• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.319-324
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• 2021

The abscopal effect refers to the phenomenon in which local radiotherapy is associated with the regression of metastatic cancer that is distantly located from the irradiated site. Here, we present a case of a patient with advanced gastric cancer and brain metastases who was successfully treated with brain radiotherapy and anti-programmed death-1 (PD-1) therapy-induced abscopal effect. Although anti-PD-1 therapy alone could not prevent disease progression, the metastatic lesions in the brain and also in the abdominal lymph node showed a drastic response after brain radiotherapy and anti-PD-1 therapy. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of successful treatment of advanced gastric cancer with multiple brain and abdominal lymph node metastases, possibly through anti-PD-1 therapy combined with brain radiotherapy-induced abscopal effect. We suggest that the combination of brain radiotherapy and anti-PD-1 therapy may be considered as a therapeutic option for advanced gastric cancer, especially when there is brain metastasis.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.10
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• pp.5699-5703
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• 2013

Objective: To investigate the clinical effects of whole brain radiotherapy concomitant with targeted therapy for brain metastasis in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with chemotherapy failure. Materials and Methods: Of the 157 NSCLC patients with chemotherapy failure followed by brain metastasis admitted in our hospital from January 2009 to August 2012, the combination group (65 cases) were treated with EGFR-TKI combined with whole brain radiotherapy while the radiotherapy group (92 cases) were given whole brain radiotherapy only. Short-term effects were evaluated based on the increased MRI in brain 1 month after whole brain radiotherapy. Intracranial hypertension responses, hematological toxicity reactions and clinical effects of both groups were observed. Results: There were more adverse reactions in the combination group than in radiotherapy group, but no significant differences were observed between the two groups in response rate (RR) and disease control rate (DCR) (P>0.05). Medium progression free survival (PFS), medium overall survival (OS) and 1-year survival rate in combination group were 6.0 months, 10.6 months and 42.3%, while in the radiotherapy group they were 3.4 months, 7.7 months and 28.0%, respectively, which indicated that there were significant differences in PFS and OS between the two groups (P<0.05). Additionally, RPA grading of each factor in the combination group was a risk factor closely related with survival, with medium PFS in EGFR and KRAS mutation patients being 8.2 months and 11.2 months, and OS being 3.6 months and 6.3 months, respectively. Conclusions: Whole brain radiotherapy concomitant with target therapy is favorable for adverse reaction tolerance and clinical effects, being superior in treating brain metastasis in NSCLC patients with chemotherapy failure and thus deserves to be widely applied in the clinic.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.302-308
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• 2019

The abscopal effect is a term that has been used to describe the phenomenon in which localized radiation therapy treatment of a tumor lesion triggers a spontaneous regression of metastatic lesion(s) at a non-irradiated distant site(s). Radiation therapy induced abscopal effects are believed to be mediated by activation and stimulation of the immune system. However, due to the brain's distinctive immune microenvironment, extracranial abscopal responses following cranial radiation therapy have rarely been reported. In this report, we describe the case of 42-year-old female patient with metastatic melanoma who experienced an abscopal response following her cranial radiation therapy for her brain metastasis. The patient initially presented with a stage III melanoma of the right upper skin of her back. Approximately 5 years after her diagnosis, the patient developed a large metastatic lesion in her upper right pectoral region of her chest wall and axilla. Since the patient's tumor was positive for BRAF and MEK, targeted therapy with dabrafenib and trametinib was initiated. However, the patient experienced central nervous system (CNS) symptoms of headache and disequilibrium and developed brain metastases prior to the start of targeted therapy. The patient received radiation therapy to a dose of 30 Gy delivered in 15 fractions to her brain lesions while the patient was on dabrafenib and trametinib therapy. The patient's CNS metastases improved significantly within weeks of her therapy. The patient's non-irradiated large extracranial chest mass and axilla mass also shrank substantially demonstrating the abscopal effect during her CNS radiation therapy. Following radiation therapy of her residual chest lesions, the patient was disease free clinically and her CNS lesions had regressed. However, when the radiation therapy ended and the patient continued her targeted therapy alone, recurrence outside of her previously treated fields was noted. The disease recurrence could be due to the possibility of developing BRAF resistance clones to the BRAF targeted therapy. The patient died eventually due to wide spread systemic disease recurrence despite targeted therapy.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.10-22
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• 2023

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of brain education-based exercise and KPEM manual therapy integrated program on the sleep and quality of life of cancer patients. Design: Seventy subjects who were diagnosed with cancer and were undergoing treatment volunteered to participate in this study. All subjects used a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design for either the experimental group or the control group. In the final analysis, there were 25 subjects in the experimental group and 18 subjects in the control group. Methods: For 12 weeks, the experimental group performed brain education-based exercise (20 minutes) and KPEM manual therapy (50 minutes), and the control group performed basic physical therapy and autonomous exercise. For evaluation, the Korean version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI-K) and the quality of life index were measured after intervention using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC-3.0Ver). Effect between groups, time effect over time, and group^*time interaction were analyzed through a pre-test before and after the 12-week intervention period, and repeated measure ANOVA after 12 weeks of the integrated program intervention. All statistical significance levels were set at α=.05. Results: The PSQI in the time effect (p=.001) and the group^*time interaction (p<.001) were statistically significant. In terms of EORTC, QL2 and PF2 were significant in time effect (p=.024; p=.021) and group^*time interaction (p=.007; p=.021), whereas in RF2, significance was only found in group^*time interaction (p=.028). In symptom indicators, time effect was the only significant factor in FA, SL, AP, and CO, respectively (p=.002; p=.028; p=.041; p =.005) and in DY, there were significant differences in the time effect (p=.016) and group^*time interaction (p=.002). Conclusion: The brain education-based exercise and KPEM manual therapy integrated program effectively improves the sleep and quality of life of cancer patients. It is considered that this exercise and therapy can be actively used as a psychological, emotional, and physically complementary physical therapy intervention to improve the quality of life of cancer patients.

• THE JOURNAL OF KOREAN ORIENTAL ONCOLOGY
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.151-158
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• 1999

We have experienced a case of metastatic brain tumor originated from lung cancer treated by oriental medicine (Herbal medication, Acupuncture therapy, Moxa therapy) and We have a good result from that case to report it. According to the therapentic effects, it could be suggeted that Younggyaechulgamtanggagambang extracts and oriental medical symptomatic treatment were significant in improvement of the patient.

• Journal of Korean Traditional Oncology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.43-51
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• 2011

Objectives : This study reports one case of a patient diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer with brain metastasis. Methods : A 79 year-old male patient diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer with brain metastasis was treated chemotherapy for 3 months and quitted it due to poor general condition. He transferred to Korean medicine hospital and was treated herbal medicine(Saengmaek-san plus Baekhapgogeum-tang gagam), acupuncture, moxibustion, interferential current therapy. To evaluate the patient, we measured of Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Lung (FACT-L), Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-Fatigue). Results : Patient's outcomes were improved during the 1st week regarding VAS (41${\rightarrow}$25), FACT-L (81.2${\rightarrow}$90), FACIT-fatigue (25${\rightarrow}$10). However, dyspnea and cough were was aggravated in the 2nd week. Conclusions : Treatment with Korean medicine therapy may have substantial benefit for patients with end-stage lung cancer. But, Integrated medicine therapy is necessary for proper management of end-stage cancer patients.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.8
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• pp.3571-3574
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• 2014

Background: Brain metastasis occurs when cancerous cells come from a known (or sometimes an unknown) primary tumor to the brain and implant and grow there. This event is potentially lethal and causes neurologic symptoms and signs. These patients are treated in order to decrease their neurologic problems, increase quality of life and overall survival. Materials and Methods: In this study we evaluated clinical characteristics of 206 patients with brain metastases referred to our center from 2004 to 2011. Results: The mean age was 53.6 years. The primary tumors were breast cancer (32%), lung cancer (24.8%), lymphoma (4.4%), sarcoma (3.9%), melanoma (2.9%), colorectal cancer (2.4%) and renal cell carcinoma (1.5%). In 16.5% of the patients, brain metastasis was the first presenting symptom and the primary site was unknown. Forty two (20.4%) patients had a single brain metastasis, 18 patients (8.7%) had two or three lesions, 87 (42.2%) patients had more than three lesions. Leptomeningeal involvement was seen in 49 (23.8%) patients. Thirty five (17%) had undergone surgical resection. Whole brain radiation therapy was performed for all of the patients. Overall survival was 10.1 months (95%CI; 8.65-11.63). One and two year survival was 27% and 12% respectively. Conclusions: Overall survival of patients who were treated by combination of surgery and whole brain radiation therapy was significantly better than those who were treated with whole brain radiation therapy only [13.8 vs 9.3 months (p=0.03)]. Age, sex, primary site and the number of brain lesions did not show significant relationships with overall survival.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.107-112
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• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the lipid profile ratios as factors affecting disease progress in patients with high-grade primary brain cancers undergoing concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) and adjuvant chemotherapy. Methods: The levels of lipid profile ratios were evaluated by looking at the total cholesterol (TC) to high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol (TC/HDL-c), low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol to HDL-cholesterol (LDL-c/HDL-c), and triglycerides to HDL-cholesterol (TG/HDL-c). This descriptive research was conducted 7 months after the initiation of CCRT and adjuvant chemotherapy. Results: A total of 36 patients with newly diagnosed primary malignant brain cancer were included in the study. The levels of lipid profile ratios such as TC/HDL-c, LDL-c/HDL-c, TG/HDL-c were significantly different between the patients with and without disease progress at 7 months after initiation of CCRT and adjuvant chemotherapy. Conclusion: The lipid profile ratios were indicators affecting disease prognosis with tumor-related factors at 7 months after initiation of CCRT and adjuvant chemotherapy. Therefore, lipid profile ratios indicating hyperlipidemia in patients with high-grade brain cancers should be carefully monitored during and after cancer-related therapy.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.923-927
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• 2013

Objective: This work aims to investigate the therapeutic regimen of brain metastatic cancers and the relationship between clinical features and prognosis. Methods: Clinical data of 184 patients with brain metastatic cancers were collected and analysed for the relationship between survival time and age, gender, primary diseases, quantity of brain metastatic foci, their position, extra cranial lesions, and therapeutic regimens. Results: The average age of onset was 59.1 years old. The median survival time (MST) was 15.0 months, and the patients with breast cancer as the primary disease had the longest survival time. Females had a longer survival time than males. Patients with meningeal metastasis had extremely short survival time. Those with less than 3 brain metastatic foci survived longer than patients with more than 3. The MST of patients receiving radiotherapy only and the patients receiving chemotherapy only were all 10.0 months while the MST of patients receiving combination therapy was 16.0 months. Multiple COX regression analysis demonstrated that gender, primary diseases, and quantity of brain metastatic foci were independent prognostic factors for brain metastatic cancers. Conclusions: Chemotherapy is as important as radiotherapy in the treatment of brain metastatic cancer. Combination therapy is the best treatment mode. Male gender, brain metastatic cancers originating in the gastrointestinal tract, more than 3 metastatic foci, and involvement of meninges indicate a worse prognosis.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.400-408
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• 2014

Objectives The aim of this study was to report the improvement of delirium and performance status in the small-cell lung cancer patient who had multiple brain metastases and pericardial effusion after Sasang constitutional treatment. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the medical records, medical laboratory and image scans of 71-year-old male patient diagnosed as small-cell lung cancer. Results The small-cell lung cancer with multiple brain metastases patient sometimes talked deliriously even after the whole brain radiation therapy. During the hospitalization period, he showed delirium. We treated him with Gihwangbaekho-tang and Dojeokgangki-tang as a main therapy. After treatment, he didn't show delirium and performance status was improved. Conclusions A small-cell lung cancer with multiple brain metastases patient showed the improvement of symptoms (delirium, poor performance status, constipation and poor oral intake) with the treatment of Gihwangbaekho-tang, Yanggyuksanhwa-tang and Dojeokgangki-tang.