• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.35 no.2
• /
• pp.112-120
• /
• 2017

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of adjuvant external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) on local failure-free survival rate (LFFS) for papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) invading the trachea. Materials and Methods: Fifty-six patients with locally advanced PTC invading the trachea were treated with surgical resection. After surgery, 21 patients received adjuvant EBRT and radioactive iodine therapy (EBRT group) and 35 patients were treated with radioactive iodine therapy (control group). Results: The age range was 26-87 years (median, 56 years). The median follow-up period was 43 months (range, 4 to 145 months). EBRT doses ranged from 50.4 to 66 Gy (median, 60 Gy). Esophagus invasion and gross residual disease was more frequent in the EBRT group. In the control group, local recurrence developed in 9 (9/35, 26%) and new distant metastasis in 2 (2/35, 6%) patients, occurring 4 to 68 months (median, 37 months) and 53 to 68 months (median, 60 months) after surgery, respectively. Two patients had simultaneous local recurrence and new distant metastasis. There was one local failure in the EBRT group at 18 months after surgery (1/21, 5%). The 5-year LFFS was 95% in the EBRT group and 63% in the control group (p = 0.103). In the EBRT group, one late grade 2 xerostomia was developed. Conclusion: Although, EBRT group had a higher incidence of esophagus invasion and gross residual disease, EBRT group showed a better 5-year LFFS. Adjuvant EBRT may have contributed to the better LFFS in these patients.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.34 no.4
• /
• pp.265-272
• /
• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the treatment outcomes of adjuvant radiotherapy using vaginal brachytherapy (VB) with a lower dose per fraction and/or external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) following surgery for patients with stage I endometrial carcinoma. Materials and Methods: The subjects were 43 patients with the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage I endometrial cancer who underwent adjuvant radiotherapy following surgery between March 2000 and April 2014. Of these, 25 received postoperative VB alone, while 18 received postoperative EBRT to the whole pelvis; 3 of these were treated with EBRT plus VB. The median EBRT dose was 50.0 Gy (45.0-50.4 Gy) and the VB dose was 24 Gy in 6 fractions. Tumor dose was prescribed at a depth of 5 mm from the cylinder surface and delivered twice per week. Results: The median follow-up period for all patients was 57 months (range, 9 to 188 months). Five-year disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) for all patients were 92.5% and 95.3%, respectively. Adjuvant radiotherapy was performed according to risk factors and stage IB, grade 3 and lymphovascular invasion were observed more frequently in the EBRT group. Five-year DFS for EBRT and VB alone were 88.1% and 96.0%, respectively (p = 0.42), and 5-year OS for EBRT and VB alone were 94.4% and 96%, respectively (p = 0.38). There was no locoregional recurrence in any patient. Two patients who received EBRT and 1 patient who received VB alone developed distant metastatic disease. Two patients who received EBRT had severe complications, one each of grade 3 gastrointestinal complication and pelvic bone insufficiency fracture. Conclusion: Adjuvant radiotherapy achieved high DFS and OS with acceptable toxicity in stage I endometrial cancer. VB (with a lower dose per fraction) may be a viable option for selected patients with early-stage endometrial cancer following surgery.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.31 no.3
• /
• pp.162-170
• /
• 2013

Purpose: To analyze the outcome of adjuvant postoperative external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) in well-differentiated thyroid cancer (WDTC). Materials and Methods: We identified 84 patients treated with EBRT for WDTC from February 1981 to December 2010. Among them, we analyzed 39 patients who received EBRT after initial radical surgery. Twenty-four females and 15 males were included. The median age was 49 years (range, 16 to 72 years). There were 34 papillary thyroid carcinomas and 5 follicular thyroid carcinomas. Most patients showed pathologic T3/T4 stage (54%/26%). Ten patients (25.6%) had gross residual tumors. Five patients (12.8%) had tumor cells at the margin. The median EBRT dose and fraction size were 62.6 Gy and 1.8 to 2.0 Gy, respectively. Results: The median follow-up was 73 months (range, 21 to 372 months). The five-year overall survival (OS) and locoregional recurrence free survival (LRFS) were 97.4% and 86.9%, respectively. Locoregional failures occurred in 5 and all failure sites were the neck node area. In univariate analysis, OS was significantly influenced by invasion of the trachea (p = 0.016) or esophagus (p = 0.006). LRFS was significantly decreased by male (p = 0.020), gross residuum after resection (p = 0.002), close or positive tumor at surgical margin involvement (p = 0.044), and tracheal invasion (p = 0.040). No significant prognostic factor was identified in the multivariate analysis. No patient experienced the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group grade 3 or more toxicity. Conclusion: Our locoregional control rate of 87.2% is comparable to historical controls with surgery alone, even though our study had a large proportion of advanced stage. Adjuvant EBRT may an effective and safe treatment option in patients with WDTC.

• KSBB Journal
• /
• v.27 no.1
• /
• pp.28-32
• /
• 2012

In this study, the treatment ability of the wastewater containing perchlorate by non-salt tolerant perchlorate reducing bacterial consortium (N-PRBC) was evaluated in a continuous stirred tank bioreactor (CSTR). To obtain the optimal operating condition the bioreactor was operated with the different wastewater empty bed retention time (EBRT). The treatment performance in the bioreactor could be maintained at 100 $mg-ClO_4{^-}L^{-1}$ up to a EBRT of 3 h, and the removal capacity in the CSTR was about 3.3 times higher than that in a batch operation. With a decrease from 9 h to 2 h in a EBRT, the volumetric perchlorate reduction rate was increased from 11.1 $mg-ClO_4{^-}L^{-1}h^{-1}$ to 50.0 $mg-ClO_4{^-}L^{-1}h^{-1}$, and the specific perchlorate reduction rates were increased from 3.01 $mg-ClO_4{^-}g-DCW^{-1}h^{-1}$. In conclusion, the treatment capacities in a CSTR were much better than those obtained in a batch operation.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.31 no.2
• /
• pp.81-87
• /
• 2013

Purpose: To describe chronic rectal mucosal damage after pelvic radiotherapy (RT) for cervical cancer and correlate these findings with clinical symptoms and radiation dose. Materials and Methods: Thirty-two patients who underwent pelvic RT were diagnosed with radiation-induced proctitis based on endoscopy findings. The median follow-up period was 35 months after external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and intracavitary radiotherapy (ICR). The Vienna Rectoscopy Score (VRS) was used to describe the endoscopic findings and compared to the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC)/Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) morbidity score and the dosimetric parameters of RT (the ratio of rectal dose calculated at the rectal point [RP] to the prescribed dose, biologically effective dose [BED] at the RP in the ICR and EBRT plans, ${\alpha}/{\beta}$ = 3). Results: Rectal symptoms were noted in 28 patients (rectal bleeding in 21 patients, bowel habit changes in 6, mucosal stools in 1), and 4 patients had no symptoms. Endoscopic findings included telangiectasia in 18 patients, congested mucosa in 20, ulceration in 5, and stricture in 1. The RP ratio, $BED_{ICR}$, $BED_{ICR+EBRT}$ was significantly associated with the VRS (RP ratio, median 76.5%; $BED_{ICR}$, median 37.1 $Gy_3$; $BED_{ICR+EBRT}$, median 102.5 $Gy_3$; p < 0.001). The VRS was significantly associated with the EORTC/RTOG score (p = 0.038). Conclusion: The most prevalent endoscopic findings of RT-induced proctitis were telangiectasia and congested mucosa. The VRS was significantly associated with the EORTC/RTOG score and RP radiation dose.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.37 no.4
• /
• pp.293-301
• /
• 2019

Purpose: External beam radiotherapy (EBRT) is a useful option to treat head and neck skin cancer patients who are not indicated for surgery. In this study, we evaluated the treatment outcomes of EBRT in an Asian population. Materials and Methods: The records from 19 head and neck skin cancer patients (10 with squamous cell carcinoma and 9 with basal cell carcinoma) who were treated with definitive or adjuvant EBRT from 2009 to 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. The radiotherapy doses administered ranged from 50 to 66 Gy (median, 55 Gy) with 2.0-2.75 Gy per daily fraction (median, 2.5 Gy). The T stage at presentation was as follows: Tis (1 patient), T1 (11 patients), T2 (6 patients), and T3 (1 patient). None had regional lymph node disease or distant metastasis at presentation. The local failure-free survival (LFFS) rates, toxicity, and cosmetic results were analyzed. Results: The median age was 75.5 years (range, 52.6 to 92.5 years). The median follow-up duration from the completion of radiotherapy was 44.9 months (range, 5.8 to 82.6 months). One local failure occurred in a patient with a 2.1-cm posterior neck squamous cell carcinoma at 32.5 months after radiotherapy (1/19, 5.3%). The 3-year LFFS rate was 91.7%. No patients died from skin cancer during follow-up, and no grade 3 complications occurred. The cosmetic outcomes were excellent for 16 (84.2%) and good for 3 (15.8%) of the 19 patients. Conclusion: EBRT offers good local control and cosmetic outcomes in patients with head and neck skin cancer, with no grade 3 complications.

• Progress in Medical Physics
• /
• v.32 no.2
• /
• pp.25-39
• /
• 2021

Brachytherapy, along with external beam radiation therapy (EBRT), is an essential and effective radiation treatment process. In brachytherapy, in contrast to EBRT, the radiation source is radioisotopes. Because these isotopes can be positioned inside or near the tumor, it is possible to protect other organs around the tumor while delivering an extremely high-dose of treatment to the tumor. Brachytherapy has a long history of more than 100 years. In the early 1900s, the radioisotopes used for brachytherapy were only radium or radon isotopes extracted from nature. Over time, however, various radioisotopes have been artificially produced. As radioisotopes have high radioactivity and miniature size, the application of brachytherapy has expanded to high-dose-rate brachytherapy. Recently, advanced treatment techniques used in EBRT, such as image guidance and intensity modulation techniques, have been applied to brachytherapy. Three-dimensional images, such as ultrasound, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and positron emission tomography are used for accurate delineation of treatment targets and normal organs. Intensity-modulated brachytherapy is anticipated to be performed in the near future, and it is anticipated that the treatment outcomes of applicable cancers will be greatly improved by this treatment's excellent dose delivery characteristics.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.287-293
• /
• 2010

In this study, the toluene gas in VOCs was removed using bioreactor which applied with hollow fiber membrane and Pseudomonas sp. TDB-4. The EBRT of each reactor are controlled 60 sec(R-1) and 30 sec(R-2) and inlet tolune concentration of both R-1 and R-2 is controlled from 25ppm to 500 ppm. Up to 500 ppm of toluene concentration, the toluene removal efficiency of R-1 and R-2 are 92% and 81%, and theirs removal capacities are about 100 g/$m^3$/hr and 180 g/$m^3$/hr, respectively. In addition, according to this study, toluene removal efficiencies at the hollow fiber are approximately 70%(60 sec) and 45%(30sec).

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2000.11a
• /
• pp.516-519
• /
• 2000

Lab-scale biofilter was studied for the simultaneous removal of ammonia and hydrogen sulfide in gas mixtures. Compost and polyurethane foam were used as packing materials (50 : 50) and activated sludge from a wastewater treatment plant was innoculated initially. When tested under varying inlet concentrations and empty bed residence time(EBRT), up to 80 ppmv of ammonia and 40 ppmv of hydrogen sulfide could be removed completely at an EBRT of 30 sec. The pH was found to be the key factor governing the biofilter performance.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
• /
• v.8 no.3
• /
• pp.124-130
• /
• 2000

This study was conducted to evaluate effects of gas retention time and filling depth of a compost-based biofilter on removal of vapor phase gasoline and to suggest operational improving method. Gas empty bed retention times(EBRTs) were 4, 10, and 20 minutes, respectively. EBRT of over 10 minutes was required in both cases of TPH(total petroleum hydrocarbons) and BTEK (bezene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene). Filling depths were 25, 50, 75, and 100cm, respectively. To treat gasoline TPH effectively, controlling other operational parameters including EBRT and gas loading rate was more important than increasing filling depth simply. 1m filling depth was sufficient in treating BTEX without controlling other operational parameters greatly.