• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.184-191
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• 2004

Purpose: In order to improve the proper use of radiotherapy and breast-conserving treatment (BCT) in the management of breast cancer, current status of breast cancer treatment in Korea was surveyed nationwide and the use of BCT were evaluated. Materials and Methods: Patients characteristics and treatment pattern of 1048 breast cancer patients from 27 institutions diagnosed between January, 1998 and June, 1998 were analyzed. The incidence of receiving BCT was analyzed according to the stage, age, geography, type of hospital, and the availability of radiotherapy facility. Results: Radical mastectomy was peformed in 64.8$\%$ of total patients and 26$\%$ of patients received breast- conserving surgery (BCS). The proportions of patients receiving BCT were 47.5$\%$ in stage 0, 54.4$\%$ in stage I, and 20.3$\%$ in stage II, Some of the patients (6.6$\%$ of stage I, 10.1$\%$ of stage II and 66.7$\%$ of stage III) not received radiotherapy after BCS. Only 45$\%$ of stage III patients received post-operative radiotherapy after radical mastectomy. The proportion of patients receiving BCT was different according to the geography and availability of radiotherapy facilities. Conclusion: Radiotherapy was not fully used in the management of breast cancer, even in the patients received breast-conserving surgery. The proportion of the patients who received BCT was lower than the report of western countries. To improve the application of proper management of breast cancer, every efforts such as a training of physicians, public education, and improving accessibility of radiotherapy facilities should be done. The factors predicting receipt of BCT were accessibility of radiotherapy facility and geography. Also, periodic survey like current research is warranted.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.153-160
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• 2010

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to investigate needs and satisfaction on the medical services of cancer patients in Jeju Special Self-Governing Province. Methods: Total 174 cancer patients, who visited at the clinic of Jeju National University Hospital, submitted informed consent and participated in this study from July 13 to July 30, 2009. Self questionnaire was used and data were analyzed with Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Mann-Whitney U test, ANOVA, and Kruskal-Wallis test. Results: Participants expressed the needs of most economical support (3.38 out of 4), followed by counseling of treatment plan (3.22), information of disease (3.07), and disease management except cancer (2.97). Participants were satisfied most with religious counseling (3.41), followed by nursing service support (3.39), employment counseling (3.26), and counseling for family or interpersonal relationships (3.26). The satisfaction of economical support was the lowest (1.98). Satisfaction of men was higher than women, and needs in patients who were living with children was the highest. Patients who were living alone or with children showed the lowest satisfaction about the medical services. There were no significant differences in the general characteristics, however, participants who were older than 60 years of age or had higher income showed lower needs and higher satisfaction. There were no significant differences in the medical characteristics, however, thyroid cancer patients and patients who were treated with radiation therapy or transarterial embolization showed low satisfaction. Conclusion: Cancer patients seemed to need more economical support, information of treatment or disease, and symptom management. Furthermore, there were various needs about the services, depending on family formation or economical support of patients. Therefore, it is certain that patients who were suffering from other cancers, except the 5 major cancers, needed more services. In conclusion, continuous and systemic policy to consider patient's characteristics and needs are needed in community as well as health care system.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.91-97
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• 2004

Propose: To Analyze the survival outcomes and prognostic factors In glioblastoma patients treated with surgery and radiation therapy. Materials and Methods : One hundred twenty glloblastoma patients treated with postoperative radiation therapy from 1994 to 2003 at Samsung Medical Center were retrospectively reviewed. Surgical extents were gross total resection in 22 patients (18$\%$), subtotal resection in 69 (58$\%$), and biopsy only in 29 (24$\%$). The median radiation dose was 50 Gy, ranging from 45 Gy to 72 Gy The median follow-up period was 12 months ranging from 2 to 52 months. Results The overall 1- and 2-year survival rates were 52$\%$ and 14$\%$, respectively, and the median survival duration was 13 months. Favorable prognostic factors by Uunivarlate analyses of prognostic factors on 1-year survival rate were revealed that age under 50 (p<0.01), ECOG performance status 0 or 1 (p=0.03), single lesion (p=0.02), and gross total resection (p=0.04), were the favorable prognostic (actors. and by Mmultlvarlate analyses were revealed that female (p<0.01), age under 50 (p<0.01), ECOG performance status 0 or 1 (p=0.05) and gross total resection (p=0.05) were the favorable prognostic factors. Conclusions : The results of our study were comparable with those previously reported. To Improve treatment outcome, various modifications, Including radiation dose escalation through newer radiation therapy techniques and use of effective chemotherapy regimen, should be further Investigated. Investigated. Also Furthermore, the application of Individualized treatment strategy based on 4he patient's prognostic factors might be needed.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.164-170
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• 2006

[ $\underline{Purpose}$ ]: This study identified the result of postoperative radiation therapy and the prognostic factors to affect survival rates in cancer patients. $\underline{Materials\;and\;Methods}$: One hundred and thirty three patients with cervical cancer who were treated with postoperative radiation therapy following surgery at our institution between June 1985 and November 2002 were retrospectively analyzed. One hundred and thirteen patients had stage IB disease, and 20 patients had stage IIA disease. Histological examination revealed 118 squamous cell carcinoma patients and 15 adenocarcinoma patients. Sixty seven patients were noted to have stromal invasion greater than 10 mm, and 45 patients were noted to have stromal Invasion 10 mm or less. Positive lymphovascular invasion was found in 24 patients, and positive pelvic lymph nodes were noted in 39 patients. Positive vaginal resection margin was documented in 8 patients. All of the patients were treated with external beam radiation therapy to encompass whole pelvis and primary surgical tumor bed. Intracavitary radiation therapy was added to 19 patients who had positive or close surgical margins. $\underline{Results}$: Actuarial overall and disease-free survival rates for entire group of the patients were 88% and 84% at 5 years, respectively. Five-year disease-free survival rates for patients with stromal invasion greater than 10 mm and 10 mm or less were 76% and 97%, respectively (p<0.05). Also there was a significantly lower survival in patients with positive pelvic lymph nodes compared with patients with negative pelvic lymph nodes (p<0.05). However, lymphovascular invasion, positive vaginal resection margins were not statistically significant prognostic factors. Addition of neoadjuvant chemotherapy or type of surgery did not affect disease-free survival. $\underline{Conclusion}$: Postoperative radiation therapy appears to achieve satisfactory local control with limited morbidity in cervical cancer patients with high pathologic risk factors. Distant metastasis was a dominant failure pattern to affect survival in cervical cancer patients after radical surgery and radiation and more effective systemic treatment should be investigated in these high-risk patients.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.36 no.11
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• pp.846-851
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• 2003

Background: To clarify the clinical significance of the aortic nodes in resected non-small cell lung cancer of the left upper lobe. Material and Method: One hundred fifty six patients with resected non-small cell lung cancer of the left upper lobe were studied. Patients who received preoperative induction therapy, non-curative operation or defined as operative mortality were excluded from this study. Result: In N2 left upper lobe tumors, aortic nodes comprised 52.7% of the metastatic mediastinal lymph nodes. In single station N2 disease, a frequently metastasized station was aortic node (64.3%). 5-year actuarial survival according to the N status was 65.0% in N0, 30.4% in N1, and 17.9% in N2. There was no statistically significant difference in survival between N1 and N2 diseases (p=0.06). The patients with metastasis to aortic node alone had a comparatively good prognosis (5-year survival: 35.6%) than other N2 diseases (5-year survival: 4.6%) (p=0.01) and had a similar survival outcome as N1 diseases (p=0.97). Considering the aortic node as N1 node, 5-year survival according to the N status was 65.0% in N0, 31.2% in N1, 4.6% in N2 and significant survival difference was observed between N1 and N2 disease (p=0.00). In multivariate analysis, the male sex (hazard ratio 6.892, p=0.011) and the involvement to the aortic node alone (hazards ratio 2.799, p=0.009) were the significant factors affecting postoperative survival. Conclusion: According to the our data, involvement to the aortic node alone in left upper lobe tumors should be grouped with N1 disease because this combined category reflects the surgical outcome more accurately.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.181-189
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• 1996

Purpose : To find the more effective treatment methods that improving the survival of patients with glioblastoma multiforme(GBM), we analyze the prognostic factors and the outcome of therapy in patients with GBM. Materials and Methods : One hundred twently-one patients with a diagnosis of GBM treated at Severance Hospital between 1973 and 1993 were analyzed for survival with respect to patients characteristics, that is, duration of symptom, age, and Karnofsky performance status, as well as treatment related variables such as extent of surgery and radiotherapy. Results : The median survival time(MST) and 2-year overall survival rate (OSR) of the patients with GBM were 13 months and $20.8\%$, respectively. Duration of symptom, age, Karnofsky performance status(KPS), radiotherapy, and extent of surgical resection were associated with improved survial in a univariate analysis. Patients whose duration of symptom was longer than 3 months, had the 2-year OSR of $47.2\%$(p=0.0082), who were younger than age 50, $32.9\%$(p=0.0003) In patients with a KPS of 80 or higher, the 2-rear OSR was $36.9\%$(p=0.0422). Patients undergoing radiotherapy had the 2-year OSR of $22.9\%$(p=0.0030), and surgical resection of $23.3\%$ (p<0.000). A Cox regression model confirmed a significant correlation of duration of symptom, age, radiotherapy, and extent of surgical resection with survival, excluding KPS(P=0.8823). The 2-year OSR were $22.3\%$ and $19.4\%$, combined with chemotherapy or without, respectively(p=0.6028). The duration of symptom of 3 months or shorter, 50 years of age or older, and undergoing stereotactic biopsy only were considered as risk factors, then patients without any risk factors had the MST of 29 months and 2-year OSR of $53.9\%$ compared to 4 months and $0\%$ for Patients who had all 3 risk factors. Most of all treatment failures occurred in the primary tumor site($80.4\%$). Conclusion : The duration of symptom, age, radiotherapy, and extent of surgical resection were a prognostically significant indeuendent variables. To get a better survival, it seems to be reasonable that the study design which improves the local control rates is warranted.

• The Journal of the Korean bone and joint tumor society
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.69-73
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• 2010

Purpose: Sentinel lymph node (SLNB) is the first confronted lymph node from primary lesion of tumor through lymphatic drainage, which is important for determining early metastasis and setting guidelines for treatment. We reported significant of sentinel lymph node biopsy in malignant melanoma (MM) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of lower extremities. Materials and Methods: Twenty-five cases of surgically treatment and being possible for follow up more than 1 year among the patients who were diagnosed as MM and SCC in this institution from Sep. 2005 to Jan. 2009, and 10 cases of them were performed SLNB. Average age was 64 years old, and 15 cases of male and 10 cases of female were in this group. Results: 3 years overall survival rate was 100% and 3 years disease-free survival rate was 76%. Metastasis occurred in total 6 patients, 4 cases of inguinal lymph nodes, 1 case of soft tissue around knee, 1 case of left achilles tendon. In 15 cases of not performing SLNB, overall survival rate was 93.3% and disease-free survival rate was 73.3%. In 10 cases of performing SLNB, overall survival rate was 100% and disease-free survival rate was 90%. And only 1 case showed positive finding in the biopsy, and none of the 10 cases showed metastasis in follow-up. Conclusion: SLNB leads simpler and less complications compared to prior elective lymph node dissection, and shows high degree of accuracy. Throughout the SLNB, setting guidelines for treatment by accurate staging is thought to be helpful for increasing the survival rate in the patient with MM and SCC.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.339-346
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• 1999

Background : Non-small cell lung carcinoma is a common tumor with a poor prognosis. Of all malignancies, it is the main cause of death for male and female patients in the Western world. Resection remains the most effective treatment when feasible. Accurate description and classification of the extent of cancer growth are important in planning treatment, estimating prognosis, evaluating end results of therapy, and exchanging information on human cancer research. Until effective systemic therapy is available for non-small cell lung cancer, development of new treatment strategies depends on knowledge of the end results achieved for carefully staged groups of patients in the lung cancer populations. For these reasons, we investigated the survival rate in radically resected non-small cell lung cancer patients by newly revised staging system adopted by the American Joint Committee on Cancer and the Union Internationale Contre le Cancer. Methods: Clinical, surgical-pathologic and follow-up informations on 84 consecutive, previously untreated, patients who received their primary treatment for non-small cell lung cancer were investigated. Staging definitions for the T(primary tumor), N(reginal lymph node), and M(distant metastasis) components were according to the International Staging System for Lung Cancer. Death from any causes was the primary target of the evaluation. Results: The median survival rates were as follows; stage I ;79.1 months, stage II ;47.3 months, stage IIIa; 22.7 months, stage IIIb; 16.1 months, and stage IV;15.2 months versus newly revised stage Ia;58.5 months, stage I b;76.0 months, stage IIa; not available, stage IIb;43.0 months, stage IIIa;22.5 months, stage IIIb; 16.1 months, and stage IV;15.2 months. The survival rates were not significantly different between old and newly revised staging system. Cumulative percent survival at 36months after treatment was 100% in stage Ia, 80% in stage Ib, not available in stage IIa, 26 % in stage IIb, and 21 % in stage m a respectively. Conclusions: Although these data were not significantly different statistically, the newly revised lung cancer staging system might be more promising for the accurate evaluation of the prognosis in the non-small cell lung caner patients.

• Proceedings of the KOR-BRONCHOESO Conference
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• 1993.05a
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• pp.97-97
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• 1993

Primary tumor arises infrequently in the parotid gland and generally, only about 20 to 40 percent of which prove to be malignant. They are characterized by histopathologic diversity, slow tumor growth, significant proportion of patients who have received previous treatment elsewhere. We have reviewed retrospectively 101 cases of parotid gland tumors which were treated for the recent eight years (1985-1992), Non-neoplastic tumor-like lesions were all excluded.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.237-243
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• 2008

Purpose: Postoperative Infectious complications are recognized as major complications that are associated with surgery. Although many studies have focused on the risk factors of postoperative complications, little is known about the risk factors of infectious complications after gastric cancer surgery, and especially after elective gastrectomy. There is now more and more interest in the risk factors of infectious complications in relation to controlling infection and as indicators of qualitatively assessing infectious complications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk factors related with infectious complications after performing elective gastrectomy for treating gastric cancer. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed a total of 788 patients who had undergone elective gastrectomy for gastric cancer between Jan. 2000 and Dec. 2007. The characteristics of the patients were divided according to the patients' factors and the operations' factors. Results: The patients' mean age was 58.9 (range: 24~91) years; 545 were male and 243 were female. The mean duration of the hospital stay was 20.3 days (range: 5~135 days), the mean operation time was 181.3 minutes (range: 65~440 minutes). The total complication rate was 17.1% (n=135) and the complication rate was 38.5% (n=52) among the 135 patients with infectious complications. The infectious complications were surgical site infection (59.7%), Pneumonia (19.3%), intra-abdominal abscess (11.5%), pseudomembranous colitis (5.7%), bacteremia (1.9%) and hepatic abscess (1.9%). On the univariate analysis, the significant risk factors were male gender, blood transfusion, smoking at the time of diagnosis, alcohol drinking, diabetes mellitus and previous cardiovascular disease (P<0.05 for all). On multivariate analysis that used a logistic regression model, the significant independent risk factors were smoking at the time of diagnosis (OR: 2.877. 95% CI: 1.449~5.713), blood transfusion (OR: 3.440, 95% CI: 1.241~9.534), diabetes mellitus (OR: 3.150, 95% CI: 1.518~6.538), and previous cardiovascular disease (OR: 2.784, 95% CI: 1.4731~5.2539). Conclusion: Pre- or post-operative blood transfusion and the patient's medical history such as previous cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, smoking etc. are the risk factors for infectious complications after undergoing elective gastrectomy for gastric cancer. The patients that have these risk factors need to be treated with great care to prevent infectious disease after elective gastrectomy.