• The Korean Journal of Pain
• /
• v.26 no.4
• /
• pp.396-400
• /
• 2013

Conventional transcrural CPB via the "walking off" the vertebra technique may injure vital organs while attempting to proximally spread injectate around the celiac plexus. Therefore, we attempted the CT-simulated fluoroscopy-guided transdiscal approach to carry out transcrural CPB in a safer manner, spreading the injectate more completely and closely within the celiac plexus area. A 54-year-old male patient with pancreatic cancer suffered from severe epigastric pain. The conventional transcrural approach was simulated, but the needle pathway was impeded by the kidney on the right side and by the aorta on the left side. After simulating the transdiscal pathway through the T11-12 intervertebral disc, we predetermined the optimal insertion point (3.6 cm from the midline), insertion angle (18 degrees), and advancement plane, as well as the proper depth. With the transdiscal approach, we successfully performed transcrural CPB within a narrow angle, and the bilateral approach was not necessary as we were able to achieve the bilateral spread of the injectate with the single approach.

• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
• /
• v.20 no.2
• /
• pp.141-153
• /
• 2012

Nowadays, the humankind's lives are affluent enough and the modern medical cure systems have made the humans' lives much longer. In spite of the modern medical development, the chronic & regressive diseases are rapidly increasing ironically. In this regards, many countries endeavoring to rely on the traditional or CAM instead of Conventional and Modern Medicines. The late Steve Jobs who sought for the natural therapy for his pancreatic cancer was one representative example. Every countries are investing huge amount of money to become the leader in the CAM market. Moreover, by preoccupying the world-wide standards, each country is trying to grab the market monopoliy. In this thesis, I examined several coutries' CAM markets and their CAM development strategies. These strategies should be considered for the KTM development Strategy. Fortunately, KTM has doing the main role in the Korean CAM development strategy. But to become the world leader in CAM market, the governmental committee should be established and the Financial Investment and Aid Program should be followed. It is very important to obtain the world standards. To do so, the R&D capability should be enhanced also. The world trends in CAM should be scrutinized and the Government Agency - Scholartic Group - Research institute have to cooperate for the same target.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
• /
• v.13 no.6
• /
• pp.235-239
• /
• 2013

Encapsulation of tissue has been an area of intense research with a myriad number of therapeutic applications as diverse as cancer, tissue regeneration, and diabetes. In the case of diabetes, transplantation of pancreatic islets of Langerhans containing insulin-producing beta cells has shown promise toward a cure. However, anti-rejection therapy that is needed to sustain the transplanted tissue has numerous adverse effects, and the islets might still be damaged by immune processes. Furthermore, the profound scarcity of healthy human donor organs restricts the availability of islets for transplant. Islet encapsulation allows the protection of this tissue without the use of toxic medications, while also expanding the donor pool to include animal sources. Before the widespread application of this therapy, there are still issues that need to be resolved. There are many materials that can be used, differing shapes and sizes of capsules, and varied sources of islets to name a few variables that need to be considered. In this review, the current options for capsule generation, past animal and human studies, and future directions in this area of research are discussed.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.54 no.9
• /
• pp.451-457
• /
• 2021

Over the last decades, research has focused on the role of pleckstrin homology (PH) domain leucine-rich repeat protein phosphatases (PHLPPs) in regulating cellular signaling via PI3K/Akt inhibition. The PKB/Akt signaling imbalances are associated with a variety of illnesses, including various types of cancer, inflammatory response, insulin resistance, and diabetes, demonstrating the relevance of PHLPPs in the prevention of diseases. Furthermore, identification of novel substrates of PHLPPs unveils their role as a critical mediator in various cellular processes. Recently, researchers have explored the increasing complexity of signaling networks involving PHLPPs whereby relevant information of PHLPPs in metabolic diseases was obtained. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge of PHLPPs on the well-known substrates and metabolic regulation, especially in liver, pancreatic beta cell, adipose tissue, and skeletal muscle in relation with the stated diseases. Understanding the context-dependent functions of PHLPPs can lead to a promising treatment strategy for several kinds of metabolic diseases.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.11-20
• /
• 2006

Puroose: In order to find out whether stereotactic radiation therapy (RT) using CyberKnife (CK) could improve survival rate and lower acute toxicity compared to conventional RT. Materials and Methods: From April 2003 through April 2004, 19 patients with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status ${\leq}3$ and locally advanced pancreas cancer without distant metastasis, evaluated by CT or PET/CT, were included. We administered stereotactic RT consisting of either 33 Gy, 36 Gy or 39 Gy in 3 fractions to 6, 4 and 9 patients, respectively, in an effort to increase the radiation dose step by step, and analyzed the survival rate and gastrointestinal toxicities by the acute radiation morbidity criteria of Radiation Therapeutic Oncology Group (RTOG). Prognostic factors of age, sex, ECOG performance score, chemotherapy, bypass surgery, radiation dose, CA 19-9, planning target volume (PTV), and adjacent organ and vessel invasion on CT scan were evaluated by Log Rank test. Results: The median survival time was 11 months with 1-year survival rate of 36.8%. During follow-up period (range $3{\sim}20$ months, median 10 months), no significant gastrointestinal acute toxicity (RTOG grade 3) was observed. In univariate analysis, age, sex, ECOG performance score, chemotherapy, bypass surgery, radiation dose, CA 19-9 level, and adjacent organ and vessel invasion did not show any significant changes of survival rate, however, patients with PTV (80 cc showed more favorable survival rate than those with PTV>80 cc (p-value<0.05). In multivariate analysis, age younger than 65 years and PTV>80 cc showed better survival rate. Conclusion: In terms of survival, the efficacy of stereotactic radiation therapy using CK was found to be superior or similar to other recent studies achieved with conventional RT with intensive chemotherapy, high dose conformal RT, intraoperative RT (IORT), or intensity modulated RT (IMRT). Furthermore, severe toxicity was not observed. Short treatment time in relation to the short life expectancy gave patients more convenience and, finally, quality of life would be increased. Consequently, this could be regarded as an effective novel treatment modality for locally advanced, unresectable pancreas cancer. PTV would be a helpful prognostic factor for CK.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• v.9 no.3
• /
• pp.110-116
• /
• 2009

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the usefulness of positron emission tomography (PET)-computed tomography (CT) in the pre-operative staging of gastric cancer. Materials and Methods: Between February 2006 and August 2008, PET-CT and CT were performed on 70 patients diagnosed with gastric cancer by gastrofiberscopic biopsy. The sensitivities, specificities, Positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of PET-CT and CT imaging for the detection of gastric cancer TNM staging were compared. Results: The detection rates for the primary tumor were as follows: PET-CT, 81.4% (57/70); and CT, 42.9% (30/70). For both early gastric cancer (EGC) and advanced gastric cancer (AGC), PET-CT was more accurate than CT in detecting the lesions. As the size of the tumor exceeded 3 cm, the detection rate increased. The sensitivities, specificities, PPV, and NPV of PET-CT for lymph node staging were 55.6%, 81%, 86.2%, and 45.9%, while the sensitivities, specificities, PPV, and NPV of CT were 40.0%, 85.7%, 85.7% and 40%, respectively. One case of multiple liver metastasis and two cases of dual primary cancer (rectal and pancreatic cancers) were detected by PET-CT. PET-CT also had a higher detection rate for all histologic types of primary tumors. PET-CT was more accurate than CT in detecting primary gastric cancer lesions. The detection of nodal metastasis by PET-CT was similar to CT; small-sized tumors or EGC detection rates were not high. However, PET-CT provided additional information to detect distant metastases and dual primary cancers and reduced unnecessary laparotomies to detect peritoneal seeding or carcinomatosis. Conclusion: It would be useful to make a pre-operative diagnosis of gastric cancer and determine treatment if PET-CT were added to other routine pre-operative studies.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.59-78
• /
• 2001

Data on reported cancer mortality in the Gyeongsangbuk- do province from 1991 to 1998 were collected and analyzed using the existing mortality reporting system as well as the public health network to furnish accurate data on reported cancer death and to collect data to establish a high quality district health plan. The overall crude death rate in Gyeongsangbuk province in 1991 was 74.56 deaths per 100,000-person but this rate increased to 79.22 in 1998. Among the deaths, the overall death rate of cancer was 16.7% in 1991, which increased to 19.3% in 1998; specifically the death rate of men increased from 19.4% in 1991 to 22.3% in 1998 while that of women increased from 12.4% in 1991 to 15.5% in 1998, showing a more increase among women. The types of cancer and associated death rates in 1991 were gastric cancer(41.5%), followed by liver cancer (28.8%), and lung and bronchogenic carcinoma(8.7%) and in 1998, gastric cancer (24.7%), followed by liver cancer(22.7%), lung and bronchogenic carcinoma(19.3%), showing the same order. For men and women, gastric cancer(40.2% and 44.7%, respectively) was the most common cancer death, followed by liver cancer(33.7% and 16.7%, respectively), and lung and bronchogenic carcinoma(10.2% and 5.0%, respectively) in 1991. However, in 1998, gastric cancer(27.8%) was still the most common type among both men and women, followed by liver cancer (18.5%) and lung and bronchogenic carcinoma(12.7%), showing the most decrease in gastric cancer but most increase in lung and bronchogenic carcinoma. The age- adjusted mortality rates by gastric cancer, hepatoma, laryngeal carcinoma were decreased in both male and female, and also uterine cancer was decreased in female. The age- adjusted mortality rates by lung and bronchogenic carcinoma, pancreatic cancer, rectal cancer were increased in both male and female, and also breast cancer was increased in female. The calculated overall age-adjusted death rate based on the 1995 population was 84.25 in 1991, which decreased to 77.67 in 1998. Male death rate decreased significantly from 119.81 in 1991 to 101.82 in 1998 while the female death rate increased from 48.64 in 1991 to 53.80 in 1998. A census of cancer death rate using accurate death records is important for the establishment of proper and high-quality district health and medical plan and policy. The effort to improve the accuracy of death reports using the health facility network, as had been attempted by this study, can be continued. Furthermore, there must be a way for the Health and Welfare Department to use the death reports to improve the present reporting system. Lastly, additional studies need to be conducted to investigate how much the accuracy was improved by the supplemented death reports in this study.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.43-50
• /
• 1993

We evaluated frequency and types of chromosomal aberrations by ionizing radiation in cancer patients treated with radiotherapy in our institution. Twenty-five patients with various types of carcinomas such as lung, uterine cervix, esophagus, rectum, head and neck and pancreatic cancers were studied immediately before and after external beam radiotherapy. The frequency of aberrant metaphase prior to treatment was $4.93{\%}$, which was higher than that of control group. Especially in lung cancer, the freuqency of aberrant metaphase was three times higher than control group. A comparison of chromosomal abnormalities observed before and after radiotherapy demonstrated that proportion of aberrant rnetaphases was significantly inreased to $22.13{\%}$. Major chromosomal aberrations like structural abnormalities showed remarkalbe increase from 65.45 to $88.45{\%}$ after the treatment. Also the numbers of chromosomal alterations per cell were increased by a factor of 6.5. Aberrations with two or more break points were more prominently increased, compared with aberrations with single break point. The number of chromosomal break points was noted to be higher than expected value in No.1, 3, 8 and 11 chromosomes and lower in No.13, 15, 17 and 21 chromosomes. Based on this study, we believe that the distribution of chromosomal breakage is related with gene and chromosomal rearrangement which could result in the development of cancers.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.23 no.4
• /
• pp.602-608
• /
• 2013

The multifaceted role of chronic inflammation in multistep carcinogenesis has been extensively investigated and well documented. Periodontal diseases are associated with multifactorial agents, including bacterial endotoxins and the generation of an inflammatory response, indicating that poor oral health is associated with a variety of systemic diseases. The association between poor oral health, chronic inflammation, smoking, and increased alcohol consumption as risk factors for tumorogenesis is well established. More recently, associations between oral health and tooth loss and gastric, lung, and pancreatic cancers have been explored, with some studies pointing to smoking and oral health as a common link with an increased risk for malignant disease. In addition, epidemiological studies consistently indicate increased risks of various cancers with periodontal disease or poor oral condition caused by oral bacteria, which may activate alcohol- and smoking-related carcinogens locally or act through chronic inflammation. Appropriate oral care is vital in preventing cancer, as well as many other diseases. Thus, research on the correlation between oral care and periodontal inflammation and cancer is required. This review highlights the association between oral health and the risk of certain malignancies, such as periodontal disease-associated chemoprevention of inflammation" in this sentence.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
• /
• v.7 no.2
• /
• pp.214-220
• /
• 2004

Purpose: As for the malignant bowel obstruction of terminal cancer patient, a prognosis is relatively bad. Physicians consider palliative procedures or surgery for the quality of life, but sometimes it is hard to decide. After diagnosis of a malignant bowel obstruction in terminal cancer patients, we investigated the clinical characteristics, the prognostic factors and the survival of patients with palliative procedures or surgery. Methods: we retrospectively reviewed the medical records in 40 malignant bowel obstruction patients who had been diagnosed as terminal cancer from May in 2002 to May in 2004. Results: There were 21 males (53%) and 19 females (47%), and median age of patients was $64.1{\pm}1.58$ years. The most common cause of malignant bowel obstruction was colorectal cancer (18 patients, 45%), followed by stomach cancer (11, 28%), pancreatic cancer (4, 10%), others (7, 19%). Metastases were carcinomatosis peritonei (14 patients, 35%), liver (13, 33%). During a bowel obstruction, symptoms were vomiting (15 patients, 38%), abdominal pain (10, 25%), constipation (6, 15%), abdominal distension (5, 13%). Performance status (ECOG) was 2 score (16 patients, 40%), 3 score (20, 50%), 4 score (4, 10%). Palliative procedure group were 30 patients, the others 10. Median survival in palliative procedure group was 142 days, that of no palliation group 30. Median survival time of palliative procedure group from palliative procedures or surgery were significantly higher than that of no palliation group from diagnosis of malignant bowel obstruction. Prognostic factors of palliative procedure group were PS, site of obstruction and primary cancer. Median survival in PS 2, lower GI obstruction and colorectal cancer was higher than PS 3, upper GI obstruction and others, respectively. Conclusion: we recommend aggressively palliative procedures or surgery in malignant bowel obstruction patients diagnosed with terminal cancer if palliative procedures or surgery could be performed effectively.