• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.31-35
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• 2006

Purpose: A primary adenosquamous carcinoma of the stomach is relatively rare, accounting for only about 0.5% of all gastric cancers. However, its histopathologic characteristics are still unclear, and the most appropriate form of therapy has not been established yet. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinicopathologic features of 8 patients with pathologically confirmed primary adenosquamous carcinomas out of 8,268 patients who underwent gastric cancer surgery at Samsung Medical Center between September 1994 and December 2004. Results: The median age of the 8 patients was 49 ($41{\sim}69$) years, and the male : female ratio was 5 : 3. In 3 patients, the tumor was located at the mid body of the stomach, and in 5 patients, at the lower body or antrum. The tumor sizes were $2.5{\sim}8cm$. Seven patients showed metastases to the regional lymph nodes. The UICC stage distribution were: 5 stage II, 2 stage III, and 1 stage IV. In the stage IV patient, a palliative gastrojejunostomy was performed, and he died 5 months after surgery. Of the 7 patients who underwent a radical gastrectomy and adjuvant chemotheratpy, the median survival was 34 ($12{\sim}66$) months, 2 patients died of cancer recurrence, and 4 patients are being followed up without evidence of recurrence. Conclusion: As for an adenocarcinoma of the stomach, a radical gastrectomy including regional lymph node dissection and postoperative adjuvant therapy should be performed for appropriate treatment of an adenosquamous carcinoma of the stomach.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.754-759
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• 1998

Background : Lung cancer is an important public health problem because of rapidly increasing malignancy in both sexes in relation with high smoking rate in Korea. Despite advances in therapeutic modalities and supportive cares, 5-year survival rate has improved only marginally during the past 2 decades. Therefore, the early detection of lung cancer is strongly needed for better prognosis and we conducted this study to review the clinical factors resulting in delayed diagnosis of lung cancer. Method: The clinical data such as presenting symptoms, duration for diagnosis, disease entities causing misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis, were analyzed retrospectively in 154 patients with primary lung cancer diagnosed at Chungnam National university hospital from January to December in 1995. Results : 63 patients(40.9%) out of 154 patients were delayed diagnosed with the duration of 6.3 months compared with 3.6 months in patients diagnosed without delay. In delayed diagnosed group, Cough & sputum and dyspnea as presenting symptom were more critical than hemoptysis and chest pain, and doctor's delay was more critical than patient's delay. Tuberculosis(30/63) was most frequent disease entity causing delayed diagnosis, followed by pneumorua(9/63), COPD(6/63), heart diseases(5/63), etc.. Conclusion: It should be emphasized that any respiratory symptom be checked with chest X-ray to differentiate lung cancer and periodic check of chest X-ray be also needed for the longterm patients with any disease, especially with high risk group.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.540-549
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• 2001

Background : Usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) is a progressive fibrous lung disease with occasional fatal outcomes. However, the extent and rate of progression varies markedly from one patient to another. As a result, it is difficult to determine the time of the initial treatment and assess the disease activity and course. Fibroblast foci (FF) is well known to synthesize collagen actively by their myofibroblasts component. However, the prognostic value of the FF have not been evaluated in patients with VIP. Therefore this study was undertaken to determine how the number of fibroblastic foci can reflect the disease activity and progression. Methods: Twenty patients with UIP(M : F=13 : 7), who were diagnosed by a surgical lung biopsy. The number of fibroblastic foci was analyzed in terms of its correlation with the clinical manifostations, pulmonary function test, arterial blood gas analysis, and a bronchoalveolar lavage(BAL). Results : The number of fibroblastic foci did not correlate with the various lung function tests and the other clinical parameters. Interestingly, the percentage of neutrophils in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid did correlate with the quantity of the normalized Vv of FF(r=0.60, p<0.05). The patients were divided into 2 groups, group I and II, arbitrarily, according to the value of the normalized Vv. The clinical parameters and the PIT results were not different between the two groups. In particular, the survival rate between the two groups according to the Kaplan-Meier analysis were not different. Conclusion : A large number of FF does not imply a bad prognosis in patients with UIP.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.591-598
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• 2001

Background : Primary adenoid cystic carcinoma arising in the bronchus is an uncommon disease that is histologically and ultrastructurally identical to the salivary gland tumor of the same name and regarded as a slow growing low-grade malignancy. We examined its clinical characteristics. Method : We collected 13 Korean cases of primary adenoid cystic carcinoma arising in the bronchus including 5 cases of our own and 8 cases from the literature. Result : The patients ages ranged from 20 to 74. Men numbered 9 and women 4. The presenting symptoms were cough, dyspnea, and hemoptysis. The fiberoptic bronchoscopic findings were primarily hypervascular polypoid mass with a smooth surface that obstructed airway totally or near totally. There were three inoperable cases including two cases with distant metastasis to bone or cervical lymph node and one case with mediastinal invasion. The remaining 10 patients underwent surgical resection. Among them, two patients received postoperative radiotherapy. The median survival was 21 months in the 8 surgical and evaluable cases. One patient lived 13 years without recurrence. The prognosis was relatively favorable in operable cases. Conclusion : It was not common for primary adenoid cystic carcinoma arising in the bronchus to have distant metastasis or invasion to the mediastinum on presentation. The prognosis was relatively favorable in operable cases. It would be important to perform flexible bronchoscopy for early diagnosis and to do surgical treatment if possible.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.63 no.2
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• pp.154-164
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• 2007

Background: Irinotecan hydrochloride, a topoisomerase I inhibitor, is effective against small-cell lung cancer. Irinotecan also can act as a potential radiation sensitizer along with cisplatin. To evaluate efficacy and toxicity of irinotecan plus cisplatin (IP) with concurrent thoracic radiotherapy, we conducted a phase II study of IP followed by concurrent IP plus hyperfractionated thoracic radiotherapy in patients with previously untreated limited-stage small-cell lung cancer. Methods: Twenty-four patients with previously untreated small-cell lung cancer were enrolled onto the study since November 2004. Irinotecan $60mg/m^2$ was administered intravenously on days 1 and 8 in combination with cisplatin $60mg/m^2$ on day1 every 21 days. From the first day of third cycle, twice-daily thoracic irradiation (total 45 Gy) was given. Prophylactic cranial irradiation was given to the patients who showed complete remission after concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Restaging was done after second and sixth cycle with chest CT and/or bronchosocpy. Results: Up to November 2004, 19 patients were assessable. The median follow-up time was 12.5 months. A total of 99 cycles (median 5.2 cycles per patient) were administered. The actual dose intensity values were cisplatin $19.6mg/m^2$/week and irinotecan $38.2mg/m^2$/week. Among the 19 patients, the objective response rate was 95% (19 patients), with 9 patients (47%) having a complete response (CR). The major grade 3/4 hematological toxicities were neutropenia (35% of cycles), anemia (7% of cycles), thrombocytopenia (7% of cycles). Febrile neutropenia was 4% of cycles. The predominant grade 3/4 non-hematological toxicities was diarrhea (5% of cycles). Toxicities was not significantly different with concurrent administration of irinotecan and cisplatin with radiotherapy, except grade 3/4 radiation esophagitis (10% of patients). No treatment-related deaths were observed. The 1-year and 2-year survival rate of eligible patients was 89% (16/18) and 47% (9/18), respectively. Conclusion: Three-week schedule of irinotecan plus cisplatin followed by concurrent IP plus hyperfractionated thoracic radiotherapy is an effective treatment for limited disease small-cell lung cancer, with acceptable toxicity.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.69 no.2
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• pp.95-102
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• 2010

Background: The increasing rate of drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) is a threat to the public health and TB control. In Korea, about 75~80% of TB patients are treated in private hospitals and the rate has been continuously increasing since 2000. Methods: On a retrospective basis, we enrolled 170 newly diagnosed with or retreated for multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) in 2004 from 21 private hospitals. We extracted the following demographics and treatment history from patient medical records: initial treatment outcomes, cumulative survival rates, treatment outcomes, and prognostic factors. Results: Of the 170 patients, the majority were male (64.1%), the mean age was 44.5 years old, and mean body-mass-index was $20.2kg/m^2$. None of the patients tested positive for HIV. Eleven (6.5%) were confirmed to have extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) at treatment initiation. Treatment success rates were not different between XDR-TB (36.4%, 4/11) and non-XDR MDR-TB (51.6%, 82/159). Default rate was high, 21.8% (37/170). Far advanced disease on X-ray was a significant negative predictor of treatment success; advanced disease and low BMI were risk factors for all-cause mortality. Conclusion: In private hospitals in Korea, the proportion of XDR-TB in MDR-TB was comparable to previous data. The treatment success rate of MDR-/XDR-TB remains poor and the failure rate was quite high. Adequate TB control policies should be strengthened to prevent the further development and spread of MDR-/XDR-TB in Korea.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.38 no.2 s.247
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• pp.101-109
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• 2005

Background: In sudden cardiac arrest, the effective maintenance of coronary artery blood flow is of paramount importance for myocardial preservation as well as cardiac recovery and patient survival. The purpose of this study was to directly compare the effects of pulsatile and non-pulsatile circulation to coronary artery flow and myocardial preservation in cardiac arrest condition. Material and Method: A cardiopulmonary bypass circuit was constructed in a ventricular fibrillation model using fourteen Yorkshire swine weighing $25\~35$ kg each. The animals were randomly assigned to group I (n=7, non-pulsatile centrifugal pump) or group II (n=7, pulsatile T-PLS pump). Extra-corporeal circulation was maintained for two hours at a pump flow of 2 L/min. The left anterior descending coronary artery flow was measured with an ultrasonic coronary artery flow measurement system at baseline (before bypass) and at every 20 minutes after bypass. Serologic parameters were collected simultaneously at baseline, 1 hour, and 2 hours after bypass in the coronary sinus venous blood. The Mann-Whitney U test of STATISTICA 6.0 was used to determine intergroup significances using a p value of < 0.05. Result: The resistance index of the coronary artery was lower in group II and the difference was significant at 40 min, 80 min, 100 min and 120 min (p < 0.05). The mean velocity of the coronary artery was higher in group II throughout the study, and the difference was significant from 20 min after starting the pump (p < 0.05). The coronary artery blood flow was higher in group II throughout the study, and the difference was significant from 40 min to 120 min (p < 0.05) except at 80 min. Serologic parameters showed no differences between the groups at 1 hour and 2 hours after bypass in the coronary sinus blood. Conclusion: In cardiac arrest condition, pulsatile extracorporeal circulation provides more blood flow, higher flow velocity and less resistance to coronary artery than non-pulsatile circulation.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.38 no.2 s.247
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• pp.123-131
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• 2005

Background: The number of elderly patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is increasing. Elderly patients are at increased risk for a variety of perioperative complications and mortality. We identified determinants of operative complications and mortality in elderly patients undergoing CABG. Material and Method: Between January 1995 and July 2003, 91 patients older than 75 years underwent isolated CABG at Asan Medical Center. There were 67 men and 24 women with mean age of $77.0\pm2.4$ years. Thirty clinical or hemodynamic variables hypothesized as predictors of operative mortality were evaluated. Result: CABG was performed under emergency conditions in 5 patients. The internal thoracic artery was used in 85 patients and 10 patients received both internal thoracic arteries. The mean number of distal anastomosis was 3.7 per patient. Operative mortality was $3.3\%$. Twenty-two patients had at least one major postoperative complication. Low cardiac output syndrome was the most common complication, followed by reoperation for bleeding, pulmonary dysfunction, perioperative myocardial infarction, stroke, acute renal failure, ventricular arrhythmia, upper gastrointestinal bleeding, infection, and delayed sternal closure. None were the predictors of mortality. Renal failure, peripheral vascular disease, emergency operation, recent myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, New York Heart Association (HYHA) class III or IV, Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) angina scale III or IV, and low left ventricle ejection fraction below $40\%$ were univariate predictors of overall complications. Actuarial probability of survival was $94.9\%,\;89.8\%,\;and\;83.5\%$ at postoperative 1, 3 and 5 years respectively. During the follow-up period $93.3\%$ of patients were in NYHA class I, or II and $91.1\%$ were free from angina. Conclusion: Although operative complication is increased, CABG can be performed with an acceptable operative mortality and excellent late results in patients older than 75 years.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.38 no.2 s.247
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• pp.152-156
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• 2005

Background: Occlusive complications after arterial revascularization are difficult to treat and have high recurrence rate. This study was performed to establish an effective treatment modality and to evaluate the factors affecting the occlusive complications by analysis of clinical data. Material and Method: During the period of 5 years. 33 patients (55 reoperations) were studied at the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Pusan National University Hospital following 173 arterial revascularization surgeries. The clinical characteristics, operating methods, the time intervals of reoperation, used graft, and the results of treatment were evaluated retrospectively. Result: All the patients were men except one and the mean age was 63.5 years old. The mean time internal from first operation to reoperation was 11.9 months. The cause of arterial occlusive diseases were 28 atherosclerosis and 5 Burger's diseases, Associated diseases were Hypertension $(57.6\%)$, Diabetes mellitus $(33.3\%)$, heart failure $(18.2\%)$, and so on. The mean rate of reoperation was 1.67 times and the most common type of first operation was femoro-popliteal bypass grafting $(57.6\%)$. The graft that used revascularization surgery were 25 cases of PTFE and 6 case were Dacron. There was no statistical difference between two groups. The kinds of reoperations were thrombectomy in 20 cases, angioplasty 18 cases, re-bypass surgery in 13 cases, and lumbar sympathectomy in 4 cases. The results of reoperation were 15 cases of functional recovery, 7 cases of limb salvage, 5 cases of above-knee amputation. 3 cases of below-knee amputation and 3 deaths. Conclusion: The main cause of occlusive complications are occlusion of inflow or outflow artery. Treatments were different according to the first operation methods and graft used. The most frequent time of reoperation was within one year after the first operation. We believe that graft surveillance especially during the first year is very important factor in observing the patient. We can look forward to improving limb salvage rate to perform additional treatment such as radiological interventions and lumbar sympathectomy.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.85-90
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• 2010

Purpose: To evaluate the rate of tumor response, local control, and treatment-related complications after hypofractionated radiotherapy for recurrent hepatocelluar carcinoma (HCC) less than 5 cm in size. Materials and Methods: Among the HCC patients who were treated by radiotherapy (RT) between 2006 and 2007 after the failure of previous treatment, a total of 12 patients were treated with hypofractionated RT. The criteria for hypofractionated RT was as follows: 1) HCC less than 5 cm, 2) HCC not adjacent to a critical organ, 3) HCC without portal vein tumor thrombosis, and 4) less than 15% of normal liver volume that irradiated 50% of the prescribed dose. Hypofractionated RT was performed with 50 Gy delivered in 10 fractions, at a rate of 5 fractions per week. The evaluation of tumor response was determined by CT scans performed at 3 months after the cessation of RT, followed by the evaluation of toxicity by Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 3.0. The median follow-up period after radiotherapy was 18 months. Results: A complete response (CR) was achieved in 5 of 12 lesions (41.7%) at CT performed at 3 months after the cessation, whereas the overall complete response was observed in 7 of 12 cases (58.3%). In-field local control rate was sustained in 83.3% of patients. All patients developed intra-hepatic metastases except for 2 patients. The overall survival rate was 90.0% at 1 year and 67.5% at 2 years, respectively. Three patients developed Grade 1 nausea during RT and 1 patient showed a progression of ascites after RT. There was no grade 3 or greater treatment-related toxicities. Conclusion: Hypofractionated RT for small-sized HCC as a salvage therapy showed a 58.3% CR rate and 83.3% of local control. Fifty Gy administered in 10 fractions of partial liver irradiation is considered as a tolerable dose that does not cause severe complications.