• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.207-215
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• 2014

Multiple bone metastases are common manifestation of many malignant tumors such as lung cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer and renal cell carcinoma. Bone metastasis is secondary cancer in the bone, and it can lead to bone pain, fracture, and instability of the weight bearing bones, all of which may profoundly reduce physical activity and life quality. Treatment for bone metastasis is determined by multiple factors including pathology, performance status, involved site, and neurologic status. Treatment strategies for bone metastasis are analgesics, surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. External beam radiotherapy has traditionally been an effective palliative treatment for localized painful bone metastasis. However, in some cases such as multiple bone metastases, especially osteoblastic bone metastasis originated from breast or prostate cancer, the radiopharmaceutical therapy using $^{89}Sr$, $^{186}Re$, $^{188}Re$, $^{153}Sm$ and $^{117m}Sn$ are also useful treatment option because of administrative simplicity (injection), few side effects, low risk of radiation exposure and high response rate. This article offers a concise explanation of the radiopharmaceutical therapy for multiple bone metastases.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.13
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• pp.5433-5438
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• 2015

Background: Systemic chemotherapy for patients with metastatic gastric cancer (MGC) is generally palliative, although some patients experience long-term survival after treatment. Thus, we identified clinical characteristics that are associated with long-term survival of patients with MGC after palliative chemotherapy. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 514 MGC patients who received systemic chemotherapy at our institution from 2001 to 2008. To identify clinical predictors of survival beyond 2 years, multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed, and 5-year survival rates were estimated among MGC patients following chemotherapy. Results: Among 514 patients, 96 (19%) and 16 (3%) survived beyond 2 and 5 years, respectively, and performance status of 0 or 1 (odds ratio [OR]=3.39; p=0.01), previous gastrectomy (OR=1.86; p=0.01), single metastatic site (OR=1.80; p=0.03), and normal alkaline phosphatase levels (OR=2.81; p<0.01) were identified as independent predictors of long-term survival. Of the 16 5-year survivors, six were alive at the end of the study and showed no evidence of disease despite cessation of chemotherapy. Conclusions: The present data demonstrate distinct clinical characteristics that are associated with long-term survival of MGC patients, and indicated that palliative chemotherapy can be curative in highly selected patients.

• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.40-44
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• 2007

Background and Objectives: Most of tracheal stenosis is resulted from longstanding endotracheal tube insertion. Treatments of tracheal stenosis are divided conservative and reconstructive treatment. The propose of this study was to evaluate the effect of prosthetic tracheal T-tube insertion on tracheal stenostic patients who can not be operated invasive surgery. Subjects and Method : Nine prosthetic tracheal T-tube insertion were studied from 9 patients from January 2002 to April 2007. The effect of silastic T-tube was analyzed according to the factors that were respiratory difficulty, oxygen saturation, phonation, aspiration and significant complications. Results: Four patients were good for respiration and no complication. But five patients occur various complications. A successful group did not have cartilagenous lesions but failed group had catilagenous lesions, infection and necrosis. Conclusion: A silastic T-tube insertion was good for palliative treatment in patients without catilagenous lesions.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.262-267
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• 2006

The term temporomandibular disorders is used to describe a group of conditions that involve the temporomandibular joint, masticatory muscles, and associated structures. Many modalities have been proposed for treating temporomandibular disorders, including medication, physical therapy, occlusal stabilization splints with or without manual repositioning, surgery, and arthrocentesis. Temporomandibular disorders are treated in a step-wise manner. Initially, conservative treatment is used. Depending on the response, more aggressive interventions may be necessary. This usually takes the form of arthrocentesis. Arthrocentesis is used in the treatment of not only acute, closed, and locked TMJs but also various other temporomandibular disorders. Recently, the intra-articular injection of sodium hyaluronate after arthrocentesis was shown to have long-term palliative effects on TMJ symptoms. Synovial fluid consists of plasma and glycosaminoglycan, including hyaluronic acid derived from synovial cells. Sodium hyaluronate, the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid, is a high-molecular-weight polysaccharide and a major component of synovial fluid. This highly viscous substance has analgesic properties, lubricant effects, and anti-inflammatory actions; it causes cartilage formation and plays a role in the nutrition of avascular parts of the disc and condylar cartilage. We conclude that the intra-articular injection of sodium hyaluronate is effective for treating temporomandibular disorders.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.90-94
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• 1990

Between Dec. 1958 and Oct. 1989, we had been experienced 14 cases of the esophageal corrosion carcinoma among 562 cases of corrosive esophageal stricture, which incidence was revealed 5.6 % of total esophageal carcinoma cases and 2.5 9o of total benign esophageal stricture cases. The age distribution was from 15 to 64 years, and the mean age was 45.6 years. Ten of the patients were women. The caustic agents were lye in 12 patients and hydrochloric acid in 2 patients. The latent time from injury to the development of carcinoma was from 12 years to 45 years, and the mean latent time was 29 years. In majority of cases, the developing site of carcinoma was just or just above the benign stricture portion of the esophagus. Corrective surgery were made in seven cases; three cases were made esophagectomy and esophagogastrostomy, and the other four cases were made esophagectomy and colon interposition. Palliative surgery including feeding gastrostomy were made in seven cases. All cases had a longstanding history of difficult oral swallowing especially at the site of stricture. We think chronic food irritations of stricture portion of the esophagus induced the development of corrosion carcinoma. In conclusion, we had to suspect possibility of carcinoma in patient with long standing history of benign esophageal stricture. So we recommended preoperative esophagoscopic biopsy in such cases.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.266-270
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• 2014

Purpose: Palliative gastrectomy and chemotherapy are important options for peritoneal seeding of gastric cancer. The treatment stage IV gastric cancer patient who respond to induction chemotherapy, is converted to gastrectomy (conversion therapy or conversion surgery). This study explored the clinical outcomes of gastric cancer patients with peritoneal seeding who had undergone conversion therapy. Materials and Methods: Between 2003 and 2012, gastric cancer patients with peritoneal seeding, as determined by preoperative or intraoperative diagnosis were reviewed retrospectively. Clinicopathologic characteristics and clinical outcomes of patients with peritoneal seeding were analyzed. Results: Forty-three patients were enrolled. Eighteen patients had undergone conversion surgery and 25 patients continued conventional chemotherapy. Among the 18 conversion patients, 10 received clinically curative resection. The median follow-up period was 28.5 months (range 8 to 60 months) and the total 3-year survival rate was 16.3%. The median survival time of the patients who received clinically curative conversion therapy was 37 months, and the 3-year survival rate was 50%. The median follow-up for non-curative gastrectomy patients was 18 months. No patient treated using chemotherapy survived to 3 years; the median survival time was 8 months. The differences in survival time between the groups was statistically significant (P<0.001). Conclusions: In terms of survival benefits for gastric cancer patients with peritoneal seeding, clinically curative conversion therapy resulted in better clinical outcomes.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.627-632
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• 1986

This report describes our 17-years experience with intracardiac repair in 123 patients older than 15 years with tetralogy of Fallot. Major clinical manifestation was cyanosis and clubbing [102 Pts], but other minor associated manifestation were infective endocarditis, pulmonary tuberculosis, brain abscess, congestive heart failure, nephrotic syndrome, and tuberculous spondylitis. Prior palliative shunts had been performed in 10 patients. Preoperative hemoglobin ranged from 9.7 gm/dl to 25 gm/dl [mean 19 gm/dl]. The type of ventricular septal defect were typical perimembranous type, and total canal defect [13%]. The right ventricular outflow tract obstruction was due to combined [58.5%], infundibular [35%], and valvular stenosis [6.5%]. Transannular patch was used in 17% of patients. Hospital mortality was 9.8% in overall, but decreased to 1.7% since 1982. There was two late death [12 year actuarial survival [97%] due to fulminant hepatitis, residual abnormalities [PS, VSD]. Ninety two percent of survivors at follow-up are asymptomatic and leading an active normal life. Residual ventricular septal defect was detected with radionuclide single pass study in 15.3% of patients but almost cases were Qp/Qs less than 1.5, and only two patients had been candidates for reoperation.

• Advances in pediatric surgery
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.189-195
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• 2008

Colorectal cancer is extremely rare in children. Unlike adult colorectal cancer, the overall prognosis of colorectal cancer in children is poor. Delayed diagnosis, advanced stages of the disease at presentation, and mucinous type of histology are the major determinants of poor outcome in childhood. A 13-year-old boy with abdominal pain visited our hospital. Physical examination andabdominal ultrasonography identified acute appendicitis with perforation. He underwent appendectomy and then the pathologic findings revealed mucinous adenocarcinoma. The cancer was located at the transverse colon and had metastases on peritoneal wall at $2^{nd}$ laparotomy. Extended right hemicolectomy was performed. He underwent palliative chemotherapy. After 4 months later, hepatic metastasis and aggravated peritoneal seedings developed. He died of renal failure and pneumonia 13 months after operation. We need to have a high index of suspicion for the possibility of a malignant colorectal tumor in any childhood case with nonspecific signs and symptoms.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.29-33
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• 2016

A 65-year-old male visited hospital in the state of tracheostomal recurrence 1 year after total pharyngolaryngectomy. Extensive recurrence around stoma or paratracheal, superior mediastinal area is challenging in treatment, especially in securing airway. We performed mediastinal tracheotomy through resection of unilateral manubrium, some part of sternal side of clavicle and $1^{st}$ rib as the salvage operation for recurrent laryngeal cancer. This procedure could be risky, thus very careful patient selection is required because of a tortuous postoperative course. We would like to present the case that anterior mediastinal tracheostomy could be needed as appropriate palliative means of airway construction in the patients with recurrent laryngeal cancer with lower neck extension with literature review.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.66-68
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• 2021

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak to be a pandemic on March 12, 2020. In Korea, there have been 24,027 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 420 deaths as of October 3, 2020. The clinical spectrum of COVID-19 ranges from asymptomatic infection to death. Cancer care in this pandemic has radically changed. The literature was reviewed. The COVID-19 pandemic has made it urgently necessary to profoundly re-organize cancer patients' care without compromising cancer outcomes. Several important questions in regard to COVID-19 infection in cancer patients have emerged. Are patients with cancer at a higher risk of COVID-19 infection? Are they at an increased risk of mortality and severe illness when infected with COVID-19? Does anticancer treatment affect the course of COVID-19? Based on the existing research, cancer patients with immunosuppression are vulnerable to COVID-19 infection, and cancer patients are more likely to experience severe COVID-19. However, chemotherapy and major surgery do not seem to be predictors of hospitalization or severe disease. Korean background data on patients with cancer and COVID-19 are lacking. Prospective multicenter studies on the outcomes of patients with cancer and COVID-19 should be conducted.