• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.211-221
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• 2001

A literature study on oncological immune therapy was done, and the results were as follows. 1. Oncological immune therapy is classified as specific non specific therapy or active inactive therapy, and in tumor immune response, cellular immunity operates mainly, so activity of T lymphocytes and macrophages are closely related with growth, progress, metastasis and prospect of tumor. Recently, Immune therapies of gene which use cytokines and HLA-B7 are carrying out. 2. In oriental medicine, development of disease is closely related to up and down of healthy qi, so healthy qi operates as a immune factor and resistance factor. 3. On the base of theory "Increasing healthy qi reduces mass(養正則積自除)", strengthening body resistance is emphasized in cancer therapy. Also strengthening body resistance activates cellular immune response and promote killing tumor facility of T-cell. 4. In clinical view, using immune therapy after operation, radiation, and chemotheraphy is more effective than immune therapy itself, so it is expected that east-west cooperation will be effective in cancer therapy. 5. The study of oncological immunity is progressed on emphasizing T-cell and it is related to oriental medical theory "strengthening healthy qi to eliminate pathogen(扶定祛邪)" and advanced study is expected in future.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.241-248
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• 2017

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of extended-field radiation therapy for patients with thoracic superficial esophageal cancer (SEC). Materials and Methods: From May 2007 to October 2016, a total of 24 patients with thoracic SEC (T1a and T1b) who underwent definitive radiotherapy and were analyzed retrospectively. The median total radiotherapy dose was 64 Gy (range, 54 to 66 Gy) in conventional fractionation. All 24 patients received radiotherapy to whole thoracic esophagus and 23 patients received elective nodal irradiation. The supraclavicular lymph nodes, the celiac lymph nodes, and both of those nodal areas were included in 11, 3, and 9 patients, respectively. Results: The median follow-up duration was 28.7 months (range 7.9 to 108.0 months). The 3-year overall survival, local control, and progression-free survival rates were 95.2%, 89.7%, and 78.7%, respectively. There were 5 patients (20.8%) with progression of disease, 2 local failures (8.3%) and 3 (12.5%) regional failures. Three patients also experienced distant metastasis and had died of disease progression. There were no treatment-related toxicities of grade 3 or higher. Conclusion: Definitive extended-field radiotherapy for thoracic SEC showed durable disease control rates in medically inoperable and endoscopically unfit patients. Even extended-field radiotherapy with elective nodal irradiation was safe without grade 3 or 4 toxicities.

• Journal of Digestive Cancer Research
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.45-49
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• 2018

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cause of cancer-related death in the world. Although the long-term outcome of patients with metastatic CRC is still poor, target therapy including anti EGFR agents and anti VEGF agents and immunotherapy including anti PD-1 antibody and anti CTLA-4 antibody have shown clinical benefits in the treatment of patient with metastatic CRC. In the future, the personalized treatment strategy based on the clinical characteristics and biologic features of patients with metastatic CRC will be necessary. In this review, we summarized the mechanisms and clinical evidences of target therapy and immunotherapy, and the guideline of clinical practice in patients with metastatic CRC.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.129-135
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• 2013

Gastric cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. In advanced and metastatic gastric cancer, the conventional chemotherapy with limited efficacy shows an overall survival period of about 10 months. Patient specific and effective treatments known as personalized cancer therapy is of significant importance. Advances in high-throughput technologies such as microarray and next generation sequencing for genes, protein expression profiles and oncogenic signaling pathways have reinforced the discovery of treatment targets and personalized treatments. However, there are numerous challenges from cancer target discoveries to practical clinical benefits. Although there is a flood of biomarkers and target agents, only a minority of patients are tested and treated accordingly. Numerous molecular target agents have been under investigation for gastric cancer. Currently, targets for gastric cancer include the epidermal growth factor receptor family, mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor axis, and the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-AKT-mammalian target of rapamycin pathways. Deeper insights of molecular characteristics for gastric cancer has enabled the molecular classification of gastric cancer, the diagnosis of gastric cancer, the prediction of prognosis, the recognition of gastric cancer driver genes, and the discovery of potential therapeutic targets. Not only have we deeper insights for the molecular diversity of gastric cancer, but we have also prospected both affirmative potentials and hurdles to molecular diagnostics. New paradigm of transdisciplinary team science, which is composed of innovative explorations and clinical investigations of oncologists, geneticists, pathologists, biologists, and bio-informaticians, is mandatory to recognize personalized target therapy.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.142-148
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• 2016

Purpose: The aim of this pilot study was to determine the effect of soft tissue technique (STT) in Axillary Web Syndrome (AWS) following sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in breast cancer patients by examining the upper extremity function, range of motion, and pain. Methods: Nineteen patients with breast cancer-related AWS were evaluated. STT was performed on the symptom area for treatment of AWS symptoms. We evaluated AWS symptoms and pain intensity using a visual analogue scale (VAS), and functional disability using the Korean version of the Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) questionnaire, glenohumeral joint (GHJ) flexion and abduction range of motion (ROM) with or without elbow extension. Results: Visual analyses of the data suggest a modest effect of STT in improving GHJ flexion, abduction ROM with or without elbow extension, DASH for upper extremity function, and Pain. The statistically significant improvement in baseline observed for pain, DASH, and ROM data made it impossible to assess the effects of STT on those outcomes. There were no adverse events. Conclusions: STT may be an effective and safe treatment option for AWS patients recovering from breast cancer treatment; however, further research is needed.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.12-20
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• 2013

Objective: Standard cancer therapy prolongs survival, but can be detrimental to the quality of life, compromise the immune system, and leave residual disease that can cause recurrence years or decades in the future. Tumor dormancy therapy is a novel therapeutic approach that may improve these shortcomings, promote quality of life, and prolong survival. The aim of this study was to analyze studies on dormancy therapy, especially studies using traditional Oriental herbal medicine, so as to evaluate the efficacy of dormancy therapy with traditional oriental herbal medicine. Methods: We conducted a systematic literature review using Scientific and Technical Information Integration Services (NDSL), PubMed, and RISS. We searched for clinical reports, papers, and books related to tumor metastasis, recurrence, immunotherapy, tumor dormancy, and traditional oriental herbal medicine with anticancer effects. Seventy-nine (79) experimental and clinical articles in both Korean and English were reviewed. This study was conducted from March 1, 2012 to May 31, 2012. Results: This approach, Tumor dormancy therapy, rather than seeking to remove the tumor, includes combination of low-dose chemotherapy, immunotherapy, immunosurveillance, and other methods to stabilize tumor growth and to enhance the host is immunity against disseminated tumor cells and thus to manage cancer as a chronic disease while maintaining quality of life. In particular, integrative use of Oriental herbal medicine has been shown to induce or maintain tumor dormancy, increase the effectiveness of conventional chemotherapy, improve quality of life, and prolong survival. Conclusion: Tumor dormancy therapy is a promising novel therapeutic approach that may be especially effective with Oriental herbal medicine. Further research is needed to determine its potential mechanisms and therapeutic applications.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.361-367
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• 1991

This paper on the status of radiotherapy machine and related facilities, clinical activities and radiation safety management is based on the statistical data which collected through the questionaire sent to a total number of 37 hospitals holding the Department of Therapeutic Radiology in Korea. It is true that the quality of instruments installed in the hospitals equal to that of the instrument in the industrialized conuntries' hospitals. But the clinical specialists and physicists who can utilize such instruments fall short of the required number, which might be a main factor in hindering the development of therapeutic radiology of Korea. According to the nation-wide cancer statistics, we can estimate the number of annual cancer patients as 45,000 to 50,000. As a result, probably around 25,000 should receive radiation therapy. It is expected that in the future the number of cancer patients to whom radiation therapy should be applied will become twice as much as that of the cancer patients in 1990. Given such a condition, the problem facing the Korean Society of Therapeutic Radiology now is to increase the number of medical doctors and physicists.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.11
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• pp.4875-4883
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• 2016

Background and objective: Breast cancer-related lymphoedema (BCRL) is a disabling complication with long term impact on quality on life after breast cancer treatment. Its management remains a major challenge for patients and health care professionals; the goal of this overview was to summarize effects of different treatment strategies for patients with BCRL. Methods: A thorough search was undertaken to allow a systematic review or meta-analysis of treatments for BCRL. Two investigators independently selected studies and abstracted the data. Results: Combined physical therapy (CPT) with different combinations of surgery, oral pharmaceuticals, low-level laser therapy, weight reduction, mesenchymal stem cell therapy, kinesio tex taping, and acupuncture might be effective in reducing lymphoedema, but exercise demonstrated no obvious benefit. The results of direct comparisons showed CPT might be more effective than standard physiotherapy (ST). Manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) may not offer additional benefits to ST for swelling reduction, but could facilitate compression bandaging. MLD seemed to have similar effects with self-administered simple lymphatic drainage (SLD) or using an intermittent pneumatic compression pump (IPC). IPC might also not be associated with additional effectiveness for CPT. Efficacy of stem cell therapy vs. compression sleeve or CPT, as well as the effects of daflon and coumarin could not be established. Conclusion: Although many treatments for BCRL might reduce lymphoedema volume, their effects were not well established. The quality of many of the original studies in the included reviews was not optimal, so that in future randomized control trials are a high priority.

• Clinical Pain
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.25-29
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• 2021

Upper limb morbidity including shoulder pain, lymphedema, adhesive capsulitis, myofascial pain syndrome, and limited range of motions (LROMs) occurs frequently in breast cancer patients. Especially restricted upper limb motion aggravated by chronic lymphedema results in functional limitation and impaired activities of daily living (ADL). However, conventional rehabilitation therapy including complex decongestive therapy and stretching exercise is insufficient for managing advanced breast cancer patients with complex upper limb morbidity. Here, we report a case of breast cancer-related chronic lymphedema in a 62-years old female with severe LROM in all joints of the affected upper extremity that caused severe disability in ADL. Significant improvements in range of motion and upper extremity function were observed after serial extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT), combined with conventional rehabilitation therapy. Therefore, ESWT might be recommended for managing the extensive limited joint motion which causes functional decline in a patient of chronic lymphedema with trophic skin change.

• Journal of Korean Traditional Oncology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.35-41
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• 2018

Objective: The purpose of this study is to report a metastatic adrenocortical carcinoma patient treated with wheel balanced cancer therapy (WBCT) regimen. Methods: A 52-year-old female patient diagnosed and incised with metastatic adrenocortical carcinoma visited the East West Cancer Center (EWCC) on Sep. 1st, 2018 for WBCT. The patient was treated with WBCT for an approximately 2 months, from Sep. 1st to Nov. 9th. Computed tomography (CT) was used to follow-up the tumor site. Laboratory analysis and National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (NCI-CTCAE), version 5.0 were used to evaluate the safety of WBCT. Results: The surgical beds after surgery (Lt. Laparoscopic adrenalectomy) were maintained without recurrence at follow up chest CT, and related symptoms and quality of life (QOL) were improved during the WBCT. Conclusion: This case study suggests that WBCT may help to improve QOL of adrenocortical carcinoma patient.