• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.183-186
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• 1995

Fine needle aspiration has been effectively being applided to pediatric tumors since it renders a rapid diagnosis with minimal intervention. This measure is especially required for the large pediatric mass, which needs preoperative chemotherapy or radiotherapy to shrink the tumor to an operable size. A case of neuroblastoma of mediastinum, stage IV diagnosed by CT-guided FNA is described.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.252-259
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• 2013

Purpose: To report the results of dosimetric comparison between intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) using Tomotherapy and four-box field conformal radiotherapy (CRT) for pelvic irradiation of locally advanced rectal cancer. Materials and Methods: Twelve patients with locally advanced rectal cancer who received a short course preoperative chemoradiotherapy (25 Gy in 5 fractions) on the pelvis using Tomotherapy, between July 2010 and December 2010, were selected. Using their simulation computed tomography scans, Tomotherapy and four-box field CRT plans with the same dose schedule were evaluated, and dosimetric parameters of the two plans were compared. For the comparison of target coverage, we analyzed the mean dose, $V_{nGy}$, $D_{min}$, $D_{max}$, radical dose homogeneity index (rDHI), and radiation conformity index (RCI). For the comparison of organs at risk (OAR), we analyzed the mean dose. Results: Tomotherapy showed a significantly higher mean target dose than four-box field CRT (p = 0.001). But, $V_{26.25Gy}$ and $V_{27.5Gy}$ were not significantly different between the two modalities. Tomotherapy showed higher $D_{max}$ and lower $D_{min}$. The Tomotherapy plan had a lower rDHI than four-box field CRT (p = 0.000). Tomotherapy showed better RCI than four-box field CRT (p = 0.007). For OAR, the mean irradiated dose was significantly lower in Tomotherapy than four-box field CRT. Conclusion: In locally advanced rectal cancer, Tomotherapy delivers a higher conformal radiation dose to the target and reduces the irradiated dose to OAR than four-box field CRT.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.8
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• pp.787-791
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• 1998

Materials and methods: Between 1979 and 1996, 27 patients with primary cardiac tumor underwent surgery at Catholic University Medical College. Mean age of patient was 45.1${\pm}$3.03 ranging from 21 to 67 years old. Twenty-four cases were myxomas, 2 cases were chondrosarcoma, and remained case was angiosarcoma. Diagnosis was confirmed by echocardiography, cardiac angiography, CT scan, and MRI. The most common site of tumor origin was fossa ovalis limbus area(17cases:63%). A biatrial operative approach was commonly used in 15 cases and the tumor was removed through left atriotomy site. Complete excision of the tumor with a cuff of normal tissue was performed. All heart chambers were carefully explored for evidence of multicentric myxomas or other tumor debris. Most of the patients were improved on postoperative period compared to preoperative NYHA functional class. Results: There was one operative death due to low cardiac output syndrome. Follow up period was 3 months to 17 years. There was 2 late deaths due to local recurrences. Conclusion: complete surgical excion is important for increasing cure rate. Malignancy cannot be ruled out even though preoperative echocardiography suggests benign nature. Chest CT or MRI is effective for further evalution in addition to echocardiography. In suspicious of malignancy, more extensive resection is essential and postoperative chemotheraphy or radiotherapy is useful.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.29 no.11
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• pp.1445-1450
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• 2000

Objectives : The Objective of this study was to analyze the prognostic factors affecting survival in the patients with glioblastomas. Methods : We retrospectively studied 55 consecutive patients with glioblastomas who were admitted to neurosurgery department from January 1988 to March 1998. Fifteen pateients were excluded from the analysis because of follow-up loss and surgical motality. There were 24 male and 16 female patients, with a mean age of 51 years. Surgery consisted of biopsy in 4(10.0%) patients, subtotal resection in 9(22.5%) patients and gross total resection in 27(67.5%) patients. Nine(22.5%) patients received second operation. Twenty-eight(70%) received postoperative radiation therapy. Various levels of radiation dose were used, 6,000 rad over 7 weeks in most cases. The variable factors were examined for their relationship with survival ; age at the time of diagnosis, gender, duration of neurological symptoms, preoperative neurological state(Karnofsky performance score), extent of surgical resection, location of tumor, reoperation, and postoperative radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Result : The mean survival time was 55 weeks, three(7.5%) of the 40 patients survived more than two years. Survival time with biopsy only cases was 24 weeks, for those with subtotal resection 43 weeks, and for those with gross total resection 67 weeks. A mean survival time from the time of reoperation was 42 weeks. Statistically significant survival factors in glioblastoma were extent of surgical resection, postoperative radiotherapy and reoperation. Summary : Results of our series support the views that the extent of surgery, reoperation and postoperative radiation are important prognostic factors. We also recommend radical tumor removal, postoperative radiotherapy and reoperation, if possible.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.365-370
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• 2020

The ability to directly harvest thin and superthin perforator flaps without jeopardizing their vascularity depends on knowledge of the microsurgical vascular anatomy of each perforator within the subcutaneous tissue up to the dermis. In this paper, we report our experience with ultrahigh-frequency ultrasound (UHF-US) in the preoperative planning of thin and superthin flaps. Between May 2017 and September 2018, perforators of seven patients were preoperatively evaluated by both ultrasound (using an 18-MHz linear probe) and UHF-US (using 48- and 70-MHz linear probes). Thin flaps (two cases) and superthin flaps (five cases) were elevated for the reconstruction of head and neck oncologic defects and lower limb traumatic defects. The mean flap size was 6.5×15 cm (range, 5×8 to 7.5×23 cm). No complications occurred, and all flaps survived completely. In all cases, we found 100% agreement between the preoperative UHF-US results and the intraoperative findings. The final reconstructive outcomes were considered satisfactory by both the surgeon and the patients. In conclusion, UHF-US was found to be very useful in the preoperative planning of thin and superthin free flaps, as it allows precise anticipation of very superficial microvascular anatomy. UHF-US may represent the next frontier in thin, superthin, and pure skin perforator flap design.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.106-112
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• 2016

Purpose: To identify possible predictors of pathologic complete response (pCR) of rectal cancer after preoperative concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of 53 patients with rectal cancer who underwent preoperative CCRT followed by radical surgery at a single center between January 2007 and December 2012. The median radiotherapy dose to the pelvis was 54.0 Gy (range, 45.0 to 63.0 Gy). Five-fluorouracil-based chemotherapy was administered via continuous infusion with leucovorin. Results: The pCR rate was 20.8%. The downstaging rate was 66%. In univariate analyses, poor and undifferentiated tumors (p = 0.020) and an interval of ${\geq}7$ weeks from finishing CCRT to surgery (p = 0.040) were significantly associated with pCR, while female gender (p = 0.070), initial carcinoembryonic antigen concentration of <5.0 ng/dL (p = 0.100), and clinical stage T2 (p = 0.100) were marginally significant factors. In multivariate analysis, an interval of ${\geq}7$ weeks from finishing CCRT to surgery (odds ratio, 0.139; 95% confidence interval, 0.022 to 0.877; p = 0.036) was significantly associated with pCR, while stage T2 (odds ratio, 5.363; 95% confidence interval, 0.963 to 29.877; p = 0.055) was a marginally significant risk factor. Conclusion: We suggest that the interval from finishing CCRT to surgery is a predictor of pCR after preoperative CCRT in patients with rectal cancer. Stage T2 cancer may also be an important predictive factor. We hope to perform a robust study by collecting data during treatment to obtain more advanced results.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.3595-3600
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• 2016

Background: To investigate the association between preoperative pathological Ki-67 labeling index and serum tumor marker cancer antigen 15-3 (CA 15-3) with clinic-pathological parameters and treatment outcomes in early breast cancer. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study at 4 cancer centers in Saudi Arabia and Egypt was performed. Data were collected for female patients diagnosed with unilateral early breast cancer between March 2010 and October 2013. Cases treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) followed by surgery and radiotherapy were included. NACT included 6-8 cycles of anthracycline and taxane based regimens. Trastuzumab and hormonal treatments were added according to HER2 and hormone receptor status. Baseline serum CA15.3 and pathological Ki67 levels were evaluated and correlated with disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Results: A total of 280 pts was included. The median age was 49 years (38-66 y) and median overall survival was 35 (20-38) months (mo). Estrogen receptors (ER), progesterone receptors (PR) and HER 2 receptors were positive in 233 (83.2%), 198 (70%) and 65 cases (23.2%), respectively. High preoperative Ki67 and CA15.3 were noted in 177 (63.2%) and 131 (46.8%). A total of 45 (16%) patients had distal or local recurrence and 24 (8.6%) died of their disease. Most of the relapsed cases had high preoperative Ki-67 (n=41, 91%) and CA15.3 (n=28, 62%) values. All of the patients who died had a high Ki-67 but CA15.3 was high in 9 (37%) only. Mean DFS/OS in patients with high preoperative Ki-67 was 32 months /32 months as compared to 37 months/35 months in those with normal Ki-67 (p<0.001). Correlation of preoperative CA15.3 and survival was statistically not significant. Conclusions:Preoperative Ki-67 can be a predictive and prognostic marker. Higher levels are associated with poor DFS and OS in patients with early BC.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.86-90
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• 1998

Verrucous carcinoma is a variant of highly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma and has a predilection for the oral cavity and larynx. It is known to be of good prognosis due to its low regional and distant metastatic potential. Peak incidence is at ages 40-69 while predominantly occuring in males and its association with tobacco smoking has been implicated. The verrucous carcinoma have accordingly been treated by radiotherapy or surgical procedures but there has been considerable controversy regarding the effect of radiotherapy due to the possibility of anaplastic transformation Laser surgery and partial resection are among the commonly used surgical procedures but laser surgery has not yet shown results in improving phonetic abilities. Authors experienced two cases of verrucous carcinoma of the larynx treated by partial laryngectomy and false vocal cord advancement flap who showed no recurrence of disease under stroboscopic examination after two year follow up and when compared to preoperative aerodynamic studies, the expiratory air pressure was decreased and mean air flow rate increased which improved glottal efficiency markedly.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.158-164
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• 2012

Purpose: To evaluated the patterns of failure, survival rate, treatment-related toxicity and prognostic factors in postoperative radiotherapy of patients with ependymoma. Materials and Methods: Thirty patients who underwent surgery and postoperative radiotherapy for ependymoma between the period of June 1994 and June 2008 were reviewed retrospectively. The age of patients ranged from 21 months to 66 years (median, 19 years). Seventeen patients had grade II ependymoma, and 13 had grade III anaplastic ependymoma according to the World Health Organization grading system. The postoperative irradiation was performed with 4 or 6 MV photon beam with median dose of 52.8 Gy (range, 45 to 63 Gy), and radiation field including 2 cm beyond the preoperative tumor volume. Median follow-up period was 51 months (range, 12 to 172 months). Results: Fourteen out of 30 (46.7%) patients experienced recurrence, and 12 of those died. Among those 14 patients who experienced recurrence, 11 were in-field and 3 were out-of-field recurrence. The 5-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 66.7% and 56.1%, respectively. On univariate analysis, tumor grade was a statistically significant prognostic factor for OS and PFS. There were two complications after surgery and postoperative radiotherapy, including short stature and facial palsy on the left side. Conclusion: We observed good survival rates, and histologic grade was a prognostic factor affecting the OS and PFS. Almost all recurrence occurred in primary tumor site, thus we suggest further evaluation on intensity-modulated radiotherapy or stereotatic radiosurgery for high-risk patients such as who have anaplastic ependymoma.

• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.80-86
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• 2000

Background : Stomal recurrence that occasionally follows total laryngectomy is associated with very poor prognosis regardless of treatment modality, so it is very important to identify high risk patients to prevent stomal recurrence. Objectives : We attempted to select an optimal management method to prevent stomal recurrence by analyzing risk factors in each patient who was found to have stomal recurrence following total laryngectomy. Materials and Methods : Risk factors in each of eleven patients who had stomal recurrence out of 159 patients who underwent total laryngectomy in the last ten years were analyzed retrospectively. Data were gathered on risk factors such as the presence of subglottic extension, extralaryngeal extension, thyroid gland invasion, lymph node metastasis, timing of tracheotomy, tumor stage, postoperative radiotherapy, and inclusion of the stoma in the radiotherapy field. Results : There were eight cases of subglottic extension, six cases of extralaryngeal invasion, one case of pharyngocutaneous fistula that occurred as a postoperative complication, and one case who was taken completion laryngectomy following conservation surgery. With the exception of one case who was taken tracheotomy prior to total laryngectomy, all tracheotomies were performed intra-operatively after endotracheal intubation. There was no evidence of paratracheal lymph node or prelaryngeal lymph node metastasis on preoperative neck CT scan. There were six cases of T4 tumors, four cases of T3 tumors, and one case of T2 tumor. Salvage surgery was performed following radiotherapy in three cases, and aside from one case who was not taken post-operative radiotherapy, postoperative radiotherapy including the stoma was performed in the remaining seven cases within one month after surgery. Conclusion : Total laryngectomy with wide paratracheal lymph node dissection, thyroidectomy, and tracheotomy should be performed for patients who have high risk factors such as subglottic extension and advanced stage. We believe that tracheotomy should be precede endotracheal intubation. Efforts should be made to prevent stomal recurrence by utilizing postoperative radiotherapy and by minimizing postoperative complications such as infection and fistula.