• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.92-97
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• 2005

Purpose : Reports on the outcome of curative radiotherapy for the primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are rarely encountered in the literature. in this study, we report our experience of a clinical trial where fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) was used in treating a primary HCC. Materials and Methods : A retrospective analysis was peformed on 20 patients who had been histologically diagnosed as HCC and treated by fractionated SRT. The long diameter of tumor measured by CT was $2\~6.5$ cm (average: 3.8 cm). A single dose of radiation used in fractionated SRT was S or 10 Gy: each dose was prescribed based on the planning target volume and normalized to $85\~99\%$ isocenter dose. Patients were treated $3\~5$ times per week for 2 weeks, with each receiving a total dose of 50 Gy (the median dose: 50 Gy). The follow up period was $\~55$ months (the median follow up period: 23 months). Results : The response rate was $50\%$ (12 patients), with 4 patients showing complete response ($20%$), 8 patients showing partial response ($40\%$), and 8 patients showing stable disease ($40\%$). The 1-year and 2-year survival rates were $70.0\%$ and $43.1\%$, respectively, and the median survival time was 20 months. The 1-year and 2-year disease free survival rates were $65\%$ and $32.5\%$, respectively, and the median disease-free survival rate was 19 months. Some acute complications of the treatment were noted as follows: dyspepsia in 12 patients ($60\%$), nausea/emesis in 8 patients ($40\%$), and transient liver function impairment in 6 patients ($30\%$). However, there was no treatment related death. Conclusion : The study indicates that fractionated SRT is a relatively safe and effective method for treating primary HCC. Thus, fractionated SRT may be suggested as a local treatment for HCC of small lesion and containing a single lesion, when the patients are inoperable or operation is refused by the patients. We thought that fractionated SRT is a challenging treatment modality for the HCC.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.219-229
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• 2003

Background : The management of thoracic empyema and complicated parapneumonic effusion requires adequate antibiotics use and prompt drainage of infected pleural space. Tube thoracostomy for loculated empyema has low success rate and is also an invasive procedure with potential morbidity. Complications include hemothorax, perforation of intra-abdominal or intra-thoracic organs, diaphragmatic laceration, empyema, pulmonary edema, and Horner's syndrome. Given the potential morbidity of traditional chest tube insertion, use of the image-guided pigtail catheter drainage(PCD) of empyema has been employed. We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of patients with empyema or complicated parapneumonic effusion to determine the efficacy of percutaneous pigtail catheter drainage. Materials and Methods : 45 patients with complicated parapneumonic effusions or empyema were treated at Gil medical center from January 1998 to June, 1999. All were initially given PCD procedure and the following data were collected: clinical symptoms at the time of diagnosis, alcohol and smoking history, the characteristics of pleural effusion, radiologic findings (at the time of catheter insertion, removal and 1 month after catheter removal), the amount of effusion drained for initial 24 hours, the time from catheter insertion to removal and the use of surgical approach. Results : Male gender was more frequent (42 men vs. 3 women), the mean age of the study population was 52(range: 21~74) years. Empyema was found in 23 patients, complicated parapneumonic effusion in 22 patients. Four patients(three, parapneumonic effusion and one, with empyema) with PCD only treated, were cast off. Among the available patients, 36(80%) patients were treated with PCD only or PCD with urokinase. Among the 23 patients with empyema, surgical approach was required in five patients(27.1%, one required decortication, four open thoracostomy), one patient, treated with surgical procedure, died of sepsis. There was no significant difference of the duration of catheter insertion, the duration of hospital admission after catheter insertion and the mean amount of effusion drained for initial 24 hours between the patients with only PCD treated and the patients treated with PCD and urokinase. The duration of catheter insertion($9.4{\pm}5.25days$ vs. $19.2{\pm}9.42days$, p<0.05) and the duration of hospital admission after catheter insertion($15.9{\pm}10.45days$ vs. $38.6{\pm}11.46days$, p<0.01) of the patients with only PCD treated were more longer than those of the patients treated with surgical procedure after PCD. They were same between the patients treated with urokinase after PCD and the patients treated with surgical procedure after PCD($11.1{\pm}7.35days$ vs. $19.2{\pm}9.42days$, p<0.05, $17.5{\pm}9.17days$ vs. $38.6{\pm}11.46days$, p<0.01). In 16 patients(44.4%) with only PCD treated or PCD and urokinase treated, the amount of effusion at the time of catheter removal was decreased more than 75% and in 17 patients(47.2%) effusion decreased 50~75%. .In one patient effusion decreased 25~50%, in two patients effusion decreased less than 25%. One month after catheter removal, in 35 patients(97.2%, four patients were cast off), the amount of pleural effusion was successfully decreased more than 50%. There were no complications related to pigtail catheter insertion. Conclusion : In this study, PCD seemed to be an early efficacious procedure in treating the patients with complicated parapneumonic effusion or empyema without any serious procedure related complication.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.37 no.1 s.120
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• pp.44-55
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• 2007

Objective: Previous studies have reported that morphological features of the first cervical vertebra (atlas) have been associated with mandibular growth direction. The purpose of this study was to show the possible positional and morphological changes of the Atlas from activator treatment in Class II malocclusion patients. Methods: Lateral cephalometric radiograph tracings were made at initial, middle and final stages of treatment. Angular and linear measurements of skeletal and morphological features were measured on the anatomical landmarks and reference planes. Results: The skeletal effects of activator treatment on Class II malocclusion patients were evident on ramal height, body length, effective body length, ANB, and overjet. Clockwise rotation of the long axis of the Atlas was found in Group 1, but there was no inclination change of the Atlas in groups 2 and 3. There was no significant correlation between anterior and posterior positions of the atlas or morphological change in all groups. - except for posterior movements of the Atlas found in group 1. Conclusion: Clockwise rotation of the atlas axis resulted from activator treatment in Cl II malocclusion patients. Change in atlas axis can be thought of as an indicator for success of activator treatment.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.303-313
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• 1997

Disease depends on the three factors, agent, host and environment. According to history of disease, by early 1900s the case of deaths is infectious disease, in late 1900s care of infectious diseases and tremendous scale of chronic disease, i.e., heart disease, diabetes, cancers and etc, makes care of chronic diseases be a most important theme. Now, life-style of diet is being westernized and in high industry-oriented society, obesity makes attack fate remarkably increase and life-expectancy become short, so that it causes severe problem of health. Chronic disease, such as obesity, is not affected by specific agent, but depends of interaction between host and environmental factors. There is the theory of constitutional medicine in Korean Medicine. According to it, all the people have constitutional specificity and disease. Because obesity is a kind of disease, there is the corresponding constituent being apt to be fat. Oriental Medicine utilizes herb-medication, acupuncture, and massage-therapy in treating obesity. Therefore study on relationship between constituent and obesity for OPD patients of Sangji-Oriental Medicine Hospital is carried out. The results are summarized as followings. 1. 70.2% of obesity patients are Taeumin(太陰人), 26.9% of those are Soyangin(少陽人), 2.9% of thoese are Soeumin(少陰人). 2. Most cases, high value of Free Fat Acid and Triglyceride not that of Total Cholesterol and Low Density Lipoprptein is meaningful in obesity patient blood. The corelationship between lipid test and Constitution is meaningful in Triglyceride and Free Fatty Acid. 3. Obesity is not related with gene. 4. Obesity is not related with Boyak(Herb-Med : 補藥). 5. Obesity mostly happens after delivery, contraception and operation. 6. Obese Patients are apt to eat between meals, especially food of wheat flour such as a snack. 7. The aim of treating obesity is not persuit of beauty but of keeping healthy. 8. 2.2Kg of body weight is lost after 4 week-treatment. 9. Common cause of obesity is overeating of carbohydrate and lipid than meat.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.155-162
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• 2006

Purpose: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a critical disease with higher rates of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality due to myocardial ischemia and infarction. There is glowing interest in how to determine high-risk patients who are candidates for screening testing. This study was performed to evaluate the incidence of coronary artery disease (CAD) in diabetic patients detected by Tc-99m MIBI myocardial perfusion SPECT (MPS) and to assess risk factors of CAD and cardiac hard events. Subjects and Methods: 203 diabetic patients (64 male, mean age $64.1{\pm}9.0$ years) who underwent MPS were included between Jan 2000 and July 2004. Cardiac death and nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI) were considered as hard events, and coronary angioplasty and bypass surgery >60 days after testing were considered as soft events. The mean follow-up period was $36{\pm}18$ months. Patients underwent exercise (n=6) or adenosine stress (n=197) myocardial perfusion SPECT. Results: Perfusion defects on MPS were detected in 28.6% (58/203) of the patients. There was no cardiac death but 11 hard events were observed. The annual cardiac hard event rate was 1.1%. In univariate analysis of clinical factors, typical anginal pain, peripheral vascular disease, peripheral polyneuropathy, and resting ECG abnormality were significantly associated with the ocurrence of hard events. Anginal pain, peripheral vascular disease, and resting ECG abnormality remained independent predictors of nonfatal MIs with multivariate analysis. Abnormal SPECT results were significantly associated with high prevalence of hard events but not independent predictors on uni- and multivariate analyses. Conclusion: Patients who were male, had longer diabetes duration (especially over 20 years), peripheral vascular disease, peripheral polyneuropathy, or resting ECG abnormality had higher incidence of CAD. Among clinical factors in diabetic patients, typical angina, peripheral vascular disease, peripheral polyneuropathy, and resting ECG abnormality were strong predictors of hard events.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.348-355
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• 2003

Background: The prognostic significance of lymph node micrometastasis in non-small cell lung cancer remains controversial. We therefore investigated the clinicopathologic factors related to lymph node micrometastsis and evaluated the clinical relevance of micrometastasis with regard to recurrence. Material and Method: Five hundred six lymph nodes were obtained from 41 patients with stage 1 non-small ceil lung cancer who underwent curative resection between 1994 and 1998. Immunohistochemical staining using anti-cytokeratin Ab was used to detect micrometastasis in these lymph nodes. Result: Micrometastatic tumor cells were identified in pN0 lymph nodes in 14 (34.1%) of 41 patients. The presence of lymph node micrometastasis was not related to any clinicopathoiogic factor (p) 0.05). The recurrence rate was higher in patients with micrometastasis (57.1%) than in those without (37.0%), but the difference was not significant (p=0.22). Patients with micrometastasis had a lower 5-year recurrence-free survival rate (48.2%) than those without micrometastasis (64.1%), with a borderline significance (p=0.11), The S-year recurrence-free survival rate (25.0%) in the patients with 2 or more micrometastatic lymph nodes was significantly lower than that in the patients with no or single micrometastasis (p=0.02). In multivariate analysis, multiple lymph node micromestasis us was a significant independent predictor of recurrence (p=0.028, Risk ratio=3.568). Conclusion: Immunehistochemical anti-cytokeratin staining was a rapid, sensitive, and easy way of detecting lymph node micrometastasis. The presence of lymph node micrometastasis was not significantly associated with the recurrence, but had a tendency toward a poor prognosis in stage 1 non-small cell lung cancer. Especially, the presence of multiple micrometastatic lymph nodes was a significant and independent predictor of recurrence.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2004

Locally advanced (Stage III) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for approximately one third of all cases of NSCLC. Few patients with locally advanced NSCLC present with disease amenable to curative surgical resection. Historically, these patients were treated with primary thoracic radiation therapy (RT) and had poor long term survival rates, due to both progression of local disease and development on distant metastases. Over the last two decades, the use of multidisciplinary approach has improved the outcome for patients with locally advanced NSCLC. Combined chemoradiotherapy is the most favored approach for treatment of locally advanced unresectable NSCLC. There are two basic treatment protocols for administering combined chemotherapy and radiation, sequential versus concurrent. The rationale for using chemotherapy is to eliminate subclinical metastatic disease while improving local control. Sequential use of chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy has improved median and long term survival compared to radiation therapy alone. This approach appears to decrease the risk of distant metastases,, but local failure rates remain the same as radiation alone. Concurrent chemoradiotherapy has been studied extensively. The potential advantages of this approach may include sensitization of tumor cells to radiation by the administration of chemotherapy, and reduced overall treatment time compared to sequential therapy; which is known to be important for improving local control in radiation biology. This approach Improves survival primarily as a result of improved local control. However, it doesn't seem to decrease the risk of distant metastases probably because concurrent chemoradiation requires dose reductions in chemotherapy due to increased risks of acute morbidity such as acute esophageal toxicity. Although multidisciplinary therapy has led to improved survival rates compared to radiation therapy alone and has become the new standard of care, the optimal therapy of locally advanced NSCLC continues to evolve. The current issues in the multidisciplinary management of locally advanced NSCLC will be reviewed in this report.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.776-784
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• 1998

Background: The cyclin D1 gene is one of the most frequently amplified chromosomal regions(11q13) in human carcinomas. In laryngeal and head and neck carcinomas, its overexpression has been shown to be associated with advanced local invasion and presence of lymph node metastases. Cyclin D1 may therefore playa key role in cell growth regulation and tumorigenesis. Lung cancer is a worldwide problem and in many contries it is the most lethal malignancy. As relapse is frequent after resection of early stage non-small cell lung cancer, there is an urgent need to define prognostic factors. Purpose: This study was undertaken to evaluate the prognostic value of the cyclin D1, that is one the G1 cyclins which control cell cycle progression by allowing G1 to S phase transition, on the patients in radically resected non-small cell lung cancer. Method: Total 81 cases of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded blocks from resected primary non-small cell lung cancer from January 1, 1983 to July 31, 1995 at Hanyang University Hospital were available for both clinical follow-up and immunohistochemical staining using monoclonal antibodies for cyclin D1. Results : The histologic classification of the tumor was based on WHO criteria, and the specimens included 45 squamous cell carcinomas, 25 adenocarcinomas and 11 large cell carcinomas. Cyclin D1 overexpression was noted in 26 cases of 81 cases tested (30.9%). Cyclin D1 expression was not significantly associated with cell types of the tumor, pathological staging and the size of the tumor. But cyclin D1 overexpression was significantly correlated with positive lymph node metastasis(p=0.035). The mean survival duration was $22.76{\pm}3.50$ months in cyclin D1 positive group and $45.38{\pm}5.64$ months in eyclin D1 negative group. There was a nearly significant difference in overall survival between cyclin D1 positive and negative groups(p=0.0515) in radically resected non-small cell lung cancer. Conclusion: Based on this study, cyelin D1 overexpression appears an important poor prognostic indicator in non-small cell lung cancer and may have diagnostic and prognostic importance in the treatment of resectable non-small cell lung cancer.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.677-682
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• 1993

Background: Massive hemoptysis is a major clinical problem with high mortality. Bronchial artery embolization is well accepted and widely used for treatment of massive and recurrent hemoptysis, especially in patients with chronic diffuse pulmonary disease who are poor candidates for surgery. We evaluated the therapeutic effect of transcatheter arterial embolization for immediate control and prevention of recurrent hemoptysis. Method: We reviewed 20 cases(M:F=13:7) of bronchial artery embolization for the management of massive hemoptysis from Jun 1989 to Aug 1992 retrospectively. Results: Underlying causes of hemoptysis were pulmonary tuberculosis(n=14), bronchiectasis(n=3), aspergilloma(n=2) and paragonimiasis(n=1). Embolization material was choosed randomly gelfoam(n=7) or Ivalon(n=11) and in 2 cases both were used simultaneously. Target arteries of embolization were bronchial artery only in 15 cases, non-bronchial systemic arteries with or without bronchial artery in 5 cases. After the arterial embolization, immediate cessation of hemoptysis was achieved in 17 cases(85%) and total recurrence rate including 3 cases of immediate treatment failure was 50%. Among recurrences 3 cases were achieved lobectomy, 1 case was expired by asphyxia due to massive hemoptysis and remained 6 were managed by medical conservative treatment with no further recurrence of hemoptysis during follow up periods. Conclusion: Bronchial artery embolization for treatment of massive or recurrent hemoptysis was effective in immediate bleeding control. Despite high recurrence rate the rebleeding after embolization was less severe and controllable by conservative management. Bronchial artery embolization is valuable as primary trial to massive hemoptysis.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.38 no.5 s.250
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• pp.323-334
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• 2005

Background: Gene therapy is a new and promising option for the treatment of severe myocardial ischemia by therapeutic angiogenesis. The goal of this study was to elucidate the efficacy of therapeutic angiogenesis by using VEGF165 in large animals. Material and Method: Twenty-one pigs that underwent ligation of the distal left anterior descending coronary artery were randomly allocated to one of two treatments: intramyocardial injection of pCK-VEGF (VEGF) or intramyocardial injection of pCK-Null (Control). Injections were administered 30 days after ligation. Seven pigs died during the trial, but eight pigs from VEGF and six from Control survived. Echo-cardiography was performed on day 0 (preoperative) and on days 30 and 60 following coronary ligation. Gated myocardial single photon emission computed tomography imaging (SPECT) with $^{99m}Tc-labeled$ sestamibi was performed on days 30 and 60. Myocardial perfusion was assessed from the uptake of $^{99m}Tc-labeled$ sestamibi at rest. Global and regional myocardial function as well as post-infarction left ventricular remodeling were assessed from segmental wall thickening; left ventricular ejection fraction (EF); end systolic volume (ESV); and end diastolic volume (EDV) using gated SPECT and echocardiography. Myocardium of the ischemic border zone into which pCK plasmid vector had been injected was also sampled to assess micro-capillary density. Result: Micro-capillary density was significantly higher in the VEGF than in Control ($386\pm110/mm^{2}\;vs.\;291\pm127/mm^{2};\;p<0.001$). Segmental perfusion increased significantly from day 30 to day 60 after intramyocardial injection of plasmid vector in VEGF ($48.4\pm15.2\%\;vs.\;53.8\pm19.6\%;\;p<0.001$), while no significant change was observed in the Control ($45.1\pm17.0\%\;vs.\;43.4\pm17.7\%;\;p=0.186$). This resulted in a significant difference in the percentage changes between the two groups ($11.4\pm27.0\%\;increase\;vs.\;2.7\pm19.0\%\;decrease;\;p=0.003$). Segmental wall thickening increased significantly from day 30 to day 60 in both groups; the increments did not differ between groups. ESV measured using echocardiography increased significantly from day 0 to day 30 in VEGF ($22.9\pm9.9\;mL\;vs.\;32.3\pm9.1\;mL;\; p=0.006$) and in Control ($26.3\pm12.0\;mL\;vs.\;36.8\pm9.7\;mL;\;p=0.046$). EF decreased significantly in VEGF ($52.0\pm7.7\%\;vs.\;46.5\pm7.4\%;\;p=0.004$) and in Control ($48.2\pm9.2\%\;vs.\;41.6\pm10.0\%;\;p=0.028$). There was no significant change in EDV. The interval changes (days $30\~60$) of EF, ESV, and EDV did not differ significantly between groups both by gated SPECT and by echocardiography. Conclusion: Intramyocardial injection of pCK-VEGF165 induced therapeutic angiogenesis and improved myocardial perfusion. However, post-infarction remodeling and global myocardial function were not improved.