• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.243-247
• /
• 2006

$\underline{Purpose}$: To evaluate the treatment results and prognostic factors of palliative radiation therapy in the patients with unresectable advanced pancreatic cancer. $\underline{Materials\;&\;Methods$: Thirty-seven evaluable patients with unresectable advanced pancreatic cancer who were treated by palliative radiation therapy for pain relief at the Department of Radiation Oncology, Kangnam St. Mary's hospital, the Catholic University of Korea between March 1984 and February 2005 were analysed retrospectively. There were 22 men and 15 women. Age at diagnosis ranged from 30 to 80 (median 57) years. Twelve patients (32.4%) had liver metastases and 22 patients (59.5%) had lymph node metastases. Radiation therapy was delivered to primary tumor and regional lymph nodes with $1{\sim}2\;cm$ margin, and total dose was $3,240{\sim}5,580\;cGy$ (median 5,040 cGy). Chemotherapy with radiotherapy was delivered in 30 patients (81%) with 5-FU alone (21 patients) or gemcitabine (9 patients). The follow-up period ranged from 1 to 44 months. Survival and prognostic factors were analysed using Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test respectively. $\underline{Results}$: Overall mean and median survival were 11 and 8 months and 1-year survival rate was 20%. Among 33 patients who were amenable for response evaluation, 7 patients had good response and 22 patients had fair response with overall response rate of 87.9%. Mild to moderate toxicity were observed in 14 patients with nausea, vomiting, and indigestion, but severe toxicity requiring interruption of treatment were not observed. Chemotherapy didn't influence the survival and symptomatic palliation, but the group containing gemcitabine showed a tendency of longer survival (median 12 months) than 5-FU alone group (median 5.5 months) without statistical significance (p>0.05). The significant prognostic factors were Karnofsky performance status and liver metastasis (p<0.05). Age, sex, tumor location, lymph node metastasis, and CA 19-9 level did not show any prognostic significance (p>0.05). $\underline{Conclusion}$: Radiation therapy was effective for symptomatic palliation in the patients with unresectable advanced pancreatic cancer and would play an important part in the survival benefit with gemcitabine or other targeted agents.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.209-216
• /
• 1999

Purpose : To evaluate the effectiveness of external radiation therapy and the prognostic factors, we retrospectively analyzed therapeutic results of malignant extrahepatic biliary obstruction (EHBO). Methods and Materials : We analyzed the results of the external radiation therapy in 59 patients of inoperable malignant EHBO who had been treated with more than 10 Gy of external radiation therapy from April 1984 to December 1990. There were 21 stomach cancer ($35.6\%$), 12 pancreas cancer ($20.3\%$), 15 extrahepatic biliary cancer ($18.0\%$) and 11 another cancer ($18.0\%$). Their pathologies were confirmed in 31 patients ($52.5\%$). They divided into 27 adenocarcinoma and 4 nonadenocarcinoma. Their chief complaints were jaundice in 47 patients ($79.7\%$) and abdominal pain in 15 patients ($49.2\%$). Twelve patients had slightly increased bilirubin level in liver function test without jaundice. We treated twenty four patients ($40.6\%$) with percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) and 32 patients ($54\%$) with systemic chemotherapy (CT). We performed external radiation therapy (ERT) upto $10.8\~55.8$ Gy (median 37.8 Gy) with palliative aim. Results : Overall median survival duration was $7.80\pm1.15$ months. The response rates of jaundice were $81.8\%$ in PTBO group and $66.7\%$ in non-PTBD group without statistical significance. The improving rate of jaundice was not significantly different in decreased ratio of total bilirubin level. But abdominal pain was more decreased in CT group than non-CT group (p<0.05). The significant prognostic factors were high performance status (Karnofski Performance Status >70), total radiation dose more than 35 Gy and good response of pain after therapy. There were increased in bacterial cholagitis in PTBD group and gastrointestinal complications in CT group. Conclusion : External radiotheapy could improve jaundice and abdominal pain in malignant EHBO patients, Overall survival duration was prolonged in patients with higher performance status and patients who had been treated with more than 35 Gy of total radiation dose. In the future, we expect not only better palliative role but also the prolongation of survival of using the ERT combined with other treatment method. But to achieve certain conclusion, we need luther study consisted with many kinds of treatment methods including new technologies in RT.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.1-5
• /
• 2009

In the past, conservative bypass surgery was usually performed for palliation of malignant obstruction of the gastrointestinal tract. However, endoscopic stenting was developed recently, and technical advances and clinical experience have made it possible to establish stent implantation as one of the main treatment options. There are several advantages in stent implantation over bypass surgery, such as high feasibility and technical success rate, non-invasiveness, rapid symptomatic response, short hospitalization, and cost-effect benefits. Complications, such as stent ingrowth, stent injury by bile or acid, and migration, may occur and early re-insertion is frequently needed. Recently, diverse novel stents which are powered to predict stent migration or ingrowth have been developed and are being used in the clinical setting. In general, stent implantation is known to be beneficial in patients who are expected to survive <6 months, and surgical bypass may be more effective in patients who can survive >6 months. In this review, we have compared the technical feasibility, clinical outcomes, complications, and cost-benefit between stent implantation and bypass surgery, and determined the optimal treatment strategy in malignant upper gastrointestinal obstruction.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.146-150
• /
• 1999

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is relatively rare ouuring as one of important autoimmune disease to affect neuromuscular junction. This study was clinically to evaluate total body irradiation (TBI) against two patients including 33-year and 39-year females for chronic MG with thymoma who hospitalized in the St. Mary's Hospital, Catholic University since 1994 as well as who showed no response by thymectomy, immunotherapy and hormonal therapy. TBI designed by the dose of 150$\~$180 cGy consisting of 10 cGy per fraction, three times a week, for 5~e weeks using linear accelerator of 6 MV. During the treatment of TBI, they did complain acute side effect such as vomiting and also appear improved physical condition from 4$\~$6 weeks after TBI. Through the follow-up period of 18 or 42 months after TBI, they did not have any symptomatic recurrence. Consequently, the results suggest that TBI can be used as an alternative tool for the patients concurrently for MG with thymoma who had been refractory to various conventional therapies like thymectomy, immunotherapy and hormonal therapy.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
• /
• v.10 no.2
• /
• pp.74-77
• /
• 2007

Purpose: We evaluated how many patients received radiotherapy and how many those of them could not complete radiation therapy in Hospice Ward. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the general characteristics in 33 patients who began to receive palliative radiation therapy, and radiation dose and reasons of not-completing radiation therapy in Hospice Ward of St. Vincent's Hospital. Results: Thirty three (8.2%) among 404 patients who had been admitted from November 2003 and October 2005 received palliative radiation therapy. The main indications of radiation therapy included brain metastasis, painful bone metastasis, painful tumor mass, and obstructive shortness of breath. Forty five percent of these patients could not complete. And 20% could receive less than 1/3 of planned radiation dose. They failed to complete the treatment often due to poor general rendition. Conclusion: Although palliative radiation therapy had been used frequently for patients with advanced cancer in Hospice Ward of St. Vincent's Hospital, but it was often not completed. With appropriate selection criteria of patients and shorter modification of radiation treatment period, more patients would be benefited with palliative radiation therapy in Hospice Ward.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.32 no.3
• /
• pp.299-302
• /
• 1999

Heart transplantation was planned for a 10-year old boy who had dilated cardiomyopathy with severe congestive heart failure and had been on dopamine for 1month. However, partial left ventriculectomy and mitral annuloplasty were performed instead, because there was no donor heart of the adequate size and the symptoms were aggravated. The clinical symptoms were markedly improved after the surgery. Comparing the postoperative echocardiographic results with the preoperative results, there were remarkable changes in the left ventricular ejection fraction(preoperative LV EF 17% to postoperative 3 months 29%, 6 months 35%, 1 year 36%) and the left ventricular end-diastolic dimension(preoperative 72 mm to postoperative 3 months 59 mm, 6 months 61 mm, 1 year 61 mm). Partial left ventriculectomy and mitral annuloplasty reduced the cardiac loading in the dilated cardiomyopathy. Partial left ventriculectomy and mitral annuloplasty may be considered as one of the alternative surgical metho s to carry over until a heart transplantation can be performed, especially for children.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
• /
• v.13 no.4
• /
• pp.252-256
• /
• 2010

Breathlessness is a frequent and distressing symptom in terminal cancer patients. Refractory breathlessness is defined as a state that does not respond to conventional disease-specific therapy with an exclusion of reversible underlying causes, and the main classes of symptomatic drug treatments include opioids and benzodiazepines. Korean Family Medicine Palliative Medicine Research Group discussed two terminal cancer patients in whom severe breathlessness with different causes were treated with inhalation of nebulized furosemide, which is an emerging option of palliative treatment. It still remains unclear how it becomes effective or how much it is effective, therefore, its routine use seems to be somewhat early. Nevertherless, if a patient with intractable breathlessness does not have a marked obstructive airway lesion, its use should be considered. Based on the discussion in the seminar, we want to share our experience of the application of inhaled furosemide with other palliative care practitioners and strongly recommend further research on this topic in the future.