• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.163-170
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• 2018

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare neuroendocrine tumor of the skin initially believed to arise from the Merkel cells. In the community setting a general radiation oncologist may only encounter this pathology in a handful of cases over the course of their career. Due to the low incidence of this malignancy, few prospective randomized controlled trials have ever been conducted and therefore guidelines are based on relatively lower levels of evidence upon which the clinical recommendations are made. We discuss the case of a female in her 90s presenting with a classic MCC primary lesion, as well as satellite lesions proximal to both the primary and the draining regional lymph nodes with no evidence of nodal involvement. Here we discuss the presentation, management, treatment planning, underlying pathology, results and sequelae of treatment. We also review new treatment modalities, and the most current staging systems and guidelines.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.29 no.11
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• pp.1484-1490
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• 2000

Objectives : In spinal metastasis and myeloma, percutaneous vertebroplasty could be an effective treatment method to provide spinal stabilization and to relief pain for early rehabilitation. The authors report twenty-five cases the clinical results of percutaneous vertebroplasty for twenty-five cases of spinal metastasis and myeloma. Materials and Methods : From September 1998 to December 1999, seventy percutaneous vertebroplasties(PVP) were performed for spinal metastases and myeloma in 25 patients, sixteen women and nine men ranging in age from 34 to 74. The primary malignancies were 6 multiple myelomas, and in metastatic tumore from various origin. All patients complained of severe pain and had osteolytic vertebral body destructions without spinal cord compression. To evaluate clinical improvement, suObjective verbal analogue pain score(VAS) and Karnofsky performance scale(KPS) were used. Thin sliced(2mm-thickness) sectional computed tomography(CT) was performed before and after PVP. Plain X-ray film was followed up every 1 month to assess the vertebral column stability. Results : In 25 patients, a total of seventy PVPS were performed successfully : 6 cervical, 33 thoracic and 31 lumbar vertebrae. Most patients had clear improvement of pain after PVP ; mean as score was 8.1 and 2.9 before and after PVP, respectively. Improvement was maintained in most patients. No further collapse of treated vertebrae was observed(mean follow-up, 7 months). Leakage of PMMA was notod in the spinal canal(13 levels), neural foramen (2 levels), adjacent disk(15 levels), paravertebral soft tissue(14 levels) and vein(8 levels). Pulmonary embolism was detected in three patients after the procedure, but was not associated with clinical symptoms. Conclusion : These results indicate that percutaneous vertebroplasty can be valuable treatment method in osteolytic spinal metastasis and myeloma, providing immediate pain relief and spinal stabilization and contributing to early rehabilitation.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.226-231
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• 2013

Purpose: The role of metastasectomy has been debatable and unclear in the treatment for patients with metastatic gastric cancer. Therefore, this study was designed to evaluate the role of metastasectomy on the overall survival of these patients. Materials and Methods: In 2,406 patients who underwent gastrectomy for gastric cancer between 1998 and 2010, 188 (7.8%) patients had their first surgery for metastatic gastric cancer. To minimize the bias of systemic chemotherapy, 99 patients who received postoperative chemotherapy (fewer than 2 cycles) were excluded. The primary gastrectomy or metastasectomy had not been enforced in the following cases. Patients with far advanced peritoneal dissemination, multiple liver and lung metastasis (more than 2), and a poor general condition (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group>2) were excluded. Based on the metastasectomy, the patients were classified into two groups, gastrectomy with metastasectomy and gastrectomy only group. Results: There was no significant difference between both groups in clinicopathological characteristics except for the mean age (P=0.047). The univariate analysis for overall survival show statistical significances in metastasectomy (P=0.026), distal gastrectomy (P=0.047), and combined resection of another organ (P=0.047) group. With a multivariate analysis, metastasectomy was a significant factor in patient survival after surgery (odds ratio 1.679; P=0.034). Conclusions: Based on our results, we assume that a detailed strategy for surgery is needed to improve the overall survival of patients with metastatic gastric cancer. Therefore, we suggest that a metastasectomy can help prolong overall survival in some patients with metastatic gastric cancer.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.179-184
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• 2011

Objective : The aim of this study is to evaluate the therapeutic effects of gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS) in patients with multiple brain metastases and to investigate prognostic factors related to treatment outcome. Methods : We retrospectively reviewed clinico-radiological and dosimetric data of 36 patients with 4-14 brain metastases who underwent GKRS for 264 lesions between August 2008 and April 2011. The most common primary tumor site was the lung (n=22), followed by breast (n=7). At GKRS, the median Karnofsky performance scale score was 90 and the mean tumor volume was 1.2 cc (0.002-12.6). The mean prescription dose of 17.8 Gy was delivered to the mean 61.1% isodose line. Among 264 metastases, 175 lesions were assessed for treatment response by at least one imaging follow-up. Results : The overall median survival after GKRS was $9.1{\pm}1.7$ months. Among various factors, primary tumor control was a significant prognostic factor ($11.1{\pm}$1.3 months vs. $3.3{\pm}2.4$ months, p=0.031). The calculated local tumor control rate at 6 and 9 months after GKRS were 87.9% and 84.2%, respectively. Paddick's conformity index (>0.75) was significantly related to local tumor control. The actuarial peritumoral edema reduction rate was 22.4% at 6 months. Conclusion : According to our results, GKRS can provide beneficial effect for the patients with multiple (4 or more) brain metastases, when systemic cancer is controlled. And, careful dosimetry is essential for local tumor control. Therefore, GKRS can be considered as one of the treatment modalities for multiple brain metastase.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.83 no.1
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• pp.61-70
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• 2020

Background: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are frequently detected in patients with advanced-stage malignant tumors and could act as a predictor of poor prognosis. However, there is a paucity of data on the relationship between CTC number and primary tumor volume in patients with lung cancer. Therefore, our study aimed to evaluate the relationship between CTC number and primary tumor volume in patients with lung adenocarcinoma. Methods: We collected blood samples from 21 patients with treatment-naive lung adenocarcinoma and 73 healthy individuals. To count CTCs, we used a CTC enrichment method based on fluid-assisted separation technology. We compared CTC numbers between lung adenocarcinoma patients and healthy individuals using propensity score matching, and performed linear regression analysis to analyze the relationship between CTC number and primary tumor volume in lung adenocarcinoma patients. Results: CTC positivity was significantly more common in lung adenocarcinoma patients than in healthy individuals (p<0.001). The median primary tumor volume in CTC-negative and CTC-positive patients was 10.0 ㎤ and 64.8 ㎤, respectively. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the number of CTCs correlated with primary tumor volume in lung adenocarcinoma patients (β=0.903, p=0.002). Further subgroup analysis showed a correlation between CTC number and primary tumor volume in patients with distant (p=0.024) and extra-thoracic (p=0.033) metastasis (not in patients with distant metastasis). Conclusion: Our study showed that CTC numbers may be associated with primary tumor volume in lung adenocarcinomas patients, especially in those with distant metastasis.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.2431-2440
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• 2015

Background: Registry data from four major public hospitals indicate trends in clinical care and survival from colorectal cancer over three decades, from 1980 to 2010. Materials and Methods: Kaplan-Meier productlimit estimates and Cox proportional hazards models were used to investigate disease-specific survival and multiple logistic regression analyses to explore first-round treatment trends. Results: Five-year survivals increased from 48% for 1980-1986 to 63% for 2005-2010 diagnoses. Survival increases applied to each ACPS stage (Australian Clinico-Pathological Stage), and particularly stage C (an increase from 38% to 68%). Risk of death from colorectal cancer halved (hazards ratio: 0.50 (0.45, 0.56)) over the study period after adjusting for age, sex, stage, differentiation, primary sub-site, health administrative region, and measures of socioeconomic status and geographic remoteness. Decreases in stage were not observed. Survivals did not vary by sex or place of residence, suggesting reasonable equity in service access and outcomes. Of staged cases, 91% were treated surgically with lower surgical rates for older ages and more advanced stage. Proportions of surgical cases having adjuvant therapy during primary courses of treatment increased for all stages and were highest for stage C (an increase from 5% in 1980-1986 to 63% for 2005-2010). Radiotherapy was more common for rectal than colonic cases. Proportions of rectal cases receiving radiotherapy increased, particularly for stage C where the increase was from 8% in 1980-1986 to 60% in 2005-2010. The percentage of stage C colorectal cases less than 70 years of age having systemic therapy as part of their first treatment round increased from 3% in 1980-1986 to 81% by 1995-2010. Based on survey data on uptake of adjuvant therapy among those offered this care, it is likely that all these younger patients were offered systemic treatment. Conclusions: We conclude that pronounced increases in survivals from colorectal cancer have occurred at major public hospitals in South Australia due to increases in stage-specific survivals. Use of adjuvant therapies has increased and the patterns of change accord with clinical guideline recommendations. Reasons for sub-optimal use of radiotherapy for rectal cases warrant further investigation, including the potential for limited rural access to impede uptake of treatments at metropolitan-based radiotherapy centres.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.7
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• pp.3219-3226
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• 2014

Chemotherapy continues to be a mainstay of cancer treatment, although drug resistance is a major obstacle. Lipid metabolism plays a critical role in cancer pathology, with elevated ether lipid levels. Recently, alkylglyceronephosphate synthase (AGPS), an enzyme that catalyzes the critical step in ether lipid synthesis, was shown to be up-regulated in multiple types of cancer cells and primary tumors. Here, we demonstrated that silencing of AGPS in chemotherapy resistance glioma U87MG/DDP and hepatic carcinoma HepG2/ADM cell lines resulted in reduced cell proliferation, increased drug sensitivity, cell cycle arrest and cell apoptosis through reducing the intracellular concentration of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), lysophosphatidic acid-ether (LPAe) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), resulting in reduction of LPA receptor and EP receptors mediated PI3K/AKT signaling pathways and the expression of several multi-drug resistance genes, like MDR1, MRP1 and ABCG2. ${\beta}$-catenin, caspase-3/8, Bcl-2 and survivin were also found to be involved. In summary, our studies indicate that AGPS plays a role in cancer chemotherapy resistance by mediating signaling lipid metabolism in cancer cells.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.1135-1138
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• 2015

Background: The objective of this study was to investigate the MSCT characteristics of PTL in order to enhance the awareness of this uncommon entity among both clinicians and radiologists. Materials and Methods: The clinicopathological data and MSCT images of 27 patients with PTL were retrospectively reviewed. The MSCT appearances were classified into three types: type 1, solitary nodule surrounded by normal thyroid tissue; type 2, multiple nodules in the thyroid, and type 3, enlarged thyroid glands with a reduced attenuation with or without peripheral thin hyperattenuating thyroid tissue. Results: The patients were enrolled in the study with a mean age of 68 years (range, 51-86years) and compression symptoms or enlarged cervical lymph nodes at diagnosis. Hashimoto's thyroiditis was in 20 patients. All patients had non-Hodgkin lymphoma of B-cell in origin, including 22 cases of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and 5 of low-grade B-cell lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT). For MSCT appearance, type 1 pattern was observed in 2 patients, type 2 in 8, and seventeen type 3 in 17. The lesions occurred in more than one lobe with a mean maximal transverse diameter of 6.9 cm and an ill-defined margin. Most tumors showed a homogeneous attenuation equal to that of surrounding muscles before contrast and obvious enhancement after contrast. Cervical lymph node involvement and invasion of the trahea and (or) esophagus were mainly observed in patients with DLBCL. Conclusions: PTL should be clinically considered in elder patients presenting with a history of Hashimoto's thyroiditis and cervical lymphadenopathy. The MSCT characteristics of PTL includes a mass diffusely affecting more than one thyroid lobe, isointense to muscle and obvious enhancement before and after contrast. DLBCL, the most common histological subtype of PTL, is associated with a higher invasive tendency.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.61 no.5
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• pp.633-639
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• 2018

Objective : We investigated the outcomes of repeat stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for metastatic brain tumors that locally recurred despite previous SRS, focusing on the tumor control. Methods : A total of 114 patients with 176 locally recurring metastatic brain tumors underwent repeat SRS after previous SRS. The mean age was 59.4 years (range, 33 to 85), and there were 68 male and 46 female patients. The primary cancer types were non-small cell lung cancer (n=67), small cell lung cancer (n=12), gastrointestinal tract cancer (n=15), breast cancer (n=10), and others (n=10). The number of patients with a single recurring metastasis was 95 (79.8%), and another 19 had multiple recurrences. At the time of the repeat SRS, the mean volume of the locally recurring tumors was 5.94 mL (range, 0.42 to 29.94). We prescribed a mean margin dose of 17.04 Gy (range, 12 to 24) to the isodose line at the tumor border primarily using a 50% isodose line. Results : After the repeat SRS, we obtained clinical and magnetic resonance imaging follow-up data for 84 patients (73.7%) with a total of 108 tumors. The tumor control rate was 53.5% (58 of the 108), and the median and mean progression-free survival (PFS) periods were 246 and 383 days, respectively. The prognostic factors that were significantly related to better tumor control were prescription radiation dose of 16 Gy (p=0.000) and tumor volume less than both 4 mL (p=0.001) and 10 mL at the repeat SRS (p=0.008). The overall survival (OS) periods for all 114 patients after repeat SRS varied from 1 to 56 months, and median and mean OS periods were 229 and 404 days after the repeat SRS, respectively. The main cause of death was systemic problems including pulmonary dysfunction (n=58, 51%), and the identified direct or suspected brain-related death rate was around 20%. Conclusion : The tumor control following repeat SRS for locally recurring metastatic brain tumors after a previous SRS is relatively lower than that for primary SRS. However, both low tumor volume and high prescription radiation dose were significantly related to the tumor control following repeat SRS for these tumors after previous SRS, which is a general understanding of primary SRS for metastatic brain tumors.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.266-270
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• 2016

We report a unique case of synchronous double primary gastric cancer consisting of adenocarcinoma components with micropapillary features and composite glandular-endocrine cell carcinoma components. The patient was a 53-year-old man presenting with a 6-month history of epigastric pain and diarrhea. A subtotal gastrectomy was performed. Histologically, one tumor was composed of micropapillary carcinoma components (50%) with tight clusters of micropapillary aggregates lying in the empty spaces, admixed with moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma components. MUC-1 was expressed at the stromal edge of the micropapillary component. The other tumor was composed of atypical carcinoid-like neuroendocrine carcinoma (50%), adenocarcinoid (30%), and adenocarcinoma components (20%). The neuroendocrine components were positive for CD56, synaptophysin, chromogranin, and creatine kinase. The adenocarcinoid components were positive for both carcinoembryonic antigen and neuroendocrine markers (amphicrine differentiation). This case is unique, due to the peculiar histologic micropapillary pattern and the histologic spectrum of adenocarcinoma adenocarcinoid-neuroendocrine carcinoma of the synchronous composite tumor.