• Clinical and Experimental Otorhinolaryngology
• /
• v.11 no.4
• /
• pp.259-266
• /
• 2018

Objectives. Carcinomas of the external auditory canal (EAC) are rare, and management remains challenging. Previous studies seeking prognostic factors for EAC cancers included cancers other than carcinomas. In this study, we analyzed the treatment outcomes of, prognostic factors for, and survival rates associated with specifically squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the EAC. Methods. A retrospective review of 26 consecutive patients diagnosed with SCCs of the EAC in a 10-year period was performed in terms of clinical presentation, stage, choice of surgical procedure, and adjunct therapy. Overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were calculated and univariate analysis of prognostic factors was performed. Results. The median age of the 26 patients with SCCs of the EAC was 63 years (range, 40 to 72 years), and 16 males and 10 females were included. According to the modified University of Pittsburgh staging system, the T stages were T1 in 11, T2 in six, T3 in four, and T4 in five cases. The surgical procedures employed were wide excision in three cases, lateral temporal bone resection (LTBR) in 17, and extended LTBR in four, and subtotal temporal bone resection in two. Two patients underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and two underwent adjuvant chemotherapy. One patient received preoperative radiation therapy, and eleven received postoperative radiation therapy. Of the possibly prognostic factors examined, advanced preoperative T stage and advanced overall stage were significant predictors of RFS, but not of OS. Conclusion. The advanced T stage and overall stage were associated with decreased survival after surgical treatment in patients with SCC of the EAC, highlighting the importance of clinical vigilance and early detection.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
• /
• v.47 no.5
• /
• pp.641-653
• /
• 2012

We analyzed two radiocarbon-dated lagoonal sediment cores from Cheonjinho and Ssangho using various biogeochemical methods. As a result, the start times of rice agriculture are estimated to be AD 780 for Cheonjinho and 100 BC for Ssangho. There is a large temporal difference in the beginning of rice agriculture between two study sites even though they are closely located on the coast. This result indicates that pollen records are not sufficient to approximate the start time of rice agriculture accurately. A temporal lag seems to exist between the time when rice agriculture was first introduced and the time when full-scale rice agriculture began in the Yeongdong region, probably because of low agricultural productivity. In both study sites, rice agriculture intensified and slope erosion increased 250 years after full-scale agriculture began. This suggests that intensified rice agriculture resulted in an increased number of inhabitants, settlement expansion to hilly areas, and the consequent deforestation.