• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.26-34
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• 2009

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to find out what clinicopathologic or immunohistochemical parameter that may affect FDG uptake of primary tumor in PET/CT scan of the gastric carcinoma patient. Materials and Methods: Eighty-nine patients with stomach cancer who underwent pre-operative FDG PET/CT scans were included. In cases with perceptible FDG uptake in primary tumor, the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) was calculated. The clinicopathologic results such as depth of invasion (T stage), tumor size, lymph node metastasis, tumor differentiation and Lauren's classification and immunohistochemical markers such as Ki-67 index, expression of p53, EGFR, Cathepsin D, c-erb-B2 and COX-2 were reviewed. Results: Nineteen out of 89 gastric carcinomas showed imperceptible FDG uptake on PET/CT images. In cases with perceptible FDG uptake in primary tumor, SUVmax was significantly higher in T2, T3 and T4 tumors than T1 tumors ($5.8{\pm}3.1$ vs. $3.7{\pm}2.1$, p=0.002). SUVmax of large tumors (above or equal to 3 cm) was also significantly higher than SUVmax of small ones (less than 3 cm) ($5.7{\pm}3.2$ vs. $3.7{\pm}2.0$, p=0.002). The intestinal types of gastric carcinomas according to Lauren showed higher FDG uptake compared to the non-intestinal types ($5.4{\pm}2.8$ vs. $3.7{\pm}1.3$, p=0.003). SUVmax between p53 positive group and negative group was significantly different ($6.0{\pm}2.8$ vs. $4.4{\pm}3.0$, p=0.035). No significant difference was found in presence of LN metastasis, tumor differentiation, Ki-67 index, and expression of EGFR, Cathepsin D, c-erb-B2 and COX-2. Conclusion: T stage of gastric carcinoma influenced the detectability of gastric cancer on FDG PET PET/CT scan. When gastric carcinoma was perceptible on PET/CT scan, T stage, size of primary tumor, Lauren's classification and p53 expression were related to degree of FDG uptake in primary tumor.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.246-255
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• 2009

Purpose: The objectives of this study were to investigate the impact of the number of resected lymph nodes on the survival of gastric cancer patients who underwent curative resection, and to evaluate the cut-off values that can have an influence on survival on the tumor stage-stratified analysis. Materials and Methods: The subjects were 949 gastric cancer patients who underwent curative resection at Korea University Medical Center from 1992 to 2002. They were classified according to the depth of tumor invasion, and the influence of the number of resected lymph nodes on survival was investigated. The cut-off value for the number of resected lymph nodes was determined as the smallest value that showed a significant survival difference. Results: The tumor size, location, lymph node stage, the number of metastatic lymph nodes and the number of resected lymph nodes were significantly different according to the tumor stage. The average number of resected lymph nodes was about 39, and it showed linear correlation with the number of metastatic lymph nodes. On the Cox proportional hazard model, the cut-off values of the number of resected lymph nodes, as corrected by the number of metastatic lymph nodes, was 14 for all the patients, 15 for the pT1 patients, 28 for the pT2 patients and 37 for the pT3 patients, respectively. Conclusion: Retrieving a number of lymph nodes that is more than the cut-off value could improve the survival of gastric cancer patients. Surgeons should also make efforts to perform an exact and thorough D2 lymph node dissection. Therefore, we urge surgeons to perform D2 dissection and pathologists should examine an certain exact number of lymph nodes.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.213-218
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• 2007

Purpose: Laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG) is gaining wider acceptance for the treatment of early gastric cancer. However, firm evidence supporting the long-term outcome after LADG for gastric cancer is unknown. This study compared long-term quality of life after LADG versus an open distal gastrectomy (ODG) for early gastric cancer. Methods: This study included 29 patients who underwent LADG and 57 patients who underwent ODG for the treatment of stage I gastric cancer. Quality of life was evaluated based on the Korean version of EORTC QLQ-C30 (version 3.0) and EORTC QLQ-STO22 one year after surgery. All patients underwent a Billroth II gastrectomy for stage I gastric cancer between January 2003 and December 2004. Results: A total of 86 (58%) out of 154 patients responded to the questionnaire. Demographic features showed no difference between the two groups of patients for age, sex, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis except for tumor size and the number of retrieved lymph nodes. The mean score for global health status was not statistically different (LADG, $60.3{\pm}20.4$ vs ODG, $57{\pm}20.6$; P=0.413). The total score of 21 items related to stomach cancer (EORTC QLQ-STO22) also was not statistically different (LADG, $68.9{\pm}64.9$ vs ODG, $94.5{\pm}97.3$; P=0.340). Conclusion: Based on the results of the Korean version of EORTC QLQ-C 30 (version 3.0) and EORTC. QLQ-STO22, LADG does not seem to have any long-term benefit over ODG on 'quality of life'.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.270-276
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• 2006

Purpose: The prognosis of Borrmann type IV gastric cancer is poorer than that of the other gastric carcinomas. We compared the clinicopathological features of Borrmann type IV gastric cancer with those of other types of cancer and analyzed the significance of a Borrmann type IV carcinoma as a prognostic factor Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinicopathologic features, TNM stage and survival rates of 4,389 gastric cancer patients who received surgical management at Samsung Medical Center between January 1995 and December 2004. Results: Patients with a Borrmann type IV gastric carcinoma had a more advanced stage than patients with other types of gastric carcinomas at the initial diagnosis, and the curative resection rate was lower. The 5-year survival rate of patients with Borrmann type IV cancer was 20.7%, and that of patients with other types of cancer was 50.3%. The 5-year survival rate of patients with Borrmann type IV gastric carcinomas was significantly lower than that of patients with other types of gastric carcinomas at the same TNM stage. In univariate and multivariate analyses, the depth of invasion, the nodal state, distant metastasis, the TNM stage, curability and the presence of a Borrmann type IV carcinoma were independent prognostic factors in cases of gastric cancer. Conclusion: Compared to the other types of gastric carcinomas, a Borrmann type IV carcinoma has unique clinicopathological features. The prognosis should be predicated considering the differences between Borrmann type IV qastric carcinomas and other types of gastric carcinomas, and multimodal and intensive therapies are needed in patients with a Borrmann type IV gastric carcinoma.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.117-123
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• 2007

Purpose: The surgical treatment of gastric cancer that invades adjacent organs is a radical gastrectomy with combined resection including the adjacent organs or a palliative operation by performing either a gastrojejunostomy or gastrectomy. However, since it is impossible to determine the exact stage of the cancer, either T or N, in the case of palliative surgery, it is inappropriate to predict patient prognosis. This study analyzes the prognoses for patients whose final TNM stages are determined by a combined resection performed due to macroscopical infiltration into the adjacent organs. Materials and Methods: Of 2,452 patients that underwent surgery for gastric cancer at our hospital from 1983 to 2002, we evaluated 102 patients where a combined resection was performed because direct infiltration into the adjacent organs was discovered. Results: Univariate analysis showed that the survival rate differed by the depth of invasion into the gastric walls, the degree of lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, pathological TNM stage, surgical curability, the location of tumor, and histological differentiation. By multivariate analysis, it was found that the surgical curability, the location of the tumor and the degree of lymph node metastasis were independent prognostic factors. Conclusion: It is suggested that even when infiltration into adjacent organs is suspected, radical surgery should be performed as to allow a prediction of prognosis through an exact determination of disease stage, and to improve the survival rate.

• Cartoon and Animation Studies
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• s.41
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• pp.553-578
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• 2015

The Korean society was forcefully merged with the invasion of Japan in 20th century, and traditional culture of Korea was damaged severely by colonization from Japan. After liberation, Korean society experienced drastic social change with Korean War, and industrial economy and democratic system developed as modernization and democratization occurred. However, Korean traditional culture dissolved more severely as Korean society developed industrial economy and democracy. As criticism of existing Western center of society and the emphasis of cultural identity of non-western regions and third-world, world society preferred exchange of culture of diverse nations and people with each other in advent of postmodernism thoughts in mid-late 20th century. If the cultural identity of Korea was dissolving meanwhile, it was needed to be recovered again. Despite the research in Korean history, language, art, architecture was performed to recover cultural identity of Korea, it did not go in-depth with Korean mythology, for Korean mythology is considered as superstition or savage. Mythology shows subconscious group psychology of people who live in certain specific region. Studying Korean mythology is one of the ways to rediscover cultural identity of Korea. In order for Korean mythology to be known to many people, its stories should be told by media. There were movies, plays, drama, and novels produced based on existing Korean mythology as introduction, then these mythical stories are appear in subculture contents such as recent comics, animation, webtoon, games, and light novels. Then population of game players and webtoon readers increased as dissemination of PC and smart phones, and increasing market scale of subculture contents increased a population of consumers of comics, animation, and light novel. Consumers of sub-culture contents were interested as many of these contents were created, base on Korean mythology. Therefore, this paper is written as research on Korean mythology and its signification in sub-cultural contents which were produced base on Korean mythology.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.29-33
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• 2005

Purpose: To determine the prognostic values of the hematologic parameters checked preoperatively in gastric cancer patients, we evaluated and compared the relationship between hematologic parameters and clinicopathologic factors of gastric cancer patient. Materials and Methods: The medical records of 357 consecutive patients who had undergone surgery for gastric cancer at the Department of Surgery, Hanyang University Hospital, between Dec. 2,000 and Dec. 2003 were reviewed. To exclude any adverse effect of invasive procedures to hematologic parameters, the samples taken immediately at outpatient department was used. The normal range of serum albumin was defined above 3.5 g/dl, serum hemoglobin above 12 g/dl, and serum platelet count under $400\times10^{3}{\mu}l$. Patients were defined as group 1 when any of these parameters was abnormal, and defined as group 2 when all parameters were normal. The relationships between hematologic parameters and survival rate were investigated. Results: The mean values of platelet count increased, but level of serum albumin and serum hemoglobin decreased significantly according to the advancement of the disease stage (P=0.000). The differences of depth of tumor invasion and lymph node metastasis between the group 1 and the group2 was statistically significant (P=0.001). Three-year survival difference between group 1 and group 2 was significant (P=0.037). Conclusion: The hematologic parameters checked preoperatively in patients of gastric cancer are simple and cheap, meanwhile reflect the general condition of the patients. Any presence of anemia, hypoalbuminemia, or thrombocytosis can predict the progression of the disease and poor survival rates.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.37 no.8
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• pp.665-671
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• 2004

Background: Lymph node metastasis is commonly reported in thoracic esophageal cancer, even in the early esophageal cancer which may be localized only in the mucosa or within the submucosal layer. Although lymph node metastasis greatly influence long-term outcome and cure of the disease, endoscopic mucosal resection or photodynamic therapy without lymph node dissection is widely attempted. The investigation of the pattern of lymph node metastasis and results of surgical resection of superficial esophageal cancer is needed. Material and Method: Pattern of lymph node metastsis and depth of tumor invasion were studied retrospectively from 44 patients with early esophageal cancer who underwent radical resection of the tumor from December, 1995 to August, 2001. Result: Lymph node metastasis was found in 10 patients (22.7%) out of total of 44 patients. Lymph node metastasis was found in 0% (0 of 3), 0% (0 of 4), 50% (2 of 4), and 24.24% (8 of 33) of tumors that invaded the intraepitherium, lamina propria, muscularis mucosa, and submucosa respectively. Anatomically distant lymph node metastases were found more frequently in recurrent laryngeal nerve node(5 cases of 10 patients) and in intraperitoneal node (8 cases of 10). than intrathoracic node (3 cases of 10). There was no operative mortality, however, there were 1 hospital death in patient with lamina propria cancer, 1 late death in patient with submucosal cancer. Three-year survival rates (except hospital death) were 100% in mucosal cancer and 97.0% in submucosal cancer (p>0.05), and 100% in the node negative group and 90.0% in the node positive group (p>0.05). Conclusion: The survival rate of superficial esophageal cancer patient who was recieved operative resection was excellent. But, lymph node metastasis were found in superficial esophageal cancer, even in esophageal cancer limited to the muscularis mucosa. Systemic lymph node dissection which includes recurrent laryngeal nerve nodes and intraperitoneal nodes was recommended for favorable outcome in superficial esophageal cancer.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.301-312
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• 2001

Purpose: Stomach cancer is one of the most common malignancies in Korea, but there is no report on FDG PET in patients with stomach cancer. We observed findings of FDG PET in patients with stomach cancer. Materials and Methods: In 13 patients with pre-operative stomach cancer, PET and CT were performed. Primary lesion and regional lymph nodes detection were aualyzed. Correlation between FDG uptake ratio and each prognostic factor of primary lesion was analyzed. In 19 patients diagnosed as recurrence or displaying suspicious symptoms, conventional work up including tumor marker and PET were performed. Recurrence detection of anastomotic site, distant metastasis, and tumor marker elevation were analyzed. Results: Sensitivity for primary lesion detection was 83.3% (CT 71.4%) and two submucosal lesions were undetected. FDG uptake ratio was variable and had no correlation with invasion-depth, size, Borrmann type, staging and differentiation. Sensitivity for regional lymph node detection was 58.3% (CT 58.3%) and the lesions less than 1cm were undetected. Sensitivity for recurrence detection was 100% but there were three false positives. Sensitivity for distant metastasis detection was 64.3% and significantly higher than that of conventional work-up (21.4%). Average of tumor marker level in patients who were confirmed as recurrence was higher than false positive. Conclusion: PET is more useful than conventional work up in distant metastasis detection when recurrence is suspected. In pre-operative stomach cancer, PET is comparable to CT for detection of primary lesion and regional lymph node metastasis and detection of distant metastasis requires further study.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.41-48
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• 1995

Purpose : The adjuvant postoperative radiotherapy has been usually applied to the patients with unfavorable prognostic factors after radical operation in early cervical cancer. We focused on the evaluation of the survival status and failure patterns of the patients with postoperative radiotherapy. Materials and Methods : We retrospectively analyzed ninety patients with FIGO stage IB and IIA cervix cancer who received postoperative pelvic irradiation at Chonnam University Hospital between August 1985 and December 1988, Seventy-eight patients had adequate follow-up information for survival analysis. Median follow-up time of these patients was 64 months. Results : The 5 year overall and disease free survival rate of ninety patients was $80.0\%$ and $80.2\%$, respectively. The prognostic significance to the survival was determined by multivariate analysis. Adequacy of resection margin(p=0.005) and lymph node status(p=0.005) appeared to be independent prognostic factors. Recurrence occurred in 13 patients, 5 in the pelvis and 8 at distant sites. The median time to recurrence was 19 months(range:3-39 months). The pelvic recurrence was more prevalent in the group of patients with adenocarcinoma, depth of stromal invasion more than 10mm and use of chemotherapy. The distant failure was more prevalent in the group of positive resection margin or positive lymph node with statistical significance. Conclusion : Patients with pelvic lymph node or surgical margin involvement clearly constitute a high risk group in this analysis and should be considered as candidates for some form of adjuvant therapy.