• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.163-171
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• 1995

Purpose: Primary radiation therapy following breast-conserving surgery has been an accepted alternative to mastectomy during the past 2 decades. In this country, however, the practice of conservative therapy for early invasive breast cancer has not been generalized yet. The purpose of this report was to evaluate the results and complications of breast conservation therapy in Korean Cancer Center Hospital(KCCH). Materials and Methods: From January 1987 to December 1989. 45 Patients with early breast cancer treated with conservative treatment in KCCH were studied retrospectively Median follow up was 54 months(range, 4 to 82 months) . All patients received partial mastectomy (biopsy, tumorectomy. or quadrantectomy) and radiation therapy. Twenty eight patients received axillary dissection The breast was treated with two opposing tangential fields (total 50 Gy or 50.4 Gy in 5 weeks with daily target dose of 2 Gy or 1.8 Gy) Thirty patients received chemotherapy before and after radio-therapy Eleven patients received hormonal therapy. Results: Five-year survival rate, 5-rear disease free survival rate and 5-year local control rate were 87.2%, 86.5% and 97.6%,$ respectively. Administration of systemic Therapy (chemotherapy or hormonal therapy) correlated with good prognosis but statistically not significant (0.05 < p < 0.1). The severe late complication rate was 8.9% Conclusion: Primary radiation therapy following breast-conserving surgery for early breast cancer is an alternative treatment comparing to radical treatment. Long term follow-up and more patients collection is needed to evaluate the Prognostic factor and cosmetic outcome.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.30 no.1_2
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• pp.153-160
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• 2018

Purpose : We retrospectively analyzed doses of each radiation therapy technique used in the treatment for left breast cancer patients after partial mastectomy through dose results for normalorgans and tumor volume to use this as a clinical reference for radiation therapy of domestic left breast cancer patients. Materials and Methods : 40 patients who underwent partial mastectomy on left breast cancer were classified in 3 treatment methods. The treatment plan was evaluated by HI(homogeneity index), $D_{95%}$, and CI(conformity index), and the $V_{hot}$ for gross tumor volume and clinical target volume of each treatment method. In Cyberknife treatment, tumor volume was the same as high dose volume in the other techniques, so no consideration was given to clinical target volume. Treatment plan evaluation for normal organs were evaluated by mean dose on ipsilateral lung, heart, left anterior descending artery, opposite breast and lung, and non-target tissue. Result : Treatment with volumetric arc radiotherapy(VMAT) showed $95.84{\pm}0.75%$ of $D_{95%}$ on the clinical target volume, significantly higher than that of 3D-CRT. The $D_{95%}$ value of the total tumor volume was slightly higher than the other treatments. In Cyberknife treatment, the dose to the normal organs was significantly lower than other treatments. Overall, the maximum dose and mean dose to the heart were $26.2{\pm}6.12Gy$ and $1.88{\pm}0.2Gy$ in VMAT treatment and $20.25{\pm}9.35Gy$ and $1.04{\pm}0.19Gy$ in 3D-CRT therapy, respectively. Conclusion : In comparison on 3D-CRT and VMAT, most of the dosimetric parameters for the evaluation of the treatment plan showed similar values, so that there is no significant difference in treatment plan evaluation. It is possible to select the treatment method according to the patient's anatomical structure or possibility of breath control. Cyberknife treatment is very useful treatment for normal organs because of its accurate dose exposure to the tumor volume However, it has restrictions to treat the local area, to have relatively long treatment time and to involve invasive procedure.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.289-295
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• 2017

The aim of this study was to evaluate the dose comparison using Radon phantom with 5 mm and 10 mm tissue equivalent materials, FIF, Wedge(15, 30 angle) and IMRT, to reduce the skin dose of the contralateral breast during breast cancer radiation therapy(Total dose: 50.4Gy). The dose was measured for each treatment plan by attaching to the 8 point of the contralateral breast of the treated region using a optical-stimulated luminance dosimeter(OSLD) as a comparative dose evaluation method. Of the OSLD used in the study, 10 were used with reproducibility within 3%. As a result, the average reduction rates of 5 mm and 10 mm in the FIF treatment plan were 37.23 cGy and 41.77 cGy, respectively, and the average reduction rates in the treatment plan using Wedge $15^{\circ}$ were 70.69 cGy and 87.57 cGy, respectively. The IMRT showed a reduction of 67.37 cGy and 83.17 cGy, respectively. The results of using bolus showed that as the thickness of the bolus increased in all treatments, the dose reduction increased. We concluded that mastectomy as well as general radiotherapy for breast cancer would be very effective for patients who are more likely to be exposed to scattered radiation due to a more demanding or complex treatment plan.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.76-84
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• 2005

Immediate breast reconstruction in breast cancer patients is universalized and now with a wide variety of methods to choose from, we can select a breast reconstruction method according to the patient's condition. Among these methods, immediate breast reconstruction with TRAM free flap is the most commonly used. Nipple reconstruction is usually performed as a secondary procedure, reconstructed. Nipple is reconstructed with contralateral nipple composite graft or with local flap. Areola is reconstructed with skin graft and tattooing. Therefore, to reconstruct complete breast, two or more staged operations are needed and are troublesome to both the surgeon and the patient. If we could reconstruct breast mound and nipple at same time, we would reduce the operative stages and heighten the patient's satisfaction. The author performed delayed or immediate breast reconstruction with TRAM free flap and nipple reconstruction at the same time. If the TRAM flap was to situate in the whole of the breast or at the center of the breast mound, nipple was reconstructed with a local flap from the TRAM flap. If the TRAM flap was not situated in center of breast mound, nipple was reconstructed with a local flap from remnant breast skin. Immediate nipple reconstructions in breast reconstruction consisted total of 22 cases. Among these, delayed breast reconstruction were 5 cases and immediate breast reconstruction were 17 cases. According to patient's condition and mastectomy method, nipple reconstruction method was selected; nipple reconstruction with contralateral nipple composite graft(3 cases); nipple reconstruction with remnant breast skin(6 cases); nipple reconstruction from flap margin(10 cases); nipple reconstruction with prefabricated nipple on flap(3 cases). Malposition of the reconstructed nipple was the most common and serious complication(6 cases). The other complications were atrophy of the nipple(1 case), and necrosis(1 case). Reconstruction of the breast and nipple at the same time can reduce the need of a secondary operation and use remnant skin or redundant flap tissue maximally. On the other hand, it must be considered that position and shape of nipple could be deformed, because the nipple reconstruction is performed before the shape of reconstructed breast settles completely. Prudent attention is needed, because the danger of complication is higher than delayed nipple reconstruction.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.63-69
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• 2023

Background An increasing number of nonbinary patients are receiving gender-affirming procedures due to improved access to care. However, the preferred treatments for nonbinary patients are underdescribed. The purpose of this study was to investigate the goals and treatments of nonbinary patients. Methods A retrospective study of patients who self-identified as nonbinary from our institutional Gender Health Program was conducted. Patient demographics, clinical characteristics, surgical goals, and operative variables were analyzed. Results Of the 375 patients with gender dysphoria, 67 (18%) were nonbinary. Over half of the nonbinary patients were assigned male at birth (n = 57, 85%) and nearly half preferred the gender pronoun they/them/theirs (n = 33, 49%). A total of 44 patients (66%) received hormone therapy for an average of 2.5±3.6 years, primarily estrogen (n = 39). Most patients (n = 46, 69%) received or are interested in gender-affirming surgery, of which, almost half were previously on hormone therapy (n = 32, 48%). The most common surgeries completed or desired were facial feminization surgery (n = 15, 22%), vaginoplasty (n = 15, 22%), mastectomy (n = 11, 16%), and orchiectomy (n = 9, 13%). Nonbinary patients who were assigned male at birth (NB-AMAB) were more often treated with hormones compared to nonbinary patients assigned female at birth (NB-AFAB) (72% vs. 30%, p = 0.010). Conversely, patients who were AFAB weremore likely to complete or desire surgical intervention than those who were AMAB (100% vs. 63.0%, p < 0.021). Conclusion Majority of nonbinary patients were assigned male at birth. NB-AFAB patients all underwent surgical treatment, whereas NB-AMAB patients were predominantly treated with hormone therapy.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.20
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• pp.8607-8612
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• 2014

Background: Breast cancer patients experience a variety of altered appearance - such as loss or disfigurement of breasts, discolored skin, and hair loss - which result in psychological distress that affect their quality of life. This study aims to evaluate the impact of socioeconomic status on the altered appearance distress, body image, and quality of life among Korean breast cancer patients. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted at advocacy events held at 16 different hospitals in Korea. Subjects were eligible to participate if they were 18 years of age or older, had a histologically confirmed diagnosis of breast cancer, had no evidence of recurrence or metastasis, and had no psychological problems at the time of the survey. Employment status, marital status, education, and income were assessed for patient socioeconomic status. Altered appearance distress was measured using the NCI's cancer treatment side effects scale; body image and quality of life were measured by the EORTC QLC-C30 and BR23. Means and standard deviations of each outcome were compared by socioeconomic status and multivariate linear regression models for evaluating the association between socioeconomic status and altered appearance distress, body image, and quality of life. Results: A total of 126 breast cancer patients participated in the study; the mean age of participants was 47.7 (SD=8.4). Of the total, 83.2% were married, 85.6% received more than high school education, 35.2% were employed, and 41% had more than $3000 in monthly household income. About 46% had mastectomy, and over 30% were receiving either chemotherapy or radiation therapy at the time of the survey. With fully adjusted models, the employed patients had significantly higher altered appearance distress (1.80 vs 1.48; p<0.05) and poorer body image (36.63 vs 51.69; p<0.05) compared to the patients who were unemployed. Higher education (10.58, standard error (SE)=7.63) and family income (12.88, SE=5.08) was positively associated with better body image after adjusting for age, disease stage at diagnosis, current treatment status, and breast surgery type. Similarly, patients who were married and who had higher education had better quality of life were statistically significant in the multivariate models. Conclusions: Socioeconomic status is significantly associated with altered appearance distress, body image, and quality of life in Korean women with breast cancer. Patients who suffer from altered appearance distress or lower body image are much more likely to experience psychosocial, physical, and functional problems than women who do not, therefore health care providers should be aware of the changes and distresses that these breast cancer patients go through and provide specific information and psychosocial support to socioeconomically more vulnerable patients.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.192-199
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• 2004

Purpose: To determine the patterns on evaluation and treatment in the patient with early breast cancer treated with conservative surgery and radiotherapy and to improve the radiotherapy techiniques, nationwide survey was peformed. Materials and Methods: A web-based database system for korean Patterns of Care Study (PCS) for 6 common cancers was developed. Two hundreds sixty-one randomly selected records of eligible patients treated between 1998$\~$1999 from 15 hospitals were reviewed. Results: The patients ages ranged from 24 to 85 years(median 45 years). Infiltrating ductal carcinoma was most common histologic type (88.9$\%$) followed by medullary carcinoma (4.2$\%$) and infiltrating lobular carcinoma (1.5$\%$). Pathologic T stage by AJCC was T1 in 59.7$\%$ of the casses, T2 in 29.5$\%$ of the cases, Tis in 8.8$\%$ of the cases. Axillary lymph node dissection was peformed I\in 91.2$\%$ of the cases and 69.7$\%$ were node negative. AJCC stage was 0 in 8.8$\%$ of the cases, stage I in 44.9$\%$ of the cases, stage IIa in 33.3$\%$ of the cases, and stage IIb in 8.4$\%$ of the cases. Estrogen and progesteron receptors were evaluated in 71.6$\%$, and 70.9$\%$ of the patients, respectively. Surgical methods of breast-conserving surgery was excision/lumpectomy in 37.2$\%$, wide excision in 11.5$\%$, quadrantectomy in 23$\%$ and partial mastectomy in 27.5$\%$ of the cases. A pathologically confirmed negative margin was obtained in 90.8$\%$ of the cases. Pathological margin was involved with tumor in 10 patients and margin was close (less than 2 mm) in 10 patients. All the patients except one recieved more than 90$\%$ of the planned radiotherapy dose. Radiotherapy volume was breast only In 88$\%$ of the cases, breast+supraclavicular fossa (SCL) in 5$\%$ of the cases, and breast+ SCL+ posterior axillary boost in 4.2%$\%$of the cases. Only one patient received isolated internal mammary lymph node irradiation. Used radiation beam was Co-60 in 8 cases, 4 MV X-ray in 115 cases, 6 MV X-ray in 125 cases, and 10 MV X-ray in 11 cases. The radiation dose to the whole breast was 45$\~$59.4 Gy (median 50.4) and boost dose was 8$\~$20 Gy (median 10 Gy). The total radiation dose delivered was 50.4$\~$70.4 Gy (median 60.4 Gy). Conclusion: There was no major deviation from current standard in the patterns of evaluation and treatment for the patients with early breast cancer treated with breast conservation method. Some varieties were identified in boost irradiation dose. Separate analysis for the datails of radiotherapy planning will be followed and the outcome of treatment is needed to evaluate the process.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.27-33
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• 2001

Purpose : To evaluate interim results in terms of failure, cosmetic results and survival after breast conserving operation and radiation therapy in early breast cancer. Material and Methods : From January 1992 through December 1997, seventy two patients with early stage 0, I and II breast cancer were treated with conservative surgery plus radiotherapy at Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center. Age distribution was 25 to 77 years old with median age of 43. According to TNM stage, five patients had stage 0, thirty three were stage I, twenty five were IIa, and nine were IIb. Most patients underwent excision of all gross tumor and ipsilateral axillary dissection. Breast was irradiated through medial and lateral tangential fields of 6 MV photons to 50.4 Gy in 28 fractions over 5.5 weeks. We delivered a boost irradiation dose of 10 to 16 Gy in 1 to 2 weeks to excision site. Adjuvant chemotherapy was administered in forty one patients with CMF (cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil) regimens of 6 cycles concurrently or before radiation. Cosmetic results were assessed by questionnaire to patients grading of excellent, good, fair, poor. Follow-up periods were 22 to 91 months with median 40 months. Results : Five year disease free survival rate (5YDFS) was $95.8\%$. According to stage, 5YDFS was $100\%,\;96.9\%,\;96\%\;and\;88.9\%$ in stage 0, I, IIa and IIb, respectively. Two patients had distant metastasis and one had local and distant failure. One patient with distant failure had bone and liver metastasis at 14 months after treatment and the other had lung and both supraclavicular metastasis at 21 months after treatment. Patient with local and distant failure had local recurrence on other quadrant in same breast and then salvaged with total mastectomy and chemotherapy but she died due to brain metastasis at 55 months. Complications were radiation pneumonitis in five patients (four patients of asymptomatic, one patients of symptomatic) and hand or arm edema(4 patients). Fifty nine patients answered our cosmetic result questionnaire and cosmetic results were good to excellent in fifty one patients $(86\%)$. Conclusion : We considered that conservative surgery and radiation for the treatment of early stage invasive breast cancer was safe and had excellent survival and cosmetic results. We need to assess about prognostic factors with longer follow up and with large number of patients.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.287-293
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• 2009

Purpose: This study is to evaluate rib fractures on bone scan in breast cancer patients treated with breast cancer surgery and radiation therapy and to evaluate its relation with radiation therapy and operation modality. Materials and Methods: Two hundred seventy cases that underwent serial bone scan after breast cancer surgery and radiation therapy were enrolled. Bone scan and chest a findings of rib fracture were analyzed. Results: The rib uptake was seen in 74 of 270 cases (27.4%) on bone scan and 50 cases (18.5%) were confirmed to have rib fracture by chest CT. The rate of modified radical mastectomy in patients with rib fracture was significantly higher than that in patients without rib fracture (66.0% vs. 27.0%, p = 0.000). The rate of additional radiation therapy to axillar or supraclavicular regions in patients with rib fracture was significantly higher than that in patients without rib fracture (62.0% vs. 28.6%, p =0.000). Rib fracture was seen most frequently at 1-2 years after radiation therapy (51.9%) and single rib fracture was seen most frequently (55.2%). Of total 106 rib fractures, focal rib uptake was seen in 94 ribs (88.7%) and diffuse rib uptake was seen in 12 ribs (11.3%). On one year follow-up bone scan, complete resolution of rib uptake was seen in 15 ribs (14.2%). On chest a, the rate of fracture line in ribs with intense uptake was significantly higher than that in ribs with mild or moderate uptake (p = 0.000). The rate of presence of fracture line in ribs with focal uptake was significantly higher than that in ribs with diffuse uptake (p = 0.001). Conclusion: Rib fracture in breast cancer patients after radiation therapy was related to radiation portal and operation modality. It should be interpreted carefully as a differential diagnosis of bone metastasis.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.11-16
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• 2004

Purpose: To evaluate the survival rate, local failure rate and patterns of failure, and analyze the prognostic factors affecting local relapse of ductal carcinoma in situ treated with breast conserving surgery and radiotherapy Materials and Methods: From June 1995 to December 2001, 96 patients with ductal carcinoma in situ treated with breast conserving surgery and radiotherapy were retrospectively analyzed. The operations were either local or wide excision in all patients, with an axillary lymph node dissection performed in some patients. Radiation dose to the whole breast was 50.4 Gy, over 5 weeks, with 1.8 Gy daily fractions, with additional doses ($10\~14$ Gy) administered to the primary tumor bed in some patients with close ($\leq$2 mm) or positive resection margin. The median follow-up period was 43 months (range $10\~102$ months). Results: The 5-year local relapse free survival and overall survival rates were 91 and $100\%$ respectively. Local relapse occurred in 6 patients ($6.3\%$). Of the 6 recurrences, one was invasive ductal cell carcinoma. With the exception of one, all patients recurred 2 years after surgery. There was no regional recurrence or distant metastasis. Five patients with local recurrence were salvaged with total mastectomy, and are alive with no evidence of disease. One patient with recurrent invasive ductal cell carcinoma will receive salvage treatment. On analysis of the prognostic factors affecting local relapse, none of the factors among the age, status of resection margin, comedo type and nuclear grade affected local relapse. Operation extent also did not affect local control (p=0.30). In the patients with close resection margin, boost irradiation to the primary tumor bed did not affect local control (p=1.0). Conclusions: The survival rate and local control of the patients with ductal carcinoma in situ treated with breast conserving surgery and radiotherapy were excellent. Close resection margin and boost irradiation to the primary tumor bed did not affect local relapse, but further follow-up with much more patients is needed.