• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.181-190
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• 2012

Naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) in building materials are main sources of external radiation exposure to the general public. The objective of this study was to assess external radiation dose in Korean dwellings due to NORM in concrete walls. Reference room model for dose assessment was made by analyzing room structure and housing scale of Korean dwellings. In addition, dose assessments were made for varying room sizes. Absorbed doses to air and effective dose rates were calculated using radiation transport code MCNPX. Assuming a reference room of $3{\times}4{\times}2.8m^3$, absorbed dose rates in air were 0.80, 0.97, 0.08 nGy $h^{-1}$ per Bq $kg^{-1}$ for uranium series, thorium series, and $^{40}K$, respectively. Effective dose rates were 0.57, 0.69, 0.058 nSv $h^{-1}$ per Bq $kg^{-1}$, respectively. Radiation dose resulting from concrete of ceiling and floor increased with room area while radiation dose from concrete of walls decreased with room area. Therefore, total radiation doses were almost the same for the varying room area from 5 to $30m^2$. Effective dose in Korean dwellings was calculated based on measurement data of NORM concentration in concrete and occupancy fraction of Korean population by location. Annual effective dose was 0.59 mSv assuming that indoor occupancy fraction was 0.89 and concentrations of uranium series, thorium series and $^{40}K$ were 26, 39, 596 Bq $kg^{-1}$, respectively. Finally, annual effective dose in Korean dwellings can be calculated by the following equation: Effective dose=indoor occupancy fraction${\times}8760\;h\;y^{-1}{\times}(0.57C_U+0.69C_{Th}+0.058C_K)$.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.35-43
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• 2003

Purpose :To analyze the survival period, prognostic factors and complications of patients having undergone high-dose-rate intraluminal brachytherapy (HDR-ILB) as a salvage radiation therapy, while having a catheter, for percutaneous transhepatic billary drainage (PTBD), inserted due to biliary obstruction caused by a secondary malignant biliary tumor Methods and Materials : A retrospective study was performed on 24 patients having undergone HDR-ILB, with PTBD catheter Insertion, be)ween December 1992 and August 2001. Their median age was 58.5, ranging from 35 to 82 years. The primary cancer site were the stomach, gallbladder, liver, pancreas and the colon, with 12, 6, 3, 2 and 1 cases, respectively. Eighteen patients were treated with external beam radiation therapy and HDR-lLB, while slx were treated with HDR-lLB only. The 4otal external beam, and brachytherapy radiations dose were 30$\~$61.2 and 9$\~$30 Gy, with median doses of 50 and 15 Gy, respectively. Results : Of the 24 patients analyzed, 22 died during the follow-up period, with a median survival of 7.3 months. The 6 and 12 months survival rates were 54.2 (13 patients) and 20.8$\%$ (5 patients), respectively. The median survivals for stomach and gailbladder cancers were 7.8 and 10.2 months, respectively, According to the unlvariate analysis, a significant factor affecting survival of over one year was the total radiation dose (over 50 Gy) (o=0.0200), with all )he patients surviving more than one year had been Irradiated with more than 50 Gy. The acute side effects during the radiation therapy were managed with conservative treatment. During the follow-up period, 5 patients showed symptoms of cholangltis due to the radiation therapy Conclusion :An extension to the survival of those patients treated with HDR-ILB is suggested compared to the median historical survival of 4hose patients treated with external biliary drainage. A boost radiation dose could be effectively given, by performing HDR-lLB, which is a prognostic factor In addition, the acute complications of radiation therapy were effectively controlled by conservative management, and It could be regarded as a safe treatment.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.171-178
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• 2006

[ $\underline{Purpose}$ ]: To determine the efficacy and safety of concurrent chemotherapy and radiation therapy with high-dose-rate brachytherapy for cervical cancer. $\underline{Materials\;and\;Methods}$: From January 2001 to December 2002, 30 patients with cervical cancer were treated with concurrent chemotherapy (cisplatin and 5-FU) and definitive radiation therapy. The median age was 58 (range $34{\sim}74$) year old. The pathology of the biopsy sections was squamous cell carcinoma in 29 patients and one was adenocarcinoma. The distribution to FIGO staging system was as follows: stage IB, 7 (23%); IIA, 3 (10%); IIB, 12 (40%); IIIA, 3 (10%); IIIB, 5 (17%). All patients received pelvic external beam irradiation (EBRT) to a total dose of $45{\sim}50.4\;Gy$ (median: 50.4 Gy) over $5{\sim}5.5$ weeks. Ir-192 HDR intracavitary brachytherapy (ICBT) was given after a total dose of 41.4 Gy. HDR-ICBT was performed twice a week, with a fraction point A dose of 4 Gy and median dose to point A was 28 Gy (range: $16{\sim}32\;Gy$) in 7 fractions. The median cumulative biologic effective dose (BED) at point A (EBRT+ICBT) was $88\;Gy_{10}$ (range: $77{\sim}94\;Gy_{10}$). The median cumulative BED at ICRU 38 reference point (EBRT+ICBT) was $131\;Gy_3$ (range: $122{\sim}140\;Gy_3$) at point A, $109\;Gy_3$ (range: $88{\sim}125\;Gy_3$) at the rectum and $111\;Gy_3$ (range: $91{\sim}123\;Gy_3$) at the urinary bladder. Cisplatin ($60\;mg/m^2$) and 5-FU ($1,000\;mg/m^2$) was administered intravenously at 3 weeks interval from the first day of radiation for median 5 (range: $2{\sim}6$) cycles. The assessment was performed at 1 month after completion of radiation therapy by clinical examination and CT scan. The median follow-up time was 36 months (range: $8{\sim}50$ months). $\underline{: The complete response rate after concurrent chemoradiation therapy was 93.3%. The 3-yr actuarial pelvic control rate was 87% and 3-yr actuarial overall survival and disease-free survival rate was 93% and 87%, respectively. The local failure rate was 13% and distant metastatic rate was 3.3%. The crude rate of minor hematologic complications (RTOG grade 1-2) occurred in 3 patients (10%) and one patient had suffered from severe leukopenia (RTOG grade 4) during concurrent treatment. Acute minor enterocolitis (RTOG grade 1-2) occurred in 11 patients (37%) and one patient (3%) was suffered from colon perforation during radiation therapy. Late colitis of RTOG grade 1 occurred in 5 patients (15%). Acute cystitis of RTOG grade 1 occurred in 12 patients (40%) and late cystitis of RTOG grade 2 occurred in one patient (3%). No treatment related death was seen. $\underline{Conclusion}$: The results of this study suggest that the concurrent chemoradiation therapy with HDR brachytherapy could be accepted as an effective and safe treatment for cervical cancer.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Medical Physics Conference
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• 2003.09a
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• pp.60-60
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• 2003

목적 : 감마나이프 치료계획용 소프트웨어인 감마플렌에서 처방선량을 계산하는 단위와 실제 시간을 설정하는 하드웨어인 조정판의 시간설정 단위의 차이에 의한 실제 처방선량에 끼치는 영향을 계산하였다. 대상 및 방법 : 감마나이프는 주어진 4 개의 헬멧을 가지고 최소 한번 또는 최대 20 번 이상의 방사선 조합으로 한번에 많은 방사선을 목표물에 조사한다. 감마나이프 방사선 수술을 위한 치료계획용 소프트웨어인 감마플렌 5.32에서는 처방선량에 대한 치료시간을 최대 지점 또는 지정하는 지점에 규격화하여 소숫점 두 자리 즉 0.6 초까지 계산한다. 그러나 실제 치료를 위한 조정판의 시간설정은 모델 B 에서는 소숫점 한자리까지 가능하게 되어있다. 그러므로 모델 B를 사용하는 기관의 치료계획 컴퓨터인 감마플렌에서는 소숫점 한자리로 만들기 위해 반올림과 내림을 하게 되며 이것을 프린트하여 사용하게 된다. 실제 임상에서 멀티삿에 대한 반올림과 내림에 대한 효과를 선량으로 환산하여 처방선량에 끼치는 영향을 연구하였다. 치료 계획에 서 처방선량을 입력한 후 계산된 각 조사에 대한 소숫점 두자리 시간을 화면에 표시한 후 스냅tit으로 스크린 캡쳐하여 프린트하였으며, 소숫점 한자리로 된 최종 치료계획을 프린트하여 서로 비교 계산하였다. 결과 : 20 여명의 환자에 대한 치료 결과에 대한 분석은 조사의 수나 처방선량에 관계하지 않고 우연히 올림이 많으냐 내림이 많으냐에 의존하였다. 최대지점에 대하여 분석한 결과는 -0.48부터 +0.47로 -2%부터 +1.9%의 정도로 영향을 끼쳤다. 결론 : 반올림과 내림의 결과는 처방선량을 줄일 수도 있고 늘일 수도 있었다. 그러나 이 연구는 최대선량 지점에 대해 비교를 하였으나 실제로는 각 조사의 위치가 서로 다르므로 영향은 이보다 훨씬 적을 것으로 생각되어 소숫점 한자리로 치료하여도 무방할 것으로 보인다.mm, AP 방향에서는 2.1$\pm$0.82 mm이었다. 그리고 복부의 later의 방향에서는 7.0$\pm$2.1 mm, AP 방향에서는 6.5$\pm$2.2 mm 이었다. 또한 표적 위치측정을 위해서 환자의 피부에 임의의 가상표적을 부착하고 CT 촬영한 영상결과, 프레임으로 가상표 적에 대한 위치를 정확히 파악할 수 있었다. 결론 : 제작된 프레임을 적용하여 방사선투과율 측정실험, 환자 외부자세에 대한 오차 측정실험, 가상표적 위치측정 실험 등을 수행하였다. 환자 외부자세에 대한 오차 측정실험 경우, 더 많은 Volunteer를 적용하여 보다 정확한 오차 측정실험이 수행되어야 할 것이며 정확한 표적 위치 측정실험을 위해서 내부 마커를 삽입한 환자를 적용한 임상실험이 수행되어야 할 것이다. 또한 위치결정에서 획득한 좌표값의 정확성을 알아보기 위해서 팬톰을 이용한 방사선조사 실험이 추후에 실행되어져야 할 것이다. 그리고 제작된 프레임에 Rotating X선 시스템과 내부 장기의 움직임을 계량화하고 PTV에서의 최적 여유폭을 설정함으로써 정위 방사선수술 및 3 차원 업체 방사선치료에 대한 병소 위치측정과 환자의 자세에 대한 setup 오차측정 결정에 도움이 될 수 있을 것이라고 사료된다. 상대적으로 우수한 것으로 나타났으며, 혼합충전재는 암모니아의 경우 코코넛과 펄라이트의 비율이 7：3인 혼합 재료 3번과 소나무수피와 펄라이트의 비율이 7：3인 혼합 재료 6번에서 다른 혼합 재료에 비하여 우수한 것으로 나타났다. 4. 코코넛과 소나무수피의 경우 암모니아 가스에 대한 흡착 능력은 거의 비슷한 것으로 사료되며, 코코넛의 경우 전량을 수입에 의존하고 있다는 점에서 국내 조달이 용이하며, 구입 비용도 적게 소요되는 소나무수피를 사용하는 것이 경제적이라고 사료된다. 5. 마지막으로

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.261-266
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• 2015

As performance of electronic personal dosimeter (EPD) used for auxiliary personal dosimeter in nuclear power plants (NPPs) has been being continuously improved, we investigated application cases in Korea and other countries and also tested it in NPPs to assess the performance of EPD for external radiation dosimetry. Result of performance tests done in domestic NPPs was similar to those obtained by IAEA in cooperation with EURADOS (IAEA-TECDOC-1564). In addition, EPD/TLD dose ratio has shown similar tendency of EPD/Film-badge dose ratio from the research by the Japan Atomic Power Company (JAPC) and EPD provided more conservative value than TLD or Film-badge. Although some EPD's failures have been discussed, EPD has shown continuous improvement according to the report of Institute of Nuclear Power Operation (INPO) and data from domestic NPPs. In conclusion, It is considered that the general performance of EPD is adequate for external radiation dosimetry compared with that of TLD, providing appropriate performance checking procedure and alternative measures for functional failure.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.653-659
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to measure the (air dose rate of radiation dose) the discharged patient who was administrated high dose $^{131}I$ treatment, and to predict exposure radiation dose in public person. The dosimetric evaluation was performed according to the distance and angle using three copper rings in 30 patients who were treated with over 200mCi high dose Iodine therapy. The two observer were measured using a GM surverymeter with 8 point azimuth angle and three difference distance 50, 100, 150cm for precise radion dose measurement. We set up three predictive simulations to calculate the exposure dose based on this data. The most highest radiation dose rate was showed measuring angle $0^{\circ}$ at the height of 1m. The each distance average dose rate was used the azimuth angle average value of radiation dose rate. The maximum values of the external radiation dose rate depending on the distance were $214{\pm}16.5$, $59{\pm}9.1$ and $38{\pm}5.8{\mu}Sv/h$ at 50, 100, 150cm, respectively. If high dose Iodine treatment patient moves 5 hours using public transportation, an unspecified person in a side seat at 50cm is exposed 1.14 mSv radiation dose. A person who cares for 4days at a distance of 1 meter from a patient wearing a urine bag receives a maximum radiation dose of 6.5mSv. The maximum dose of radiation that a guardian can receive is 1.08mSv at a distance of 1.5m for 7days. The annual radiation dose limit is exceeded in a short time when applied the our developed radiation dose predictive modeling on the general public person who was around the patients with Iodine therapy. This study can be helpful in suggesting a reasonable guideline of the general public person protection system after discharge of high dose Iodine administered patients.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.231-236
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• 2005

Dosimeters are manufactured from same process in the manufacturer but the deviation of TL raw counts exists among the dosimeters. TL raw counts are also gradually degrade due to multiple readings and physical abuse. ECF (Element Correction Factor) correct the degradation and deviation of TL raw counts to the average TL raw counts of reference dosimeters. Procedures for producing ECF of thermoluminescent dosimeters were described In detail. ECFs of 319 reference, control and field dosimeters were measured three times and average of three ECF values was calculated. Also, % CV(Coefficient of Variation) of three ECF values was calculated to verify ECF. ECF & % CV distributions for the field and control dosimeters are presented. TL raw counts of field dosimeters, being used about 6 times for the past 3 years, were almost unchanged, but those of control dosimeters being used more frequently, were degraded about 4.7 %.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.177-184
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• 2007

Purpose: To evaluate the palliative effect of endobronchial brachytherapy (EBB) for patients with lung cancer that previously received external beam radiotherapy (EBRT). Materials and Methods: From July 1992 to May 2003, 29 patients with a recurrent or persistent lung cancer were treated with palliative EBB at our institute. EBB consisted of three fractions (once a week) of a dose of 5 Gy using the high dose-rate remote afterloader. Symptomatic improvement was assessed subjectively, and patients were divided into two groups according to whether symptoms were improved or not. Factors such as age, performance status, duration from EBRT to EBB and the location of the tumor were compared between the improved and unimproved groups of patients. Results: Overall symptomatic improvement was found in 27 out of 52 symptoms (52%). Improvement as to the type of symptoms was seen in 41 %, 50%, 82% and 33% of patients with cough, dyspnea, hemoptysis, and obstructive pneumonia respectively. The rate of improvement of hemoptysis was more than that of cough (p<0.05). The median time to symptom relapse was 5 months. The improved patient group (n=17, 59%) had a better performance status and longer duration from EBRT to EBB than the unimproved patient group (p<0.05). Lesions located in the distal trachea and/or main bronchus were found more frequently in the improved group of patients than in the unimproved group of patients, but the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.06). Fatal complications developed in two patients (7%), which were a hemoptysis and bronchopleural fistula respectively. Conclusion: Symptom improvement was found in 60% of patients after EBB and improvement was maintained for 5 months. Palliative EBB, even when EBRT was given previously, can be effective for a patient that has an endobronchial symptom, such as hemoptysis, and for a patient with good performance and a long duration from previous EBRT to EBB.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.513-521
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• 2009

Recently, the externally prestressed unbonded concrete structures are increasingly being built. The mechanical behavior of prestressed concrete beams with external unbonded tendon is different from that of normal bonded PSC beams in that the slip of tendons at deviators and the change of tendon eccentricity occurs as external loads are applied in external unbonded PSC beams. The purpose of the present paper is therefore to evaluate the flexural behavior by performing static flexural test according to tendon area and tendon force. From experimental results, before flexural cracking, there was no difference between external members and bonded members. However, after cracking, yielding load of reinforcement, ultimate load, and the tendon stress of external members was lower than that of bonded members. For the relationship of load-tendon stress, the increasing of tendon strain was inversely proportional to the initial tendon force. However, even if the initial tendon force was large, the tendon strain with small effective stress was smaller than that with large effective stress. The concrete compressive strain was proportional to the effective stress of external tendon. From the comparison between test results and codes, the ACI-318 could not consider the effect of tendon force or effective stress, and especially the results of ACI-318 were very small, so it was very conservative. And the AASHTO 1994 could be influenced on the tendon area, initial force and effective stress, but as it was made on the basis of internal unbonded tendon, its results were much larger than the test results. For this reason, the new correct predict equation of external tendon stress will be needed.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.228-236
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• 2002

Purpose : Although high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy regimens have been practiced with a variety of modalities and various degrees of success, few studies on the subject have been conducted. The purpose of this study was to compare the results of local control and late complication rate according to different HDR brachytherapy fractionation regimens in uterine cervical cancer patients. Methods and Materials : From November 1992 to March 1998, 224 patients with uterine conical cancer were treated with external beam irradiation and HDR brachytherapy. In external pelvic radiation therapy, the radiation dose was $45\~54\;Gy$ (median dose 54 Gy) with daily fraction size 1.8 Gy, five times per week. In HDR brachytherapy, 122 patients (Group A) were treated with three times weekly with 3 Gy to line-A (isodose line of 2 cm radius from source) and 102 patients (Group B) underwent the HDR brachytherapy twice weekly with 4 or 4.5 Gy to line-A after external beam irradiation. Iridium-192 was used as the source of HDR brachytherapy. Late complication was assessed from grade 1 to 5 using the RTOG morbidity grading system. Results : The local control rate (LCR) at 5 years was $80\%$ in group A and $84\%$ in group B (p=0.4523). In the patients treated with radiation therapy alone, LCR at 5 years was $60.9\%$ in group A and $76.9\%$ in group B (p=0.2557). In post-operative radiation therapy patients, LCR at 5 years was $92.6\%$ In group A and $91.6\%$ in group B (p=0.8867). The incidence of late complication was $18\%$ (22 patients) and $29.4\%$ (30 patients), of bladder complication was $9.8\%$ (12 patients) and $14.7\%$ (15 patients), and of rectal complication was $9.8\%$ (12 patients) and $21.6\%$ (22 patients), in group A and B, respectively. Lower fraction sized HDR brachytherapy was associated with decrease in late complication (p=0.0405) (rectal complication, p=0.0147; bladder complication, p=0.115). The same result was observed in postoperative radiation therapy patients (p=0.0860) and radiation only treated patients (0=0.0370). Conclusion : For radiation only treated patients, a greater number of itemized studies on the proper fraction size of HDR brachytherapy, with consideration for stages and prognostic factors, are required. In postoperative radiation therapy, the fraction size of HDR brachytherapy did not have much effect on local control, yet the incidence of late complication increased with the elevation in fraction size. We suggest that HDR brachytherapy three times weekly with 3 Gy could be an alternative method of therapy.