• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.283-292
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• 2000

Purpose :A retrospective review of 72 patients with locally advanced gallbladder carcinoma, between January 1990 and December 1996, was peformed. Survival results and prognostic factors are analyzed for the patients treated with a various modalities. Materials and Methods :We patients were classified by treatment modality: group 1 included to 27 patients treated with palliative surgery alone, and group 2 for 11 patient treated with palliative surgery and radiotherapy; group 3 for 18 patients not treated by any treatment modality, and group 4 for 16 patients treated with radiotherapy alone. Age distribution ranged from 35 to 80 years with mean of 63 years. The stage was classified by TNM and Nevin's staging system; all patients had an advanced stage more than III. Palliative surgery was done in .: patients and adiuvant radiation therapy (RT) was followed in 11. For 34 patients, in whom no resection was tried, definitive RT was done in 16. Radiation delivered to tumor site and draining nodes up to 45~61.2 Gy using 10 MV linear accelerator. Chemotherapy was given to 25 patients with 5-FU based regimens. Results :Modian suwival time was 10.3 months and 3-year survival rates (3-YSR) were 13.0$\%$ in all patients. Survival rates according to the treatment modalities were as followed; in palliative surgery alone, 3-YSR was 2.5$\%$; in palliative surgery and adjuvant RT, 3-YSR was 45.5$\%$, in no treatment group, 3-VSR were 8.3$\%$; and definitive RT was 13.1$\%$. It was better survival in additional RT after palliative surgery group than palliative surgery alone (p=0.0009). It was better survival in definitive RT group than no treatment group (p=0.002). Significant prognostic factors by univariate analysis were treatment moonlities, the type of tumor and TNM stage. Significant prognostic factors by multivariate analysis were treatment modalities, the type of tumor and the presence of jaundice. Conclusion : It is suggested that RT could be potentially of effective as adjuvant treatment modalities after palliative surgery or primary treatment for locally advanced and unresectable gallbladder carcinoma.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.557-567
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• 2001

Background : Tumor angiogenesis is required for tumor growth and metastasis. In this study, we investigated the correlation between the intensity of angiogenesis and stage, nodal status, histologic type, metastasis and survival rate of non-small cell lung cancer. Method : Formalin fixed, paraffin embedded surgical specimens of 45 patients who had surgically resected primary non-small cell lung cancers without pre or post operative adjuvant chemotherapy or radiotherapy were examined. The microvessel count(MVC) was demonstrated by immunohistochemical staining for CD31(platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule, PECAM). Results : Microvessel counts(MVCs) in stage IIIA and IIIB were higher than in stage I and II(p<0.05). The MVC in patients with lymph node metastasis was higher than that in patients without lymph node metastasis, although the difference was not statistically significant(p>0.05). However, in adenocarcinoma, the MVC in patients with lymph node metastasis was significantly higher than that seen in patients without lymph node metastasis(p<0.05). The MVC in adenocarcinoma was higher than that in squamous cell carcinoma(p<0.05). The difference between the MVCs of adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma was not statistically significant in stage I and II or N0 stage(p>0.05). However, in stage IIIA and IIIB or N1~3 stage, the MVC in adenocarcinoma was higher than that in squamous cell carcinoma(p<0.05). MVC was more increased when metastasis developed within 12 months. In the same histologic type and stage, the duration of survival time in patients with high MVC was shorter than in patients with low MVC, however the difference was not statistically significant(p>0.05). The survival rate in patients with high MVCs was lower than that in patients with low MVCs(P<0.05). Conclusion : In non-small cell lung cancer, MVC correlated relatively well with pathologic stage, nodal status(limited in patients with adenocarcinoma), histologic type, postoperative metastasis and survival rate. However, in the same histologic type and stage, MVC was not significantly related to the duration of survival. Therefore the assessment of the intensity of angiogenesis in non-small cell lung cancer may be helpful in predicting prognosis and in selecting patients for systemic adjuvant therapy of potential metastasis according to the results.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.67-77
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• 2022

Purpose: Tegafur/gimeracil/oteracil (S-1) and capecitabine plus oxaliplatin (CAPOX) are standard adjuvant chemotherapies (ACs) administered after gastrectomy to patients with stage II or III gastric cancer. However, the efficacy of AC in elderly patients remains unclear. The objective of this retrospective multicenter cohort study was to compare the efficacies of S-1 and CAPOX AC in patients aged ≥70 years. Materials and Methods: Nine hundred eighty-three patients who were treated with AC using S-1 (768 patients) or CAPOX (215 patients) were enrolled in this study. Each patient underwent AC after curative gastrectomy for stage II or III gastric cancer at one of 27 hospitals in the Republic of Korea between January 2012 and December 2013. Relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed according to AC regimen and age group. Results: Of the 983 patients, 254 (25.8%) were elderly. This group had a similar RFS (P=0.099) but significantly poorer OS (p=0.003) compared with the non-elderly group. Subgroup analysis of the non-elderly group revealed no AC-associated differences in survival. Subgroup analysis of the elderly group revealed significantly better survival in the S-1 group than in the CAPOX group (RFS, P<0.001; OS, P<0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that the CAPOX regimen was an independent poor prognostic factor for RFS (hazard ratio [HR], 1.891; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.072-3.333; P=0.028) and OS (HR, 2.970; 95% CI, 1.550-5.692; P=0.001). Conclusions: This multicenter observational cohort study found significant differences in RFS and OS between S-1 and CAPOX AC among patients with gastric cancer aged ≥70 years.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.188-197
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• 2015

Purpose: To investigate the patterns of care for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in South Korea. Materials and Methods: A multi-institutional retrospective study was performed (Korean Radiation Oncology Group [KROG] 11-06) on a total of 1,445 patients from 15 institutions. Results: Of the 1,445 patients, more than half were stages III (39.9%) and IV (35.8%). In addition to patterns of care, we also investigated trends over time with the periods 1988-1993, 1994-2002, and 2003-2011. The frequencies of magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography-computed tomography were markedly increased in the third period compared to previous 2 periods. Concurrent chemoradiation (CCRT) was performed on 894 patients (61.9%), neoadjuvant chemotherapy on 468 patients (32.4%), and adjuvant chemotherapy on 366 patients (25.3%). Of stage II-IV patients, CCRT performed on 78.8% in 2003-2011 compared to 15.0% in 1988-1993. For patients treated with CCRT, cisplatin was the most commonly used agent in 81.3% of patients. Over the periods of time, commonly used radiotherapy (RT) techniques were changed from 2-dimensional RT (1988-1993, 92.5%) to 3-dimensional RT (2003-2011, 35.5%) or intensity-modulated RT (IMRT; 2003-2011, 56.5%). Median RT doses given to primary tumors, high-risk lymphatics, and low-risk lymphatics were 70.0 Gy, 58.1 Gy, and 48.0 Gy, respectively. Adoption of IMRT increased the dose per fraction and escalated total radiation dose. Conclusion: Assessment of the patterns of care for NPC patients in South Korea demonstrated that management for NPC including diagnostic imaging, treatment regimen, RT techniques and dose schedule, advanced in accordance with the international guidelines.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.349-355
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• 2004

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with invasion of mediastinal structures is classified as stage IIIB, and has been considered surgically unresectable However, in a selected group of these patients, better results after surgical resection compared to non-surgical group have been reported. The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of surgical resection in treatment of mediastinal T4 NSCLC. Material and Method: Among 1067 patients who underwent surgical intervention for non-small cell lung cancer from Aug 1987 to Dec 2001 in Korea cancer center hospital, 82 patients had an invasion of T4 mediastinal structures (7.7%). Resection was possible in 63patients (63/82 resectability 76.8%). Their medical records in Data Base were reviewed, and they were followed up completely until Jun 2002. Surgical results and prognostic factors of NSCLC invading mediastinal structures were evaluated retrospectively. Result Lung cancer was resected completely in 52 patients (63.4%, 52/82). Lung resection was lobectomy (or more) in 14, pneumonectomy in 49. The mediastinal structures invaded by primary tumor were great vessel (61.9%), heart (19%), vagus nerve (9.5%), esophagus (7.9%), and vertebral body (7.9%). Nodal status was N0 in 11, N1 in 24, and N2 in 28 (44.4%). Neoadjuvant therapy was done in 6 (9.5%, 5 chemotherapy, 1 radiotherapy), and adjuvant therapy was added in 44 (69.8%, 15 chemotherapy, 29 radiotherapy) in resection group (n=63). Complication was occurred in 23 (31.7%), and operative mortality was 9.5% in resection group. Median and 5 year overall survival including operative mortality was 18.1 months and 21.7% in resection group (n=63), 6.2months and 0% in exploration only group (n=19, p=.001), 39 months and 32.9% in N2 (-) resection group (n=35), and 8.8 months and 8.6% in N2 (+) resection group (n=28, p=.007). The difference of overall survival by mediastinal structure was not significant. Conclusion: The operative risk of NSCLC invading mediastinal structures was high but acceptable, and long-term result of resection was favorable in selected group. Aggressive resection is recommended in well selected pateints with good performace and especially N2 (-) NSCLC with mediastinal invasion.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.136-140
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• 2008

Purpose: Stage IV early gastric carcinoma (EGC) is a rare disease. We report here on 10 cases of EGC that showed metastasis in more than 15 lymph nodes. Materials and Methods: A total of 8354 cases of gastric carcinoma in patients who underwent surgical procedures between January 2001 and January 2007 at Samsung Medical Center were studied, and 10 cases were classified as stage IV EGC. We investigated their clinicopathologic characteristics. Results: There were 5 males and 5 females. Their ages at operation ranged from 46 to 76 years with a mean age of 61. All of the 10 patients had undergone curative resection for gastric cancer. The pathological diagnosis confirmed that all of the patients had tumor confined to the submucosa. The median size of the tumors was 5.3cm and the mean number of dissected nodes was 45.5 with a mean number of 22.2 involved nodes. Six cases were classified as the diffuse type and 4 were classified as the intestinal type by Lauren's classification. Histologically, 3 cases were signet ring cell carcinoma, 3 were poorly differentiated, 2 were moderately differentiated and 2 were well differentiated adenocarcinoma. Endolymphatic invasion was found in 9 cases. The median follow-up was 31 months. Adjuvant chemotherapy was done in 9 patients, and the patient who did not receive chemotherapy died by cerebrovascular accident. 2 patient had recurrence of gastric cancer and 7 survived without recurrence. Conclusion: More cases should be collected and further studies on the molecular and cellular tumor characteristics are required to characterize these tumors that show aggressive lymphatic spread.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.27-33
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• 2001

Purpose : To evaluate interim results in terms of failure, cosmetic results and survival after breast conserving operation and radiation therapy in early breast cancer. Material and Methods : From January 1992 through December 1997, seventy two patients with early stage 0, I and II breast cancer were treated with conservative surgery plus radiotherapy at Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center. Age distribution was 25 to 77 years old with median age of 43. According to TNM stage, five patients had stage 0, thirty three were stage I, twenty five were IIa, and nine were IIb. Most patients underwent excision of all gross tumor and ipsilateral axillary dissection. Breast was irradiated through medial and lateral tangential fields of 6 MV photons to 50.4 Gy in 28 fractions over 5.5 weeks. We delivered a boost irradiation dose of 10 to 16 Gy in 1 to 2 weeks to excision site. Adjuvant chemotherapy was administered in forty one patients with CMF (cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil) regimens of 6 cycles concurrently or before radiation. Cosmetic results were assessed by questionnaire to patients grading of excellent, good, fair, poor. Follow-up periods were 22 to 91 months with median 40 months. Results : Five year disease free survival rate (5YDFS) was $95.8\%$. According to stage, 5YDFS was $100\%,\;96.9\%,\;96\%\;and\;88.9\%$ in stage 0, I, IIa and IIb, respectively. Two patients had distant metastasis and one had local and distant failure. One patient with distant failure had bone and liver metastasis at 14 months after treatment and the other had lung and both supraclavicular metastasis at 21 months after treatment. Patient with local and distant failure had local recurrence on other quadrant in same breast and then salvaged with total mastectomy and chemotherapy but she died due to brain metastasis at 55 months. Complications were radiation pneumonitis in five patients (four patients of asymptomatic, one patients of symptomatic) and hand or arm edema(4 patients). Fifty nine patients answered our cosmetic result questionnaire and cosmetic results were good to excellent in fifty one patients $(86\%)$. Conclusion : We considered that conservative surgery and radiation for the treatment of early stage invasive breast cancer was safe and had excellent survival and cosmetic results. We need to assess about prognostic factors with longer follow up and with large number of patients.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.221-228
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• 1996

Purpose : We tried to evaluate the clinical characteristics, the treatment methods, the results of treatments, and the Patterns of failure in ovarian dysgerminoma retrospectively According to the results we would like to suggest the proper management guideline of stage la ovarian dysgerminoma patients who want to maintain fertility. Materials and Methods : Between 1975 and 1990, 34 patients with ovarian dysgerminoma were treated at the Yonsei University Hospital. The case records of these patients have been reviewed for presenting symptoms, treatment methods, local control and survival following treatment. Excluded from analysis were five patients with mixed ovarian germ cell tumors and gonadoblastomas (46,XY) Treatment results of the twenty nine patients were analysed by each treatment modality. Twenty one patients were treated with surgery and postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy (group 2). The other eight patients were treated with operation alone (group 2). The median age of twenty-nine patients was 23 years with a range of 8 to 39 years. Presenting symptoms were abdominal mass (20) pelvic discomfort or pain (5) et al. Radiotherapy was performed by 10MV LINAC or Co-60 teletherapy unit. The total radiation dose of the whole abdomen was 20-25 Gy/3weeks, 1-1.5 Gy/fraction with a boost to the whole pelvis 10-15 Gy/l-2weeks 1.8-2.0 Gy/fraction. Advanced stage disease (stage II or stage III) patients received prophylactic mediastinal and supraclavicular irradiation to a dose of 16-26 Gy. Median duration of follow-up of living patients was 80 months (range 13-201 months). Results : All of the twenty one patients of group 1 were alive without disease ($100\%$). Among the eight patients who were not treated with radiotherapy (group 2), six patients developed local recurrence. Four Patients referred with recurrent disease were treated with salvage radiotherapy. Three of four patients were salvaged and one Patient who had recurrent intra-abdominal disease died of progressed carcinomatosis at 11 months after salvage radiotherapy. The other two patients with recurrence were salvaged with chemotherapy (1 patient) or re-operation (1 Patient). Twenty eight patients remained alive without disease at last follow up, so the 5 year local control rate and 5 year overall survival rate for all groups were $96.6\%$ (28/29), respectively. Among thirteen patients with stage la unilateral tumors seven patients were treated with postoperative radiotherapy and the other six patients were treated with unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy alone. Five patients who did not received radiotherapy developed local failure but all of the recurrent ovarian dysgerminomas were salvaged with radiotherapy, chemotherapy or re-operation. So all the 13 patients with stage la ovarian dysgerminoma were free of disease from 20-201 months (median 80 months). Conclusion : The authors consider external irradiation to be an effective treatment as a complement to surgery in ovarian dysgerminoma. For those patients with disease presenting in stage la tumors who wish to maintain fertility, unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy alone may be curative and spare ovarian function considering excellent salvage rate of recurrent ovarian dysgerminoma in present study.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.17-25
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• 1998

Purpose : Although local recurrence rates of stomach cancer after radiocal surgery have been reported in the range of $30-70\%$, the role of postoperative adjuvant therapy has not been established. We report the result of radiotherapy in resected stomach cancer with positive surgical margin to elucidate the role of postoperative radiotherapy. Materials and Methods : From June 1991 to August 1996, twenty five patients with positive surgical margins after radical gastrectomy were treated with postoperative radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Median dose of radiation was 55.8Gy and the range was 44.6-59.4Gy. Second cycle of chemotherapy was delivered concurrently with radiation and total number of six cycles were delivered. Twenty three had adenocarcinoma and the other two had leiornyosarcoma. The numbers of patients with stage I B, II, III A, III B, and IV were 1, 2, 11, 10 and 1 respectively. Positive margins at distal end of the stomach were in 17 patients and proximal in 5. The other three patients had positive margin at the sites of adjacent organ invasion Minimum and median follow-up periods were 12 months and 18 months, respectively, Results : Twenty-four of 25 patients received prescribed radiation dose and RTOG grade 3 toxicity of UGI tract was observed in 3, all of which were weight loss more than $15\%$ of their pretreatment weight. But hematemesis. melena, intestinal obstruction or grade 4 toxicity were not found. Locoregional failure within the radiation field was observed in 7 patients, and distant metastasis in 10 patients. Sites of locoregional recurrences involve anastomosis/remnant stomach in 3, tumor bed/duodenal stump in 3, regional lymph node in 1 patient Peritoneal seeding occurred in 6, liver metastases months and median disease free survival time was 26 months. Stages andradiation dose were not significant prognostic factors for locoregional in 2, and distant nodes in 2 patients. Four year disease specificsurvival rate was $40\%$ and disease free survival was $48\%$. Median survival was 35 failures. Conculsion : Although all patients in this study had positive surgical margins, locoregional failure rate was $28\%$, and 4 year disease specific survival rate was $40\%$. Considering small number of patients and relatively short follow-up period, it is not certain that postoperative radiotherapy lowered locoregional recurrences. but we could find a Possibility of the role of postoperative radiotherapy in Patients with high risk factors.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.123-127
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• 2006

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical findings, treatment, and outcome of patients with glassy cell carcinoma of cervix. Materials and Methods: We reviewed all cases of glassy cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix confirmed and treated at the Dongsan Medical Center, Keimyung University, between January 1993 and December 2005. There were 7 cases with histopathologically confirmed gassy cell carcinoma. A tumor was diagnosed as glassy cell carcinoma if over 50% of the tumor cell type displayed glassy cell features. Six patients with stage IB had radical hysterectomy and bilateral pelvic node dissection, and 2 of them received adjuvant external pelvic irradiation with concurrent chemotherapy. Remaining one patient with stage IIA had curative concurrent chemoradiotherapy with external pelvic irradiation and brachytherapy. Results: There were 7 patients diagnosed as glassy cell carcinoma among the 3,745 (0.2%) patients of carcinoma of uterine cervix. The mean age of 7 patients was 44 years with range of 35 to 53 years of age. The most frequent symptom was vaginal bleeding (86%). By the punch biopsy undertaken before treatment of 7 cases, 2 only cases could diagnose as glassy cell carcinoma of uterine cervix, but remaining of them confirmed by surgical pathological examination. The mean follow up duration was 73 months with range of 13 to 150 months. All 7 patients were alive without disease after treatment. Conclusion: Glassy cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix is a distinct clinicopathologic entity that demonstrates an aggressive biologic behavior. However for early-stage disease, we may have more favorable clinical outcome with radical surgery followed by chemoradiothery.