 2013. To calculate QALY due to morbidity, we yielded utility weights and used epidemiologic data of CRC on severity from the National Cancer Control Institute. QALY loss due to mortality was calculated using mortality of CRC and life expectancy data from the Korean Statistical Information Service. The highest and lowest utility weights were assigned to “adenomatous polyps” and “metastatic colon cancer”, respectively. Total QALY loss due to CRC in Korea was 173,662; these patients were more likely to be men or be included in the 70–74-year age group. These utility weights may be useful for conducting cost-utility studies of cancer screening for CRC and for measuring disease burden with QALY.

Recovery of mitochondrial dysfunction has gained increasing attention as an alternative therapeutic strategy for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recent studies suggested that the 18 kDa mitochondrial translocator protein (TSPO) has the potential to serve as a drug target for the treatment of AD. In this study, we generated a structure-based pharmacophore model and virtually screened a commercial library, identifying SVH07 as a virtual hit, which contained a tricyclic core structure, thieno[2',3':4,5]pyrrolo[1,2-d][1,2,4]triazine group. A series of SVH07 analogues were synthesized and their effects on the mitochondrial membrane potential and ATP production were determined by using neuronal cells under Aβ-induced toxicity. Among these analogues, compound 26 significantly recovered mitochondrial membrane depolarization and ATP production. In vitro binding assays indicated that SVH07 and 26 showed high affinities to TSPO with the IC50 values in a nanomolar range. We believe that compound 26 is a promising lead compound for the development of TSPO-targeted mitochondrial functional modulators with therapeutic potential in AD.

Background A cost-utility study of a human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine requires that the utility weights for HPV-related health states (i.e., cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), cervical cancer, and condyloma) be evaluated. The aim of the present study was to determine the utility weights for HPV-related health states. Methods Hypothetical standardised health states related to HPV were developed based on patient education material and previous publications. To fully reflect disease progression from diagnosis to prognosis, each health state comprised four parts (diagnosis, symptoms, treatment, and progression and prognosis). Nine-hundred members from the Korean general population evaluated the HPV-related health states using a visual analogue scale (VAS) and a standard gamble (SG) approach, which were administered face-to-face via computer-assisted interview. The mean utility values were calculated for each HPV-related health state. Results According to the VAS, the highest utility (0.73) was HPV-positive status, followed by condyloma (0.66), and CIN grade I (0.61). The lowest utility (0.18) was cervical cancer requiring chemotherapy without surgery, followed by cervical cancer requiring chemoradiation therapy (0.42). SG revealed that the highest utility (0.83) was HPV-positive status, followed by condyloma (0.78), and CIN grade I (0.77). The lowest utility (0.43) was cervical cancer requiring chemotherapy without surgery, followed by cervical cancer requiring chemoradiation therapy (0.60). Conclusions This study was based on a large sample derived from the general Korean population; therefore, the calculated utility weights might be useful for evaluating the economic benefit of cancer screening and HPV vaccination programs. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12955-016-0566-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.