• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2013

Purpose: A selection of proper energy in treatment planning is very important because of having different dose distribution in body as photon energy. In generally, the low energy photon has been used in intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for head and neck (H&N) cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of partially used high energy photon at posterior oblique fields on IMRT plan for H&N cancer. Materials and Methods: The study was carried out on 10 patients (nasopharyngeal cancer 5, tonsilar cancer 5) treated with IMRT in Seoul National University Bundang Hospital. CT images were acquired 3 mm of thickness in the same condition and the treatment plan was performed by Eclipse (Ver.7.1, Varian, Palo Alto, USA). Two plans were generated under same planing objectives, dose volume constraints, and eight fields setting: (1) The low energy plan (LEP) created using 6 MV beam alone, (2) the partially used high energy plan (PHEP) created partially using 15 MV beam at two posterior oblique fields with deeper penetration depths, while 6 MV beam was used at the rest of fields. The plans for LEP and PHEP were compared in terms of coverage, conformity index (CI) and homogeneity index (HI) for planning target volume (PTV). For organs at risk (OARs), $D_{mean}$ and $D_{50%}$ were analyzed on both parotid glands and $D_{max}$, $D_{1%}$ for spinal cord were analyzed. Integral dose (ID) and total monitor unit (MU) were compared as addition parameters. For the comparing dose to normal tissue of posterior neck, the posterior-normal tissue volume (P-NTV) was set on the patients respectively. The $D_{mean}$, $V_{20Gy}$ and $V_{25Gy}$ for P-NTV were evaluated by using dose volume histogram (DVH). Results: The dose distributions were similar with regard to coverage, CI and HI for PTV between the LEP and PHEP. No evident difference was observed in the spinal cord. However, the $D_{mean}$, $D_{50%}$ for both parotid gland were slightly reduced by 0.6%, 0.7% in PHEP. The ID was reduced by 1.1% in PHEP, and total MU for PHEP was 1.8% lower than that for LEP. In the P-NTV, the $D_{mean}$, $V_{20Gy}$ and $V_{25Gy}$ of the PHEP were 1.6%, 1.8% and 2.9% lower than those of LEP. Conclusion: Dose to some OARs and a normal tissue, total monitor unit were reduced in IMRT plan with partially used high energy photon. Although these reduction are unclear how have a clinical benefit to patient, application of the partially used high energy photon could improve the overall plan quality of IMRT for head and neck cancer.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.212-217
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• 2010

Soil pollution by heavy metals has become a significant environmental concern due to a variety of human activities. Specially toxicity caused by excessive mercury exposure is now being recognized as a widespread environmental problem and is continuing to attract a great deal of public concerns. The earthworms are very important animals that aerate the soil with their burrowing action and enrich the soil by decomposing organic matters. Especially the earthworm Eisenia fetida is routinely used in ecotoxicological studies. The levels of DNA damage in earthworms treated with HgCl2 and ionizing radiation were investigated in this study. Genotoxic effects were evaluated in the earthworm's coelomocytes using the comet assay (Single Cell Gel Electrophoresis; SCGE). The results showed that the mercury chloride and radiation were responsible for the genotoxic effects on earthworms. The level of DNA damage significantly increased after the treatment of mercury chloride combined with ionizing radiation. The combined treatment of $HgCl_2$ and ionizing radiation had a greater genotoxicity. This study is amenable to further study such as enzyme activation assay.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.211-217
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• 2006

For more realistic assessment of Korean food chain radiation doses due to the operation of nuclear facilities, it is required to use domestically produced data for radionuclide transfer parameters in crop plants. This paper analyzed results of last about 10 year's studies on radionuclide transfer parameters in major crop plants by the Korean Atomic Energy Research Institute, comparing with the published international data, and consequently suggested the proper parameters to use. The trends of transfer parameter shows normal distributions if we have a lot of experimental data, but some radionuclides showed enormous variations with the environment of experimental, crops and soils. These transfer factors can be used to assess realistic radiation doses or to predict the doses in crops for normal operation or accidental release. Some kinds of parameter can be produced as conservatives or fragmentary results because soil-to-plant transfer factors were measured through greenhouse experiments which sometimes showed improper field situations. But these parameters mentioned in this paper can be representative of the status of Korean food chain than that of foreign country.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.52-59
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• 2013

The internal contamination screening method using gross beta measurement was performed for radioisotope workers. 24 h and spot urine samples from workers of medical isotope production facilities were collected and measured. Most of the results were similar with the background level of gross beta activity except for a specific worker. Gross beta activity was slightly increased in several hours after finishing work. And the environmental factor of production facilities causing internal contamination were estimated based on screening results. The additional detailed internal dose assessment must be followed after the screening for protection of workers. Moreover, a procedure was established to apply a simple internal contamination assessment for radiation workers.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.53-60
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• 2003

I. Purpose It is essential to have the correct body contour information for the calculation of dose distribution. The role of CT images in the radiation oncology field has been increased. But there still exists a method to use cast or lead wire for the body contour drawing. This traditional method has drawbacks such as in accurate and time consuming procedure. This study has been designed to overcome this problem. II. Materials and Methods A digital camera is attached to a pole which stands on the opposite side of the gantry. Positional information was acquired from an image of the phantom which is specially designed for this study and located on the isocenter level of the simulator Laser line on the patients skin or on the phantom surface was digitized and reconstructed as the contour. Verification of usefulness this technique has been done with various shape of phantoms and a patients chest III. Results and Conclusions Contours from the traditional method with the cast or lead wire and the digital image method showed good agreement within experimetal error range. This technique showed more efficiente in time and convenience. For irregular shaped contour, like H&N region, special care are needed. The results suggest that more study is needed. To use of the another photogrammatory techinique with two camera system may be better for the actual clinical application

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.19-26
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• 2008

Purpose: In general, We discharged radioactive wastewater and sewages less than $8.1{\times}10^{-13}$ Ci/ml in a exclusive water-purifier tank. Our hospital operating three exclusive water-purifier tank for radioactive wastewater and sewages of 60 tons capacity respectively. In order to meet the criteria it need a enough decay more than 125 days per each exclusive tank. However, recently we fell into the serious situation that decay period was decreased remarkably, owing to the wastewater amount increased rapidly by enlarge the therapy ward. For that reason, in this article, I'd like to say the way that reducing of radioactive wastewater and sewages rationally. Materials and Methods: From January, 2006 to October, four hundred and two cases were analyzed. They were all hospitalized during 3 days and 2 nights. We calculated the average amount of water used (include toilet water used, shower water used, washstand water used, $\cdots$), each exclusive water-purifier tank's decay period, as well as try to search the increased factors about water-purifier tank inflow flux by re-analysis of the procedure of radioisotope therapy step by step. Results: We could increase each exclusive water-purifier tank's decay period from 84 days to 130 days through the improvement about following cause: (1) Improvement of conventional toilet stool for excessive water waste $\rightarrow$ Replacement of water saving style toilet stool (2) Prevention of unnecessary shower and wash (3) Stop the diuretics taking during hospitalization (4) Analysis of relationship between water intakes and residual dose of body (5) Education about outside toilet utilization before the administration (6) Changed each water-purifier tank's maximum level from85% to 90% Conclusion: The originality of our efforts are not only software but hardware performance improvements. Incidentally the side of software's are change of therapy procedures and protocols, the side of hardware's are replacement of water saving style toilet stool and change of each water-purifier tank's maximum level. Thus even if a long lapse of time, problem such as return to the former conditions may not happen. Besides, We expect that our trials become a new reasonable model in similar situation.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.30 no.1_2
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• pp.201-208
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• 2018

Purpose : The purpose of this study is to compare and analyze the set-up errors using the Combine IGRT with ExacTrac and CBCT phased in the treatment of Stereotatic Body Radiotherapy. Methods and materials : Patient who were treated Stereotatic Body Radiotherapy in the ulsan university hospital from May 2014 to november 2017 were classified as treatment area three brain, nine spine, three pelvis. First using ExacTrac Set-up error calibrated direction of Lateral(Lat), Longitudinal(Lng), Vertical(Vrt), Roll, Pitch, Yaw, after applied ExacTrac moving data in addition to use CBCT and set-up error calibrated direction of Lat, Lng, Vrt, Rotation(Rtn). Results : When using ExacTrac, the error in the brain region is Lat $0.18{\pm}0.25cm$, Lng $0.23{\pm}0.04cm$, Vrt $0.30{\pm}0.36cm$, Roll $0.36{\pm}0.21^{\circ}$, Pitch $1.72{\pm}0.62^{\circ}$, Yaw $1.80{\pm}1.21^{\circ}$, spine Lat $0.21{\pm}0.24cm$, Lng $0.27{\pm}0.36cm$, Vrt $0.26{\pm}0.42cm$, Roll $1.01{\pm}1.17^{\circ}$, Pitch $0.66{\pm}0.45^{\circ}$, Yaw $0.71{\pm}0.58^{\circ}$, pelvis Lat $0.20{\pm}0.16cm$, Lng $0.24{\pm}0.29cm$, Vrt $0.28{\pm}0.29cm$, Roll $0.83{\pm}0.21^{\circ}$, Pitch $0.57{\pm}0.45^{\circ}$, Yaw $0.52{\pm}0.27^{\circ}$ When CBCT is performed after the couch movement, the error in brain region is Lat $0.06{\pm}0.05cm$, Lng $0.07{\pm}0.06cm$, Vrt $0.00{\pm}0.00cm$, Rtn $0.0{\pm}0.0^{\circ}$, spine Lat $0.06{\pm}0.04cm$, Lng $0.16{\pm}0.30cm$, Vrt $0.08{\pm}0.08cm$, Rtn $0.00{\pm}0.00^{\circ}$, pelvis Lat $0.06{\pm}0.07cm$, Lng $0.04{\pm}0.05cm$, Vrt $0.06{\pm}0.04cm$, Rtn $0.0{\pm}0.0^{\circ}$. Conclusion : Combine IGRT with ExacTrac in addition to CBCT during Stereotatic Body Radiotherapy showed that it was possible to reduce the set-up error of patients compared to single ExacTrac. However, the application of Combine IGRT increases patient set-up verification time and absorption dose in the body for image acquisition. Therefore, depending on the patient's situation that using Combine IGRT to reduce the patient's set-up error can increase the radiation treatment effectiveness.