• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.263-271
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• 2006

$\underline{Purpose}$: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of fentanyl-TTS in the management of radiotherapy induced acute pain and cancer pain treated with radiotherapy. $\underline{Materials\;and\;Methods}$: Our study was open labelled prospective phase IV multi-center study. the study population included patients with more 4 numeric rating scale(NRS) score pain although managed with other analgesics or more than 6 NRS score pain without analgesics. Patients divided into two groups; patients with radiotherapy induced pain (Group A) and patients with cancer pain treated with radiotherapy (Group B). All patients received 25 ug/hr of fentanyl transdermal patch. Primary end point was pain relief; second end points were change in patient quality of life, a degree of satisfaction for patients and clinician, side effects. $\underline{Results}$: Between March 2005 and June 2005, 312 patients from 26 participating institutes were registered, but 249 patients completed this study. Total number of patients in each group was 185 in Group A, 64 in Group B. Mean age was 60 years and male to female ratio was 76:24. Severe pain NRS score at 2 weeks after the application of fentanyl was decreased from 7.03 to 4.01, p=0.003. There was a significant improvement in insomnia, social functioning, and quality of life. A degree of satisfaction for patients and clinician was very high. The most common reasons of patients' satisfactions was good pain control. Ninety six patients reported side effect. Nausea was the most common side effect. There was no serious side effect. $\underline{Conclusion}$: Fentanyl-TTS was effective in both relieving pain with good tolerability and improving the quality of life for patients with radiotherapy induced acute pain and cancer pain treated with radiotherapy. The satisfaction of the patients and doctors was good. There was no major side effect.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.820-827
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• 2017

The prevalence of breast cancer is very high in Korea. Although the patients receive standard treatments, such as surgery, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy, they frequently experience recurrence or metastasis of their tumors. In addition, many patients with breast cancer also suffer from side effect symptoms induced by these standard treatments. Therefore, increasing numbers of patients now want to undergo treatment with traditional Korean medicine (TKM) in addition to conventional treatment. We present a case of 46-year-old female with recurred breast cancer. She first received two kinds of chemotherapy and then underwent surgery. She then also received 4 cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy. At a follow-up examination, she was informed of recurrent lesions on the right anterior chest wall. She started to receive TKM treatments together with a new chemotherapy. After about one month, the size of the recurred tumor in right chest wall had decreased. Her symptoms, such as shoulder pain, chest pain, and nausea induced by conventional therapy, were also improved. We suggest that a combination of TKM and chemotherapy is a promising treatment for breast cancer.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2009

There has been recent interest in radiation-induced bone injury in clinical conditions, especially for pelvic insufficiency fracture (PIF). A PIF is caused by the effect of normal or physiological stress on bone with demineralization and decreased elastic resistance. Pelvic radiotherapy (RT) can also contribute to the development of a PIF. A PIF has been regarded as a rare complication with the use of megavoltage equipment. However, recent studies have reported the incidence of PIFs as $8.2{\sim}20%$ after pelvic RT in gynecological patients, an incidence that was higher than previously believed. The importance of understanding a PIF lies in the potential for misdiagnosis as a bony metastasis. If patients complain of pelvic pain after whole-pelvis radiation therapy, the presence of a PIF must be considered in the differential diagnosis. The use of multibeam arrangements and conformal RT to reduce the volume and dose of irradiated pelvic bone can be helpful to minimize the risk of fracture. In addition to a PIF, osteonecrosis and avascular necrosis of the femoral head can develop after radiation therapy. Osteoradionecrosis of the pelvic bone is a clinical diagnostic challenge that must be differentiated from an osseous metastasis. A post-radiation bone sarcoma can result as a long-term sequela of pelvic irradiation for uterine cervical cancer.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.34-44
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• 2016

Purpose: A prospective phase II trial was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness and toxicity of regional hyperthermia and whole liver irradiation (WLI) for numerous chemorefractory liver metastases from colorectal cancer. Materials and Methods: Enrolled patients had numerous chemorefractory hepatic metastases from colorectal cancer. Five sessions of hyperthermia and seven fractions of 3-gray WLI were planned. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was determined using the Korean version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer quality of life questionnaire C-30 and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Hepatobiliary version 4.0. Objective and pain response was evaluated. Results: A total of 12 patients consented to the study and the 10 who received WLI and hyperthermia were analyzed. WLI was completed as planned in nine patients and hyperthermia in eight. Pain response was partial in four patients and stable in four. Partial objective response was achieved in three patients (30.0%) and stable disease was seen in four patients at the 1-month follow-up. One patient died 1 month after treatment because of respiratory failure related to pleural metastasis progression. Other grade III or higher toxicities were detected in three patients; however, all severe toxicities were related to disease progression rather than treatment. No significant difference in HRQoL was noted at the time of assessment for patients who were available for questionnaires. Conclusion: Combined WLI and hyperthermia were well tolerated without severe treatment-related toxicity with a promising response from numerous chemorefractory hepatic metastases from colorectal cancer.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.1678-1727
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• 2006

This study was perfromed to develop the assessment guideline and endpoints for clinical trial with anticancer herbal medicine. The botanical products used to humans for long time may be applied to phase 3 clinical trial after submitting the evidences for safety and efficacy of them or completion of basic requirement of phase 1 and phase 2 for safety confirmation and dose determination. Syndrome improvement was chiefly evaluated by Zubrod and karnofsky(%) methods. We suggest the general clinical trial assessment with botanical products, by following assessment points, that is, tumor size for 50 points, survival fate for 10 points, major syndromes for 40 points. It is recommendable that the each symptom of Qi deficiency syndrome, blood deficiency syndrome and Qi stagnation syndrome was allocated by assessment points, Similarly, the each symptom was given the assessment points according to the severity of symptom, for example, slight for 3 points, moderate for 2 points and severe for 1 point in hepatocelluar carcinoma and lung cancer. Then, the efficacy of botanical products was evaluated by the difference between pre-treatment and post-treatment. Asking the neoplastic patients of questionnaire on physical, emotional, cognitive, social and role subjects availability, three more syndromes (Fatigue, Pain and Nausea/Vomit), quality of life(QOL) will be evaluated by GLM statistics. In addition, in case of lung cancer, 13 questions will be asked by the EORTC QLQ-C13 forms. As the assessment of endpoints for efficacy to reduce side effects induced by chemotherapy and radiotherapy, the data of image scanning and hemato-urinalysis can be usefully applied on immune response, weight loss, indigestion, hemopoietic damage and injury of liver and kidney, while the changes of syndromes of side effect can be evaluated by differentiation methods of Qi and blood and five viscera. However, it is still necessary to determine the ratio between scientific analytical method and Oriental differentiation method as well as confirm the Oriental assessment endpoints by clinical trial. In addition, we suggest the continuous development of assessment endpoints on other carcinomas except of hepatocelluar carcinoma and lung cancer in future.