• The Journal of the Korean bone and joint tumor society
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.7-13
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• 2014

Purpose: As well as patient survival, the restoration of postoperative function such as ambulation is important in limb salvage operations for treatment of malignant bone tumors involving the proximal femur. The authors analyzed clinical outcomes of limb salvage operations using tumor prostheses for metastatic or primary malignant bone tumors in the proximal femur. Materials and Methods: From February 2005 to January 2014, 20 cases (19 patients) with malignant bone tumor involving the proximal femur with pain or complicated pathologic fracture were treated with segmental resection and limb salvage operations with tumor prostheses. Mean age was 63.1 years (range 35-86). Fourteen patients were male and six ones were female. The mean follow-up period was 20 months (1-94 months). There were 15 cases of metastatic bone tumor, 4 cases of osteosarcoma, and 1 case of multiple myeloma. The primary tumors of the metastatic bone tumors included 4 lung cancers, 3 hepatocellular carcinomas, and 3 renal cell carcinomas. Other primary tumors were breast cancer, thyroid cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, and malignant spindle cell tumor, each in 1 case. Modular tumor prostheses were used in all cases; (Kotz's$^{(R)}$ Modular Tumor prosthesis (Howmedica, Rutherford, New Jersey) in 3 cases, MUTARS$^{(R)}$ proximal femur system (Implantcast, Munster, Germany) in 17 cases). Perioperative pain was assessed with Visual Analogue Scales (VAS). Postoperative functional outcome was assessed with Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) grading system. Results: Out of 20 cases (19 patients), 11 cases (10 patients) survived at the last follow-up. Average postoperative survival of the 9 deceased patients was 10.1 months (1-38 months). VAS score improved from pre-operative average of 8.40 (5-10) to 1.35 (0-3) after operation. Average postoperative MSTS function score was 19.65 (65.50%, 7-28). The associated complications were 2 local recurrences, 3 hematomas, 3 infections, 2 scrotal swellings, and 1 dislocation. There was no case of periprosthetic fracture or loosening. Conclusion: Limb salvage operation with tumor prosthesis is an appropriate treatment for early pain reduction and functional restoration in malignant bone tumors in the proximal femur with pain an/or complicated pathologic fractures.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.207-212
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• 2004

Purpose: Invasion and metastasis in solid tumors require the action of tumor-associated proteases. The serine protease urokinase-type plasminogen (uPA) and receptor (uPAR) appear to have a major function in these processes. Expression of the uPAR is elevated in breast and colon carcinomas, and this is often associated with invasiveness and poor prognosis. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the expression of the uPAR gene correlates with clinico-pathological parameters in human gastric carcinomas. Materials and Methods: We examined the expression of uPAR mRNA by using northern blot analysis and RT-PCR in 35 gastric carcinomas and the surrounding normal mucosa. Macroscopic and histopathological tumor findings and survival rates were obtained from the patient records and from endoscopic, surgical, and pathological reports. Results: The expression of uPAR and was higher in most neoplasms than in the corresponding normal mucosal tissue. uPAR mRNA expression in tumors correlated well with lymph-node metastasis (P<0.02) and tumor stage (P<0.01). The survival rate of patients with tumors displaying high uPAR expression levels was significantly lower (P<0.04) than that of patients without uPAR expression, but IL-8 showed only the tendency of survival difference. Conclusion: These results suggest that uPAR may be an important prognostic factor in human gastric carcinomas.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.140-144
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• 2009

Purpose: This study was performed to retrospectively analyze patient survival by weighting according to the primary tumor oncotype in 160 patients with brain metastasis and who underwent whole brain radiotherapy. Materials and Methods: A total of 160 metastatic brain cancer patients who were treated with whole brain radiotherapy of 30 Gy between 2002 and 2008 were retrospectively analyzed. The primary tumor oncotype of 20 patients was breast cancer, and that of 103 patients was lung cancer. Except for 18 patients with leptomeningeal seeding, a total of 142 patients were analyzed according to the prognostic factors and the Recursive Partitioning Analysis (RPA) class. Weighted Partitioning Analysis (WPA), with the weighting being done according to the primary tumor oncotype, was performed and the results were correlated with survival and then compared with the RPA Class. Results: The median survival of the patients in RPA Class I (8 patients) was 20.0 months, that for Class II (76 patients) was 10.0 months and that for Class III (58 patients) was 3.0 months (p<0.003). The median survival of patients in WPA Class I (3 patients) was 36 months, that for the patients in Class II (9 patients) was 23.7 months, that for the patients in Class III (70 patients) was 10.9 months and that for the patients in Class IV (60 patients) was 8.6 months (p<0.001). The WPA Class might have more accuracy in assessing survival, and it may be superior to the RPA Class for assessing survival. Conclusion: A new prognostic index, the WPA Class, has more prognostic value than the RPA Class for the treatment of patients with metastatic brain cancer. This WPA Class may be useful to guide the appropriate treatment of metastatic brain lesions.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.1006-1017
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• 2000

The purpose of this study was to provide basic information for developing a nursing intervention that helps patients learn how to acquire coping to reduce post operation uncertainty and anxiety by investigating the level of uncertainty and anxiety experienced by mastectomy patients. The subjects were 134 patients selected from St. Mary's Kangnam and St. Mary's hospital, and the data collection period was from October to December of 1998. Uncertainty was measured by using Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale (MUIS), anxiety measured by using State-Trait Anxiety Inventory(STAI), and coping by using a questionnaire developed by Kim & Yoo (1996). Data were analyzed with SAS program by t-test, ANOVA, Duncan's multiple range test, Pearson correlation coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression. The results were as follows : 1. The mean uncertainty score was 57.6. The results of the correlation between the compliance of medical regimen and demographic characteristics were as follows ; Those who monthly income over 2,010,000 won had lower than above 1,000,000 won, and those with the experience of chemotherapy had higher than those without, and the patient who has 7∼12 months(1 yr.) post operation period had higher than the one below 6months, 25∼36 months(3 yrs.), 37∼60 months(5 yrs.), and over 61 months. 2. The mean anxiety score was 45.9. Anxiety tended to be increased slightly in subjects with low educational background, poor monthly income, experience of chemotherapy, and 7∼12 months(1 yr.) post operation period, but there was no significant difference by general characteristics 3. The mean value of the coping score was 100.7. The study revealed higher score in problem-focused coping than emotion-focused coping. In regard to coping by demographic characteristics were as follows ; those who had monthly income over 2,010,000 won had higher level of coping than those whose monthly income was between 1,010,000 and 2,000,000 won. In terms of problem- focused coping, those who had 25∼36 months of post operation period showed significantly lower level of coping than those below 6 months or 37∼60 months(5 yrs.) or over 61 months of post operation period. Regarding the emotion-focused coping, those with the christianity had significantly lower level of coping than those without it. Also, those whose monthly income over 2,010,000 won had significantly higher coping level than those with income of between 1,010,000 and 2,000,000 won. 4. A positive relationship was found between uncertainty and anxiety. Patients who experienced more uncertainty also showed more anxiety. Problem-focused coping was inversely related to uncertainty and anxiety. 5. The major variable that affected uncertainty was anxiety, explaining 63.3% of the uncertainty. In addition to this, it would explain 66.4% in total when experience of chemotherapy was added.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.204-216
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• 2001

The purpose of this study was to test the effects of foot reflexology on pain and mood in patients who have just had a mastectomy. The research design was a nonequivalent control group, non-synchronized design. The participants for this study were 28 patients with breast cancer on first or second day after mastectomy surgery. The first 12 patients were assigned to the control group and the second 16 to the experimental group. The study was conducted from October 28, 2001 to December 22, 2001 on a surgical unit of Y Medical Center in Seoul, Korea. Pain intensity, blood pressure, pulse rate and mood were measured as dependent variables. The instrument used for pain intensity and mood was a 10 cm visual analogue scale. Cronbach alpha for this study was .70. For the experimental group pre and post tests were done immediately before and 15 minutes after completion of foot reflexology. Foot reflexology was performed once for 20 minutes. After the pretest, patients in the control group were instructed to have a quiet time for a 35 minute period and then the post-test was done. The number of participants was small so the data were analyzed by Mann-Whitney U test, and Wilcoxon signed ranks test. The results of this study are as follow : 1. In the experimental group there were significant decreases between the pre and post tests for pain intensity (z=-3.47, p<.001), diastolic blood pressure (z=-2.67, p<.01) and pulse rate (z=-3.44, p<.001) but there was no difference between the two groups on the post test. 2. The systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and pulse rate were also not significantly different between the experimental group and the control group on the post test. 3. The mood score was significantly improved after foot reflexology(z=-3.52, p=.000) and the difference between the two groups was also significant (u=49.0, p=.03). In conclusion, there was a statistically significant difference in mood between the two groups, but no difference for pain intensity, blood pressure, or pulse rate. However, there were significant differences between the pretest and post-test for pain intensity, diastolic blood pressure and pulse rate in the experimental group. On the basis of the above findings, this study suggests that foot reflexology can be an effective method of relieving pain and improving mood in clinical practice in women who have had mastectomy surgery.

• The Journal of the Korean bone and joint tumor society
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.48-54
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• 2007

Purpose: To evaluate clinical results of the tumor prosthetic replacement for pathologic fracture of the proximal femur with extensive bony destruction due to metastatic bone tumors. Materials and Methods: From 2005 October to 2006 October, resection of proximal femur and tumor prosthesis replacement was performed for metastatic bone tumors extensively involving trochanteric area in 6 patients. The mean age of overall patients was 61(range, 48~77). Mean clinical follow up was 10.5 months (range, 6~16). Primary tumor consisted with multiple myeloma in 2 patients, lung cancer in 1, breast cancer in 1, transitional cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis in 1, unknown origin in 1 patient. $MUTARS^{(R)}$ proximal femur (Implantcast, Munster, Germany) were used in all cases. The functional evaluation in the lower extremities was performed with Musculoskeletal Tumor Society 1993 scores. The degree of pain relief after surgical treatment was assessed with Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Results: At the final follow up, all of the patients survived. The mean lower extremities functional score of Musculoskeletal Tumor Society 1993 was 17.8(59.3%)(range, 12~25). VAS was improved to 2.5 from 8.5 after the surgical treatment. Ambulation was encouraged as soon as possible and mean duration after surgery for ambulation was 7.3(range, 3~16) days. Post-operatively, there was no surgical infection, periprosthetic fracture or loosening. Dislocation occurred in one out of six cases. Conclusion: Resection of proximal femur and tumor prosthesis replacement for metastatic bone tumors around proximal femur extensively involving trochanteric area seems to be safe procedure in view of post-operative complication, and effective for functional restoration as well as pain relief. Thus, it is accordant to the treatment principle of the metastatic bone tumors.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.384-390
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• 1994

Authors retrospectively compared the 99mTc MDP bone scans and corresponding MR imagings in 20 patients with histologically proven malignancy, Mean interval of the two studies was 16.6 days, Cancer diagnosis Included 8 lung, 2 each of colon, breast, stomach, 1 each of prostate, thyroid, malignant lymphoma and 3 adenocarcinoma of unknown primary site. Of the 105 regions compared, :t6 regions were positive for metastases in bone scans or MR imagings. 30 regions(65.2%) were positive by bone scan and 44 regions(95.7%) by MR imaging. 87 regions(82.9%) were concordantly positive or negative by bone scan and MR imaging, but 18 regions(17.1%) were discordant. In the discordant regions, 16 regions positive in MR imaging were negative in bone scan. The greatest number of discordant findings occured in the cervical region and in the patient with stomach cancer. Our results suggest that the sensitivity of MR Imaging is greater than that of bone scan in detecting spinal metastases. And bone scan is useful screening test of metastasis for evaluating entire skeleton including spine.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.67-72
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• 2000

Background :The authors have developed a Digital image chart(DIC) and digital Radiotherapy Record System (DRRS). We have evaluated the DIC and DRRS for reliability, usefulness, ease of use, and efficiency. Materials and Methods :The basic design of the DIC and DRRS was to build an digital image database of radiation therapy Patient records for a more efficient and timely flow of critical image information throughout the department. This system is a submit of comprehensive radiation oncology management system (C-ROMS) and composed of a picture archiving and communication system (PACS), a radiotherapy information database, and a radiotherapy imaging database. The DIC and DRRS were programmed using Delphi under a Windows 95 environment and is capable of displaying the digital images of patients identification photos, simulation films, radiotherapy setup, diagnostic radiology images, gross lesion Photos, and radiotherapy Planning isodose charts with beam arrangements. Twenty-three clients in the department are connected by Ethernet (10 Mbps) to the central image server (Sun Ultra-sparc 1 workstation). Results :From the introduction of this system in February 1998 through December 1999, we have accumulated a total of 15,732 individual images for 2,556 patients. We can organize radiation therapy in a 'paperless' environment in 120 patients with breast cancer. Using this system, we have succeeded in the prompt, accurate, and simultaneous access to patient care information from multiple locations throughout the department. This coordination has resulted in improved operational efficiency within the department. Conclusion :The authors believe that the DIC and DRRS has contributed to the improvement of radiation oncology department efficacy as well as to time and resource savings by providing necessary visual information throughout the department conveniently and simultaneously. As a result, we can also achieve the 'paperless' and 'filmless' practice of radiation oncology with this system.