• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.101-108
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• 2007

[ $\underline{Purpose}$ ]: To compare radiation therapy alone to combined modality therapy about survival rate and tolerance of elderly patients ($70=or{\geq}$) with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). $\underline{Materials\;and\;Methods}$: Between 1998 and 2002, 57 patients given radiation therapy due to NSCLC (Stage III) were analysed retrospectively. Radiation therapy alone (RT), concurrent chemoradiation (CRT), and sequential chemoradiation (SCRT) was done to 33, 16 and 8 patients, respectively. Patients' median age was 74 (range $70{\sim}85$). Male and female are 51 patients and 6 patients, respectively. 23 patients were stage IIIa and 34 were stage IIIb. Patients' characteristic distribution of RT and CRT was not significantly different except mass size that RT has a bigger than CRT. The fraction size of radiation therapy was 1.8 Gy in CRT and $1.8{\sim}3\;Gy$ in other groups. Total radiation dose was $51{\sim}63\;Gy$ according to the fraction size. If the prescribed total radiation dose was successfully irradiated, we stated that it was completion of radiation therapy. $\underline{Results}$: 52 patients were dead. Median period of radiation therapy was as follow: RT, 35 days, CRT, 60.5 days and SCRT, 35 days. Overall median survival time (MST) was 10.1 months. The 1 yr- and 2 yr-overall survival rate was 39.8% and 17.6%, respectively. MST of RT, CRT and SCRT was 8.9, 8.2 and 11.7 months, respectively. The 1 yr survival rate of RT, CRT and SCRT was 38.4%, 37.5% and 50% (not significant). Patients given incomplete radiation therapy were 12 (RT, 5 CRT, 6 SCRT, 1). N stage (p=0.081) and the difference of treatment methods (p=0.079) were the factors affecting incompletion of radiation therapy, but it was not significant. In case of combined-agents chemotherapy, 4 of 8 ceased radiation therapy. T stage ($T{\geq}3$), mass size (${\geq}5\;cm$), Karnofsky performance scale (${\leq}70$) and completion of radiation therapy were the prognostic factors in uni- and multi-variate analysis. $\underline{Conclusion}$: In elderly patients with NSCLC, radiation therapy alone was a treatment method with similar survival period compared with other methods. Generally, patients given radiation therapy alone was tolerable to a treatment. Before planning concurrent chemoirradiation in elderly patients with NSCLC, physicians pay attention to a selection of patients and chemotherapy agents considering general condition and toxicity.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.76-83
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• 1995

Background: Despite advances in chemotherapy, the treatment of inoperable non-small cell carcinoma of the lung remains poor. According to the recent reports, the response rates of mitomycin, vinblastine, and cisplatin(MVP) chemotherapy are higher than those of other cisplatin based polychemotherapy and MVP chemotherapy can be used as neoadjuvant chemotherapeutic regimen. But the overall response rates of MVP chemotherapy range from 17 to 53 percent, so we studied the effect of MVP chemotherapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Method: We treated forty patients with stage III or IV non-small cell lung cancer with two courses of MVP chemotherapy($8mg/m^2$ of mitomycin on day 1, $6mg/m^2$ of vinblastine on day 2 & day 14, and $100mg/m^2$ of cisplastin on day 1) at 4 weeks interval. Then all patients were evaluated the response of chemotherapy 4 weeks later, and received further chemotherapy, palliative radiotherapy or supportive therapy according to the patient's condition. We also determined the median survival time and prognostic factors. Results: 1) Nine patients(23%) had a partial reponse, 23 patients(57%) had a stable disease, and disease progressed in 8 patients(20%). There were no patients with complete response. 2) The overall median survival time was 36 weeks(range, 9 to 119+ weeks). The median survival time of responder(partial response) and non-responder(stable and progressed) groups were 60 weeks(range, 36 to 82+ weeks) and 31 weeks(range, 9 to 119+ weeks) respectively(p=0.03). 3) The median survival time of the female group was 71 weeks and significantly prolonged in comparision with 35 weeks of the male group(p=0.01). But, the other prognostic factors didn't affect the survival time and response rate. 4) The median survival times of chemotherapy group and chemotherapy with palliative radiotherapy group were not significantly different. Conclusion: MVP combined chemotherapy is unsatisfactory in improving survival in advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Therefore, further studies are needed to find more active new agents and to estabilish the efficacy of the combined treatment with radiotherapy and/or surgery.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.312-318
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• 2001

Purpose : To assess the locoregional recurrence rate, survival rate and prognostic factors after modified radical mastectomy and postoperative adjuvant radiation therapy with or with chemotherapy in high-risk breast cancer patients. Methods : Between $1984\~1995$, 48 patients underwent postoperative irradiation to the regional lymphatics and chest wall due to large tumor size $(\geq5\;cm)$ or small tumor size (<5 cm) with axillary lymph node involvement after modified radical mastectomy. The median age of the patients was 47 years (range, $31\~79\;years$). The clinical tumor size was <2 cm in 1 patient, $2\~5\;cm$ in 15 patients, and >5 cm in 32 patients. Thirty two patients had positive axillary lymph nodes. Forty two patients were irradiated to the chest wall and regional lymph node and 6 patients were irradiated in the chest wall only. Radiation dose to the chest wall and regional lymph node was 5040 cGy/28 fraction. The median follow-up time was 61 months. Results : Locoregional recurrence rate was $8\%$ and distant metastatic rate was $14\%$. The actuarial overall survival rate and disease-free survival rate was $53\%\;and\;62\%$ at 5 years, respectively. The median survival time was 57 months. Five-year overall survival rate by the stage is $70\%$ in IIB and $58\%$ in IIA. The significant prognostic factor for survival on multivariate analysis was the stage. Conclusion : Postoperative adjuvant radiation therapy in high-risk breast cancer can reduce the locoregional recurrence rate and increase the survival time by combined chemotherapy. The significant prognostic factor for survival rate was the stage.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.163-169
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• 1992

A retrospective analysis was performed on 53 patients with brain malignant astrocytoma and glioblastoma multiforme treated with surgical resection and postoperative radiotherapy in the period between January 1980 and June 1991. There were 13 patients with malignant astrocytoma, 40 patients with glioblastoma multiforme. Survival rates were analyzed according to histologic grade, age, performance status, extent of surgical resection, tumor location, symptom duration, total radiation dose and addition of chemo­therapy after radiation therapy. 5 year actuarial survival rate for malignant astrocytoma was $29.4\%$, for glioblastoma multiforme was $2.8\%$. Histologic grade, age, performance status, total radiation dose were statistitically significant prognostic factors.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.45-50
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• 1986

RTOG proposed a multivariate modelling system predicting the response of head and neck cancers to radiation therapy in 1984. The aim of this study was to veri(y whether PPC (Probaility of primary clearance calculated by a multivariate modelling system) had any correlation with the survival in the patients with carcinoma of the nasopharynx following radiation therapy Analysing 81 patients with carcinoma of the nasopharynx treated with radiotherapy between January 1, 1971 and December 31, 1983 at Yonsei University College of Medicine, Yonsei Cancer Center the actuarial 5 year survival rate was $36\%$ and median survival was 39 months. The survivals for Group 1 (27 who had more than $80\%$ of PPC), Group 2 (20 who had between 71 and $80\%$ of PPC), and Group 3 (29 who had less than $71\%$ of PPC) were $66\%$ (median survival months : more than 72), $27\%$ (31), and $4\%$ (12) respectively. There was a definite correlation between PPC and survival among the three groups.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.203-208
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• 1999

Purpose : To evaluate whether spontaneous apoptosis has prognostic value among patients with squamous cell carcinoma of lung. Materials and Methods : Material from 19 patients who received thoracic irradiation between 1990 and 1994 was analyzed. Their stages were II (1), IIIa (8), IIIb (5), and IV (5). Patients were observed from 5 to 67 months (median : 17 months). The spontaneous apoptosis index (AI) and p53 mutation were measured by immunohistochemical stains. Results : AI was found to range from 0 to $1\%$ (median $0.4\%$). Patients with low AI ($AI{\leq}$median) had a much higher distant metastasis rate at diagnosis than patients with high AI. By analysis of prognostic factors for survival, M stage was significant in univariate analysis. AI, chemotherapy, M stage, T stage, and stage were significant in multivariate analysis. The correlation between the AI and p53 mutation was not seen. Conclusion : AI was related with distant metastasis at diagnosis and not with p53 mutation. Also low AI group tended to have shorter survival time than high AI group.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.309-318
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• 2002

Background : Usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) is a fatal progressive fibrotic disorder of the lung with unknown etiology and characterized by a poor response to conventional immunosuppressive therapy. The histologic hallmark of UIP is parchy distribution of subpleural fibrosis and fibroblastic foci(FBF) with interposed normal appearing lung. Because FBF is a collection of actively proliferating myofibroblasts, it can be a marker of activity and prognosis of UIP. However, there were contradictory reports about the correlation between the degree of FBF and survival. Therefore we performed this study to investigate the value of FBF as prognostic marker of UIP. Methods : This was a retrospective study on the 46 patients(M:F=33:13, mean age:$59{\pm}12$ years) with UIP diagnosed by the surgical lung biopsy at the Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea between 1990 and 2000 and had follow-up of more than a year. All the biopsy specimens were reevaluated and diagnosed as UIP according to the ATS/ERS classification. Semiquantitative grading of FBF(absent, 0; mild 1; moderate 2; marked 3) by the experienced pathologists who did not know the clinical findings were compared to the clinical data and the follow up course. Results : Thirteen patients(28.2%) died of UIP progression during the study period. The median survival time of all the subjects was 26 months after the biopsy. At the univariate analysis, FVC, $D_Lco$, smoking history and the grade of FBF were significantly related to the survial. The survival was longer in subjects with lesser degrees of FBF, higher DLco, higher FVC and history of smoking. However the multivariate analysis with Cox regression test showed the extent of FBF was the only independent prognostic marker of UIP. Conclusion : These data suggested that the extent of FBF on the surgical lung biopsy can be used as a prognostic marker of UIP.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.145-150
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• 2007

Purpose: To investigate the degree and effect of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 expression on the survival of patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GM). Materials and Methods: Between 1997 and 2006, thirty consecutive GM patients treated with surgery and postoperative radiotherapy (dose range: $44{\sim}65.1$ Gy, median dose: 61.2 Gy) were included in the study. Three patients were excluded that discontinued radiotherapy before receiving a dose of 40 Gy due to mental deterioration. The expression of the COX-2 protein in surgical specimens was examined by immunohistochemical analysis. Survival analysis and verification were performed with respect to sex, age, performance status, resection extent, radiotherapy dose, and degree of COX-2 expression using the Kaplan-Meier method and the log rank test. Results: The median length of follow-up was 13.3 months (range:$6{\sim}83$ months). Staining for COX-2 was positive in all patient samples. Staining for COX-2 that was positive for over 75% of the tumor cells was found in 24 patients. Staining for COX-2 that was positive in less than 25% of tumor cells was found in 3 patients (10.0%), staining for COX-2 that was positive in 25 to 50% of tumor cells was found in 1 patient (3.3%), staining for COX-2 that was positive in 50 to 75% of tumor cells was found in 2 patients (6.7%) and staining for COX-2 that was positive in 75 to 100% of tumor cells was found in 24 patients (80.0%). The median survival and two-year survival rate were 13.5 months and 17.5%, respectively. The survival rate was influenced significantly by the degree of resection (tumor removal by 50% or more) and radiotherapy dose (59 Gy or greater) (p<0.05). The median survival of patients with staining for COX-2 that was positive in less than 75% of tumor cells and in at least 75% of tumor cells was 15.5 and 13.0 months, respectively (p>0.05), and the two-year survival for these groups was 33.3 and 13.3%, respectively (p>0.05). Conclusion: The absence of a statistical correlation between the degree of COX-2 expression and survival in GM patients, despite the high rate of COX-2 positive tumor cells in the GM patient samples, requires further studies with a larger series to ascertain the prognostic value of the degree of COX-2 expression in GM patients.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.36-41
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• 1999

Purpose : We reviewed the treatment results for the patients with locally recurrent rectal carcinoma. The object was to evaluate the treatment outcome and to identify the prognostic factors influencing the survival. Methods and Materials: Twenty-eight patients with locally recurrent rectal carcinoma treated principally with external-beam radiation therapy between 1982 to 1996 in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Paik and Hanyang Hospital were reviewed retrospectively Of these, 17 patients had initially abdominoperineal resection, 9 had low anterior resection, and 2 had local excision. No patients had received adjuvant radiation therapy for the primary disease. There were 14 men and 14 women whose ages ranged from 31 to 72 years (median age:54.5). Median time from initial surgery to the start of radiation therapy for local recurrence was 11 months (4~47 months). Radiation therapy was given with total doses ranging from 27 to 64.8 Gy (median=51.2 Gy). Results : The median survival was 16.7 months. The 2-year and 5-year survival rates were 20.1%, 4.1% respectively. Upon multivariate analysis, overall survival was positively correlated with duration of intervals from initial surgery to local recurrence (P=0.039). Relief of pelvic symptoms was achieved in 17 of 28 patients (60.7%). Pain and bleeding responded in 40% and 100% of patients, respectively Conclusions : Patients with locally recurrent rectal carcinoma treated with radiotherapy have benefited symptomatically, and might have increased survivals with a small chance of cure. But, patient were rarely cured (median survival : 10 months, 5-year survival : less than 5%). Overall survival was positively correlated with long intervals from initial surgery to local recurrence. Future efforts should be directed to the use of effective therapy for patients with locally recurrent rectal carcinoma and adjuvant therapy for patients with rectal cancer to reduce the incidence of pelvic recurrence.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.117-124
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• 2010

Purpose: To analyze the postoperative radiotherapy results and prognostic factors in patients with WHO grade 3 and 4 gliomas. Materials and Methods: A total of 99 patients with malignant gliomas who underwent postoperative radiotherapy between 1988 and 2007 were enrolled in this study. Total resections, subtotal resections ($\geq$50%), partial resections (<50%), and biopsies were performed in 16, 38, 22, and 23 patients, respectively. In total there were 32, 63 and 4 WHO grade 3, 4, and unspecified high grade gliomas, respectively. The biologically equivalent dose was in the range of 18.6 to $83.3\;Gy_{10}$ (median dose, $72.2\;Gy_{10}$). We retrospectively analyzed survival rate, patterns of failure, prognostic factors, and adverse effects. Results: The median follow-up time was 11 months and there were 54 patients (54.5%) with local failure. The one and 2-year survival rates were 56.6% and 29.3%, respectively, and the median survival duration was 13 months. The one and 2-year progression-free survival rates (PFS) were 31.3% and 18.2%, respectively, and the median PFS was 7 months. The prognostic factors for overall survival were age (p=0.0001), surgical extents (subtotal resection, p=0.023; partial resection, p=0.009; biopsy only, p=0.002), and enhancement of tumor in postoperative imaging study (p=0.049). The factors affecting PFS were age (p=0.036), tumor enhancement of the postoperative imaging study (p=0.006). There were 3 patients with grade 3 and 4 side effects during and after radiotherapy. Conclusions: In addition to age and surgical extents, tumor enhancement of the postoperative imaging study was included in the prognostic factors. The most common relapse patterns were local failures and hence, additional studies are needed to improve local control rates.