ESROC-KES Joint Symposium
22 Mar 2026
11:00
12:30
103
Updates in Endocrinology: Emerging Insights into Adrenal Disorders, Muscle Health, and Endocrine Diseases
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11:00
11:20
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Min Jeong ParkSouth Korea
Speaker
Pheochromocytoma: Current Concepts and Emerging EvidencePheochromocytoma and paraganglioma: Current Concepts and Emerging Evidence
Min Jeong Park1
1Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea
Pheochromocytoma and paragangliomas (PPGLs) are rare neuroendocrine tumors. Over the past decade, rapid progress in molecular genetics, diagnostic and follow-up strategies, and systemic therapy has reshaped the landscape of these tumors. In this lecture, I will summarize current concepts and emerging evidence with particular attention to evolving clinical phenotype and long-term management challenges.
Recent evidence suggests that a subset of PPGL patients exhibit autonomous hypercortisolemia in addition to catecholamine excess. In such cases, our group discovered higher rates of metabolic comorbidities – including diabetes mellitus and hypertension – compared with PPGL without cortisol excess. It infers the need for evaluation of pre and postoperative adrenal cortical function and metabolic comorbidities in patients with PPGL.
PPGL are now recognized as among the most heritable human tumors, with 30-40% harboring germline mutation across more than 20 susceptibility genes. Molecular profiling had led to classification into three major clusters: Pseudohypoxia, kinase signaling, and Wnt-pathway – which informs biochemical phenotype, imaging patterns, and metastatic behavior. Multi-omics analyses identify ATRX/TERT alterations, copy-number burden, and immune microenvironmental features as potential prognostic biomarkers.
Surgery remains curative for localized disease with alpha-blockade based perioperative optimization. For metastatic or unresectable disease, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, radionuclide therapies, and immune checkpoint inhibitors form an evolving systemic therapy for PPGL. Prediction of recurrence is also a major unmet domain. Current guideline recommend more than 10 years of surveillance for all resected PPGL and lifelong follow-up for high-risk patients; however, criteria for discontinuing surveillance in low-risk patients after 10 years remain undefined. Our group investigated features of the very-low risk group, which may discontinue follow-up after free of recurrence for 10 years of follow-up.
This lecture will integrate recent advances in PPGL biology and management with practical consideration for metabolic assessment and long-term surveillance, including new data that may guide personalized decision-making for folllow-up cessation in selected low-risk patients.
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11:20
11:40
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Beom-Jun KimSouth Korea
Speaker
Translational Research for Developing Blood-Based Biomarkers of SarcopeniaSarcopenia, characterized by the progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass and function, is a major determinant of frailty and adverse health outcomes in aging populations. Consequently, the identification of reliable blood-based biomarkers is critical for early diagnosis, risk stratification, and the development of therapeutic interventions. This lecture provides an overview of our translational research efforts aimed at discovering and validating novel biomarkers using multi-omics approaches in both preclinical and clinical models of sarcopenia. In animal models, we have integrated proteomics and metabolomics to identify candidate biomarkers reflecting key pathophysiological mechanisms of muscle degeneration. Concurrently, in human cohorts, we employed multi-omics profiling of circulating biomarkers to detect signatures associated with muscle mass, strength, and physical performance. A central focus of our research is the cross-validation of these biomarkers between animal and human models to ensure translational relevance. By leveraging comparative bioinformatics analyses, we aim to establish robust biomarkers with high sensitivity and specificity for detecting sarcopenia and monitoring disease progression. Furthermore, this lecture will discuss the potential clinical utility of these biomarkers in personalized risk assessment. By bridging preclinical discoveries with human validation studies, our work contributes to the advancement of precision medicine for sarcopenia. Ultimately, establishing reliable blood-based biomarkers will facilitate the early identification of high-risk individuals, improve patient stratification in clinical trials, and enable targeted therapeutic strategies.
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11:40
12:00
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Edy KorneliusTaiwan
Speaker
Anxiety in Patients with Thyroid Nodules: What Clinicians Need to KnowThyroid nodules are commonly encountered in endocrine practice, and while the majority are benign, the diagnostic and surveillance process often imposes a substantial psychological burden on patients. Anxiety related to fear of malignancy, uncertainty surrounding ultrasonographic findings, fine-needle aspiration results, and long-term follow-up is frequently underestimated and insufficiently addressed in routine clinical care. Emerging evidence suggests that anxiety in patients with thyroid nodules may persist even after reassurance of benign disease and can significantly affect quality of life, healthcare utilization, and decision-making preferences.
Cancer-related worry is often disproportionate to the actual risk of malignancy and may be exacerbated by repeated imaging, indeterminate cytology, ambiguous terminology, and lack of clear follow-up strategies. Heightened anxiety has been associated with increased demand for diagnostic interventions and preference for aggressive management, potentially leading to overtreatment.
This presentation reviews current evidence on the prevalence, determinants, and clinical consequences of anxiety among patients with thyroid nodules, integrating published literature with real-world clinical experience. Practical approaches for identifying psychological distress in outpatient settings and strategies for improving communication and expectation management will be discussed. Recognizing and addressing anxiety as an integral component of thyroid nodule care is essential for delivering holistic, patient-centred, and value-based endocrinology.
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12:00
12:20
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Yi-Sun YangTaiwan
Speaker
Impaired Fasting Glucose and Musculoskeletal DisordersThe Continuum of Glycemic Dysregulation and Musculoskeletal Health: From Impaired Fasting Glucose to Established Diabetes. As the global medical community transitions into the "Next ERA" of endocrinology, there is an urgent need to broaden our focus beyond traditional microvascular and macrovascular complications toward the pervasive, yet often neglected, musculoskeletal (MS) burden associated with dysglycemia. While the debilitating effects of established Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) on physical function are well-documented, emerging clinical evidence suggests that the musculoskeletal system is an early "silent" target of metabolic injury, with pathological changes manifesting as early as the Impaired Fasting Glucose (IFG) stage. This presentation explores the MS burden across the full glycemic spectrum, highlighting how the transition from normoglycemia to IFG, and ultimately to T2DM, correlates with a progressive increase in chronic pain, structural tissue damage, and functional disability.
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12:20
12:30
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