• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.111-119
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• 2009

Purpose: This study aimed at assessing the value of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography ($^{18}F$-FDG PET) for predicting the response of locally advanced rectal cancer to neoadjuvant CRT. Materials and Methods: Between August 2006 and January 2008, we prospectively enrolled 20 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer and who were treated with neoadjuvant CRT at the Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences. The treatment consisted of radiation therapy and chemotherapy, and this was followed by curative resection 6 weeks later. All the patients underwent $^{18}F$-FDG PET/CT both before CRT and 6 weeks after completing CRT. The measurements of the FDG uptake ($SUV_{max}$), the absolute difference (${\Delta}SUV_{max}$) and the percent $SUV_{max}$ difference (response index, $RI_{SUV}$) between the pre- and post-CRT $^{18}F$-FDG PET/CT scans were assessed. The measurements of the metabolic volume, the absolute difference (${\Delta}$metabolic volume) and the percent metabolic volume difference (response index, $RI_{metabolic\;volume}$) were also assessed. Results: Of the 20 patients who underwent surgery, 11 patients (55%) were classified as responders according to Dworak's classification. The post-CRT $SUV_{max}$ was significantly lower than the pre-CRT $SUV_{max}$. However, there were no significant differences in the $SUV_{max}$ and the metabolic volume reduction between the responders and non-responders. We used a minimum $SUV_{max}$ reduction of 67% as the cut-off value for defining a response, with a sensitivity of 45.5%, a specificity of 88.9%, a positive predictive value of 77% and a negative predictive value of 53.8%. Conclusion: Although there were no statistically significant results in this study, other studies have revealed that $^{18}F$-FDG PET/CT has the potential to assess the tumor response to neoadjuvant CRT in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.35-44
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• 2008

Purpose: To evaluate the incidence and prognostic factors of treatment-related pneumonitis in non-small-cell lung cancer(NSCLC) patients treated with intensity modulated radiation therapy(IMRT). Materials and Methods: One-hundred-five patients with NSCLC treated with IMRT between 1 August 2004 and 30 November 2006 were analyzed retrospectively. The mean age of patients was 62.9 years, and squamous carcinomas were confirmed in 81 patients(77%). Sixty-six patients(62.9%) were classified as stage III, and 59 patients had lesions in the right lung. Twenty-seven patients were treated with a dose of 3,060 cGy preoperatively, and 10 patients were given a dose of 5,040 cGy postoperatively. Sixty-eight patients received a dose of 7,020 cGy for curative intent. Sixty-eight patients were treated with the use of the CORVUS planning system and 37 patients were treated with the use of the ECLIPSE planning system. Results: Of 105 patients, 21 patients(20%) had abnormal radiological findings, but only seven patients(6.7%) required treatment for radiation pneumonitis. Six of the seven patients had other serious lesions, including a bronchioesophageal fistula(one patient), recurrence in the treatment field(two patients), brain metastasis(one patient) and lung-to-lung metastasis(two patients); all of these patients died within 19 months after radiation treatment. Sixteen patients(23.5%) that received planning with the CORVUS system had abnormal lung findings. Five patients(13.5%) had abnormal lung findings with the use of the ECLIPSE planning system. Other prognostic factors such as perioperative radiation therapy, a volume over 10% of the V20 volume in the right lung, were also statistically significant. Conclusion: This retrospective analysis suggests that IMRT could be a beneficial treatment modality for the reduction of radiation pneumonitis in NSCLC patients. However, the higher incidence of abnormal radiological findings in perioperative patients treated with relatively lower doses($3,060{\sim}5,040$ cGy) suggest the need for judicious treatment planning in preoperative or postoperative treatment.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.59-70
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• 1998

Two-dimensional trend-vector model of sediment transport is first tested in the tidal flat of Garolim Bay, mid-western coast of the Korean Peninsula. Three major parameters of surface sediment, i.e., mean grain size, sorting and skewness, are used for defining the best-fitting transport trend-vector on the sand ridge and muddy sand flat. These trend vectors are compared with the real transport directions determined from morphology, field observation and bedforms. The 15 possible cases of trend vectors are calculated from total sediments. In order to find the role of coarse sediments, trend vectors from sediments coarser than < 4.5 ${\phi}$, (sand size) are separately calculated from those of total sediments. As compared with the real directions, the best-fitting transport-vector model is the "case M" of coarse sediments which is the combined trend vectors of two cases: (1) finer, better sorted and more negatively skewed and (2) coarser, better sorted and more positively skewed. This indicates sand-size grains are formed by simpler hydrodynamic processes than total sediments. Transported sediment grains are better sorted than the source sediment grains. This indicates that consistent hydrodynamic energy can make sediment grains better sorted, regardless of complicated mechanisms of sediment transport. Consequently, both transported vector model and real transported direction show that the source of sediments are located outside of bay (offshore Yellow Sea) and in the baymouth. These source sediments are transported through the East Main Tidal Channel adjacent the baymouth. Some are transported from the subtidal zone to the upper tidal flat, but others are transported farther to the south, reaching the south tidal channel in the study area. Also, coarse sediment grains on the sand ridge are originally from the baymouth, and transported through the subtidal zone to the south tidal channel. These coarse sediments are moved to the northeast, but could not pass the small north tidal channel. It is interpreted that the great amount of coarse sediments is returned back to the outside of the bay (Yellow Sea) again through the baymouth during the ebb tide. The distribution of muddy sand in the northeastern part of study area may result from the mixing of two sediment transport mechanisms, i.e., suspension and bedload processes. The landward movement of sand ridge and the formation of the north tidal channel are formed either by the supply of coarse sediments originating from the baymouth and outside of the bay (subaqueous sand ridges including Jang-An-Tae) or by the recent relative sea-level rise.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.557-564
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• 2009

Purpose: To evaluate the relationship between F-18 FDG uptake of tumor in PET/CT scan and pathological or immunohistochemial parameters of colorectal cancer. Materials and Methods: 147 colorectal cancer patients who underwent both pre-operative F-18 FDG PET/CT scan and surgery were included. In cases with perceptible FDG uptake in primary tumor, the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) was calculated. The pathologic results such as site, size, depth of invasion (T stage), growth pattern, differentiation of primary tumor, lymph node metastasis and Dukes-Astler & Coller stage and immunohistochemical markers such as expression of EGFR, MLH1, MSH2 and Ki-67 index were reviewed. Results: 146 out of 147 PET/CT scans with colorectal cancer showed perceptible focal FDG uptake. SUVmax showed mild positive linear correlation with size of primary tumor (r=0.277, p=0.001) and Ki-67 index (r=0.226, p=0.019). No significant difference in F-18 FDG uptake was found according to site, depth of invasion (T stage), growth pattern, differentiation of primary tumor, presence of lymph node metastasis, Dukes-Astler & Coller stage and expression of EGFR. Conclusion: The degree of F-18 FDG uptake in colorectal cancer was associated with the size and the degree of Ki-67 index of primary tumor. It could be thought that FDG uptake of primary tumor has a correlation with macroscopic and microscopic tumor growth.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.1-16
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• 2007

The use of information on natural resources is indispensable to most agricultural activities to avoid disasters, to improve input efficiency, and to increase lam income. Most information is prepared and managed at a spatial scale called the "Hydrologic Unit" (HU), which means watershed or small river basin, because virtually every environmental problem can be handled best within a single HU. South Korea consists of 840 such watersheds and, while other watershed-specific information is routinely managed by government organizations, there are none responsible for agricultural weather and climate. A joint research team of Kyung Hee University and the Agriculture, forestry and Fisheries Information Service has begun a 4-year project funded by the Ministry of Agriculture and forestry to establish a watershed-specific agricultural weather information service based on "high definition" digital climate maps (HD-DCMs) utilizing the state of the art geospatial climatological technology. For example, a daily minimum temperature model simulating the thermodynamic nature of cold air with the aid of raster GIS and microwave temperature profiling will quantify effects of cold air drainage on local temperature. By using these techniques and 30-year (1971-2000) synoptic observations, gridded climate data including temperature, solar irradiance, and precipitation will be prepared for each watershed at a 30m spacing. Together with the climatological normals, there will be 3-hourly near-real time meterological mapping using the Korea Meteorological Administration's digital forecasting products which are prepared at a 5 km by 5 km resolution. Resulting HD-DCM database and operational technology will be transferred to local governments, and they will be responsible for routine operations and applications in their region. This paper describes the project in detail and demonstrates some of the interim results.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.259-265
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• 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
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.357-367
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• 1997

Purpose : To identify variable prognostic factors and analyse failure patterns in the uterine cervix cancer after radical operation and adjuvant radio-therapy, a retrospective analysis was undertaken. Materals and Methods : I analysed one hundred and twenty four patients with uterine cervix cancer, FIGO stage IB, IIA and IIB, treated with radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection followed by adjuvant radio-therapy between May 1985 and May 1994. Minimum follow up period was 24 months. All of them were treated with full dose external radiotherapy with linear accelerator and/or high dese rate intracavitary radiation. Results : Overall 5 year survival rate and relapse free survival rate were $75.4\%,\;73.5\%$, respectively. Significant prognostic factors by relapse free survival were wall involvement thickness, lymph node location and number, parametrium involvement, tumor size, stage, uterine body involvement, vaginal resection margin involvement. By multivariate analysis, lymph node matastasis. tumor size and vaginal resection margin involvement were significant prognostic factos. Treatment related failure were 33 cases. Locoregional failure were more likely in the stage IIB, lymph node positive or vaginal resection margin positive patients whereas distant failures were relatively more frequent in stage IB, IIA and lymph node, vaginal resection negative patients. In stage IIB, 5 year relapse free survival rate was only $56\%$ and nine of twenty two patients recurred. Conculsion : Postoperative radiotherapy results are good for patients with relatively low risk factor. But the results are poor for patients with multiple, high risk factors or stage IIB. To control recurrence for patients with high risk factors, postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy is not sufficient treatment method. To raise control rate adding other methods such as radiosensitizing agent or chemotherapy is necessary and prospectively randomized study is needed for evaluation of postoperative radiotherapy efficacy and /or other methods. And it is reasonable to treat primary radical radiotherapy for patients with stage IIB cervical cancer instead of radical operation and adjuvant radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy regimen.

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

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.96-103
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• 2008

Purpose: To conduct a nationwide academic hospital patterns of the practice status and principles of radiotherapy for prostate cancer. The survey will help develop the framework of a database of Korean in Patterns of Case Study. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire about radiation treatment status and principles was sent to radiation oncologists in charge of prostate cancer treatment at thirteen academic hospitals in Korea. The data was analyzed to find treatment principles among the radiation oncologists when treating prostate cancer. Results: The number of patients with prostate cancer and treated with radiation ranged from 60 to 150 per academic hospital in Seoul City and 10 to 15 outside of Seoul City in 2006. The primary diagnostic methods of prostate cancer included the ultrasound guided biopsy on 6 to 12 prostate sites(mean=9), followed by magnetic resonance imaging and a whole body bone scan. Internal and external immobilizations were used in 61.5% and 76.9%, respectively, with diverse radiation targets. Whole pelvis radiation therapy(dose ranging from 45.0 to 50.4 Gy) was performed in 76.9%, followed by the irradiation of seminal vesicles($54.0{\sim}73.8$ Gy) in 92.3%. The definitive radiotherapy doses were increased as a function of risk group, but the range of radiation doses was wide(60.0 to 78.5 Gy). Intensity modulated radiation therapy using doses greater than 70 Gy, were performed in 53.8% of academic hospitals. In addition, the simultaneous intra-factional boost(SIB) technique was used in three hospitals; however, the target volume and radiation dose were diverse. Radiation therapy to biochemical recurrence after a radical prostatectomy was performed in 84.6%; however, the radiation dose was variable and the radiation field ranged from whole pelvis to prostate bed. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that a nationwide Korean Patterns of Care Study is necessary for the recommendation of radiation therapy guidelines of prostate cancer.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.209-216
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• 2002

Background: Valvular heart disease is still the most common health problem in Korea. By the end of the year 1999, there has been 94,586 cases of open heart surgery since the first case in 1958. Among them, 36,247 cases were acquired heart diseases and 20,704 of those had valvular heart disease. But there was no database system and every surgeon and physician had great difficulties in analysing and utilizing those tremendous medical resources. Therefore, we developed a valve registry database program and utilize it for risk factor analysis and so on. Material and Method: Personal computer-based multiuser database program was created using Microsoft AccessTM. That consisted of relational database structure with fine-tuned compact field variables and server-client architecture. Simple graphic user interface showed easy-to-use accessability and comprehensibility. User-oriented modular structure enabled easier modification through native AccessTM functions. Infinite application of query function aided users to extract, summarize, analyse and report the study result promptly. Result: About three-thousand cases of valve replacement procedure were performed in our hospital from 1968 to 1999. Total number of prosthesis replaced was 3,700. The numbers of cases for mitral, aortic and tricuspid valve replacement were 1600, 584, 76, respectively. Among them, 700 patients received prosthesis in more than two positions. Bioprosthesis or mechanical prosthesis were used in 1,280 and 1,500 patients respectively Redo valve replacements were performed in 460 patients totally and 40 patients annually Conclusion: Database program for registry of valvular heart disease was successfully developed and used in personal computer-based multiuser environment. This revealed promising results and perspectives in database management and utilization system.