• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.133-151
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• 1996

After cardiac surgery, it has been recognized that various complications were associated with injured humoral and cellular immunity by cardiopulmonary bypass(CPB). Especially, in postoperative pulmonary dysfunction, transpulmonary leukostasis followed complement activation and inflammatory responses are major pathogen. Some studies have showed that pretreated-corticosteroids before CPB protected postoperative pulmonary dysfunction. Corticosteroids may inhibit complement and leukocyte activation. On based previous studies, present investigator determined changes of leukocyte counts and transpulmonary leukostasis during cardiac surgery and postoperative periods. For the evaluation of postoperative pulmonary function and edema, $PaO_2$ and chest X-ray were compared between pre-CPB and post-CPB. Fever and other parameters were also observed postoperatively. The aim of this study was to define for the prophylactic effects of corticosteroid(Solu-Medrol: 30mg/kg) on all the researched parameters. This study was prospectively designed with randomized-blind fashion for 50 patients undergoing cardiac surgery. According to the purpose of study, all patients were divided into placebo and steroid group. : Placebo group was 25 patients received normal saline(not corticosteroid), and steroid group was 25patients received corticosteroid(Solu-Medrol: 30mg/kg) before initiation of CPB. The results of study were summarized as follows. 1. Total peripheral leukocyte counts decreased significantly at 5 minutes of CPB in all patients(P<0.01), and began to increase progressively at later periods of CPB with neutrophilia. The significant rise remained at postoperative 7th day(P<0.05). 2. During partial CPB, transpulmonary leukostasis occurred in placebo group(P<0.001), whereas it was prevented in steroid group. 3. In both groups, peripheral lymphocyte counts were stable during CPB, but began to reduce at time of intensive care unit(ICU) and the lymphocytopenia remained until postoperative 3rd day. The lymphocyte counts recovered on postoperative 7th day. 4. In both groups, peripheral counts of monocyte were relatively stable in the early peroid of CPB, and increased gradually in the later periods of CPB. This significant monocytosis remained throughout postoperlative periods(P<0.05). 5. The mean value of postoperative $paO)_2$ was lower than that of pre-CPB in placebo group(P=0.01) but didn't significant in steroid group(P=0.90). In the incidence of pulmonary edema signs and fever, placebo group was higher than steroid group(P=0.001, p=0.01, respectively). However mechanical respiratory supporting and care periods at intensive care unit were not significant difference between two groups(P>.0.05).With the above results, the investigator concluded that leukocyte activation and pulmonary sequestration were caused by cardiac surgery with CPB and demonstrated that high dose corticosteroid will provide prophylactic effect for pulmonary leukostasis and higher neutrophilia. These effects may ameliorate postoperative pulmonary dysfunction and contribute to postoperative less morbidity. However, further study should be performed because postoperative lymphocytopenia continued for 3 days in both groups, which may suspected damage or suppression of cell-mediated immunity with used corticosteroid.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.378-385
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• 2017

In this study, we evaluated the changes of fruit quality indices during fruit development and ripening in Korean new pear cultivar 'Changjo', developed from a cross between 'Tama' and '81-1-27' ('Danbae' ${\times}$ 'Okusankichi') in 1995 and named in 2009, to determine appropriate harvest time and to enhance the market quality and broaden the cultivation area. The fruits of 'Changjo' pears harvested from 132 days after full bloom (DAFB) to 160 DAFB. Fruit growth and quality indices were monitored at 1 week interval by measuring fruit weight, length, diameter, firmness, and taste related quality indices. The calculated fruit fresh weight increased continuously with fruit development and reached to an average of 594g on Sep. 20 (160 DAFB). The ratio of length to diameter declines as fruit maturation progress, resulting in 0.898 for ripe fruit stage as a round oblate shape. Flesh firmness of 'Changjo' pears showed over 30N until 153 DAFB and then decreased abruptly with fruit ripening, reaching a final level of about 26.44N on 160 DAFB. Starch content of fruit sap was also decreased abruptly after 146 DAFB which decreased almost half of the fruits harvested at 139 DAFB. In parallel with the decrease of flesh firmness, ethanol insoluble solids (EIS) content decreased sharply with fruit ripens, only 50% of EIS was detected on the fruits harvested on 160 DAFB when compared to that of the fruits harvested on 139 DAFB (Aug. 30). The maximum value of soluble solids contents was observed in the fruits harvested on 153 DAFB, resulting in $14.2^{\circ}Brix$. The changes of skin color difference $a^*$ which means loss of green color occurred only after 139 DAFB, coincide with the decrease of SPAD value of the fruit skin. The sugars of the 80% ethanol soluble fraction consisted mainly of fructose, sorbitol, glucose and sucrose, also increased during maturation and ripening. Fructose and sucrose contents were larger than those of glucose and sorbitol in flesh tissues. These results were explained that stored starch is converted to soluble sugars during fruit maturation, mainly in fructose and sucrose increasing the sweetness of this cultivar. Total polyphenols were increased up to middle of fruit maturation (146 DAFB) and then decreased continuously until the end of fruit maturation. Consequently, our results suggested that the commercial harvest time of 'Changjo' pears should not be passed 153 DAFB and late harvest of this cultivar would not good for quality maintenance during shelf-life. As a result of the post-harvest low-temperature acclimation experiment during the short-term transportation period, fruits harvested at 146 DAFB tended to maintain higher firmness after 14 days of simulated marketing at $25^{\circ}C$ compared to fruits harvested at 153 DAFB regardless of temperature set. And, the slower the rate of decrease to the final transport temperature of $5^{\circ}C$, the higher the incidence of internal browning and ethylene production. Therefore, in order to suppress the physiological disorder and to maintain the fruit quality when exporting to Southeast Asia in the 'Chanjo' pears, it is desirable to lower the temperature of the fruits within a short time after harvest and to set the harvest time before 146 days after full bloom.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.37 no.10
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• pp.845-855
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• 2004

Background: No general consensus has been available regarding the necessity of postoperative radiation therapy (PORT) and its optimal techniques in the patients with chest wall invasion (pT3cw) and node negative (N0) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We did retrospective analyses on the pT3cwN0 NSCLC patients who received PORT because of presumed inadequate resection margin on surgical findings. And we compared them with the pT3cwN0 NSCLC patients who did not received PORT during the same period. Material and Method: From Aug. of 1994 till June of 2002, 22 pT3cwN0 NSCLC patients received PORT-PORT (＋) group- and 16 pT3cwN0 NSCLC patients had no PORT-PORT (-) group. The radiation target volume for PORT (＋) group was confined to the tumor bed plus the immediate adjacent tissue only, and no regional lymphatics were included. The prognostic factors for all patients were analyzed and survival rates, failure patterns were compared with two groups. Result: Age, tumor size, depth of chest wall invasion, postoperative mobidities were greater in PORT (-) group than PORT (＋) group. In PORT (-) group, four patients who were consulted for PORT did not receive the PORT because of self refusal (3 patients) and delay in the wound repair (1 patient). For all patients, overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), loco-regional recurrence-free survival (LRFS), and distant metastases-free survival (DMFS) rates at 5 years were 35.3%, 30.3%, 80.9%, 36.3%. In univariate and multivariate analysis, only PORT significantly affect the survival. The 5 year as rates were 43.3% in the PORT (＋) group and 25.0% in PORT (-) group (p=0.03). DFS, LRFS, DMFS rates were 36.9%, 84.9%, 43.1 % in PORT (＋) group and 18.8%, 79.4%, 21.9% in PORT(-) group respectively. Three patients in PORT (-) group died of intercurrent disease without the evidence of recurrence. Few suffered from acute and late radiation side effects, all of which were RTOG grade 2 or lower. Conclusion: The strategy of adding PORT to surgery to improve the probability not only of local control but also of survival could be justified, considering that local control was the most important component in the successful treatment of pT3cw NSCLC patients, especially when the resection margin was not adequate. Authors were successful in the marked reduction of the incidence as well as the severity of the acute and late side effects of PORT, without taking too high risk of the regional failures by eliminating the regional lymphatics from the radiation target volume.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.39 no.7 s.264
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• pp.534-543
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• 2006

Background: There are a lot of debates regarding the optimal timing of operation of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Off pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) has benefits by avoiding the adverse effects of the cardio-pulmonary bypass, but its efficacy in AMI has not been confirmed yet. The purpose of this study is to evaluate retrospectively early and mid-term results of OPCAB in patients with AMI according to transmurality and timing of operation. Material and Method: Data were collected in 126 AMI patients who underwent OPCAB between January 2002 and July 2005, Mean age of patients were 61.2 years. Male was 92 (73.0%) and female was 34 (27.2%). 106 patients (85.7%) had 3 vessel coronary artery disease or left main disease. Urgent or emergent operations were performed in 25 patients (19.8%). 72 patients (57.1%) had non-transmural myocardial infarction (group 1) and 52 patients (42.9%) had transmural myocardial infarction (group 2). The incidence of cardiogenic shock and insertion of intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) was higher in group 2. The time between occurrence of AMI and operation was divided in 4 subgroups (<1 day, $1{\sim}3\;days,\;4{\sim}7\;days$, >8 days). OPCAB was performed a mean of $5.3{\pm}7.1$ days after AMI in total, which was $4.2{\pm}5.9$ days in group 1, and $6,6{\pm}8.3$ days in group 2. Result: Mean distal an-astomoses were 3.21 and postoperative IABP was inserted in 3 patients. There was 1 perioperative death in group 1 due to low cardiac output syndrome, but no perioperative new MI occurred in this study. There was no difference in postoperative major complication between two groups and according to the timing of operation. Mean follow-up time was 21.3 months ($4{\sim}42$ months). The 42 months actuarial survival rate was $94.9{\pm}2.4%$, which was $91.4{\pm}4.7%$ in group 1 and $98.0{\pm}2.0%$ in group 2 (p=0.26). The 42 months freedom rate from cardiac death was $97.6{\pm}1.4%$ which was $97.0{\pm}2.0%$ in group 1 and $98.0{\pm}2.0%$ in group 2 (p=0.74). The 42 months freedom rate from cardiac event was $95.4{\pm}2.0%$ which was $94.8{\pm}2.9%$ in group 1 and $95.9{\pm}2.9%$ in group 2 (p=0.89). Conclusion: OPCAB in AMI not only reduces morbidity but also favors hospital outcomes irrespective of timing of operation. The transmurality of myocardial infarction did not affect the surgical and midterm outcomes of OPCAB. Therefore, there may be no need to delay the surgical off-pump revascularization of the patients with AMI if surgical revascularization is indicated.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.111-126
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• 2017

Recommender systems based on association rule mining significantly contribute to seller's sales by reducing consumers' time to search for products that they want. Recommendations based on the frequency of transactions such as orders can effectively screen out the products that are statistically marketable among multiple products. A product with a high possibility of sales, however, can be omitted from the recommendation if it records insufficient number of transactions at the beginning of the sale. Products missing from the associated recommendations may lose the chance of exposure to consumers, which leads to a decline in the number of transactions. In turn, diminished transactions may create a vicious circle of lost opportunity to be recommended. Thus, initial sales are likely to remain stagnant for a certain period of time. Products that are susceptible to fashion or seasonality, such as clothing, may be greatly affected. This study was aimed at expanding association rules to include into the list of recommendations those products whose initial trading frequency of transactions is low despite the possibility of high sales. The particular purpose is to predict the strength of the direct connection of two unconnected items through the properties of the paths located between them. An association between two items revealed in transactions can be interpreted as the interaction between them, which can be expressed as a link in a social network whose nodes are items. The first step calculates the centralities of the nodes in the middle of the paths that indirectly connect the two nodes without direct connection. The next step identifies the number of the paths and the shortest among them. These extracts are used as independent variables in the regression analysis to predict future connection strength between the nodes. The strength of the connection between the two nodes of the model, which is defined by the number of nodes between the two nodes, is measured after a certain period of time. The regression analysis results confirm that the number of paths between the two products, the distance of the shortest path, and the number of neighboring items connected to the products are significantly related to their potential strength. This study used actual order transaction data collected for three months from February to April in 2016 from an online commerce company. To reduce the complexity of analytics as the scale of the network grows, the analysis was performed only on miscellaneous goods. Two consecutively purchased items were chosen from each customer's transactions to obtain a pair of antecedent and consequent, which secures a link needed for constituting a social network. The direction of the link was determined in the order in which the goods were purchased. Except for the last ten days of the data collection period, the social network of associated items was built for the extraction of independent variables. The model predicts the number of links to be connected in the next ten days from the explanatory variables. Of the 5,711 previously unconnected links, 611 were newly connected for the last ten days. Through experiments, the proposed model demonstrated excellent predictions. Of the 571 links that the proposed model predicts, 269 were confirmed to have been connected. This is 4.4 times more than the average of 61, which can be found without any prediction model. This study is expected to be useful regarding industries whose new products launch quickly with short life cycles, since their exposure time is critical. Also, it can be used to detect diseases that are rarely found in the early stages of medical treatment because of the low incidence of outbreaks. Since the complexity of the social networking analysis is sensitive to the number of nodes and links that make up the network, this study was conducted in a particular category of miscellaneous goods. Future research should consider that this condition may limit the opportunity to detect unexpected associations between products belonging to different categories of classification.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.557-566
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• 2009

Purpose : To evaluate the clinical features and characteristics of childhood periodic syndromes (CPS) in Korea using the new criteria of the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD)-II. Methods : The study was conducted at pediatric neurology clinics of five urban tertiary-care medical centers in Korea from January 2006 to December 2007. Patients (44 consecutive children and adolescents) were divided into three groups (cyclic vomiting syndrome [CVS], abdominal migraine [AM], and benign paroxysmal vertigo of childhood [BPVC]) by recurrent paroxysmal episodes of vomiting, abdominal pain, dizziness, and/or vertigo using the ICHD-II criteria and their characteristics were compared. Results : Totally, 16 boys (36.4%) and 28 girls (63.6%) were examined (aged 4-18 yr), with 20 CVS (45.5%), 8 AM (18.2%), and 16 BPVC (36.4%) patients. The mean age at symptom onset was $6.3{\pm}3.6$ yr, $8.5{\pm}2.7$ yr, and $8.5{\pm}2.9$ yr in the CVS, AM, and BPVC groups, respectively, showing that symptoms appeared earliest in the CVS group. The mean age at diagnosis was $8.0{\pm}3.4$ yr, $10.5{\pm}2.6$ yr, and $10.1{\pm}3.2$ yr the CVS, AM, and BPVC groups, respectively. Of the 44 patients, 17 (38.6%) had a history of recurrent headaches and 11 (25.0%) showed typical symptoms of migraine headache, with 5 CVS (25.0%), 2 AM (25.0%), and 4 BPVC (25.0%) patients. Family history of migraine was found in 9 patients (20.4%): 4 in the CVS group (20.0%), 2 in the AM group (25.0%), and 3 in the BPVC group (18.8%). Conclusion : The significant time lag between the age at symptom onset and final diagnosis possibly indicates poor knowledge of CPS among pediatric practitioners, especially in Korea. A high index of suspicion may be the first step toward caring for these patients. Furthermore, a population-based longitudinal study is necessary to determine the incidence and natural course of these syndromes.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.428-442
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• 2011

This study investigated the actual status of constipation. In total, 978 female students in Korea participated. We identified the relationship among constipation and life style, clothing patterns, housing patterns, dietary habits, and dietary intake in a constipation symptom group and a normal group. The actual constipation rate based on the Rome II criteria was 27.0% (n = 264). Body weight (p < 0.05) and body mass index (p < 0.05) in the constipation group were significantly higher than those in the normal group. The incidence of functional bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome in the constipation group were significantly higher than those in the normal group. The discomfort of wearing underwear was significantly higher in the constipation group than that in the normal group. The constipation group revealed a significantly higher rate of irregular dietary habits than those in the normal group. The dietary diversity score of the normal group was 4.22 (p < 0.05), which was significantly higher than that of constipation group (4.12). No significant difference in life style factors was observed. It is necessary for university female students to correct their dietary habits, maintain food intake of three times per day, and select diverse foods. Furthermore, it is necessary for university female students to wear comfortable clothing to lessen symptoms and improve constipation rates.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.161-174
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• 1997

Omega-3 fatty acids have been major research interests in medical and nutritional science relating to life sciences since after the epidemiologic data on Green3and Eskimos reported by several researchers clearly showed fewer per capita deaths from heart diseases and a lower incidence of adult diseases. Linolenic acid(LNA) is an essential fatty acid for human beings as well as linoleic acid(LA) due to the fact that vertebrates lack an enzyme required to incorporate a double bond beyond carbon 9 in the chain. In addition the ratio of omega-6 and 3 fatty acids seems to be important in terms of alleviation of heart diseases since LA and LNA competes for the metabolic pathways of eicosanoids synthesis. High consumption of omega-3 fatty acids in seafoods may control heart diseases by reducing blood cholesterol, triglyceride, VLDL, LDL and increasing HDL and by inhibiting plaque development through the formation of antiaggregatory substances like PGI$_2$, PGI$_3$ and TXA$_3$ metabolized from LNA. Omega 3 fatty acids also play an important role in neuronal developments and visual functioning, in turn influence learning behaviors. Current dietary sources of omega-3 fatty acids are limited mostly to seafoods, leafy vegetables, marine and some seed oils and the most appropriate way to provide omega-3 fatty acids is as a part of the normal dietary regimen. The efforts to enhance the intake of omega-3 fatty acids due to several beneficial effects have been made nowadays by way of food processing technology. Two different ways can be applied: one is add Purified and concentrated omega-3 fatty acids into foods and the other is to produce foods with high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids by raising animals with specially formulated feed best for the transfer of omega-3 fatty acids. Recently, items of manufactured and marketed omega-3 fatty acids fortified foodstuffs are pork, milk, cheese, egg, formula milk and ham. In domestic food market, many of them are distributed already, but problem is that nutritional informations on the amounts of omega-3 fatty acids are not presented on the labeling, which might cause distrust of consumers on those products, result in lower sales volumes. It would be very much wise if we consume natural products, result in lower sales volumes. It would be very much wise if we consume natural products high in omega-3 fatty acids to Promote health related to many types of adult diseases rather than processed foods fortified with omega-3 fatty acids.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.25-31
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• 1996

Purpose : To evaluate the potential advantage for 'sandwich' technique radiotherapy compared to Postoperative radiotherapy in resectable rectal cancer. Materials and Methods : Between January 1989 and Mar 1994, 60 patients with resectable rectal cancer were treated at Inje University Seoul and Sanggye Paik Hospital. Fifty one patients were available for analysis: 20 patients were treated with sandwich technique radiotherapy and 31 patients were treated with Postoperative radiotherapy. In sandwich technique radiotherapy(RT), Patients were treated with preoperative RT 1500 cGy/5fx, followed by immediate curative resection. Patients staged as Astler-Coiler B2, C were considered for postoperative RT with 2500-4500 cGy. in postoperative RT total radiation dose of 4500-6120 cGy, 180 cGy daily at 4-Sweets was delivered. Patients were followed for median period of 25 months. Results : The overall 5-year survival rates for sandwich RT group and postoperative RT group were $60\%$ and $71\%$, respectively(p>0.05). The 5-rear disease free survival rates for each group were $63\%$. There was no difference in local failure rate between two groups($11\%$ versus $7\%$) Incidence of distant metastasis was $11\%$(2/20) in the sandwich technique RT group and $20\%$(6/31) in the postoperative RT group(p>0.05). The frequencies of acute and chronic complications were comparable in both groups. Conclusion : The sandwich technique radiotherapy group shows local recurrence and survival similar to those of Postoperative RT alone group but reduced distant metastasis compared to Postoperative RT group. But long term follow-up and large number of patients is needed to make an any firm conclusion regarding the value of this sandwich technique RT.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.359-368
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• 1995

Purpose : This is a retrospective analysis for pattern of failure, survival rate and prognostic factors of 114 patients with histologically proven invasive cancer of the uterine cervix treated with definitive irradiation. Materials and Methods : One hundred fourteen patients with invasive carcinoma of the cervix were treated with a combination of intracavitary irradiation using Fletcher-Suit applicator and external beam irradiation by 6MV X-ray at the Ewha Womans University Hospital between March 1982 and Mar 1990. The median age was 53 years(range:30-77 years). FIGO stage distribution was 19 for IB, 23 for IIA, 42 for IIB, 12 for IIIA and 18 for IIIB. Summation dose of external beam and intracavitary irradiation to point A was 80-90 Gy(median:8580 cGy) in early stage(IB-IIA) and 85-100 Gy(median:8850 cGy) in advanced stage(IIB-IIIB). Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate the survival rate and multivariate analysis for progrostic factors was performed using the Log likelihood for Weibull Results : The pelvic failure rates by stage were $10.5{\%}$ for IB. $8.7{\%}$ for IIA, $23.8{\%}$ for IIB, $50.0{\%}$ for IIIA and $38.9{\%}$ for IIIB. The rate of distant metastasis by stage were $0{\%}$ for IB, $8.7{\%}$ for IIA, $4.8{\%}$ for IIB. $0{\%}$ for IIIA and $11.1{\%}$ for IIIB. The time of failure was from 3 to 50 months and with median of 15 months after completion of radiation therapy. There was no significant coorelation between dose to point A($\leq$90 Gy vs >90 Gy) and pelvic tumor control(P>0.05). Incidence rates of grade 2 rectal and bladder complications were $3.5{\%}$(4/114) and $7{\%}$(8/114), respectively and 1 patient had sigmoid colon obstruction and 1 patient had severe cystitis. Overall 5-year survival rate was $70.5{\%}$ and disease-free survival rate was $53.6{\%}$. Overall 5-year survival rate by stage was $100{\%}$ for IB, $76.9{\%}$ for IIA, $77.6{\%}$ for IIB $87.5{\%}$ for IIIA and $69.1{\%}$ for IIIB. Five-rear disease-free survival rate by stage was $81.3{\%}$ for IB, $67.9{\%}$ for IIA, $46.8{\%}$ for IIB, $45.4{\%}$ for IIIA and $34.4{\%}$ for IIIB. The prognostic factors for disease-free survival rate by multivariate analysis was performance status(p= 0.0063) and response rate after completion of radiation therapy(p= 0.0026) but stage, age and radiation dose to point A were not siginificant. Conclusion : The result of radiation therapy for early stage of the uterine cervix cancer was relatively good but local control rate and survival rate in advanced stage were poor inspite of high dose irradiation to point A above 90 Gy. Prospective randomized studies are recommended to establish optimal tumor doses for various stages and volume of carcinoma of uterine cervix, And ajuvant chemotherapy or radiation-sensitizing agents must be considered to increase the pelvic control and survival rate in advanced cancer of uterine cervix.