• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• 제20권4호
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• pp.309-315
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• 2002

Purpose : To evaluate the result of conservative management on recurrence, survival and prognostic factors of patient with operable breast cancer. Materials and Methods : Fifty three patients, treated for localized breast cancer by lumpectomy or quadrantectomy followed by radiotherapy between January 1985 and December 1996, were retrospectively studied. All patients followed up for at least five years. Their median age was 43 years $(range\;24\~72)$. The tumor stages were as follows : T1 in 30 patients, T2 in 21, Tis in 2. Thirty-eight patients had negative and 15 had positive axillary nodes. The histological types were 42 infiltrating ductal, 2 infiltrating lobular, and 2 intraductal carcinomas with 7 other histologies. The tumor locations were the outer quadrant in 38 breasts, the inner quadrant in 13 and central in 2. Radiation doses of $46\~50\;Gy$ were given to the entire breast areas with additional doses of 14-18 Gy delivered to the tumor bed areas. Results : The overall five and 10 yea actuarial and disease free survivals were $94.3\%\;and\;92.4\%,\;91.2\%\;and\;81\%$, respectively. The overall five year survivals were $100\%$ in stage I and IIa, and $66.7\%$ in stage IIb and IIIa tumors. Seven patients failed either locally or distantly. Incidence of local failure and distant metastasis for the first failure were $7.5\%\;and\;5.7\%$, respectively. Local recurrence appeared within 2 years of treatment at the primary site and after more than 8 years outside of primary lesion, whereas distant metastasis appeared between 2 and 6 years following treatment. The overall recurrences were high at a young age (< or = 35 years), with 5 out of 12 (2 local, 3 distant), and in T2 lesions with 5 out of 21 (1 local, 3 distant, and 1 in both). Distant metastasis was high in the positive axillary lymph node group with 4 out of 15 $(26.6\%)$. A high incidence in the axillary node was noted at a young age with 7 out of 12 $(58.3\%)$ and in T2 lesions with 8 out of 21 $(38.4\%)$. A young age, positive axillary node and large tumor size were all related with poor survival. Conclusion : Based on this study, lumpectomy or quadrantectomy, followed by radiation appears to be an adequate therapeutic method in operable breast cancer. A long term follow-up is necessary because a recurrence of breast can occur long time after treatment. The poor prognostic group, especially young patients with an aggressive biological behavior needs more effective treatment modalities to improve their survival.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• 제15권4호
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• pp.331-337
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• 1997

Purpose : To evaluate our experience in the breast-conserving treatment for early breast cancer with special regard to recurrence Pattern and related risk factors. Materials and Method :Two hundred and sixteen patients with AJC stage 1and 11 breast cancer who received breast conserving treatment between January 1991 and December 1994 were evaluated A9e distribution ranged from 23-80 year old with a median a9e of 44. One hundred and seventeen Patients had 71 lesions and 99 Patients had 72 lesions. Axillary lymph nodes were involved in 73 patients. All patients received a breast conserving surgery (wide excision to quadrantectomy) and axillary node dissection followed by radiotherapy. Ninety six patients received chemotherapy before or after radiotherapy. Results : During the follow-up period (3-60 months, median 30 months), local recurrences were noted in six Patients (true: 3, elsewhere; 1, skin: 2). Sixteen patients developed distant metastases as the first sign of recurrence at 8-38 months (median 20 months) after surgery. Among them, three patients simultaneously developed local recurrence with distant metastases. Contralateral breast cancer developed in one Patient and non-mammary cancers developed in three patients. The actuarial 5 year survival rate was $88.4\%\;(stage\;I\;96.7\%,\;stage\;IIa\;95.2\%,\;stage\;IIb\;69.9\%)$. Age, I stage, number of involved axillary lymph nodes. and AJC stage were risk factors for distant metastases in univariate analysis. In the multivariate analysis, the number of involved axillary lymph nodes was the most significant risk factor for metastases. Conclusion : Local recurrence was not common in the early years after radiotherapy. Distant metastases occurred at a steady rate during the first three years and was more common in the Patients with larger tumors, higher number of involved axillary nodes, and younger age.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• 제16권2호
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• pp.167-175
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• 1998

Purpose : It is not a simple task to achieve the ideal isodose curve with a standard vaginal applicator or sing1e plane needle impant in the paravaginal tissue when primary or recurrent gynecological neoplasms(cervical cancers, vaginal cancers and vulvar cancers) are treated as a boost following external beam radiotherapy. The authors introduce the development and construction of a simple, inexpensive, customized applicator for volume implant to maximize the radiation dose to the tumor while minimizing the dose to the rectum and the bladder. Materials and Methods : Nine patients underwent Ir-192 transperineal interstitial implantation for either recurrent(5 cases) or primary(3 cases) cervical cancers or primary vaginal cancer(1 case) between August 1994 and February 1998 at Ajou university hospital. First 3 cases were performed with a sing1e plane implant guided by digital palpation. Because of inadequate isodose coverage in the tumor volume in first 3 cases, we designed and constructed interstitial vaginal applicator for volume implant to improve tumor dose distribution and homogeneity while sparing the surrounding normal tissue. Our applicators consist of vaginal obturator and perineal template that made of the clear acrylamide and dental mold material$(Provil^{(R)})$. The applicators were customized individually according to the tumor size and its location Both HDR and LDR irradiation were given with these applicators accomodating 6 Fr needles(Microselectron Nucletron). The pretreatment planning prior to actual implant was performed whenever possible. Results : Needles can be inserted easily and evenly into the tumor volume through the holes of templates, requiring less efforts and time for the implant procedure. Our applicators made of materials available from commercial vendors. These have an advantage that require easy procedure, and spend relatively short time to construct. Also it was possible to fabricate applicators to individualize according to the tumor size and its location and to achieve the ideal isodose coverage. We found an accurate needle arrangement and ideal dose distribution through the CT scan that was obtained in 3 cases after needle implant. Three patients with primary cervical and vaginal cancers were controlled locally at final follow up. But all recurrent cases failed to do so. Conclusion : The authors introduce inexpensive, simple interstitial vaginal templates which were self-designed and constructed using materials available from commercial vendors such as acrylanide and dental mold material $(Provil^{(R)})$.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• 제16권2호
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• pp.159-165
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• 1998

Purpose : The best prognosis for hepatocellular carcinoma can be achieved with surgical resection. However, the number of resected cases is limited due to the advanced lesion or associated liver disease. A trial of combined transcatheter arterial chemoembolization(TACE) and local radiotherapy(RT) for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) was prospectively conducted and its efficacy and toxicity were investigated. Materials and Methods : From 1992 to 1994, 30 Patients with unresectable HCC due either to advanced lesion or to associated cirrhosis were entered in the study Exclusion criteria included the presence of extrahepatic metastasis, liver cirrhosis of Child's class C, tumors occupying more than two-thirds of the whole liver, and an ECOG scale of more than 3. Patient cHaracteristics were : mean tumor size $8.95\pm3.4cm$, serum AFP+ in all patients, portal vein thrombosis in all patients, liver cirrhosis in 22 patients, and UICC stage III and IVA in 10 and 20 patients, respectively. TACE was performed with the mixture of Lipiodol(5ml) and Adriamycin(50mg) and Gelfoam embolizatin. RT(mean dose $44.0\pm9.3Gy$) 10 days with conventional fractionation. Results : An objective response was observed in 19 patients($63.3\%$). Survival rates at 1 2, and 3 years were $67\%,\;33.3\%$ and $22.2\%$, respectively. Median survival was 17 months. There were 6 patients surviving more than 3 years. Distant metastasis occurred in 10 patients, with 8 in the lung only and 2 in both lung and bone, Toxicity included transient elevation of liver function test in all patients, fever in 20, thrombocytopenia in 4, and nausea and vomiting in 1. There was no treatment-related death. Conclusion : Combined TACE and RT appear to produce a favorable response and survival results with minimal toxicity.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• 제21권2호
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• pp.135-142
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• 2003

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the positional change of the uterus during radiotherapy. Materials and Methods: Between 1997 and 2001, 47 patients received definitive radiotherapy for cervical cancer at the Samsung Medical Center. For each patient, two MRI scans were taken; one before and the other 3$\~$4 weeks after the radiotherapy treatment. In T2 weighted MRI images, the positional change of the uterine was quantified by measuring six quantities; the distance from the cervix os to the isthmus of the uterus (Dcx), the maximum length from the isthmus of the uterus to the uterine fundus (Dco), the maximum vertical distance of the uterine body (Dco-per), the angle between the vertical line and the cervical canal in the sagittal images (Acx), the angle of the uterine corpus from the vertical line in the sagittal plan (Aco-ap), and the relative angle of the uterine corpus from a fixed anatomical landmark in the axial images (Aco-axi). Results: The mean Dcx values, before and during the treatment, were 36.7 and 27.8 mm, respectively. The Dco deviated by more than 10 mm in 14 cases (29.8$\%$). The change in the Acx ranged from 0.1 to 67.8$^{\circ}$ (mean 13.2$^{\circ}$). The Aco-ap changed by a maximum of 84.8$^{\circ}$ (mean 16.9$^{\circ}$). The differences in the Dcx plus the Dco in the smaller (<4 cm) and larger ($geq$4 cm) tumors were 5.3 and 19.4 mm, respectively. With patients less than 60 years old, or with a tumor size larger than 4 cm, the difference in the Acx was statistically significant. Conclusion: The positional changes of the uterus, during radiation treatment, should be considered in the 3DCRT or IMRT treatment planning, particularly in patients under 60 years of age or in those with a tumor size greater than 4 cm in maximum diameter.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• 제21권2호
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• pp.149-157
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• 2003

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine if there were prognostic differences between BRCA related and BRCA non-related Korean patients with early-onset breast carcinomas. Materials and Methods: Sixty women who had developed breast cancers before the age of 40, and who were treated at the Soonchunhyang University Hospital, were studied independently of their family histories. The age range was 18 to 40 with a median of 34.5 years. Lymphocyte specimens from peripheral blood were studied for the heterozygous mutations of BRCA1 and BRCA2 using direct sequencing methods. Immunohistochemistry was peformed on the paraffin-embedded tissue blocks that were available. Results: Eleven deleterious mutations (18.3%, 6 in BRCA1 and 5 in BRCA2) and 7 missense mutations of unknown significance (11.7%), were found among the 60 patients. More than half of the mutation were novel, and were not reported in the database. Most of the BRCA-associated patients had no history of breast cancer. No treatment related failures were observed in the BRCA carriers, with the exception of one patient that had experienced a new primary tumor of the contralateral breast. The seven year relapse free survival rate were 50 and 79% In the BRCA carrier and BRCA negative patients, respectively. Although the expression of estrogen and progesterone receptors were less common, and histological features more aggressive, in the BRCA associated tumors, the outcome of the patients with BRCA mutations was not poorer than that on the patients without deleterious mutations. Conclusion.: Despite the BRCA mutation carriers having adverse prognostic features, the recurrence rate was relatively lower than that in the BRCA non-carrying Korean patients wi4h early-onset breast carcinomas. In addition, although the prevalence of the BRCA mutation in Korean patients was higher than that in white patients, the penetrance of the cancer seemed to be relatively low in Korean women carrying BRCA mutations. A large population based study of the BRCA mutation, with a long-term follow-up of the study patients will be required to confirm these results.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• 제32권4호
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• pp.382-390
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• 1998

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of radioactivity quantitation in Tc-99m SPECT by using combined scatter and attenuation correction. Materials and Methods: A cylindrical phantom which simulates tumors (T) and normal tissue (B) was filled with varying activity ratios of Tc-99m. We acquired emission scans of the phantom using a three-headed SPECT system (Trionix, Inc.) with two energy windows (photopeak window: $126{\sim}154keV$ and scatter window: $101{\sim}123keV$). We performed the scatter correction with dual-energy window subtraction method (k=0.4) and Chang attenuation correction. Three sets of SPECT images were reconstructed using combined scatter and attenuation correction (SC+AC), attenuation correction (AC) and without any correction (NONE). We compared T/B ratio, image contrast [(T-B)/(T+B)] and absolute radioactivity with true values. Results: SC+AC images had the highest mean values of T/B ratios. Image contrast was 0.92 in SC+AC, which was close to the true value of 1, and higher than AC (0.77) or NONE (0.80). Errors of true activity by SPECT images ranged from 1 to 11% for SC+AC, $22{\sim}47%$ for AC, and $2{\sim}16%$ for NONE in a phantom which was located 2.4cm from the phantom surface. In a phantom located 10.0cm from the surface, SC+AC underestimated by 24%, NONE 40%. However, AC overestimated by 10%. Conclusion: We conclude that accurate SPECT activity quantitation of Tc-99m distribution can be achieved by dual window scatter correction combind with attenuation correction.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• 제28권1호
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• pp.62-68
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• 1994

This study was aimed to compare the density of the functional microcirculation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with normal liver and to investigate the effect of hepatic-arterial oily chemoembolization (HAE) by radionuclide examination. Methods : Eight patients with HCC proven by biopsy in five, and clinically and radiologically in three were included. The mixture of 2 cc normal saline with three to four mCi of $^{99m}Tc$-MAA was infused through a hepatic-arterial catheter for a minute. Dynamic images were obtained at a rate of 4 sec per frame for a minute, and static images and SPECT were followed. Results : In three patients who underwent hepatic arterial angiography (HAA) alone, radioactivity was markedly increased in tumors compared to the adjacent liver immediately after infusion of $^{99m}Tc$-MAA. The ratios of tumoral and extratumoral up-take (T/E ratio) were above 6.5 (range; $6.5{\sim}l9$, mean; 12.5). In four of the five patients who under-went superselective HAE, T/E ratio were remark-ably decreased ($0.5{\sim}1.3$). The areas of embolization were better delineated in radionuclide study than in postembolization HAA. In the other one who was considered to be embolized completely on HAA, strong radiouptake in the tumor was disclosed (T/E ratio; 7.0). Conclusions : Therefore hepatic-arterial flow study with radionuclide imaging using $^{99m}Tc$-MAA can be a valuable method to assess the accurate embolization effect in HCC.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• 제28권1호
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• pp.133-140
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• 1994

Recently, there are many considerations and studies on biological effects of radiations in radiation workers, as well as in accidentally or therapeutically irradiated persons. The most practical and reliable method of dosimetry for radiation accidents is the scoring of gross chromosomal aberrations in human lymphocytes (Ydr) as a biological dosimetry. By the way, although usual doses of $^{131}I$ administered therapeutically for thyroid cancer are ranging from 100 mCi to 200 mCi, there are differences of absorbed doses and Ydr, ranging from 0.004 to 0.04, on equally administered $^{131}I$ due to variations in metabolic characteristics, stage of tumors and physical status of subjects. In this study, We exert to obtain the dose-response relationships of $^{131}I$, as a good guide to evaluating acute effects of accidental irradiations and radiation induced leukemia or solid tumor, by in vitro induction of chromosomal aberrations. we studied the relationship between radiation dose (D) and the frequency of chromosomal aberrations (Ydr) obserbed in peripheral lymphocytes that were irradiated in vitro with $^{131}I$ at doses ranging from 0.05 to 6.00 Gy. By scoring cells with unstable chromosomal aberrations (dicentric chromosomes and ring chromosomes) we obtained this linear-quadratic dose response equation Ydr=0.064351 $D^2$-0.13143 D+0.045684 This dose-response relationship may be useful for evaluating acute and chronic $^{131}I$ induced biological effects.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• 제41권4호
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• pp.326-334
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• 2007

Purpose: The estrogen receptor (ER), which is over-expressed in ER-positive breast tumors, has been imaged by positron emission tomography (PET) using $[^{18}F]$ labeled estrogen ligands, especially $[^{18}F]FES$. However, $[^{18}F]$ has relatively short-lived half-life ($t_{1/2}$ =1.8 h) and the labeling yield of radio-fluorination is usually low compared with $^{64}Cu\;(t_{1/2}=12.7\;h)$. 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane (cyclen) is used to form stable metal complexes with copper, indium, gallium, and gadolinium. With these in mind, we prepared cyclen-based Cu complexes which mimic estradiol in aspect of two hydroxyl groups. Materials and Methods: 1.7-Protected cyclen, 1.7-bis (benzyloxycarbonyl)-cyclen was synthesized according to the reported procedure. After introducing two 4-benzyloxybenzyl groups at 4,10-positions, the benzyloxycarbonyl and benzyl groups were removed at the same time by hydrogenation on Pd/C to give 1,7-bis(4-hydroxybenzyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane (1). Results: The prepared ligand 1 was fully characterized by $^1H,\;^{13}C$ NMR, and mass spectrometer. The synthesized ligand was reacted with copper chloride and copper perchlorate to give copper complexes $[Cu(1)]^{2+}2(CIO_4^-)\;and\;[Cu(1)Cl]^+Cl^-$ which were confirmed by high-resolution mass (FAB). Conclusion: We successfully synthesized a cyclen derivative of which two phenol groups are located on trans position of N-atoms. And, two Cu(ll) complexes of +2 and +1 overall charge, were prepared as a potential PET tracers for ER imaging.