• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.14-21
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• 1993

N-Heterocyclic aromatics (NHA) are widely occurring environmental pollutants formed during the pyrolysis of nitrogen-containing organic chemicals. NAH are found in significant amounts in tobacco condensates, synthetic fuels, polluted river sediment, and effluents from the heating of coal. Following topical application 7H-dibenzo[c, g]carbazole (DBC) induces cancer in liver as well as skin, indicating that dermal exposure can lead to systemic effect. DBC and dibenz[a,j]acridine (DBA) are examples of NHA. The potency of many carcinogenic compounds is related, at least in part, to the efficiency of their biological activation. We undertook studies to determine which initial metabolites lead to the formation of high levels of carcinogen-DNA adducts in vivo. DBC and DBA's, DBA, trans-DBA-1,2-dihydrodiol (DBA-1,2-DHD), trans-DBA-3,4-dihydrodiol (DBA-3,4-DHD), and trans-DBA-5,6-dihydrodiol (DBA-5,6-DHD), were applied to the skin of mice. There were six adducts that were related to DBC application. These addusts were seen in the target organ, liver at high levels, but at very low levels in non-target organs, skin, lung and kidney. In skin, DBA produced two distinct adducts. The same two adducts were seen when DBA-3,4-DHD was applied. In addition the total adduct level elicited by DBA-3,4-DHD higher than that of parent compound. Two adducts were seen when DBA-5,6-DHD was applied, but these were very different from adducts seen with DBA. These results suggested that activation of DBA to DNA-binding compounds in skin includes initial formation of DBA-3,4-DHD.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.647-657
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• 2024

Gefitinib is the well-tolerated first-line treatment of non-small cell lung cancer. As it needs analgesics during oncology treatment, particularly in the context of the coronavirus disease, where patients are more susceptible to contract high fever and sore throat. This has increased the likelihood of taking both gefitinib and antipyretic analgesic acetaminophen (APAP). Given that gefitinib and APAP overdose can predispose patients to liver injury or even acute liver failure, there is a risk of severe hepatotoxicity when these two drugs are used concomitantly. However, little is known regarding their safety at therapeutic doses. This study simulated the administration of gefitinib and APAP at clinically relevant doses in an animal model and confirmed that gefitinib in combination with APAP exhibited additional hepatotoxicity. We found that gefitinib plus APAP significantly exacerbated cell death, whereas each drug by itself had little or minor effect on hepatocyte survival. Mechanistically, combination of gefitinib and APAP induces hepatocyte death via the apoptotic pathway obviously. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and DNA damage accumulation are involved in hepatocyte apoptosis. Gefitinib plus APAP also promotes the expression of Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) and downregulated the antioxidant factor, Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), by inhibiting p62 expression. Taken together, this study revealed the potential ROS-mediated apoptosis-dependent hepatotoxicity effect of the combination of gefitinib and APAP, in which the p62/Keap1/Nrf2 signaling pathway participates and plays an important regulatory role.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.228-233
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• 2009

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to retrospectively examine the factors and characteristics of cancer patients who visited the emergency room, as well as to offer some educational materials for to manage acute symptoms. Methods: Data for this study were selected from the period of January to December, 2006. A total of 564 patients were examined using the tool which we developed by ourselves for the study. The collected data were analyzed using the SAS program for frequencies and percentage. Results: As for disease-related characteristics of the subjects, 28.9% of them had gastric and colorectal cancer; 66.9% were in stage 4; 51.6% had been in chemotherapy prior to visiting the emergency room; and 82.5% had their anticancer drug administrated average 1~5 times. As for the characteristics in regard to visit the emergency room, 62.9% were admitted to hospital within 2 weeks of being treated. As for chief complaints for visiting the emergency room, the worst symptom was pain, followed by symptoms such as gastro-intestinal symptoms, respiratory symptoms, high fever, and weakness. As for the disease-related symptoms, the worst symptom that gastric, colorectal, pancreatic, liver and gallbladder cancer patients complained of was pain, high fever for lymphoma patients was respiratory symptoms for lung cancer patients, and gastrointestinal symptoms for head and neck cancer and other patients. Conclusion: Therefore, according to their need and background, an individualized consultation and teaching program should be provided to cancer patients.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.195-200
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• 2003

This study was carried out to compare the biological activities of Epjmedium koreanum Nakai grown wild in Korea and China. The antioxidative effect of E. koreanum Nakai-extracts grown wild in Gangwondo was 78%, which was higher than that in China as 71%. The inhibition ratio of growing cancer cells was estimated as 89, 91 and 86% for human liver, lung and breast cancer cell lines, respectively in adding 0.1 g/l of ethanol extracts of E. koreanum grown in Korea. The hepatoprotective effect and Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibiting effect of Korean one were also observed as 124 and 87%, respectively, which were also higher than those produced in China. There was not much difference between Korean and Chinese one in inhibiting ${\alpha}-glucosidase$ activities in all ranges of supplement. It was proved that most effective extraction solvent was mixed type as water and ethanol (1:1, v/v) to have higher biological activities from both Korean and Chinese ones.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.213-223
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• 2015

Objectives : Seventh-day Adventists is well known to place a strong doctrinal emphasis on healthy life style that do not consume tobacco, alcohol or pork, and many adhere to a lacto-ovo-vegetarian lifestyle. This study aimed to investigate the difference of mortality between Korean Seventh-day Adventists and the general Korean population. Methods : We got 592 mortality data of Adventist cemetery in Seoul city and Kyunggi provincce of Korea, which contains information on causes of death for 2000-2004. Also we used mortality data of the general Korean population in Korea National Statistics Office for 2000-2004. Results : The mean age at death was 70.45 in Korean Adventists, 65.63 in the general Korean population. Higher neoplasm cause of death, such as of stomach, liver and breast, were observed in Korean Adventists than the general population. The death cause of injury, poisoning and external causes, and cerebrovascular disease were higher in the general population than Korean Adventists. The death cause of stomach cancer was lower in Korean Adventists who had above 10 years religious period than general population above age 50 years. In male, the death cause of lung cancer was lower in Korean Adventists than the general population. Conclusions : The results point to the importance of healthy life-style in Korean peoples, and indicate that lifestyle changes in the population might change the causes of death.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.72-78
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• 1993

Background: In malignancies, detection of metastatic foci is of value in making therapeutic plans for treatment of disease and prevention of life-threatening complications. Common sites for metastasis of bronchogenic cancer include lymph nodes, liver, brain, adrenals and bone. Skull, vertebrae, ribs and long bones are common sites for bone metastasis. But in epidermoid carcinoma, the incidence of bone metastasis is relatively low and especially to the distal phalangeal bone is rare. Methods: We experienced a case of epidermoid carcinoma with the first distant metastasis to the fifth distal phalangeal bone, right toe. Results: The initial stage in the diagnosis of epidermoid carcinoma was T4N3MO. During the third round of anticancer chemotherapy, we recognized the distant metastasis to the fifth distal phalangeal bone for the first time. Localized abnormal findings were noted by bone X-ray and scanning. By a histopathologic examination of the amputated toe, we confirmed the metastasis of epidrmoid bronchogenic carcinoma. Conclusion: If localized abnormal finding is discovered at an unusual site for metastasis, we recommend physicians to consider the possibility of metastasis even though it is very low.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.71-76
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• 1989

A patient with primary adenocarcinoma of Bartholin's gland is reported and the literatures relevant to this disease reviewed. Not only this disease is very rare but also primary carcinomas of Bartholin's gland are misdiagnosed as cysts or abscesses in half of the cases, leading to considerable delay in diagnosis. And so, It was wasted long time before definitive therapy. However, because of a different clinical behavior, cancer of the Bartholin's gland should be distinguished from other vulvar carcinomas. Histologically, squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma are the most common. Virtually all histologic types of Bartholin's gland carcinoma metastasize to lymph node, bone, lung and liver in distant sites. The authors data and a review of the literature support the concept that radical vulvectomy with or without bilateral inguinal-femoral lymphadenectomy is required. On the other hand, except primary radiation treatment for small or medium sized cancers, the results obtained by radiation therapy in carcinoma of the vulva including Bartholin's gland are generally discouraging. A role for postoperative adjuvant radiation therapy suggests because of high incidence of positive inguinal-femoral Iymph nodes. In the near time, natural history and biological behavior of Bartholin's gland cancer must be disclosed in detail. And also optimal treatment modality and prognostic factors shall be determine.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.393-404
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• 2019

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the associations between blood hemoglobin (Hgb) levels and the risk of death by specific causes. Methods: Using the National Health Insurance Services-National Health Screening Cohort (n=487 643), we classified serum Hgb levels into 6 sex-specific groups. Cox regression analysis was used to analyze the associations between Hgb levels and the risk of cause-specific death. Results: Hgb levels in male population showed a U-shaped, J-shaped, or inverse J-shaped association with the risk of death from ischemic heart disease, acute myocardial infarction, liver cancer, cirrhosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (all non-linear p<0.05; hazard ratio [HR]; 95% confidence interval [CI]) for the lowest and the highest Hgb levels for the risk of each cause of death in male population: HR, 1.14; 95% CI, 0.98 to 1.34; HR, 2.87; 95% CI, 1.48 to 5.57; HR, 1.16; 95% CI, 0.96 to 1.40; HR, 3.05; 95% CI, 1.44 to 6.48; HR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.18 to 1.56; HR, 2.11; 95% CI, 1.05 to 4.26; HR, 3.64; 95% CI, 2.49 to 5.33; HR, 5.97; 95% CI, 1.44 to 24.82; HR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.14 to 2.30; HR, 3.84; 95% CI, 1.22 to 12.13, respectively), while in female population, high Hgb levels were associated with a lower risk of death from hypertension and a higher risk of death from COPD (overall p<0.05; HR, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.29 to 2.67 for the lowest Hgb levels for hypertension; overall p<0.01, HR, 6.60; 95% CI, 2.37 to 18.14 for the highest Hgb levels for COPD). For the risk of lung cancer death by Hgb levels, a linear negative association was found in male population (overall p<0.01; the lowest Hgb levels, HR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.05 to 1.33) but an inverse J-shaped association was found in female population (non-linear p=0.01; HR, 1.25; 95% CI, 0.96 to 1.63; HR, 2.58; 95% CI, 1.21 to 5.50). Conclusions: Both low and high Hgb levels were associated with an increased risk of death from various causes, and some diseases showed different patterns according to sex.

• The Journal of the Korean bone and joint tumor society
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.38-44
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• 1995

Metastatic bone tumor is the most common bone tumor and 32.5% of all primary malignant tumors are eventually metastasize to bone. Metastatic bone tumor has been more frequently encountered disease in the orthopedic fields due to the greater longevity of life of the patients with primary visceral cancers by major advances in early detection, diagnosis, and surgical/radiotherapeutic/chemotherapeutic treatment of primary and metastatic lesions. Therefore, the epidemiologic data about the incidences and the patterns of bone metastasis is important. We reviewed 417 patients who were diagnosed and treated for metastatic bone tumor at Kosin University Medical Center from 1985 to 1993 to analyse the primary lesion, age and sex distributions, location of bone metastasis, patterns of metastasis according to the primary. The results were as follows : 1. The common origin of bone metastasis were lung(29.5%), stomach(15.3%), breast(11.3%), unknown(7.7%), cervix(5.3%), liver(4.8%) in order of frequency. 2. There were 251 men and 166 women and their mean age was 54.8 years and the peak age incidence was in 6th decades. Most cases(85.3%) were occured beyond 5th decades. 3. The preferred sites of metastatic deposits were spine(64.0%), pelvis(40.5%), rib(38.8%), femur(36.7%), skull(21.1%), humerus(13.9%), scapula(13.0%) in order of frequency. In the spine, thoracic(42.1%), lumbar(39.1%), cervical(13.2%), sacral(5.6%) vertebrae were involved in order of frequency. 4. Multiple bone metastases were more common(73.1%) than single metastasis(26.9%). 5. In the lung cancer, the peak age incidence was 6th decades, and the preferred sites of bone metastasis were spine, pelvis, femur. 6. In the stomach cancer, the peak age incidence was 6th decades, and the preferred sites of bone metastasis were spine, femur, pelvis. 7. In the breast cancer, the peak age incidence was 5th decades, and the preferred sites of bone metastasis were spine, rib, pelvis. 8. In the bone metastasis with unknown primary site, the peak age incidence was 7th decades, the preferred sites of bone metastasis were spine, femur, pelvis, and the common histologic types were adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.112-117
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• 2003

Purpose: The effects of hypefractionation radiation therapy, such as the failure pattern and survival, on the treatment results in advanced stage head and neck cancer were studied. Materials and Methods: Between September 1990 and October 1998, 24 patients with advanced stage (III, IV) head and neck cancers, were treated using hyperfractionation radiation therapy in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center. The male to female ratio was 7 : 1, and the age range from 38 to 71 years with the median of 56 years. With regard to the TNM stage, 11 patients were stage III and 13 were stage IV. The sites of primary cancer were the nasopharynx in six, the hypopharynx in 6, the larynx in five, the oropharynx in three, the maxillary sinus in three, and the oral cavity in one patient. The radiotherapy was delivered by 6 MV X-ray, with a fraction size of 1.2 Gy at two fractions a day, with at least 6 hours inter-fractional interval. The mean total radiation doses was 72 Gy, (ranging from 64.4 to 75.8 Gy). Follow-up periods ranged between 3 and 136 months, with the median of 52 months. Results: The overall survival rates at 3 and 5 years in all patients were 66.7$\%$, and 52.4$\%$. The disease-free survival rates at 3 and S years (3YDFS, 5YDFS) in all patients were 66.7$\%$ and 47.6$\%$. The 3YDFS and 5YDFS in stage III patients were 81.8$\%$ and 63.6$\%$, and those in stage IV patients were 53.8$\%$ and 32.3$\%$. Ten patients were alive with no local nor distant failures at the time of analyses. Six patients (25$\%$) died due to distant metastasis and 12.5$\%$ died due to local failure. Distant metastasis was the major cause of failure, but 2 patients died due to unknown failures and 3 of other diseases. The distant metastasis sites were the lung (3 patients), the bone (1 patient), and the liver (2 patients). One patient died of second esophageal cancer. There were no severe late complications, with the exception of 1 osteo-radionecrosis of the mandible 58 months after treatment. Conclusion: Although this study was peformed on small patients group, we considered hypefractionated radiation therapy for the treatment of advanced stage head and neck cancer might improve the disease free survival and decrease the local failure with no increase in late complications despite of the slight Increase in acute complications.