• 대한암한의학회지
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• 제28권1호
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• pp.11-24
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• 2023

Objectives: To report the improvement of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and pantalgia with integrative cancer treatment on adverse effects of chemotherapy in a breast cancer patient. Methods: A 63-year-old female patient who has been diagnosed with breast cancer got treated for 103 days with integrative cancer treatment including acupuncture, moxibustion, herbal medicine, physiotherapies, hand and foot bath to decrease side effects of chemotherapy. The patient was also treated Western immunotherapies like Thymosin, Viscum album. Paclitaxel, Carboplatin, Doxorubicin, Cyclophosphamide was applied and chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy(CIPN), pantalgia and nausea occured. The efficacy of treatment was measured by a numeric rating scale(NRS) of symptoms, National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Event(NCI-CTCAE) and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group(ECOG) Performance Status Scale. Results: The NRS scroes for CIPN, pantalgia, nausea were improved. There was no adverse effects of 3 or higher assessed by the NCI-CTCAE. The ECOG grade improved from grade 2 to 1. Conclusions: This study suggests that integrative cancer treatment could improve CIPN, pantalgia after chemotherapy in breast cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제13권12호
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• pp.6523-6526
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• 2012

Objective: This study was designed to investigate treatment efficacy and side effects of concomitant Aisu$^{(R)}$ (docetaxel) with three-dimensional conformal external beam radiotherapy for the treatment of inoperable patients with esophageal cancer. Methods: Inoperable patients were treated with three-dimensional conformal external beam radiotherapy (5/week, 2 GY/day, and total dose 60GY) plus docetaxel ($30-45mg/m^2$, iv, d1, 8). Results: Twenty eight patients met the study eligibility criteria and the response rate was evaluated according to RICIST guidelines. Among 28 patients, 2 achieved CR, 22 PR, 3 SD and 1 patient was documented PD. Mild gastrointestinal reaction and bone marrow suppression were also documented. All treatment related side effects were tolerable. Conclusion: Three-dimensional conformal external beam radiotherapy combined with docetaxel is an active and safe regimen for inoperable patients with esophageal cancer.

• 대한한의학회지
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• 제30권1호
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• pp.128-136
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• 2009

Objective: To investigate a clinical worth of combination therapy of Oriental and conventional cancer treatment focusing on reduction of chemotherapy-induced side effects. Methods: 110 patients treated by Oriental treatment after intravenous or oral chemotherapy were reviewed, from January, 2005 to April, 2008 at the East-West Cancer Center of Dunsan Oriental hospital. Symptoms were investigated by National Cancer Institute-Common Toxicity Criteria (NCI-CTC) Version 2.0. Results: 80% patients of 110 patients had at least one symptom among eight main side effects (neutropenia, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomatitis, constipation, headache). The presence of those was as follows: nausea 63%, anorexia 61 %, neutropenia 45%, vomiting 28%, constipation 21 %, headache 19%, diarrhea 11 %, and stomatitis 10%. Except neutropenia, above symptoms has ameliorated by Oriental treatment in seven treat days. Conclusions: This study first presented the general characteristics of cancer patients treated by Oriental and conventional therapy, and showed a clinical potential of combinational therapy aiming to chemotherapy-induced side effects.

• 대한암한의학회지
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• 제12권1호
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• pp.83-89
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• 2007

Chemotherapy has many known side effects. Neuropathy is a common side effect when using cisplatin. The clinical course varies and depends on the agents used and their cumulative dose. Although symptoms can resolve completely, in most patients chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy is either only partially reversible or completely irreversible. Current management for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy is symptomatic relief using membrane stabilizing medications and antidepressants. Dysaesthesia and pain involving the feet and hands are described in traditional korean medicine. In traditional korean medicine, the pathogenesis is related to the inability to direct Qi and Blood to the extremities, and is associated with Qi, Blood, Yang and Kidney deficiencies. We report a case of a 52 years old female patient treated with acupuncture and bleeding treatment for the goal of improving the symptoms of chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy. Further study and other medical method will be needed in order to improve the effect and determine the long-term effect of traditional korean medicine in treating Chemotherapy-induced Peripheral Neuropathy.

• 대한수의학회지
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• 제62권3호
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• pp.20.1-20.8
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• 2022

5-Fluorouracil, doxorubicin, and vincristine are chemotherapy agents used to treat various cancers, such as breast cancer and lymphoma for decades, and their effects on cancer have been proven. On the other hand, these anti-cancer drugs cause fatal side effects, including immunosuppression. This study investigated whether sonicated Bordetella bronchiseptica bacterin (B. bronchiseptica) can attenuate the immunosuppression of spleen cells induced by these chemotherapy agents and which subsets of spleen cells were affected. B. bronchiseptica increased the metabolic activity of spleen cells treated with 3 anti-cancer drugs. Cell death analysis using Annexin V/propidium iodide showed that B. bronchiseptica markedly decreased the death of spleen cells. The subsets of spleen cells were analyzed by flow cytometry using a surface marker-specific antibody. B. bronchiseptica increased nitric oxide production in the spleen cells treated with anti-cancer drugs (p < 0.0001). Despite the pharmacological effects of anti-cancer drugs, many patients suffer from the fatal side effects of immunosuppression. This study provides valuable information on how to overcome chemotherapy-induced immunosuppression.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권8호
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• pp.3593-3599
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• 2014

Background: Efficacy of childhood cancer treatment in low-income countries may be impacted by parents' and health-care providers' perspectives on chemotherapy-related side-effects. This study explores prevalence and severity of side-effects in childhood cancer, and compares health beliefs about side-effects between parents and health-care providers, and between nurses and doctors in Indonesia. Materials and Methods: Semi-structured questionnaires were filled in by 40 parents and 207 health-care providers in an academic hospital. Results: Parents exporessed a desire to receive more information about side-effects (98%) and worried about this aspect of treatment (90%), although side-effects were less severe than expected (66%). The most frequent was behavior alteration (98%) and the most severe was hair loss. Only 26% of parents consulted doctors about side-effects. More parents, compared to health-care providers, believed that medicines work better when side-effects are more severe (p<0.001), and accepted severe side-effects (p=0.021). More health-care providers, compared to parents, believed that chemotherapy can be stopped or the dosage altered when there are side-effects (p=0.011). More nurses, compared to doctors, stated that side-effects were unbearable (p=0.004) and made them doubt efficacy of treatment (p<0.001). Conclusions: Behavior alteration is the most frequent and hair loss the most severe side-effect. Apparent discrepancies in health beliefs about side-effects exist between parents and health-care providers. A sustainable parental education program about side-effects is recommended. Health-care providers need to update and improve their knowledge and communication skills in order to give appropriate information. Suchmeasures may improve outcome of childhood cancer treatment in low-income countries, where adherence to therapy is a major issue.

• 대한한방내과학회지
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• 제43권1호
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• pp.79-89
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• 2022

This study examined the clinical effects of Korean medicine therapy in a patient with hypopharyngeal cancer treated with chemotherapy. A 53-year-old male patient suffering from hypopharyngeal cancer was treated with docetaxel as well as acupuncture and herbal medicine. Tumor size was measured by computed tomography (CT) and adverse events were evaluated according to the National Cancer Institute's Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (NCI-CTCAE) version 5.0. After two months of combined treatment, the size of the tumor mass was reduced at the left side of the neck, posterior to the CCA and at the lymph node in the left retropharyngeal area and medial aspect of the carotid sheath. The adverse events of chemotherapy also improved. This study indicates that Korean medicine therapy, such as acupuncture and herbal medicine, may lessen the side effects of chemotherapy and may be effective in the treatment of hypopharyngeal cancer.

• 대한한방내과학회지
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• 제38권2호
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• pp.235-239
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• 2017

This case study describes the effect of Bojungikki-tang on chemotherapy-induced alopecia. Alopecia is a well-documented cause of distress to patients undergoing cancer treatment, but no approved pharmacological treatment exists for chemotherapy-induced hair loss. A 70-year-old female diagnosed with a cholangiocarcinoma and liver metastasis received chemotherapy, including gemcitabine and cisplatin, every three weeks. As a result of the continuous chemotherapy, she suffered various toxicity-related side effects, including bone marrow suppression, general weakness, nausea, peripheral numbness, and hair loss. Bojungikki-tang was initially administered to improve the patient's general weakness and fatigue. After three months of treatment, the patient's hair loss and general condition improved, and the color of the new hair was dark, despite the chemotherapy. The treatment did not improve other symptoms, such as bone marrow suppression and peripheral numbness. This case suggests that Bojungikki-tang could have a beneficial effect on chemotherapy-induced alopecia.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제32권9호
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• pp.1086-1097
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• 2022

During the last decades, research and therapeutic methods in cancer treatment have been evolving. As the results, nowadays, cancer patients are receiving several types of treatments, ranging from chemotherapy and radiation therapy to surgery and immunotherapy. In fact, most cancer patients take a combination of current anti-cancer therapies to improve the efficacy of treatment. However, current strategies still cause some side effects to patients, such as pain and depression. Therefore, there is the need to discover better ways to eradicate cancer whilst minimizing side effects. Recently, immunotherapy, particularly immune checkpoint blockade, is rising as an effective anti-cancer treatment. Unlike chemotherapy or radiation therapy, immunotherapy has few side effects and a higher tumor cell removal efficacy depend on cellular immunological mechanisms. Moreover, recent studies suggest that tissue immune responses are regulated by their microbiome composition. Each tissue has their specific microenvironment, which makes their microbiome composition different, particularly in the context of different types of cancer, such as breast, colorectal, kidney, lung, and skin. Herein, we review the current understanding of the relationship of immune responses and tissue microbiome in cancer in both animal and human studies. Moreover, we discuss the cancer-microbiome-immune axis in the context of cancer development and treatment. Finally, we speculate on strategies to control tissue microbiome alterations that may synergistically affect the immune system and impact cancer treatment outcomes.

• Journal of Digestive Cancer Research
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• 제11권1호
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• pp.45-48
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• 2023

One of the most common side effects of chemotherapeutic agents is chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). The occurrence of CIPN is increasing as the survival rate of patients with cancer improves and the cumulative dose or duration of neurotoxic drugs increases. Approximately 30-40% of patients receiving neurologically toxic drugs experience CIPN, which eventually increases the burden of medical expenses. However, preventive measures against CIPN have not yet been established. Clinical trials have tested various drugs for the management of neuropathic pain, but only duloxetine has shown any significant effect. Further studies should evaluate nonpharmaceutical treatments, such as exercise.