• 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.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.1-6
• /
• 2011

Purpose: Immobilizations used in order to maintain the reproducibility of a patient set-up and the stable posture for a long period are important more than anything else for the accurate treatment when the stereotactic body radiotherapy is underway. So the purpose of this study is to adapt the optimum immobilizations for the stereotactic body radiotherapy by comparing two commercial immobilizations with the self-manufactured immobilizations. Materials and Methods: Five people were selected for the experiment and three different immobilizations (A: Wing-board, B: BodyFix system, C: Arm up holder with vac-lock) were used to each target. After deciding on the target's most stable respiratory cycles, the targets were asked to wear a goggle monitor and maintain their respiration regularly for thirty minutes to obtain the respiratory signals. To analyze the respiratory signal, the standard deviation and the variation value of the peak value and the valley value of the respiratory signal were separated by time zone with the self-developed program at the hospital and each tie-downs were compared for the estimation by calculating a comparative index using the above. Results: The stability of each immobilizations were measured in consideration of deviation changes studied in each respiratory time lapse. Comparative indexes of each immobilizations of each experimenter are shown to be A: 11.20, B: 4.87, C: 1.63 / A: 3.94, B: 0.67, C: 0.13 / A: 2.41, B: 0.29, C: 0.04 / A: 0.16, B: 0.19, C: 0.007 / A: 35.70, B: 2.37, C: 1.86. And when all five experimenters wore the immobilizations C, the test proved the most stable value while four people wearing A and one man wearing D expressed relatively the most unstable respiratory outcomes. Conclusion: The self-developed immobilizations, so called the arm up holder vac-lock for the stereotactic body radiotherapy is expected to improve the effect of the treatment by decreasing the intra-fraction organ motions because it keeps the respiration more stable than other two immobilizations. Particularly in case of the stereotactic body therapy which requires the maintenance of set-up state for a long time, the self-developed immobilizations is thought to more useful for stereotactic body radiotherapy rather than the rest two immobilizations with instable respiratory cycle as time passes.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.165-173
• /
• 1994

Purpose : Metastatic cancer to the brain is a major problem for the patients with bronchogenic carcinoma, and most of these patients have a limited survival expectancy. To increase tumor control and / or to decrease late morbidity with possible shortening in over-all treatment period, multiple daily fraction technique for brain metastasis was performed. The author reperesented the results of accelerated fractionation radiotherapy in patients with brain metastases from non-small cell lung cancer. Materals and Methods : Twenty-six patients with brain metastases from non-small cell lung cancer between 1991 and 1993 received brain radiotherapy with a total dose of 48 Gy, at 2 Gy per fraction, twice a day with a interfractional period of 6 hours, and delivered 5 days a week. The whole brain was treated to 40 Gy and boost dose escalated to 8 Gy for single metastatic lesion by reduced field. Twenty-four of the 26 patients completed the radiotherapy. Radiotherapy was interupted in two patients suggesting progressive intracerebral diseases. Results : This radiotherapy regimen appears to be comparable to the conventional scheme in relief from symptoms. Three of the 24 patients experienced nausea and or vomiting during the course of treatment because of acute irradiation toxicity. The author observed no excessive toxicity with escalating dose of irradiation. An increment in median survival, although not statistically significant(p>0.05), was noted with escalating doses(48 Gy) of accelerated fractionation(7 months) compared to conventional treatment(4.5 months). Median survival also increased in patients with brain solitary metastasis(9 months) compared to multiple extrathoracic sites(4 months), and in patients with good performance status(9 months versus 3.5 months), they were statistically significant (p<0.01). Conclusion : The increment in survival in patients with good prognostic factors such as controlled primary lesion, metastasis in brain only and good perfomance status appeared encouraging. Based on these results, a multi-institutional prospective randomized trial should be initiated to compare the twice-a-day and once-a-day radiotherapy schemes on patients with brain metastasis with careful consideration for the patients' quality of life.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.32-39
• /
• 2000

Purpose :The incidence of adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix is low. Traditionally, Low Dose Rate (LDR) brachytherapy has been used as a standard modality in the treatment for patients with carcinoma of the uterine cervix. The purpose of this report is to evaluate the effects of the High dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy in the patients with adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix compared with the LDR. : From January 1971 to December 1992, 106 patients of adenocarcinoma of uterine cervix were treated with radiation therapy in the Department of Radiation Oncology, Yonsei University with curative intent. LDR brachytherapy was carried out on 35 patients and 71 patients were treated with HDR brachytherapy. In LDR Group, 8 patients were in stage I, 18 in stage II and 9 in stage III. External radiation therapy was delivered with 10 MV X-ray, daily 2 Gy fractionation, total dose 40$\~$46Gy (median 48 Gy). And LDR Radium intracavitary irradiation was peformed with Henschke applicator, 22$\~$59 Gy to point A (median 43 Gy). In HDR Group, there were 16 patients in stage 1, 38 in stage II and 17 in stage III. The total dose of external radiation was 40$\~$61 Gy(median 45 Gy), daily 1.8$\~$2.0 Gy. HDR Co-60 intracavitary irradiation was peformed with RALS (Remote Afterloading System), 30 $\~$ 57 Gy(median 39 Gy) to point A, 3 times a week, 3 Gy per fraction. Conclusion : The 5-year overall survival rate in LDR Group was 72.9$\%$, 61.9$\%$, 45.0$\%$ in stage I, II, III, respectively and corresponding figures for HDR were 87.1$\%$, 58.3$\%$, 41.2$\%$, respectively (p>0.05). There was no statistical difference in terms of the 5-year overall survival rate between HDR Group and LDR Group in adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix. There was 11$\%$ of late complication rates in LDR Group and 27$\%$ in HDR Group. There were no prognostic factors compared HDR with LDR group. The incidence of the late complication rate in HDR Group stage II, III was higher than that in LDR Group(16.7$\%$ vs. 31.6$\%$ in stage II, 11.1$\%$ vs. 35.3$\%$ In stage III, p>0.05). Although the incidence of radiation induced late complication rate was higher in HDR Group stage II and III patients than that in the LDR Group, statistical significance was not detected and within acceptable level. Conclusion : There was no difference in terms of 5-year survival rate and failure pattern in the patients with adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix treated with HDR and LDR brachytherapy. Even late complication rates were higher in the HDR group It was an acceptable range. This retrospective study suggests that HDR brachytherapy seems to replace the LDR brachytherapy in the adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix. However, further studies will be required to refine the dose rate effects.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.84-88
• /
• 1999

Purpose :To develop a method for verifying a treatment setup in stereotactic radiotherapy by ma- tching portal images to DRRs. Materials and Methods : Four pairs of orthogonal portal images of one patient immobilized by a thermoplastic mask frame for fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy were compared with DRRs. Portal images are obtained in AP (anteriorfposterior) and lateral directions with a target localizer box containing fiducial markers attached to a stereotactic frame. DRRs superimposed over a planned iso-center and fiducial markers are printed out on transparent films. And then, they were overlaid over onhogonal penal images by matching anatomical structures. From three different kind of objects (isgcenter, fiducial markers, anatomical structure) on DRRs and portal images, the displacement error between anatomical structure and isocenters (overall setup error), the displacement error between anatomical structure and fiducial markers (irnrnobiliBation error), and the displacement error between fiducial markers and isocenters (localization error) were measured. Results : Localization error were 1.5$\pm$0.3 mm (AP), 0.9$\pm$0.3 mm (lateral), and immobilization errors were 1.9$\pm$0.5 mm (AP), 1.9$\pm$0.4 mm (lateral). In addition, overall setup errors were 1.0$\pm$0.9 mm (AP), 1.3$\pm$0.4 mm (lateral). From these orthogonal displacement errors, maximum 3D displacement errors($\sqrt{(\DeltaAP)^{2}+(\DeltaLat)^{2}$)) were found to be 1.7$\pm$0.4 mm for localization, 2.0$\pm$0.6 mm for immobilization, and 2.3$\pm$0.7 mm for overall treatment setup. Conclusion : By comparing orthogonal portal images with DRRs, we find out that it is possible to verify treatment setup directly in stereotactic radiotherapy.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.2 no.2
• /
• pp.173-175
• /
• 1984

The therapeutic effect of mammary breast cancer of rat (Sprague Dawley) was estimated by single and 5 fractionated irradiation of $Co^{60}-\gamma-ray$. Response rates over 50a were 20, 43, 67, $80\%$ respectively by single dose irradiation of 800, 1,200, 1,600, 2,000 rad, and 20,38, 57, $88\%$ by 5 fractionated irradiation of 1,400, 2,100, 2,800, 3,500 rad. $50\%$ tumor control dose$(TCD_{50})$ were 1,282rad, 2,312rad respectively with single and fractionated irradiation.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.29 no.10
• /
• pp.1383-1388
• /
• 2000

We report a case of 54 years old male with malignant meningioma originating in the posterior fossa with multiple recurrences, intracranial and extracranial metastases. In spite of gross total removal of tumor and conventional external radiation therapy(CERT), 2 more recurrences, 5 more intracranial metastases and 1 extracranial metastasis to the rib were developed. We tried fractionated stereotactic radiation therapy(FSRT) and CERT to the intracranial metastasis with satisfactory result. Extracranial metastasis to the rib was resected and histological finding was similar to that of original tumor.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.15 no.3
• /
• pp.269-276
• /
• 1997

Purpose : To evaluate the effects of surgical excision followed by radiation therapy for Prevention of keloids and hypertrophic scars. Materials and Methods : From October 1987 to April 1995, radiation therapy was applied to 167 sites in 106 patients with surgical excision in an attempt to prevention of recurrence against keloids and hypertrophic scars. The main etiology of the keloids and hypertrophic scars were surgery in $49.2\%,\;trauma\;in\;25.0\%,\;ear-piercing\;in\;5.4\%,\;and\;burn\;in\;5.4\%$, The Patients' ages ranged from 3 to 70 years with a median of 32 years. Radiation therapy used ranged from 6 to 8MeV electron beam. Radiation therapy was delivered within 24 hours of surgical excision. Several dose schedules were used, varing from 400cGy in 1 daily fraction to 1900cGy in 4 daily fractions. The average total dose was 1059cGy, and the average dose per fraction was 433cGy. All patients were followed up from 24 to 114 months with a median follow up of 49 months. Results : The overall recurrence rate was $12.6\%$ (21/167) The overall 1-year and 2-year recurrence rates were $10.2\%\;and\;11.4\%$, respectively Among 21 recurrent sites, seventeen sites $(81\%)$ were confirmed within 12 months after surgical excision. Period to recurrence ranged from 1 month to 47 months with a median recurrence time of 9.6 months, The history of previous therapy was only a significant factor in recurrence. Twenty-four patients had history of previous therapy recurrence rates was significantly higher in this group than those without history of Previous therapy $(22.6\%\;vs.\;11.0\%,\;p=0.04)$. There was no serious complication related to radiation therapy. Conclusion : This study suggests that surgical excision followed by radiation therapy is an effective method of preventing keloids and hypertrophic scars.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.112-117
• /
• 2003

Purpose: The effects of hypefractionation radiation therapy, such as the failure pattern and survival, on the treatment results in advanced stage head and neck cancer were studied. Materials and Methods: Between September 1990 and October 1998, 24 patients with advanced stage (III, IV) head and neck cancers, were treated using hyperfractionation radiation therapy in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center. The male to female ratio was 7 : 1, and the age range from 38 to 71 years with the median of 56 years. With regard to the TNM stage, 11 patients were stage III and 13 were stage IV. The sites of primary cancer were the nasopharynx in six, the hypopharynx in 6, the larynx in five, the oropharynx in three, the maxillary sinus in three, and the oral cavity in one patient. The radiotherapy was delivered by 6 MV X-ray, with a fraction size of 1.2 Gy at two fractions a day, with at least 6 hours inter-fractional interval. The mean total radiation doses was 72 Gy, (ranging from 64.4 to 75.8 Gy). Follow-up periods ranged between 3 and 136 months, with the median of 52 months. Results: The overall survival rates at 3 and 5 years in all patients were 66.7$\%$, and 52.4$\%$. The disease-free survival rates at 3 and S years (3YDFS, 5YDFS) in all patients were 66.7$\%$ and 47.6$\%$. The 3YDFS and 5YDFS in stage III patients were 81.8$\%$ and 63.6$\%$, and those in stage IV patients were 53.8$\%$ and 32.3$\%$. Ten patients were alive with no local nor distant failures at the time of analyses. Six patients (25$\%$) died due to distant metastasis and 12.5$\%$ died due to local failure. Distant metastasis was the major cause of failure, but 2 patients died due to unknown failures and 3 of other diseases. The distant metastasis sites were the lung (3 patients), the bone (1 patient), and the liver (2 patients). One patient died of second esophageal cancer. There were no severe late complications, with the exception of 1 osteo-radionecrosis of the mandible 58 months after treatment. Conclusion: Although this study was peformed on small patients group, we considered hypefractionated radiation therapy for the treatment of advanced stage head and neck cancer might improve the disease free survival and decrease the local failure with no increase in late complications despite of the slight Increase in acute complications.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.107-113
• /
• 1986

Radiation myelitis is a rather rare, but irreversible fatal complication. Etiology, pathologic change, clinical symptoms and the method of diagnosis have been studied with animal experiments and human necropsies. In spite of massive studies, pathogenesis of post-irradiation myelitis and the level of tolerance dose still remain controversial. Thoracolumbar spine of 110 hybrid mice were irradiated with orthovoltage x-ray machine. Mild capillary congestion and axonal swelling were observed in 1,000 rad irradiated specimens. Focal necrosis in 3,500 rad specimens, fragmentation of neural tissue in 4,000 rad specimens were also observed. These results suggest that 5,000 rad is not a completely safe tolerable dose which have been accepted and we cannot exclude direct radiation damage to news tissue as the causative pathology of radiation myelitis in addition to blood vessel damage.