• Journal of Korean Traditional Oncology
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.23-31
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• 2019

Objective : Peripheral neuropathy refers to the symptoms caused by damage to peripheral fibers, inflammation and degeneration. This study reports the effects of moxibustion, electric moxibustion, and pharmacopuncture including GeonChil(Rhus verniciflua stokes, 乾漆)and Whalhyul(活血) pharmacopuncture on patients with peripheral neuropathy induced by anti-cancer drugs and chemotherapy. Method : We administered moxibustion, electric moxibustion, GeonChil and Whalhyul pharmacopuncture to two patients who showed peripheral neuropathy induced by anti-cancer drugs and chemotherapy. The symtoms were evaluated using Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy assessment tool (CIPNAT). Results : Following observations were made after treatments. Case 1 : After nine procedures, the score of VAS was decreased. Feeling of cold and numbness were improved, and as rotation movement of ankle was also possible, gait disturbance were improved. Case 2 : After, seven procedures symptoms of both shoulder pain were improved, and the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy were eliminated. Conclusion : We found the possibility of symptom improvement after moxibustion, electric moxibustion, and pharmacopuncture treatment on peripheral neuropathy caused by anti-cancer drugs. Clinical studies of pilot study and control settings will need to be carried out later.

• Journal of Korean Traditional Oncology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.29-36
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• 2010

The anti-metastatic activity of water extract of Samguikoeuitang (WSGKE) consisting of Ginseng Radix, Angelicae Radix, Sophora flavescens and Coicis Semenwas examined. Ethanol extract of Samguikoeuitang (ESGKE) showed significant cytotoxicity against colon 26-M3.1 carcinoma cells, while WSGEK did not. However, WSGKE significantly increased the production of IL-6 and IL-12 in thioglycollate-induced macrophages from Balb/c mice, whereas ESGKE did not. WSGKE significantly increased natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity against effecter YAC-1 cells in an Effecter cells/Target ratio dependent manner. Also, WSGKE significantly suppressed lung metastasis after i.v. injection of colon26-M3.1 carcinoma cells. Inhibitory effect of WSGKE on lung metastasis totally abolished in NK cells-deficient mice by treatment with anti-asialo GM1 serum. In addition, the combination treatment of cisplatin and WSGKE (100 ${\mu}g$/mouse) prolonged the lifespan of mice inoculated by colon26-M3.1 cell. These findings suggest that WSGKE can inhibit lung metastasis and prolong life span via immunological enhancement as a Biological Response Modifier.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.183-189
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• 2003

Platycodi Radix, the root of Platycodon grandiflorum, commonly known as Doraji, is used as a traditional oriental medicine. Extracts from the roots of P. grandiflorum have been reported to have wide ranging health benefits. We investigated the effects of an aqueous extract from the roots of P. grandiflorum (AEPG) on the cell proliferation of human lung carcinoma A549 cells in order to understand its anti-proliferative mechanism. AEPG treatment resulted in the inhibition of cell proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner. This anti-proliferative effect of A549 cells by AEPG treatment was associated with morphological changes such as membrane shrinking, cell rounding up and inhibition of cell migration. DNA flow cytometric histograms showed that populations of both Sand G2/M phase of the cell cycle were increased by AEPG treatment in a concentration-dependent manner. AEPG treatment induced a marked accumulation of tumor suppressor p53 and a concomitant induction of cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) inhibitor p21 and p27. In addition, SSS treatment resulted in down-regulation of Cdk2 and Cdk4 expression. The present results indicated that AEPG-induced inhibition of lung cancer cell proliferation is associated with the blockage of S to G2/M phase progression the induction of apoptosis. Taken together, these findings suggest that P. grandiflorum has strong potential for development as an agent for prevention against human lung cancer.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.12-32
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• 2010

Objective: This study aimed to review herbal remedy-based RCTs on cancer patients in order to produce helpful information for clinical study of herbal medicine in the future. Methods: We collected all RCTs using herbal remedies on cancer patients from Pubmed and Cochrane databases until November 1st, 2009. Elementary information such as nation where performed, clinical question, design, randomization, double-blinding and allocation concealment were analyzed. Results: 153 RCTs were finally selected. 119 RCTs were conduced in China while only 2 were done in Korea. The most frequent targeted cancer was lung cancer as 29 RCTs. The main clinical questions included improvement of quality of life, elongation of survival rate and regression of tumor being 83, 62 and 55 respectively. 112 RCTs used herbal remedies with western therapy. Adequate methods for randomization and allocation concealment were found in 37% and 10% of trials respectively. Conclusions: We found that herbal remedies are used on cancer patients in aspects of both caring for the human body and tumor treatment itself. The study might provide us useful data for cancer-related clinical study using herbal remedies in the future.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.559-565
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• 2010

Cancer is already a well-recognized main cause of mortality and the incidence of cancer is increasing steadily. Because conventional treatment modalities for cancer accompanies severe side effects, traditional medicine has been considered as alternatives to reduce the adverse effects and its use has continued to rise in cancer therapy. This study aims to summarize and make a reference of radioprotective effects of herbs worldwide. In this process, this review surveyed all papers of radioprotective-focused studies using herbal medicine in PubMed database and finally 44 papers were included. The type of materials, formation of experiments, type of herbal medicine, their action and mechanisms, and type of cancer were analyzed. The number of studies on radioprotective effects of herbal medicine has increased since 2000. The main formation of experiments was clinical study and the portion was 45% and the proportion of the research using prescriptions was 51% and the research using herbal products was 25%. Herbs and prescriptions having the effects of tonifying and nourishment were used the most. Most of herbal medicine in this study can enhance immune function, increase anti-oxidant effect, regulate cell cycle and increase sensitivity to radiotherapy. This study will provide the useful information on development of herbal medicine having radioprotective effects.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.107-119
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• 2017

Purpose : Recently, cancer has become a chronic disease that requires supervision because of early diagnosis and the development of therapeutic technology. As a result, cancer patients are interested in improving the quality of their lives besides the treatment of cancer itself. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct a qualitative research to understand the vivid experiences of cancer patients and structure their treatment experience. Among qualitative researches, grounded theory is developed based on the data collected in the field. The grounded theory research method is easy to analyze for the process and structure of the treatment experience. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to provide basic data on the integrated medical experience of cancer patients Methods : Participants were conveniently selected, and the criteria for selection were for those who had more than 1 month of hospitalization so that they could dictate their situation and experience in a meaningful manner. Data was collected through in-depth interviews and continued until the data were saturated through theoretical sensitivity and continuous comparison methods. The collected data were analyzed through the process of open-coding, axial coding, and selection coding, which are the research methods of grounded theory. Results : Cancer patients differ in their path, purpose, and attitudes depending on their respective situations and the internal and external resources of individuals. There is also a difference in the perception of their situation among the cancer patients and their families. Cancer patients were shown to recognize and cope with problems in the integrated medical treatment process, and have been classified into 6 different types after the results. Cancer patients showed positive changes in terms of physical, emotional, and lifestyle after their integrated medical treatment. Cancer patients perceived the integrated medical treatment process as a horizontal relationship structure and with diversity. Conclusions : The experience of integrated medical treatment of cancer patients is a process of rehabilitation that heals the body and restores life within the interaction of support system, contextual situation, and internal resources of the individual. Despite this, there is a need not only for the efforts of integrated medical service providers but also institutional support in the future with regards to the current weaknesses and points for improvement. In addition, there is a need for an objective criterion to measure the outcome of integrated medicine for the standardization of integrated medical services.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.664-670
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• 2016

Cheonggukjang (CKJ) is a Korean traditional food made of fermented soybeans. In comparison to normal intake of soybeans, Cheonggukjang has high digestibility with bioactive, antioxidant substances, and thrombolytic enzymes. Recent studies have reported anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity activities as well as inhibitory activities against osteoporosis for CKJ. In this study, we identified the effects of CKJ on osteoblast differentiation by increasing the polyglutamic acid (PGA) content of CKJ. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and mineralization significantly increased in response to treatment with both natural CKJ (CKJ A) and PGA-increased CKJ (CKJ B). However, CKJ B exhibited higher ALP activity and mineralization than CKJ A. Real-time reverse transcription PCR demonstrated that mRNA expression of osteoblastic-associated genes such as type I collagen, alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, and osteopontin in C2C12 cells was significantly up-regulated by CKJ A or B treatment. These results indicate that treatment with CKJ has an anabolic effect on bone by increasing osteoblastic differentiation and ALP activity. Increasing PGA content in CKJ had a greater effect than CKJ A on up-regulation of osteoblastic gene expression in osteoblast cells.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.145-159
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• 2016

Objectives : The aim was to investigate the characteristics of low dose effect and non monotonic dose responses(NMDRs) and to predict the influence it might have on the health and medicine, traditional Korean medicine. Methods : By investigating recently published major literatures related to low dose effect and NMDRs, the definition, mechanism, major related fields, and the influence on public health and medicine has been categorized and summarized. Results : Although there are still heated debates about the definition of low dose, it implies the biological responses in environmental exposure level and the NDMDRs means the nonlinear relationship between the dose-response in the slope sign change. Also, it implies the new form of the curve showing a U, reverse U shape, and the slop sign constantly changing showing various forms. This mechanism is because the two acceptor shows opposing effects to toxic materials and the affinity is different along with the numerical value that increase and decrease being different. These characteristics generally appear in endocrine disrupters such as bisphenol A, agricultural pesticides, metal, and radiation. The research field in the public health and medical treatment is obesity, problems in metabolism, growth hormone treatment, climacteric treatment, breast cancer, intake of Korean traditional medicine for pregnancy, menopause and phytoestrogen. Conclusions : As a result of discussing implications, NMDRs is a particular effect in low dose and heated debates surround this response, research is being conducted surrounding the field of obesity, problems in metabolism, growth hormone treatment, climacteric treatment, breast cancer, intake of Korean traditional medicine for pregnancy, menopause, and phytoestrogen. More research and interest in needed as it can have a massive influence in the public health and medicine.

• THE JOURNAL OF KOREAN ORIENTAL ONCOLOGY
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.113-123
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• 2000

Carcinous pain is severe and continuous so difficult to alleviate. Western drugs give rise to reaction such as anorexia, constipation, vomiting, general weakness and dyspnea, And they cause tolerence. External treatment is a way to put a patch or rub a liquid on the skin. The patch and liquid are made from herb medicine. In china, they have a good effect of alleviating carcinous pain to make use of external treatment. Usually they use the medicine with effect of reprecussion (消腫), removing obstruction(散結), activating blood flow and removing blood stasis (活血化瘀) such like Borneloum(?片). Bufonis Venenum (蟾?), Aconiti ciliane Tubber(草烏), Arisaematis Rhizoma(南星), Asari herba cum Radice (細辛) etc. We can get the alleviating effect more quickly and prevent reaction through external treatment.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.37-51
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• 2012

Objectives : The objective of this study is to determine the present state of patients with breast cancer use of Korean medicine(KM) and predictive factors for the use. Through this, the present study is intended to present reasonable treatment approaches for patients with breast cancer as well as communicating correct information on KM to healthcare providers and presenting objective alternatives for patients with breast cancer management based on the subjects' experience in health benefits obtained from their use of KM. Methods : To collect data for the present study, questionnaire surveys were conducted on outpatients who visited four hospitals located in Seoul, Korea during around three weeks from May 31, 2012. Although the total number of the questionnaire sheet distributed in the form of directly asking questionnaire questions was 300, 12 incomplete questionnaire sheets were excluded. Therefore, the number of questionnaire sheets actually used in analyses was 288 and thus the collect rate was 96%. Results : Major results of this study are as follows. First, the number of subjects who responded to the questionnaire was 288 in total. Forty-six percent of the patients reported KM usage and the most commonly used ginseng and qigong/exercise. KM use was found to be associated with age, experiencing side effects of cancer treamnent. Factors that affect the use of KM were analyzed by Linear Logistic Regression and the results showed that age, experiencing side effects of cancer treatment, effectiveness of cancer treatment, and satisfaction of the treatment were factors that were related with relatively more frequent use of KM. Conclusions : Comparing the previous studies, it could be seen that patients with breast cancer were highly interested in and used KM in which conventional medicine and KM are used simultaneously. Knowledge on the integrative use of KM and conventional therapies is necessary for cancer physicians and traditional Korean medical doctors to help patients make informed choices. KM use may play a role in the positive benefits associated with process of breast center treatment. Healthcare providers should communicate correct information on the KM use that has been scientifically verified and talk with each other openly. The fact that the significant correlation between predictive factors for the use of KM was identified trough the present study is quite meaningful.