• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.92-97
• /
• 2005

Purpose : Reports on the outcome of curative radiotherapy for the primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are rarely encountered in the literature. in this study, we report our experience of a clinical trial where fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) was used in treating a primary HCC. Materials and Methods : A retrospective analysis was peformed on 20 patients who had been histologically diagnosed as HCC and treated by fractionated SRT. The long diameter of tumor measured by CT was $2\~6.5$ cm (average: 3.8 cm). A single dose of radiation used in fractionated SRT was S or 10 Gy: each dose was prescribed based on the planning target volume and normalized to $85\~99\%$ isocenter dose. Patients were treated $3\~5$ times per week for 2 weeks, with each receiving a total dose of 50 Gy (the median dose: 50 Gy). The follow up period was $\~55$ months (the median follow up period: 23 months). Results : The response rate was $50\%$ (12 patients), with 4 patients showing complete response ($20%$), 8 patients showing partial response ($40\%$), and 8 patients showing stable disease ($40\%$). The 1-year and 2-year survival rates were $70.0\%$ and $43.1\%$, respectively, and the median survival time was 20 months. The 1-year and 2-year disease free survival rates were $65\%$ and $32.5\%$, respectively, and the median disease-free survival rate was 19 months. Some acute complications of the treatment were noted as follows: dyspepsia in 12 patients ($60\%$), nausea/emesis in 8 patients ($40\%$), and transient liver function impairment in 6 patients ($30\%$). However, there was no treatment related death. Conclusion : The study indicates that fractionated SRT is a relatively safe and effective method for treating primary HCC. Thus, fractionated SRT may be suggested as a local treatment for HCC of small lesion and containing a single lesion, when the patients are inoperable or operation is refused by the patients. We thought that fractionated SRT is a challenging treatment modality for the HCC.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.18 no.4
• /
• pp.257-264
• /
• 2000

Purpose: For early stage non-small-cell lung cancer, surgical resection is the treatment of choice. But when the patients are not able to tolerate it because of medical problem and when refuse surgery, radiation therapy is considered an acceptable alternative. We report on the treatment results and the effect of achieving local control of primary tumors on survival end points, and analyze factors that may influence survival and local control. Materials and Method : We reviewed the medical records of 32 patients with medically inoperable non-small cell lung cancer treated at our institution from June, 1987 through June, 1997. All patients had a pathologic diagnosis of non-small cell lung cancer and were not candidate for surgical resection because of either patients refusal (4), old age (2), lung problem (21), chest wail invasion (3) and heart problems (3). In 8 patients, there were more than 2 problems. The median age of the patients was 68 years (ranging from 60 to 86 years). Histologic cell type included souamous (24), adenocarcinoma (6) and unclassiried squamous cell (2). The clinical stages of the patients were 71 in 5, 72 in 25, 73 in 2 patients. Initial tumor size was 3.0 cm in 11, between 3.0 cm and 5.0 cm in 13 and more than 5.0 cm in 8 patients. Ail patients had taken chest x-rays, chest CT, abdomen USG and bone scan. Radiotherapy was delivered using 6 MV or 10 MV linear accelerators. The doses of primary tumor were the ranging from 54.0 Gy to 68.8 Gy (median; 61.2 Gy). The duration of treatment was from 37 days through 64 days (median; 0.5 days) and there was no treatment interruption except 1 patient due to poor general status. In 12 patients, concomitant boost technique was used. There were no neoadjuvant or adjuvant treatments such as surgery or chemotherapy. The period of follow-up was ranging from 2 months through 93 months (median; 23 months). Survival was measured from the date radiation therapy was initiated. Results : The overall survival rate was 44.6$\%$ at 2 years and 24.5$\%$ at 5 years, with the median survival time of 23 months. of the 25 deaths, 7 patients died of intercurrent illness, and cause-specific survival rate was 61.0$\%$ at 2 years and 33.5$\%$ at 5 years. The disease-free survival rate was 38.9$\%$ at 2 years and 28.3$\%$ at 5 years. The local-relapse-free survival rate was 35.1$\%$, 28.1$\%$, respectively. On univariate analysis, tumor size was significant variable of overall survival (p=0.0015, 95$\%$ C.1.; 1.4814-5.2815), disease-free survival (P=0.0022, 95$\%$ C.1., 1.4707-5.7780) and local-relapse-free survival (p=0.0015, 95$\%$ C.1., 1.2910- 4.1197). 7 stage was significant variable of overall survival (p=0.0395, 95$\%$ C.1.; 1.1084-55.9112) and had borderline significance on disease-free survival (p=0.0649, 95$\%$ C.1.; 0.8888-50.7123) and local-relapse-free survival (p=0.0582, 95$\%$ C,1.; 0.9342-52.7755). On multivariate analysis, tumor size had borderline significance on overall survival (p=0.6919, 955 C.1., 0.9610-5.1277) and local-relapse-free survival ( p=0.0585, 95$\%$ C.1.; 0.9720-4.9657). Tumor size was also significant variable of disease-free survival (p=0.0317, 95% C.1.; 1.1028-8.4968). Conclusion : Radical radiotherapy is an effective treatment for small (71 or f3 cm) tumors and can be offered as alternative to surgery in elderly or infirmed patients. But when the size of tumor is larger than 5 cm, there were few long-term survivors treated with radiotherapy alone. The use of hypefractionated radiotherapy, endobronchial boost, radisensitizer and conformal or IMRT should be consider to improve the local control rate and disease-specific survival rate.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.20 no.4
• /
• pp.334-342
• /
• 2002

Purpose : The aim of this study was to determine if postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy (CT) alone and concurrent chemoradiation (CCRT), following radical surgery, improved the disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in rectal cancer AJCC stage II and III patients. Materials and Methods : A total of 144 patients with AJCC stage II and III rectal cancer who had had radical surgery between 1989 and 1999 were included in the study. Of these patients, 72 had been treated with postoperative CT, and the other 72 with postoperative CCRT. The chemotherapy regimen consisted of oral UFT on a daily basis for $1\~12$ months (median 12 months) or 5-FU ($500\;mg/m^2$ for 5 days) intravenous (IV) chemotherapy with 4 week intervals for $1\~18$ cycles (median 6 cycles). Radiation of 4,500 cGy was delivered to the surgical bed and regional pelvic lymph nodes area, followed by $540\~1,440\;cGy$ (median 540 cGy) boost to the surgical bed. The follow-up period ranged from 20 to 150 months, with a median of 44 months. Results : The 5-year OS was $60.9\%\;and\;68.9\%$ (p=0.0915), and the 5-year DFS was $56.1\%\;and\;63.8\%$ (p=0.3510) for postoperative CT and postoperative CCRT, respectively. In the stage nm patients, the 5-year OS was $71.1\%\;and\;92.2\%$, and the 5-year DFS was $57.3\%\;and\;85.4\%$ for postoperative CT and CCRT, respectively. The OS was significantly improved (p=0.0379) but the DFS was not with postoperative CCRT compared to the postoperative CT (p=0.1482). In the stage III patients, the 5-year OS was $52.0\%\;and\;55.0\%$, and the 5-year DFS was $47.8\%\;and\;49.8\%$ for postoperative CT and postoperative CCRT. There were no statistically significant differences between postoperative CT and CCRT (p=0.4280 and p=0.7891) in OS and DFS. The locoregional relapses were $16.7\%\;and\;12.5\%$ for postoperative CT and CCRT, respectively. The distant relapses were $25.0\%\;and\;26.4\%$ for postoperative CT and CCRT, respectively. Conclusion : These results showed that postoperative CCRT compared with CT alone improved OS in stage II patients. Although there was no statistical significance, the addition of postoperative RT to CT reduced locoregional relapses compared to CT alone.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• v.6 no.4
• /
• pp.237-243
• /
• 2006

Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate the treatment outcomes and the prognosis for gastric cancer patients with hepatic metastasis. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was based on the medical records of 85 gastric cancer patients with hepatic metastasis (62 synchronous and, 23 metachronous) who received chemotherapy with or without resectional therapy from March 1990 to March 2006. The survival rate was analyzed according to clinicopathologic factors and therapeutic factors, such as whether or not a gastrectomy, a hepatic resection, and/or chemotherapy had been performed. Results: The median survival of gastric cancer patients with hepatic metastasis was 11 months (synchronous: 11 months and metachronous: 17 months). The rates of gastrectomies and hepatic resections in the synchronous group were 24.1% and 16.1%, respectively A 23.5% prevalence of extra-hepatic metastasis was observed. The median survivals of patients who underwent a gastrectomy with a hepatic resection, a gastrectomy alone, and non-surgical treatment were 60, 18, and 9 months, respectively (P<0.05). The disease-free median survival of the metachronous group was 8 ($3{\sim}39$) months. There was no difference in initial pathologic stage and frequency of hepatic metastasis after the gastrectomy in the metachronous group. In the synchronous group, extra-hepatic metastasis, a gastrectomy as the operative procedure, a hepatic resection as the operative procedure and the response to chemotherapy were statistically significant in the univariate analysis, and a hepatic resection as the operative procedure, the response to chemotherapy, and extra-hepatic metastasis were independant prognostic factors identified by the multivariate analysis. In the metachronous group, extra-hepatic metastasis, the response to chemotherapy and differentiation were statistically significant in the univariate analysis, and extra-hepatic metastasis was an independent prognostic factor identified by the multivariate analysis. Conclusion: An aggressive surgical therapy and effective chemotherapy are necessary in the treatment of gastric cancer patients with hepatic metastasis. (J Korean Gastric Cancer Assoc 2006;6:237-243)

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.19 no.4
• /
• pp.306-311
• /
• 2001

Purpose : In this retrospective study, we attempted to evaluate the treatment outcome and the prognostic factors of thymoma treated with surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Methods and materials : Between 1979 and 1998, 55 patients with thymoma were treated at the Seoul National University Hospital. Of these, 11 patients underwent surgery only, 33 patients received post-operative radiotherapy and 11 patients received radiotherapy only. Twenty-three patients had gross total resection and 21 patients subtotal resection. For postoperative radiotherapy, the radiation dose consisted of $41.4\~55.8\;Gy$. The average follow-up was 64 months, and ranged from 2 to 160 months. The sex ratio was 1:1 and the median age was 48 years $(15\~74\;years)$. Overall survival and disease-free survival were determined via the Kaplan-Meier method, and the log-rank was employed to evaluate for differences in prognostic factor. Results : The five- and 10-year survivai rates were $87\%\;and\;65\%$ respectively, and the median survival was 103 months. By univariate analysis, only stage (p=0.0017) turned out to be significant prognostic factors of overall survival. Also, stage (p=0.0007) was significantly predictive for overall survival in mutivariated analysis. Conclusion : This study showed the stage was found to be important prognostic factors, which influenced survival. Especially, as incomplete resection is related with poor results, complete resection is important to cure the invasive thymoma.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.259-265
• /
• 1993

Between January 1985 and July 1992, 52 patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma were studied retrospectively for the effectiveness of sequential chemotherapy and radiation therapy. The male to female ratio was 3.3:1 with a median age of 41 years. Forty patients had squamous cell carcinoma and the remaining 12 had undifferentiated carcinoma. Seven patients had stage III disease and the remainder had stage IV disease at time of presentation. All patients were treated two courses of chemotherapy followed by radiation therapy. Chemotherapy consisted of either CVB (cisplatin, vincristine and bleomycin) or CF (cisplatin and 5-FU). Total radiation dose to the primary site ranged from 6000 cGy to 7500 cGy. Neck nodes were given booster treatment to maximum of 7000 cGy, depending on the extent of disease. Local control, overall survival and disease-free survival rates were analyzed. The complete response (CR) rate to chemotherapy was $15\%$ and the partial response (PR) rate was $46\%,$ for overall major response rate of $61\%.$ The CR rate was $87\%$ after radiation therapy. Median follow-up time was 51 months. The overall survival and disease-free survival rates at 36 months were $54\%\;and\;49\%,$ respectively. Median time to relapse was 15 months. The patterns of initial relapse in CR patients was as follows: locoregional failure only, 12 patients; distant metastasis only,11: both,2. Cox's multivariate regression model revealed that nodal status was the single most important independant prognostic factor influencing disease-free survival (p=0.001). Comparision of these results with other published reports with radiation therapy alone showed that a high rate of initial response to chemotherapy did not translate into local control or survival. At present time radiation therapy alone remains the standard treatment for locoregional cancer of the nasopharyngeal cancer. More controlled clinical trials must be completed before acceptance of chemotherapy as a part of treatment of advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.10-15
• /
• 2001

Purpose : This is a retrospective study to evaluate the results of radiation therapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Materials and Methods : From September 1989 to October 1996, 19 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma completed planned radiation therapy course. Stages were 1 in 2 patients, II in 6, III in 2 IV in 9 patients, respectively. Pathology was squamous cell carcinoma in 5 patients, undifferentiated cell carcinoma in 14 patients. Fourteen patients were treated with radiation therapy only. Five patients received chemotherapy. The follow-up period ranged from 5 months to 115 months with a median of 33 months. Follow-up was possible in all patients. Results : Responses to radiation therapy were complete response in 15 patients, partial response in 2, and no response in 2, respectively. Patterns of failure were as follows : locoregional recurrence in 6 patients and distant metastasis in 4 patients. The sites of distant metastasis were bone, liver and lung. Five year survival rate was $47.8\%$ and five year disease free survival rate was $48.1\%$. Stage, T-stage, N-stage, central nervous system involvement, pathology type, performance status, response, radiation dose, chemotherapy were not significant prognostic factors. Conclusion : 5-year survival rate was $47.8\%$ and 5-year disease free survival rate was $48.1\%$. The advances in radiation therapy techniques and chemotherapy are needed.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.7 no.2
• /
• pp.197-203
• /
• 1989

Of 34 evaluated patients with primary spinal cord tumors, 32 were irradiated at our institution between 1969 and 1983. The results are reported of 32 patients, 16 with ependymoma and 16 with astrocytoma, who were treated with post-operative external beam radiotherapy following biopsy or subtotal resection Twenty-nine patients received $45\~55Gy$ megavoltage beam irradiation in $5\~6$ weeks and the remaining three patients received less than 40Gy. Spinal cord was in the irradiated field for six patients who received more than 50Gy. The minimum follow-up was five years. Five and ten year acturaial survival rates for entire group of patients were $73\%(22/30)\;and\;50\%(8/16)$, including three patients who were salvaged by surgery after radiation failures. Corresponding five and ten year relapse free survival rates were $60\%(18/30)\;and\;32\%(6/19)$, respectively. Of the 29 patients who recived more than 45Gy, relapse free survival at five years was $63\%(17/27)$. Treatment failed in 13 patients and all of those failures were in the irradiated portal. Patients with ependymomas have significantly better relapse free survival than those with astrocytomas, $80\%\;vs.\;40\%$ (p<0.05). There was significant difference in survival between patients with tumors involving the cervical spine and those with tumors in the other loactions, $45\%$ vs. $89\%(p<0.05)$. There was no significant differnece in survival between patients with cauda equina tumors and those with tumors at spinal cord, $100\%\;vs.\;68\%(p>0.05)$. No radiotherapy related neurological deficit was noted with a maximum 20 year follow-up. This study confirms that external beam radiotherapy is a safe and effective treatment modality for primary spinal cord tumors.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
• /
• v.3 no.1
• /
• pp.65-70
• /
• 1987

하인두암은 거의 대부분 이상동(Pyriform Sinus) 에서 발생하며 상당한 정도 진행 시까지 별다른 증상을 나타내지 않는다. 저자들은 1966년부터 1985년까지 만 20년간 하인두에서 발생된 암환자 63명을 중심으로 임상 관찰 및 문헌고찰과 함께 발표하는바이다. 원발병소로는 전체 중 58명에서 이상동, 하인두벽(hypopharyngeal wall) 3명, Postcricoid hypopharynx 와 pharyngopalatine fold 에서 각각 1명씩의 발생빈도를 보였다. 저자들은 설저(base of tongue)암, supraglottic Ca. 및 경부 식도(cervical esophagus)암 경우는 모두 제외시켰다. 임상증상으로서는 경부 종괴(lump)가 33 예로써 가장 현저했으며 또한 첫증상으로써 연하곤란(dysphagia) 또는 sore throat를 나타낸 경우는 32 예 이었다. 그 외에 hoarseness 가 20 예, bloody sputum 4 례 및 호흡곤란 2 예의 순이었다. 내원까지의 증상기간은 대부분 $4{\sim}6$ 개월 이었다. 흡연관계는 1일 1값 이상의 중등도 흡연 경우는 전체의 58% 이었으며 흡연 사실이 있었던 경우는 전체의 88% 이었다. 연령별 발생빈도는 50대$\sim$60대에서 48명으로서 현저히 높았다. 완치 목적의 수술적 치료는 24명에서 시행하였으며 치료 거절은 16명이었다. 치료 거절하였던 환자들 중 81% 가 임상적 제 4 병기였으며 보조적 치료 요법을 실시한 환자들의 78% 에서 제 4 병기였다. 또한 완치 목적의 치료 실시 경우의 67% 에서 제 4 병기였다. 수술요법은 일반적으로 "후두 인두 적출술 및 양측 경정맥 임파군 곽청술"(laryngopharyngectomy with bilateral jugular dissection) 또는 후두 인두 적출술 및 동측의 표준 광범위 경부 곽청술(standard radical neck dissection) 과 반대측의 경정맥 임파군 곽청술을 시행하였다. 3 년 이내와 3 년 이상무병 상태(free of disease) 경우가 각각 4명씩이었다. 마지막 예후 추적 조사시까지 무병 상태였던 환자를 포함하여 예후 추적 조사기간 중 추적 실패 경우는 7명이었다. 확정된 3 년 생존율(determinate 3-year survival rate) 은 31% 이었다. 수술 사망이 1명 있었으며 재발경우는 9 명이었다. 재발부위로는 원발병소 재발이 7명, 경부 재발 1명 및 원격전이가 1명 이었으며, 저자들은 이에 대한 실패 원인을 규명코져 하였다.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.118-124
• /
• 2007

[ $\underline{Purpose}$ ]: This study was to evaluate the survival and pattern of failure after radiation therapy of sino-nasal cancer using partial attenuation filer and wedged beams and to help radiotherapy planning of sino-nasal cancer. $\underline{Materials\;and\;Methods}$: Between February 1992 and March 2003, 17 patients with sino-nasal cancers underwent radiation therapy using partial attenuation filter at Dongsan Medical Center, Keimyung university. There were 9 male and 8 female patients. Patients' age ranged from 40 to 75 years (median 59 years). There were 10 patients of maxillary sinus cancer, 7 patiens of nasal cancer. The histologic type was squamous cell carcinoma in 11, adenoid cystic carcinoma in 4 and olfactory neuroblastoma in 2. The distribution of clinical stage by the AJCC system was 3 for stage II, 7 for III and 6 for IV. The five patients were treated with radiation alone and 12 patients were treated with surgery and postoperative radiation therapy. The range of total radiation dose delivered to the primary tumor was from 44 to 76 Gy (median 60 Gy). The follow-up period ranged from 3 to 173 months with median of 78 months. $\underline{Results}$: The overall 2 year survival rate and disease free survival rate was 76.4%. The 5 year and 10 year survival rate were 76.4% and 45.6% and the 5 year and 10 year disease free survival rate was 70.6%. The 5 year disease free survival rate by treatment modality was 91.6% for postoperative radiation group and 20% for radiation alone group, statistical significance was found by treatment modality (p=0.006). There were no differences in survival by pathology and stage. There were local failure in 5 patients (29%) but no distant failure and no severe complication required surgical intervention. $\underline{Conclusion}$: Radiation therapy of sino-nasal cancer using partial attenuation filter was safe and effective. Combined modality with conservative surgery and radiation therapy was more advisable to achieve loco-regional control in sino-nasal cancer. Also we considered high precision radiation therapy with dose escalation and development of multi-modality treatment to improve local control and survival rate in advanced sino-nasal cancer.