• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.63 no.4
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• pp.382-386
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• 2007

Paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis is a rare disorder that is characterized by personality changes, irritability, depression, seizures, memory loss and dementia, and is commonly associated with small cell lung cancer. The cause is unknown but it is believed to be an autoimmune disorder that develops secondary to a carcinomatous process. We report a patient with the clinical feature consistent with limbic encephalitis. A 64-year-old women developed disorientation, memory loss and general weakness. She was diagnosed with NSCLC (adenocarcinoma) with a brain metastasis 1 year earlier and was treated with radiation and chemotherapy. Although the lung mass and brain metastatic lesions had improved, the brain T2-weighted MRI showed high signal intensity in the right temporal region. This lesion consisted of with limbic encephalitis and was negative to the other viral and immune markers. The patient's symptoms did not improve after steroid treatment. Our case demonstrated that a NSCLC (adenocarcinoma) also can be associated with paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.7-12
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• 2004

Background and Objectives: Brain metastasis from well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma is uncommon, and the treatment remains controversial. In this study, we analyzed cases of brain metastasis from well differentiated thyroid carcinoma to determine optimal treatment. Material and Methods: From March 1986 to May 2003, we experienced 13 cases of brain metastases from well-differentiated thyroid carcinomas. There were 6 men and 7 women with a mean age of 62.3 years. The time interval detecting the brain metastasis, treatment methods, outcomes, and the prognostic factors were analyzed. Results: In 11 patients, brain metastasis was found at a mean of 96 months after thyroid surgery (range, 1-204months). In 1 patient, brain metastasis was found simultaneously with the thyroid cancer. In the remaining one, brain metastasis was presented as the first sign. Treatment included gamma knife therapy in 2, external radiation therapy (ExRT) in 2, resection and ExRT in 2, gamma knife therapy and ExRT in 2 and intracranial holmium injection in 1. Three patients received no treatment. The mean survival was 20.5months (1-119 months). Only 2 patients with early detection remained alive after treatment (23months and 119months). The age, sex, primary tumor size, combined organs of distant metastasis and treatment methods did not affect the prognosis. There were noticeable symptomatic improvements in patients who received any kind of treatment for brain metastasis. Conclusion: Early detection and treatment of brain metastasis appears to bring symptomatic relief and improve survival. Therefore, early screening for brain metastasis is recommended for patients with symptoms. However, further study is needed to determine the optimal method of treatment.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.118-124
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• 2011

Objectives: Although cigarette smoking is known to be related to the exacerbation of asthma symptoms, several studies have indicated that the prevalence of cigarette smoking among asthmatic adolescents is similar to or even higher than that among non-asthmatic adolescents. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between asthma and cigarette use behaviors and whether or not the presence of suicidal ideation modifies this relationship among Korean adolescents. Methods: We analyzed data from the 2008 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey, which included a nationally representative sample of middle and high school students. Multiple logistic regression models were used to calculate odd ratios and 95% confidence intervals of cigarette use behaviors among current asthmatics, former asthmatics, and nonasthmatics, after adjusting for gender, grade, school records, socioeconomic status, current alcohol use, and suicidal ideation. Results: Of 75 238 study participants, 3.5% were current asthmatics and 4.5% were former asthmatics. Compared with non-asthmatics, asthmatics were more likely to report current cigarette use, frequent and heavy cigarette use, and cigarette use before 13 years of age. There were statistically significant interactions between asthma and suicidal ideation in cigarette use behaviors. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that asthmatic adolescents are more likely than non-asthmatic adolescents to engage in cigarette use behaviors and the presence of suicidal ideation is an effect modifier of the relationship between asthma and cigarette use behaviors. Particular attention should be paid to the awareness of health risks of cigarette smoking and mental health problems among asthmatic adolescents.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.73-80
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• 1990

A total of 129 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of primary lung cancer were treated at Dep. of Thoracic k Cardiovascular Surgery, National Medical Center, Seoul, Korea, between July, 1981 and Dec., 1988. Particular emphasis was given in this review to the 72 patients that underwent surgical resection of their primary lung lesion. Factors such as histology, type of resection, sex, age, staging, and degree of dissemination were considered possible influences on survival. The age group of fifty k sixty decade occupied 55.8 %, and the youngest being 24 years and oldest 78 years. The incidence ratio of male to female was 3,2:1. The subjective symptoms of the patients were coughing [72.6%], chest pain [48.2%] and hemoptysis [35.6%], which were due to primary local influence. The confirmed diagnostic procedures were bronchoscopic biopsy, sputum cytology needle aspiration biopsy, open lung biopsy, anterior mediastinotomy & lymph node biopsy. By pathologic classifications, the squamous cell carcinoma was the most prevalent, 67 cases [51.9 %], and the adenocarcinoma in 36 cases [27.9%], undifferentiated small cell carcinoma in 13 cases [10.1 %], undifferentiated large cell carcinoma in 9 cases [6.9%], bronchioloalveolar carcinoma was 4 cases [3.1%]. The lymph node dissection with pneumonectomy [42 cases], lobectomy [14 cases] and pneumonectomy [6 cases], lobectomy [9 cases] without lymph node dissection were performed. The post operative TNM Staging[AJC] in 72 cases were Stage I in 24 cases, Stage II in 27 cases, and Stage III in 21 cases. Overall resectable was possible in 72 cases [55.8 %], and the operation mortality was 5.6 % [4 cases].

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.225-230
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• 1973

Five cases of esophageal cancer developed at the site of esophageal lye stricture were reported. Duration of lye stricture was between 13 and 40years, and all 5 cases had taken normal diet without appreciable troubles after recovery from the acute stage of burn till the suspected onset of esophageal malignaney. Outstanding symptoms of this grave condition were rather acute progressive dysphagia and frequent episodes of esophageal foreign bodies, Diagnosis could be confirmed easily by endoscopic biopsy in suspected eases, and all were epidermoid carcinoma histopathologically. Curative resection of this condition was made in neither of the cases, and their prognoses were more grave than other esophageal malignancies in our experience. The development of esophageal carcinoma at the site of corrosive esophagitis with resulting benign stricture has now been suspected as a cause and effect relationship between these two conditions, and Kiviranta: stated that the incidence of esophageal cancer in patients with lye stricture of longer duration is a thousand times higher than normal population. During last one decade the authors experienced 5 cases of esophageal carcinoma developed at the site of lye stricture of the esophagus among about 350 cases of lye burned esophagus at the Department of Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery, the National Medical Center in Seoul, Korea. In Korea they still use lye as a detergent in rural area, and there are still many persons ingesting lye for suicidal attempt or on accident. Lye stricture of the esophagus is, therefore, the most common esophageal disease needing surgical procedures, and the authors believe that there will be much more eases of lye stricture complicated by esophageal eareinoma repoted in near future in this Country.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.38 no.3 s.248
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• pp.253-257
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• 2005

The patients with primary lung cancer who have symptoms of angina pectoris commonly have underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) prior to lung resection. Recently, there are attempts to conduct simultaneous operation of CABG and lung resection to reduce disadvantages of staged operation, such as repeated general anesthesia, two wound incisions and delay of lung operation. These attempts generally report good results. Three patients underwent lung resection and CABG simultaneously, and had good post operative status without recurrence of cancer and angina pectoris. We conceive these as worthy cases to report.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.9
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• pp.908-913
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• 1997

From May 1988 to December 1995, 77 patients underwent surgical re ection for primary non-small cell lung cancer at GNUH, and were evaluated clinically. There were 65 males and 12 females(M:P=5.4:1), and the peak incidence of age was 6th decade of life(44.5%). The major symptoms were cough, hemoptysis and chest pain due to anatomical effects of the mass. Histopathologically, squamous cell carcinoma was 81.8%, adenocarcinoma 14.3%, and adenosquamous carcinoma 3.9% . There was no significant difference in survival among three groups. The pneumonectomy was performed in 26 cases(33.8%), lobectomy 30 cases(38.9%), bilobectomy 9 cases(11.7%), and overall resectability was 84.4%. The postoperative official stagings were as follows ; 26 patients of stage I(34%), 14 patients of stage II(18%), 22 patients of stage IIIa(29%), 14 patients of stage IIIb(18%), and one patients of stage IV(1%). In all cases, 3 year survival rate are showed stage 183%, stage II 26%, stage IIIa 17%, and stage IIIb 0%.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.129-134
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• 1978

Two hundred and seventeen patients underwent diagnostic rigid bronchoscopy or bionchofiberscopy to evaluate the cytologic diagnosis in the lung cancer patient at the department of chest surgery of Yon-Sei university, college of the medicine from 1971 to 1977 year. One hundred and twenty cases of these patients were taken rigid bronchoscopy and ninety four cases of these patient were taken bronchofiberscopy. Cytologic examination of the sputum was done in 214 cases and sputum cytology was positive in 50 cases [23.4%]. Rigid bronchoscopy was made in 120 cases and this bronchoscopic cytology including bronchial washing and bronchial biopsy was positive in 34 cases [28.5%]. Bronchofiberscopy was performed in 94 cases and was positive in 45 cases [47.5%]. Histopathologically, 41 cases [43.6%] were epidermoid cell carcinoma, 8 cases [8.5%]of undifferentiated cell type, 12 cases [12.8%]of adenocarcinoma, 8 cases [8.5%]of alveolar cell type, and the 25 cases were undetermined. Cytologic examination of the sputum lacks the accuracy of the bronchoscopies in terms of both localization and accurate histologic indentification of the type of neoplasm. Rigid bronchoscope has the advantage of permitting identification of a tumor in a central location and of providing a sufficient amount of biopsy material for accurate diagnosis of carcinoma. However, it has the disadvantage of limiting examination to the larger, more central portions of the tracheobronchial tree. Bronchofiberscope had the advantage of examine upper lobe as well as other portions of the tracheobronchial tree which could not be visualized with the rigid bronchoscopy. A positive diagnosis in bronchofiberscopy was obtained in the highest rate, 47. 8% [45 cases]. A1 last, if a bronchogenic carcinoma is suspected on the basis of either symptoms of an abnormality on the chest film the diagnostic work-up-sputum cytology, bronchial washing, bronchoscopic biopsy, scalene node biopsy, thoracentesis and mediastinoscopy explothoracotomy etc-should precede in an attempt not only to obtain the higher positive diagnosis but also to obtain a tissue diagnosis and to evaluate the stage of the disease and to ascertain the appropriate mode of therapy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.414-419
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• 1996

To determine the efficacy of OK-432 as pleural sclerosant, we examined the outcomes in 81 patients (age : 27 to 82 years) with malignant pleural effusion and the outcomes in 64 patients ecieving OK-432 3-10KE(1 Klinische Einheit unit) through a chest tube for malignant pleural effusions. Of 81 patients with malignant pleural effusion, 40 patients had lung cancer. Lung cancer is the most frequent cause of malignant pleural effusion in men and women, in which 57 oyo of it was adenocarcinoma. Eighty seven percent of patient had respiratory symptom. Of the 64 patients with intracavitary injection of OK-432 for malignant pleural effusion, 59 patients had a complete short-term response (no fluid reaccumulation during 1 month after intracavitary injection of OK-432). Five patiens of the non-responders had partial control of effusion, with improvement in respiratory symptoms and these patients underwent thoracentesis. Of the 51 patients who survived longer than 1 month, 48 patients did not have re- accumulation of the fluid during follow up. Fever after intracavitary injection of OK-432 was a majors side effect although but that was easily controlled with non-steroidal anti inflammatory drug therapy, Thus the efficacy of intracavitary OK-4)2 injection for malignant pleural effusion was very helpful.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.463-466
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• 2016

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and aggressive type of primary brain neoplasm. The current standard therapy for GBM consists of maximal surgical resection within safe limits, followed by radiation therapy (RT) and chemotherapy with temozolomide. Despite advances in treatment, the prognosis of GBM remains poor. Epileptic seizure is one of the most common symptoms in patients with GBM. Valproic acid (VPA), a histone deacetylase inhibitor, is often used as an anti-epileptic drug in patients with brain neoplasms due to its effectiveness and low toxicity profile. Several in vivo and in vitro studies have indicated that VPA has radiosensitizing effects for gliomas and radioprotective influence on normal brain tissue or hippocampal neurons. The results of several retrospective studies have also indicated potential benefit to improve survival of patients with GBM. Moreover, the promising treatment results of a phase 2 trial of concurrent radiation therapy, temozolomide, and VPA for patients with GBM have been recently reported. The use of VPA in patients with GBM has thus recently receiving more attention. In this article, we review the role of VPA in radiation therapy for GBM, focusing on the clinical evidence.