• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.63 no.2
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• pp.261-267
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• 2020

Objective : We investigated the effect of hypnotics on sleep quality, cognitive function, and depressive mood in patients with insomnia following brain tumor resection. Methods : From patients who underwent brain tumor resection, we recruited 10 patients with insomnia who received hypnotics for more than 1 week during a 3-week follow-up period (insomnia group). We also recruited 12 control patients with brain tumors but without insomnia (control group). We evaluated sleep quality at baseline and 3 weeks later using the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Stanford Sleepiness Scale (SSS), and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and investigated cognitive function and depression using the Computerized Neuropsychological Test and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Results : At baseline, SSS, ISI, PSQI, and BDI scores were significantly higher and visual continuous performance test (VCPT) and auditory continuous performance test (ACPT) scores were significantly lower in the insomnia than in the control group. Three weeks later, the patients who had received hypnotics had significantly higher ISI, PSQI, ESS, VCPT, ACPT, visual span forward and backward, and visual recognition test scores, and significantly lower BDI scores. Conclusion : Quality of sleep in patients with insomnia following brain tumor resection was initially poor but improved significantly after taking hypnotic medication. Further, the hypnotic medications appeared to contribute to the amelioration of cognitive impairments and depressive moods in patients who previously underwent brain tumor resection. We thus recommend the use of hypnotics for patients with brain tumors with insomnia.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.9
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• pp.3917-3922
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• 2015

Curcumin, a lipid-soluble compound extracted from the plant Curcuma Longa, has been found to exert immunomodulatory effects via macrophages. However, most studies focus on the low bioavailability issue of curcumin by nano and microparticles, and thus the role of macrophages in the anticancer mechanism of curcumin has received little attention so far. We have previously shown the potential biocompatibility, biodegradability and anti-cancer effects of dendrosomal curcumin (DNC). In this study, twenty-seven BALB/c mice were equally divided into control as well as 40 and 80 mg/kg groups of DNC to investigate the involvement of macrophages in the antitumor effects of curcumin in a typical animal model of metastatic breast cancer. At the end of intervention, the tumor volume and weight were significantly reduced in DNC groups compared to control (P<0.05). Histopathological data showed the presence of macrophages in tumor and spleen tissues. Real-time PCR results showed that DNC increased the expression of STAT4 and IL-12 genes in tumor and spleen tissues in comparison with control (P<0.05), referring to the high levels of M1 macrophages. Furthermore treatment with DNC decreased STAT3, IL-10 and arginase I gene expression (P<0.05), indicating low levels of M2 macrophage. The results confirm the role of macrophages in the protective effects of dendrosomal curcumin against metastatic breast cancer in mice.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.181-185
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• 2004

Malignant tumor have hypoxic cell fraction, which makes radio-resistant and hypoxia in tumor is a result from the blood flow decrease caused by increase in blood flow resistance. Blood viscosity increase is major factor of increased blood flow resistance and it could be attributed to the decrease in blood deformability index. For the evaluation of the change of blood viscosity and blood deformability in oral squamous cell carcinoma, we perform the test of the change of those factors between the normal control group and oral squamous cell carcinoma cell patient group. Relative viscosity measured against distilled water was $5.25{\pm}0.14$ for normal control group, and $5.78{\pm}0.26$ for the SCC patient group and there was statistical significance between the groups. However, there was no significant difference between the groups in blood viscosity between the groups by tumor size (T1+T2 vs T3+T4). Also, there was no significant difference between the normal control group and SCC patient group in blood deformability index and between the groups by tumor size (T1+T2 vs T3+T4). Increase in blood viscosity was confirmed with this study and it can be postulated that modification blood viscosity might contribute to decrease of hypoxia fraction in oral squamous cell carcinoma, thus improve the effect of radiotherapy and it can be assumed that the main factor of blood viscosity increase is not decrease of blood deformability in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.11-19
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• 1997

The use of therapeutic ultrasound(US) in humans with malignant neoplasms has been contraindicated in physical therapy practice. Some studies have shown that results after application of US differ according to tumor type and penetration depth. The purposes of this study were to determine the effects of US on melanoma in mice and to determine treatment dosage. Twenty-four female C57BL/6 mice, age 8 weeks. The right flank of all mice was shaved, and a 0.1 ml suspension of cells was injected subcutaneously into the animals' right flank. In this study, 24 subjects were randomly divided into three groups: experimental group 1(n=8), experimental group 2(n=8), control group(n=8). In the experimental group 1, animals received continuous 3 MHZ US treatment, administered at $2.0W/cm^2$ for five minutes. In experimental group 2, animals received continuous 3 MHz US treatment, administered at $1.0W/cm^2$ for 5 minutes. The control group received the same handling as other experimental groups, including rodent chow, water, US gel application but US head pressure without the power turned on. After 10 days treatment, all mice were killed with a potassium solution. Tumors were excised and weighed on an electrical balance and fixed in a 10% neutral buffered formalin solution. Tumor weights were smaller in experimental group 2(0.3838 g) than in the control group(0.6275 g). Tumor weights of the experimental group 1(0.015 g) were smaller than those of experimental group 2. Continuous therapeutic US decreased the weight of subcutaneous melanoma tumors in mice. The treatment dosage($2.0W/cm^2$) we suggest was more effective than earlier studies on decreasing tumor size with ultrasound.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.213-220
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• 2009

Studies on the relationship between blood fatty acids and the risk of breast cancer have not yielded definite conclusions. The role of fatty acids in the development and progression of breast cancer is unclear. We conducted a case-control study to determine serum phospholipid fatty acid composition in benign breast tumor and breast cancer. Subjects consisted of 27 benign breast tumor and 68 breast cancer patients, and 28 matched controls. The levels of fatty acids were measured by gas chromatography. Higher arachidonic and palmitic acids were observed in breast cancer patients as compared with control and benign breast tumor patients. The percentage of total saturated fatty acids in breast cancer was higher than in control and benign breast tumor patients. The level of stearic acid was lower in benign breast tumor and breast cancer patients. Saturation index, the ratio of stearic to oleic acid, was lower in benign breast tumor and breast cancer patients compared to the control. Moreover, stearic acid was negatively and arachidonic acid was positively correlated with the cancer stage. In conclusion, our results support that serum phospholipid compositions of specific fatty acids are associated with the risk of benign breast tumor as well as breast cancer. Further studies are necessary to investigate mechanisms linked to the breast cancer etiology.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.114-121
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• 2016

Objectives: Lung cancer remains a deadly disease with unsatisfactory overall survival. Cisplatin, a standard platinum (Pt)-based chemotherapeutic agent, has the potential to inhibit the growth of lung cancer. Its use, however, is occasionally limited by severe organ toxicity. However, until now, no systematic study has been conducted to verify its efficacy with proper experimental support in vivo. Therefore, we examined whether biosynthesized Pt nanoparticles (NPs) inhibited human lung cancer in vitro and in vivo to validate their use in alternative and complementary medicine. Methods: We evaluated the in vitro and the in vivo anticancer efficiencies of biosynthesized Pt NPs in a subcutaneous xenograft model with A549 cells. Severe combined immune deficient mice (SCID) were divided into four groups: group 1 being the vehicle control group and groups 2, 3 and 4 being the experimental groups. Once the tumor volume had reached $70-75mm^3$, the progression profile of the tumor growth kinetics and the body weights of the mice were measured every week for 6 weeks after oral administration of Pt NPs. Doses of Pt NPs of 500, 1,000 and 2,000 mg/kg of body weight were administered to the experimental groups and a dose of honey was administered to the vehicle control group. The efficacy was quantified by using the delay in tumor growth following the administration of Pt NPs of A549 human-lung-cancer xenografts growing in SCID mice. Results: The in vitro cytotoxicity evaluation indicated that Pt NPs, in a dose-dependent manner, inhibited the growth of A549 cells, and the in vivo evaluation showed that Pt NPs at the mid and high doses effectively inhibited and delayed the growth of lung cancer in SCID mice. Conclusion: These findings confirm the antitumor properties of biosynthesized Pt NPs and suggest that they may be a cost-effective alternative for the treatment of patients with lung cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.2481-2484
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• 2012

Aim: The risk factors mostly strongly associated with gastric cancer are gastric bacteria Helicobacter pylori and diet. Using a case-control study among residents in Jinan, we examined the association between the salt taste and gastric cancer according to H. pylori infection, smoking and histological type as well as tumor site. Methods: This population-based case-control study included 207 cases and 410 controls. Data on potential risk factors of gastric cancer were obtained by interview of cases and controls with a questionnaire, salt taste preference was measured for all subjects, and IgG antibodies to H. pylori were applied to assess infection. Risk measures were determined using unconditional logistic regression. Results: The proportions of salt taste at intervals of 1.8-7.2 g/L and ${\geq}7.2$ g/L were significantly higher in cases than controls, with ORs of 1.56 (1.23-3.64) and 2.03 (2.12-4.11), respectively, subjects with high salt intake having an elevated risk for gastric cancer when infected with H. pylori. Significant modification by smoking and tumor site was observed across the different measures of salt intake, the highest salt taste showed higher cancer risk in ever smokers or with non-cardia cancers. Conclusion: Our study supports the view that high intake of sodium is an important dietary risk factor for gastric cancer, with a synergistic effect found between salt and H.pylori and smoking, dependent on the tumor site.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.7
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• pp.2987-2991
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• 2014

Connexin 43 is an important gap junction protein in vertebrates and is known for its tumor suppressive properties. Cx43 is abundantly expressed in the human intestinal epithelial cells and muscularis mucosae. To explore the role of Cx43 in the genesis of human colon cancer, we performed the expression analysis of Cx43 in 80 cases of histopathologically confirmed and clinically diagnosed human colon cancer samples and adjacent control tissue and assessed correlations with clinicopathological variables. Western blotting using anti-Cx43 antibody indicated that the expression of Cx43 was significantly down regulated (75%) in the cancer samples as compared to the adjacent control samples. Moreover, immunohistochemical analysis of the tissue samples confirmed the down regulation of the Cx43 in the intestinal epithelial cells. Cx43 down regulation showed significant association (p<0.05) with the histological type and tumor invasion properties of the cancer. Our data demonstrated that loss of Cx43 may be an important event in colon carcinogenesis and tumor progression, providing significant insights about the tumor suppressive properties of the Cx43 and its potential as a diagnostic marker for colon cancer.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.125-130
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• 2013

Purpose: We investigated the role of radiotherapy (RT) for pancreatobiliary neuroendocrine tumors (PB-NETs). Materials and Methods: We identified 9 patients with PB-NETs who received RT between January 2005 and March 2012. Of these 9 patients, 4 were diagnosed with NETs in the pancreas and 5 were diagnosed with NETs in the gallbladder. All patients received RT to the primary tumor or resection bed with a median total irradiation dose of 50.4 Gy, with or without chemotherapy. Results: The tumor response rate and tumor control rate in the RT field were 60% and 100 %, respectively. All 4 patients who underwent surgery had no evidence of disease in the RT field. Of the 5 patients who received RT to the primary gross tumor, 1 had complete response, 2 had partial response, and 2 had stable disease in the RT field. The median time to progression was 11 months. Of the 9 patients, four patients had no progression, and 5 patients had progression of disease (locoregional, 2; distant, 2; locoregional/distant, 1). Of the 4 patients without progression, 3 were treated with RT in adjuvant or neoadjuvant setting, and one received RT to primary tumor. One patient experienced radiation-induced duodenitis at 3 months after concurrent chemoradiation without treatment-related mortality. Conclusion: RT can yield local control for advanced PB-NETs. RT should be considered an essential part of multimodality treatment in management of advanced PB-NETs.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.175-177
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• 2009

Cancer is the main cause of death in developed countries. However, in underdeveloped countries infections and parasitic diseases are the main causes of death. There are raising scientific evidences indicating that parasitic infections induce antitumor activity against certain types of cancers. In this study, the effects of Toxoplasma gondii and Toxocara canis egg antigens in comparison with Bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG) (known to have anticancer distinctive) on WEHI-164 fibosarcoma transplanted to BALB/c mice was investigated. Groups of 6 male BALB/c mice injected with T. gondii antigen, BCG, or T. canis egg antigen as case groups and alum alone as control groups. All mice were then challenged with WEHI-164 fibrosarcoma cells. The mice were examined for growth of the solid tumor and the tumor sizes were measured every other day up to 4wk. The mean tumor area in T. gondii, BCG, or alum alone injected mice in 4 different days of measurements was $25\;mm^2$, $23\;mm^2$, and $186\;mm^2$ respectively, Also the mean tumor area in T. canis injected mice in 4 different days was $25.5\;mm^2$ compared to the control group (alum treated) which was $155\;mm^2$. T. gondii parasites and T. canis egg antigens induced inhibition of the tumor growth in the fibrosarcoma mouse model. We need further study to clarify the mechanisms of anti-cancer effects.