• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.177-184
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• 2007

Purpose: To evaluate the palliative effect of endobronchial brachytherapy (EBB) for patients with lung cancer that previously received external beam radiotherapy (EBRT). Materials and Methods: From July 1992 to May 2003, 29 patients with a recurrent or persistent lung cancer were treated with palliative EBB at our institute. EBB consisted of three fractions (once a week) of a dose of 5 Gy using the high dose-rate remote afterloader. Symptomatic improvement was assessed subjectively, and patients were divided into two groups according to whether symptoms were improved or not. Factors such as age, performance status, duration from EBRT to EBB and the location of the tumor were compared between the improved and unimproved groups of patients. Results: Overall symptomatic improvement was found in 27 out of 52 symptoms (52%). Improvement as to the type of symptoms was seen in 41 %, 50%, 82% and 33% of patients with cough, dyspnea, hemoptysis, and obstructive pneumonia respectively. The rate of improvement of hemoptysis was more than that of cough (p<0.05). The median time to symptom relapse was 5 months. The improved patient group (n=17, 59%) had a better performance status and longer duration from EBRT to EBB than the unimproved patient group (p<0.05). Lesions located in the distal trachea and/or main bronchus were found more frequently in the improved group of patients than in the unimproved group of patients, but the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.06). Fatal complications developed in two patients (7%), which were a hemoptysis and bronchopleural fistula respectively. Conclusion: Symptom improvement was found in 60% of patients after EBB and improvement was maintained for 5 months. Palliative EBB, even when EBRT was given previously, can be effective for a patient that has an endobronchial symptom, such as hemoptysis, and for a patient with good performance and a long duration from previous EBRT to EBB.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.68-76
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• 1998

Background: Patients with centrally recurred bronchogenic carcinoma make a complaint of many symptoms like hemoptysis, cough & dyspnea. At these conditions, the goal of treatment is only to relieve their symptoms. High dose rate brachytherapy(HDR-BT) is the palliative treatment modality of centrally located endobronchial tumor regardless of previous external irradiation(XRT) on the same site in symptomatic patients. Methods: We studied the effects of HDR-BT in 26 patients with symptomatic recurrent lung cancer. Patients(male: 24, mean age: 54yrs)were treated with HDR-BT underwent bronchoscopic placement of $^{192}Ir$ HDR after loading unit(Gammamed$^{(T)}$, Germany) to deliver 500cGY intraluminal irradiation at a depth of 1cm every lwk on 3 occasions. Evaluation at base line and 4wks after HDR brachytherapy included chest X-ray, bronchscopy, symptoms (Standadized Scale for dyspnea,cough,hemoptysis), and Karnofsky performance scale. Results: Endobronchial obstruction was improved in 11/26 patients(37%). Atelectasis in chest X-ray was improved in 5/15 patients(33%). Hemoptysis, dyspnea & cough were improved in 5/10 patients (50%), 5/8 patients (62%) & 10/18 patients (56%) respectively. Karnofsky performance status was changed from 76.4 scores in pretreatment to 77.6 scores after treatment. During HDR-BT, massive hemoptysis (2 patients) and pneumothorax(1 patient) were occurred as complications. Conclusion: We concluded that HDR-BT gave additional benefits for the control of symptoms and general performance and endobronchial obstruction & atelectasis. And HDR-BT will be an additional treatment for the recurrent and endobronchial obstructive lung cancer.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.59 no.5
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• pp.504-509
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• 2005

Background : Endobronchial tumors cause life-threatening dyspnea and can lower the quality of life due to central airway obstruction. In those cases with an intraluminal tumor, various bronchoscopic techniques are available for tumor debulking. The therapeutic effect of bronchoscopic electrocautery for palliation in patients with a symptomatic tumor obstruction was studied. Method : Nineteen patients with bronchogenic carcinomas (n=15) and metastatic tumors affecting the bronchi (n=4), between March 2002 and March 2005, were enrolled in this study. Electrocautery was performed under local anesthesia using an electroprobe and diathermic snare. Using flexible bronchoscopy, a follow-up bronchoscopic examination was performed 3-4 days later. Symptom improvement was evaluated by $FEV_1$, FVC and dyspnea score (Modified Borg Category Scale (0~10)), both before and after the electrocautery. Results : The success rate of electrocautery on the follow up examination was 84%. Patients with endoluminal airway lesions had a mean overall decrease in the size of the obstruction to $47.8{\pm}15.7%$. The mean Improvement in the dyspnea score immediately after the endobronchial tumor debulking was $2.78{\pm}1.42$. The average improvements in the $FEV_1$ and FVC after electrocautery were $0.32{\pm}0.19L$ and $0.5{\pm}0.22L$, respectively. There were 2 cases of complications related with electrocautery (one each of pneumothorax and pneumonia). Conclusion : Electrocautery using an electroprobe and diathermic snare was an effective and safe palliative treatment for a symptomatic endoluminal airway obstruction in lung cancer.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.68 no.1
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• pp.6-9
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• 2010

Background: The efficacious use of interventional bronchoscope for patients with central airway obstruction due to malignant or benign lesions has been proven. Among many therapeutic bronchoscopic procedures, endobronchial cryotherapy is an established recanalization method for the obstruction of the respiratory tract. Recently, the use of this procedure has been increasing in Korea. However, limited data are available in the literature regarding its efficacy in Korea. Methods: Thirty patients, who had been treated with a flexible cryoprobe for cryotherapy were enrolled; clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes were analyzed. The patients had been treated with the technique using nitrous oxide as a cryogen under local anesthesia. Objective outcomes were 3 different degrees of therapeutic success by use of follow-up bronchoscopic findings as follows: successful, partially successful, and unsuccessful response. Subjective outcomes were evaluated as an improvement in symptoms. Results: The mean age of enrolled patients was $59{\pm}11$ years and there was a male (22/30) dominance. Twenty-three patients had malignant tumor and 7 patients had benign lesions with central airway obstruction. Successful recanalization was achieved in 11 (37%) patients, and partially successful response was achieved in 15 (50%) patients. Dyspnea was improved in 84.2% (16/19) of patients. At least one respiratory symptom was resolved in 91.3% (21/23) patients. Seven patients (23.3%) needed additional bronchoscopic electrocautery because of the bleeding as a complication of cryotherapy. Conclusion: Endobronchial cryotherapy is an effective and less expensive procedure for the management of central airway obstruction. However, the procedure should be performed under the preparing for an emergency situation, such as massive bleeding.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.389-396
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• 1994

Background : The two most important purposes of fiberoptic bronchoscopy in lung cancer patients are obtaining tissue diagnosis and staging. The direct sign of lung cancer on FOB includes visible tumor, with smooth or nodular surface, with or without necrosis and infiltration. Variant cell types of lung cancer have their characteristic biological behaviors respectively. For example, squamous cell carcinoma grows slowly, invades locally and has easy necrosis resulting in cavitation, whereas adenocarcinoma shows early metastasis, small cell carcinoma shows rapid growth and higher early metastasis rate. Based on this, it could be hypothesized that each cell type may have characteristic bronchoscopic finding. Method : To answer this question, we reviewed 106 cases which were diagnosed as primary lung cancer and had bronchoscopically visible specific cancerous lesions. Results : The results were as follows. 1) Squamous cell carcinoma accounted for 66 cases(62.2%), adenocarcinoma 15 cases(14.2%), large cell carcinoma 3 cases(2.8%). 2) The endobronchial tumor lesion was arbitrarily classified into 5 types according to gross characteristics. Type A, multilobulating mass with necrosis, accounted for 24.5%, type B, multilobulating mass without necrosis, 25.5%, type C, round beefy mass, 9.4%, type D, infiltration with mucosal irregularity, 6.6%, and type E, infiltration without mucosal irregularity, 34%. 3) The analysis of correlation between endobronchial tumor pattern and specific cell type revealed that squamous cell carcinoma had relation with the morphologic type B and small cell carcinoma had relation with the morphologic type E, but adenocarcinoma had no preponderance in morphologic type. The gross appearance had influence on the diagnostic yields of biopsies and the diagnostic yields of lobulating mass types(type A, B) were higher than those of other types. Conclusion : From the above observations, it could be concluded that squamous cell carcinoma and small cell carcinoma have relations with specific types of bronchoscopic morphology, but not the case in adenocarcinoma.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.374-380
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• 2004

Although exophytic endobronchial lesions can readily be diagnosed by routine forceps biopsy through the fiberoptic bronchoscope, submucosal or peribronchial tumor can be difficult to diagnose. So we evaluated the diagnostic utility of transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) through the fiberoptic bronchoscope in patients presenting with endoscopic abnormalities suggestive of submucosal or peribronchial tumor. Patients and Methods : Retrospective review of 120 lung cancer patients who were found to have the lesions suggestive of peribronchial and submucosal tumor during fiberoptic bronchoscopy was performed from Jan. 1994 to Dec. 2002 at Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine. Results : Forcep biopsy was positive in 63 cases (52.5%) and TBNA in 91 (75.8%), which was significantly better than forcep biopsy (p=0.001). The combination of forceps biopsy and TBNA was positive in 106 cases (88.3%), which was significantly better than forceps biopsy alone (p=0.0001). The difference of TBNA yield according to cell type or bronchoscopic appearance of lesion was not significant, but it showed the relatively better result in small cell carcinoma. Conclusions : We concluded that TBNA significantly increase the yield over forcep biopsy alone in the detection of submucosal or peribronchial bronchogenic carcinoma.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.59 no.6
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• pp.670-673
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• 2005

An 81-year-old man underwent bronchoscopy to investigate the cause of his dyspnea symptoms. A benign natured mass was observed in the bronchus and was excised. The pathology examination revealed a fibroepithelial polyp. He has been asymptomatic since the simple bronchoscopic excision. A fibroepithelial polyp is a benign tumor with a mesodermal origin. It is commonly found in the skin, urogenital area and chest, but is extremely rare in the respiratory system. We report a case of a fibroepithelial polyp in the bronchus, which was treated with a bronchoscopic excision, with a brief review of the relevant literature.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.39 no.9 s.266
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• pp.718-721
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• 2006

We describe the case of primary pulmonary paraganglioma in a 37-year-old woman who presented recurrent, severe cough. Computed tomography revealed a lobulated inhomogeneous enhanced mass with endobronchial protruding lesion suspected to be lung neoplasm, located in the upper lobe of the left lung. Bronchoscopic biopsy showed chronic inflammation with granulation tissue which was not in accord with the radiologic findings. Subsequently, a left lower sleeve lobectomy was peformed. Histological analysis of the resected tumor proved to be compatible with pulmonary paraganglioma. Primary pulmonary paragangliomas are very uncommon tumors. So we report this case with literature review.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.394-401
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• 1999

Inflammatory pseudotumor is a infrequent, benign tumor that affects at all ages and involves the lung, gastrointestinal tract, and salivary gland. They are the most common, isolated, primary lesion of the lung in children, and usually present as circumscribed, peripheral, parenchymal tumors or endobronchial tumors, which may be usually static or increase slowly in size without causing symptoms. Surgical excision is the treatment of choice because of the location and benign nature of this lesion. The prognosis after resection is excellent. Other therapeutic modalities include radiation and steroid therapy. We experienced two cases of inflammatory pseudotumor of the lung parenchyme and endobronchus. We report these cases with a review of literatures.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.227-232
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• 1991

Authors described the remote afterloading endobronchial brachytherapy (EBBT technique using the microSelectron HDR Ir-192 and the Asan Medical Center experience. Total 28 EBBT in 9 patients were performed since November 1989 and 24 EBBT in 8 patients were emploiyed for palliation and 3 EBBT in 1 patient was treated curatively. Authors observed a significant relief of obstructive symptom with tumor regression in 7 patients out of 8 who were treated palliatively but one of them died of pulmonary congestion in 3 weeks after EBBT One patient with prior therapy of extensive electrocautery expired within 1 day after 2nd EBBT procedure with massive hemorrhage from the lesion. EBBT procedure has been tolerable and can be performed as an outpatient.