• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.202-208
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• 2016

Purpose: Our institution has implemented two different adjuvant protocols in treating patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CT-CCRT) and sequential postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) followed by postoperative chemotherapy (POCT). We aimed to compare the clinical outcomes between the two adjuvant protocols. Materials and Methods: From March 1997 to October 2012, 68 patients were treated with CT-CCRT (n = 25) and sequential PORT followed by POCT (RT-CT; n = 43). The CT-CCRT protocol consisted of 2 cycles of cisplatin-based POCT followed by PORT concurrently with 2 cycles of POCT. The RT-CT protocol consisted of PORT followed by 4 cycles of cisplatin-based POCT. PORT was administered using conventional fractionation with a dose of 50.4-60 Gy. We compared the outcomes between the two adjuvant protocols and analyzed the clinical factors affecting survivals. Results: Median follow-up time was 43.9 months (range, 3.2 to 74.0 months), and the 5-year overall survival (OS), locoregional recurrence-free survival (LRFS), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) were 53.9%, 68.2%, and 51.0%, respectively. There were no significant differences in OS (p = 0.074), LRFS (p = 0.094), and DMFS (p = 0.490) between the two protocols. In multivariable analyses, adjuvant protocol remained as a significant prognostic factor for LRFS, favouring CT-CCRT (hazard ratio [HR] = 3.506, p = 0.046) over RT-CT, not for OS (HR = 0.647, p = 0.229). Conclusion: CT-CCRT protocol increased LRFS more than RT-CT protocol in patients with completely resected NSCLC, but not in OS. Further studies are warranted to evaluate the benefit of CCRT strategy compared with sequential strategy.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.8
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• pp.4661-4666
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• 2013

Background: The wide spectrum of clinical features in advanced stages of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) probably contributes to disparities in outcomes because of different prognostic variables significant for stage IIIB/IV patients. Hence the aim of this study was to check for favorable response of patients to various chemotherapeutic combinations with respect to patient survival in stage IIIB and stage IV NSCLC disease. We selected those patients for our study who were receiving treatment with paclitaxel, gemcitabine or etoposide in combination with platinum based drugs. Materials and Methods: Seventy-two patients who visited the hospital from June 2009 to November 2012 with confirmed diagnosis of lung cancer were included, and data were collected for follow up and classified according to treatment received with respect to patients' regimen and response, and overall survival. This study analyzed tumor variables that were associated with clinical outcome in advanced NSCLC patients who were undergoing first-line chemotherapy for stage IIIB/IV NSCLC. Results: Comparative data on various parameters like age, gender, stage, histology, site of disease, metastatic site and chemo-regimens was analyzed; these parameters predicted variable significant improvement for overall survival ($p{\geq}0.05$). One and two year survival rates were 20.8% and 15.3%. Conclusions: In this study we found slight improvement in survival rates in NSCLC and clinical outcomes with one combination (carboplatin+paclitaxel). Overall there were only marginal differences in survival rates for other chemo-regimens evaluated in this study.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.5-14
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• 2003

The purpose of this study was to identify key educational and counseling needs of breast cancer patients in Korea. The data were collected from 102 breast cancer survivors. The instrument consisted of 66 items and the items were divided into five treatment stages: pre-admission, admission, discharge, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. The subjects' mean age was 50 years and most of them were housewives. All had a mastectomy and among them 69 had chemotherapy and 42 had radiation therapy. Average post-surgical period was 47 months. The mean score of the subjects' needs was 2.99 out of 4 points. The highest educational need was to know about the method of recurrence prevention. In terms of the treatment stages, mean score for pre-admission was 3.09, admission 3.06, chemotherapy 3.03, after discharge 2.95, and radiation therapy 2.80. In the pre-admission period, etiology, diagnostic tests, treatment and prevention of the breast cancer were needed the most. During the admission period, symptom management after the operation had the highest score. After discharge, prevention of recurrence had the highest score. The results of this research will help in developing educational and counseling programs by understanding the specific needs of breast cancer patients based on the treatment stages.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.291-294
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• 2006

F-18 FDG-PET/CT could be used to evaluate the surveillance of recurrent stomach cancer, but some cases reported as false-positives. The authors found an activated charcoal granuloma from intraperitoneal chemotherapy by using a curative resection and mitomycin C for stomach cancer. A mass behind the right colon that showed on CT 6 months after an operation in a 46-year-old male patient had no progression in size, but 36 months after the operation, an increase was seen on F-18 FDG-PET/CT, and a metastatic tumor was suspected. The tumor was resected by an explorative laparotomy and was diagnosed as being an activated charcoal granuloma based on the histologic finding. Based on this case, we should be reminded of the possibility of a false-positive on analysis of F-18 FDG-PET/CT caused by an activated charcoal granuloma in a patient who has intraperitoneal chemotherapy.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.144-151
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• 2003

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to identify the current status of symptom and pain control in cancer patients treated with chemotherapy. Methods : The study population consisted of 66 cancer patients treated with chemotherapy and the data was collected by chart audit and using questionnaire from 19 clinicians in an university hospital during the period of August 7 to 24, 2001. The degree of symptom, analgesics type, dose, administration route, and pain control method of cancer patients treated with chemotherapy was investigated. The collected data were analyzed by frequency, percent, mean, and SD using SPSS $PC^+$ program. Results : The number of cancer patients treated with chemotherapy was 66, male 35 (53.0%), female was 31 (47.0%). The largest of age group was $61{\sim}69$(34.8%) years old. Most frequent cancer site was stomach 19 case (28.8%), cole-rectal 17 case (25.8%), urinary 11 case (16.7%) in the respective order. The most common stage of cancer was stage 3, 14 case (29.2%). The most frequent duration of diagnosis was under 3 month, 25 (37.9%). The frequent symptom of cancer patients treated with chemotherapy was marasmus ($2.4193{\pm}1.2220$), pain ($1.9333{\pm}1.2194$), sleep disorders ($1.7142{\pm}1.0384$), personality change ($1.5806{\pm}0.8971$) in the respective order. 3) The analgesics used for pai control were narcotic analgesics 66.2% and nonnarcotic analgesics 33.8%. Pain control method were regular basis+as needed 47.4%, as needed 31.6%, regular basis 21.0% in order. Administration route were oral 50.7%, injection 41.8%, patch 7.5% in order. Conclusion : The most frequent symptom of cancer patients treated with chemotherapy were marasmus and pain. The frequent analgesics was narcotic analgesics but 21% of the clinician regularly prescribed analgesics for pain control. Thus this prescription was insufficient for pain control. Administration route that were used more oral or injection than patch. Based on this evidence, it seemed that more active practice and education about evaluation and pain control of cancer patients treated with chemotherapy are needed.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.426-437
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• 2024

Objective: Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is a diagnostic tool that provides precise and reproducible information about cardiac structure, function, and tissue characterization, aiding in the monitoring of chemotherapy response in patients with light-chain cardiac amyloidosis (AL-CA). This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of CMR in monitoring responses to chemotherapy in patients with AL-CA. Materials and Methods: In this prospective study, we enrolled 111 patients with AL-CA (50.5% male; median age, 54 [interquartile range, 49-63] years). Patients underwent longitudinal monitoring using biomarkers and CMR imaging. At follow-up after chemotherapy, patients were categorized into superior and inferior response groups based on their hematological and cardiac laboratory responses to chemotherapy. Changes in CMR findings across therapies and differences between response groups were analyzed. Results: Following chemotherapy (before vs. after), there were significant increases in myocardial T2 (43.6 ± 3.5 ms vs. 44.6 ± 4.1 ms; P = 0.008), recovery in right ventricular (RV) longitudinal strain (median of -9.6% vs. -11.7%; P = 0.031), and decrease in RV extracellular volume fraction (ECV) (median of 53.9% vs. 51.6%; P = 0.048). These changes were more pronounced in the superior-response group. Patients with superior cardiac laboratory response showed significantly greater reductions in RV ECV (-2.9% [interquartile range, -8.7%-1.1%] vs. 1.7% [-5.5%-7.1%]; P = 0.017) and left ventricular ECV (-2.0% [-6.0%-1.3%] vs. 2.0% [-3.0%-5.0%]; P = 0.01) compared with those with inferior response. Conclusion: Cardiac amyloid deposition can regress following chemotherapy in patients with AL-CA, particularly showing more prominent regression, possibly earlier, in the RV. CMR emerges as an effective tool for monitoring associated tissue characteristics and ventricular functional recovery in patients with AL-CA undergoing chemotherapy, thereby supporting its utility in treatment response assessment.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.155-168
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• 2012

Therapeutic cancer is a long lasting and turbulent history accompany with the milestones in surgical intervention, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In the past decade, however, metastatic cancer still obstinately exists challenging the professional scientist. Beside the major forms of cancer treatment, Diphtheria toxin (DT) which is produced by a pathogenic strain of bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheria to shield themselves against the other dangerous organism, have been researched as a potential candidate to overcome the drawback such as non-specific, non-effect to drug resistant cancer cell and side effects when using chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In the context of suicide gene therapy, the DT expression under controlling of tissue-specific promoter will be targeted in cancer cell but defect in normal cell. The molecular mechanism, characteristic of DT-bases therapy and prominent achievements of preclinical and clinical studies for the past decade are summarized and discussed in this review.

• Proceedings of the Polymer Society of Korea Conference
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• 2006.10a
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• pp.56-57
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• 2006

The ultra pH-sensitive polymeric mixed micelles based on poly(L-histidine) chemistry and constructed from block copolymers containing polyHis, present four functionalities as decreasing pH: ligand exposure at pH 7.0, micelle destabilization below pH 6.8, enhanced DOX release and endosomal membrane disruption. The first functionality is expected to endow tumor pH specificity to nonspecific ligands and the rest ones may help to treat solid tumors that are hard-to-treat by conventional chemotherapy (resistant tumors). The concept was proven in vitro studies and in vivo model.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.167-175
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• 2014

Chemotherapy has long been considered as one of useful strategies for cancer treatment. It is primarily based on the apoptosis that can selectively kill cancer cells. However, cancer cells can progressively develop an acquired resistance to apoptotic cell death, rendering refractory to chemo- and radiotherapies. Although the mechanism by which cells attained resistance to drug remains to be clarified, it might be caused by either pumping out of them or interfering with apoptotic signal cascades in response to cancer drugs. In case that cancer cells are defective in some part of apoptotic machinery by repeated exposure to anticancer drugs, alternative cell death mechanistically distinct from apoptosis could be adopted to remove cancer cells refractory to apoptosis-inducing agents. This review will mainly deal with harnessing of necrotic cell death, specifically, programmed necrosis and practical uses. Here, we begin with various defects of apoptotic death machinery in cancer cells, and then provide new perspective on programmed necrosis as an alternative anticancer approach.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.254-264
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• 2018

This article reviewed new trends and controversial issues, including the intensification of chemotherapy and recent brachytherapy (BT) advances, and also reviewed recent consensuses from different societies on the management of locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC). Intensive chemotherapy during and after radiation therapy (RT) was not recommended as a standard treatment due to severe toxicities reported by several studies. The use of positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for pelvic RT planning has increased the clinical utilization of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for the evaluation of pelvic lymph node metastasis and pelvic bone marrow. Recent RT techniques for LACC patients mainly aim to minimize toxicities by sparing the normal bladder and rectum tissues and shortening the overall treatment time by administering a simultaneous integrated boost for metastatic pelvic lymph node in pelvic IMRT followed by MRI-based image guided adaptive BT.