• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.57 no.4
• /
• pp.358-363
• /
• 2004

Background : Photodynamic therapy (PDT) involves the use of photosensitizing agents for treatment of malignant disease. PDT is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the endobronchial microinvasive nonsmall cell lung cancer and for palliation in patients with obstructing tumors. We report our experience and results of PDT in lung cancer. Method : Ten patients with lung cancer who were diagnosed in Chosun university hospital by histologic confirm through bronchoscopy were included between August 2002 and May 2003. The photosensitizer (Photogem$^{(R)}$, Lomonosov institute of Fine Chemical, Russia/dose 2.0 mg/kg body weight) was injected 48 hours prior to the PDT session. For PDT with the photosensitizer (Photogem$^{(R)}$), Diode LASER system (Biolitec Inc., Germany, wavelength; 633nm) were used. PDTs were done at 48-72 hours after photogem injection. Follow up bronchoscopy and chest X-ray or thorax computerized tomography were done for evaluate PDT response. Results : 9 of 10 patients with endobronchial obstruction showed partial remission with bronchus opening after PDT. Direct reaction of the tumor to PDT was similar in despite of its localization. It was as follows; edema, hyperemia, in-situ bleeding, fibrin film occurrence. Any other complications such as sunburns of skin, inflammation within the PDT zone were not occurred by the end of the fourth week. Conclusion : In the advanced endobronchial disease, PDT has been shown to be useful in treating endobronchial tumors that are causing clinically significant dyspnea or are likely to progress and lead to further clinical complications, such as postobstructive pneumonia.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
• /
• v.40 no.2
• /
• pp.275-280
• /
• 2017

In addition to tumors, normal tissues, such as the brain and myocardium can intake $^{18}F$-FDG, and the amount of $^{18}F$-FDG intake by normal tissues can be altered by the surrounding environment. Therefore, a process is necessary during which the contrasts of the tumor and normal tissues can be enhanced. Thus, this study examines the effects of glucose levels on FDG PET images of brain tissues, which features high glucose activity at all times, in small animals. Micro PET scan was performed on fourteen mice after injecting $^{18}F$-FDG. The images were compared in relation to fasting. The findings showed that the mean SUV value w as 0.84 higher in fasted mice than in non-fasted mice. During observation, the images from non-fasted mice showed high accumulation in organs other than the brain with increased surrounding noise. In addition, compared to the non-fasted mice, the fasted mice showed higher early intake and curve increase. The findings of this study suggest that fasting is important in assessing brain functions in brain PET using $^{18}F$-FDG. Additional studies to investigate whether caffeine levels and other preprocessing items have an impact on the acquired images would contribute to reducing radiation exposure in patients.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.144-150
• /
• 2014

Purpose : Intramedullary spinal lesions in the conus medullaris (CM), including tumors and vascular lesion, are rarely reported. We reported various MR features of intramedullary spinal cord lesions involving the CM including ependymoma, hemangioblastomas, dermoid cyst, ventriculus terminalis and spinal AVF and tried to discuss them for differential diagnosis. Materials and Methods: Six patients (male: female = 4:2, mean age = 44.3 year old) were enrolled from the clinical database of our institute from 2004 to 2010 and their radiological images and clinical symptoms were reviewed retrospectively. All patients had taken initial and postoperative MRI with contrast enhancement using gadopentate dimeglumine (Gd-DTPA). These images were analyzed by tumor size, location, signal intensity relative to the spinal cord, vascular flow voids, syrinx or cyst, edema and enhancement pattern. Results: Contrast enhancement was seen in all intramedullary masses. An eccentric enhancing nodule was noted in two hemangioblastomas and unusual peripheral rim enhancement with septation was seen in ventriculus terminalis. Patchy enhancement of the CM was observed in spinal arteriovenous fistula (AVF). Extensive cord edema adjacent to the intramedullary lesions was seen in four cases and syrinx was noted in three cases. Vascular signal voids were found in two hemangioblastomas and one spinal AVF. Conclusion: In evaluation of intramedullary spinal lesions in the CM, it is necessary to consider these unusual MR findings and discriminate various pathologies with prudence and caution.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
• /
• v.29 no.4
• /
• pp.526-532
• /
• 1995

Introduction : $^{99m}Tc$-(V)-DMSA is a tumor seeking agent that has been used to image medullary carcinoma of thyroid, soft tissue sarcoma and lung cancer. This study was designed to assess the clinical role of $^{99m}Tc$-(V)-DMSA in the diagnosis of head and neck cancers. We has evaluated the diagnostic efficacy of planar and SPECT imaging using $^{99m}Tc$-(V)-DMSA. Patients and Method : Sixty-eight patients with head and neck mass were included in this study. All subjects were diagnosed by biopsy or surgery. Planar and SPECT images were obtained at 2 or 3 hour after intravenous injection of 740 MBq(20 mCi) $^{99m}Tc$-(V)-DMSA. Seventeen patients also underwent SPECT in aging using dual head camera. Result : The diagnostic sensitivity of $^{99m}Tc$-(V)-DMSA planar and SPECT imaging was 65% and 90%, and specificity was 80% and 66%, respectively. The sensitivity of planar imaging in squamous cell carcinoma was similar to overall sensitivity Six metastatic lesion were first diagnosed by scintigraphy. But benign lesions such as Kikuchi syndrome, tuberculous lymphadenitis also revealed increased uptake. Conclusion : $^{99m}Tc$-(V)-DMSA imaging seems to be a promising method in the evaluation of patients with head and neck mass. We recommend SPECT imaging to delineate anatomic localization of the lesion.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.89-97
• /
• 1979

Nonspecific suppressions of the immune responses have been reported to occur in the cancer-bearing patients. The mechanisms responsible for these immunosuppressions remain unclear but some investigators suggested that the immunosuppressions may result from immunosuppressive factors exudated from tumor masses. This study was undertaken to evaluate the in vivo effects of ascitic and pleural fluids from patients with cancers metastatic to peritoneum or pleura on the immune responses of mice. Non-cancerous ascitic and pleural effusions were used as controls. The ascitic fluids from hepatomap atients and pleural fluids from pulmonary carcinoma patients decreased both the delayed-type hypersensitivity and the antibody formation only when these were injected before antigenic stimulation. Control effusions exerted no effect on the immune responses to mice. These results suggested that cancerous fluids suppressed the immune responses by affecting the afferent arc of the immune system.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.451-458
• /
• 2011

Cordycepin (3'-deoxyadenosine), a nucleoside derivative isolated from Cordyceps militaris, is reported to have antitumor effects. However, neither its molecular mechanism nor its molecular targets are well understood. In the present study, molecular mechanisms for the anti-tumor effects of cordycepin were investigated in human prostate cancer PC-3 cells. The MTT assay was used to detect cell viability. Annexin V/FITC assay, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and $Ca^{2+}$ flux were used to assess for the presence of apoptosis. Western blot analysis was used to detect protein expression. Treatment of cordycepin resulted in significantly decreased cell viability of PC-3 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. A dose-dependent apoptotic cell death was also measured by flow cytometery analysis. Molecular mechanistic studies of apoptosis unraveled cordycepin treatment resulted in significant mitochondrial dysfunction, ROS production, and elevation of $Ca^{2+}$ concentrations. These phenomena were followed activation of caspase-3, subsequently leading to PARP cleavage and cell apoptosis. Taken together, cordycepin induces apoptosis in PC-3 cells through regulation of a mitochondrial mediated pathway.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
• /
• v.26 no.1
• /
• pp.18-23
• /
• 2000

The changes of the microorganism composition after therapeutic radiation for oral cancer patients are not well known and the long-term follow-up data are not reported. To obtain basic data for understanding of pathogenesis and prevention and treatment of dental caries and mucositis occuring after radiation therapy, 7 of the oral cancer patients presented at the Seoul National University Oral & Maxillofacial Department between 1997 and 1998 whose treatment plan included radiation therapy were recruited to investigate the changes in bacterial composition(total aerobic count, Candida, Staphylococci, Lactobacilli, S. mutans, and S. salivarius (mitis, sanguis)) of the saliva before, during, and after radiation therapy. The basic data obtained from this study on identification and composition change of the bacteria in saliva of patients treated with radiation therapy can be used (1) as a reference for deciding on the ideal anti-microbial spectrum of the oral rinsing agent to be used in patients treated with radiation therapy for malignant tumor of the head and neck region. (2) to enhance the understanding of increase of opportunistic infection after immunochemical changes of the saliva and its relation to specific bacterial infection. (3) as a reference in prescribing prophylactic antibiotics in immunodepressed patients after radiation therapy.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• v.1 no.2
• /
• pp.77-82
• /
• 2001

Purpose: The most important prognostic factors in gastric cancer are depth of invasion and lymph node metastasis. Therefore, the prognosis for serosa and lymph node negative gastric cancer is favorable. However, there is no general agreement on the prognostic factors in this subset of patients. This study was undertaken to evaluate the prognostic significances of venous invasion (VI), lymphatic invasion (LI), and perineural invasion (NI) in T1 and T2 gastric cancer without lymph node involvement. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 206 patients with T1 and T2, lymph node negative gastric cancer who underwent a curative resection from 1989 to 1993 at Kangnam St. Mary's Hospital, Seoul, Korea. The Chi-square test was used to determine the statistical significance of differences, and the Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate survival rates. Significant differences in the survival rates were assessed using the log-rank test, and the Cox regression method was used to evaluate independent prognostic significance. Results: The rate of VI, LI and NI correlated well with the depth of tumor invasion. The rates of VI (+) for T1 vs T2 was $0\%\;vs\;5.1\%$, of LI (+) was $5.6\%\;vs\;26.8\%$, and of NI (+) was $1.6\%\;vs\;26.8\%$ in NI (+). There were 13 recurrent cases, 10 cases out of the 13 were T2 gastric cancers, and the recurrence rate was higher in LI (+) and NI (+) cases than in LI (-) and NI (-) cases. The 5-year survival rates were $93.4\%$ in LI (-) cases, $77.4\%$ in LI (+) cases, $92.5\%$ in NI (-) cases, $74\%$ in NI(+) cases, $95.9\%$ in LI (-) NI (-) cases, and $73.9\%$ in LI (+) NI (+) cases. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that simultaneous LI and NI was the only significant factor influencing the prognosis. Conclusion: These results suggest that simultaneous lymphatic and perineural invasion may be an independent prognostic factor in patients with T1 and T2 gastric cancer without lymph node metastasis.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
• /
• v.17 no.5
• /
• pp.743-749
• /
• 2023

Breast ductal carcinoma in situ(DCIS) refers to cases in which breast epithelial cells have become malignant but are still limited to normal ducts, and has been increasing rapidly in recent years. In this case, a two-year follow-up revealed findings on mammography and ultrasonography that indicated a small mass classified as BI-RADS Category 3, However far from typical malignant tumor these findings were. In the second year of follow-up, a hypoechoic mass with an indistinct boundary of the right breast in the 6 o'clock direction, on mammography appeared to be about 2.1×1.3 cm in size, and biopsy diagnosed it as ductal carcinoma. Since ductal endothelial cancer has no characteristic clinical findings and can show positive clinical and imaging findings in the early stages, regular follow-up is considered important for early diagnosis, and detection of ductal endothelial cancer through mammography and ultrasound is important for improving the prognosis of all breast cancer patients. During the initial examination conducted four years ago, we reported cases of intra ductal cancer in which asymmetric shading, microcalcification, and branched mass, indicative of intra ductal cancer, were observed during follow-up. It is advisable to concurrently explore methods for reducing X-ray dosage to mitigate potential side effects of contrast medium.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.133-143
• /
• 2014

Purpose : The aim of this study was to determine the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features associated with re-excision due to the presence of a positive margin after breast conserving therapy (BCT) in breast cancer patients. Materials and Methods: We reviewed the records of 286 consecutive breast cancer patients who received BCT between January 2006 and December 2007. Among 246 patients who had undergone BCT, 38 (15.4%) underwent immediate further surgery due to positive margin status. We analyzed the MRI findings using ${\chi}^2$ test, Fisher's exact test and t tests. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted for prediction of re-excision. Results: Tumor size (p < 0.001), lesion multiplicity (p = 0.003), and non-mass-like enhancement (NMLE) type on MRI (p < 0.001) were associated with margin involvement in BCT. On preoperative MRI, larger size (${\geq}5cm$) (odds ratio = 2.96), NMLE (odds ratio = 3.81), and multifocal lesions (odds ratio = 2.54) were positively associated with re-excision. In cases involving NMLE, segmental distribution was associated with a greater likelihood of immediate re-excision. Conclusion: Larger size, multiplicity, and NMLE on MRI are significantly associated with re-excision after BCT in breast cancer patients. For NMLE lesions, the segmental distribution pattern was predictive of re-excision.