• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.194-197
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• 2001

Background and Objectives: Supraglottic cancer have a great tendency to spread cervical lymph nodes and lymph node metastasis is a well known prognostic factor. However the treatment for N0 neck in supraglottic cancer is still controversial. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed our neck management of supraglottic cancer patients who present with cN0 contralateral neck from 1989 through 1997. 36 patients were eligible for analysis. The primary site was surgically removed and the neck was managed by elective neck irradiation (ENI), elective neck dissection (END), or therapeutic neck dissection (TND) with postoperative radiation therapy (PORT). Results: Our results revealed that 18 of 36 patients have clinically negative neck, another 18 patients have clinically positive neck (N1-3). In clinically negative group, 12 of 18 patients were received ENI and there was 1 failure in contralateral neck area. Remaining 6 patients were received END with PORT and there was no failure. In clinically positive neck group, 3 of 18 patients were received ipsilateral TND and an additional contralateral END with PORT. Remaining 15 patients who were received TND with PORT, developed 3 neck failure. Conclusion: ENI or ipsilateral or bilateral END can be done in the cN0 neck of supraglottic cancer however ipsilateral TND and contralateral END with PORT is reasonable for the cN(+) neck.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.10-17
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• 2016

Purpose: To evaluate the patterns of nodal failure after radiotherapy (RT) with the reduced volume approach for elective neck nodal irradiation (ENI) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Materials and Methods: Fifty-six NPC patients who underwent definitive chemoradiotherapy with the reduced volume approach for ENI were reviewed. The ENI included retropharyngeal and level II lymph nodes, and only encompassed the echelon inferior to the involved level to eliminate the entire neck irradiation. Patients received either moderate hypofractionated intensity-modulated RT for a total of 72.6 Gy (49.5 Gy to elective nodal areas) or a conventional fractionated three-dimensional conformal RT for a total of 68.4-72 Gy (39.6-45 Gy to elective nodal areas). Patterns of failure, locoregional control, and survival were analyzed. Results: The median follow-up was 38 months (range, 3 to 80 months). The out-of-field nodal failure when omitting ENI was none. Three patients developed neck recurrences (one in-field recurrence in the 72.6 Gy irradiated nodal area and two in the elective irradiated region of 39.6 Gy). Overall disease failure at any site developed in 11 patients (19.6%). Among these, there were six local failures (10.7%), three regional failures (5.4%), and five distant metastases (8.9%). The 3-year locoregional control rate was 87.1%, and the distant failure-free rate was 90.4%; disease-free survival and overall survival at 3 years was 80% and 86.8%, respectively. Conclusion: No patient developed nodal failure in the omitted ENI site. Our investigation has demonstrated that the reduced volume approach for ENI appears to be a safe treatment approach in NPC.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.304-316
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• 2018

Purpose: The indication of elective neck treatment (ENT) for clinically N0 (cN0) paranasal sinus (PNS) carcinoma remains unclear. We aimed to investigate different treatment outcomes regarding ENT and propose optimal recommendations for ENT. Materials and Methods: We identified patients with cN0 PNS carcinoma who underwent curative-intent treatment between 1992 and 2015. Survival outcomes and pattern of failure were compared between patients who received ENT and those who did not. We sought to identify significant patient or pathologic factors regarding treatment outcomes. Results: Among 124 patients meeting the inclusion criteria, 40 (32%) received ENT ('ENT (+) group') and 84 (68%) did not ('ENT (-) group'). With a median follow-up of 54 months, the 5-year overall survival (OS) was 67%, and the 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) was 45%. There was no significant difference between the ENT (+) and ENT (-) groups regarding OS (p = 0.67) and PFS (p = 0.50). Neither group showed a significantly different pattern of failure, including regional failure (p = 0.91). There was no specific benefit, even in the subgroups analysis by tumor site, histologic type, and T stage. Nevertheless, patients who ever had regional and/or distant failure showed significantly worse prognosis. Conclusion: ENT did not significantly affect the survival outcome or pattern of failure in patients with cN0 PNS carcinomas, showing that ENT should not be generalized in this group. However, further discussion on the optimal strategy for ENT should continue because of the non-negligible regional failure rates and significantly worse prognosis after regional failure events.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.280-289
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• 2016

Purpose: Early hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPSCC) is a rarely diagnosed disease, for which the optimal treatment has not been defined yet. We assessed patterns of failure and outcomes in early HPSCC treated with various therapeutic approaches to identify its optimal treatment. Materials and Methods: Thirty-six patients with stage I (n = 10) and II (n = 26) treated between January 1992 and March 2014 were reviewed. Patients received definitive radiotherapy (RT) (R group, n = 10), surgery only (S group, n = 19), or postoperative RT (PORT group, n = 7). All patients in both the R and PORT groups received elective bilateral neck irradiation. In the S group, 7 patients had ipsilateral and 8 had bilateral dissection, while 4 patients had no elective dissection. Results: At a median follow-up of 48 months, the 5-year locoregional control (LRC) rate was 65%. Six patients had local failure, 1 regional failure (RF), 3 combined locoregional failures, and 2 distant failures. There was no difference in 5-year LRC among the R, S, and PORT groups (p = 0.17). The presence with a pyriform sinus apex extension was a prognosticator related to LRC (p = 0.01) in the multivariate analysis. Patients with a bilaterally treated neck showed a trend toward a lower RF rate (p = 0.08). Conclusion: This study shows that patients with early stage HPSCC involving the pyriform sinus apex might need a tailored approach to improve LRC. Additionally, our study confirms elective neck treatment might have an efficacious role in regional control.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.197-201
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• 1990

The primary treatment modality of malignant tumors of the nasopharynx is radiation therapy owing to its inaccessibility to surgical intervention. Over the last two decades there were many changes in techniques of delivery, which include the use of higher doses of radiotherapy, the use of wide radiation field, including the elective radiation of the whole neck, the combined use of brachy- and teletherapy, and the use of split-course therapy. In spite of these advances local and regional recurrences remain the major cause of death. As a boost therapy after external irradiation, high-dose-rate intracavitary irradiation using remote control afterloading system(RALS) was used in two patients. Our results were satisfactory, however, this procedure should only be performed by those who have developed enough expertise in the use of intracavitary techniques for the treatment of nasopharyngeal cancer and have a supportive team including a physicist, dosimetrist, nurse, and trained technologist.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.307-313
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• 1994

Purpose : Maxillary sinus cancers usually are locally advanced and involve the structures around sinus. It is uncommon for this cancer to spread to the regional lymph-nodes. For this reason, local control is of paramount important for cure. A policy of combined treatment is generally accepted as the most effective means of enhancing cure rartes. This paper reports our experience of a retrospective study of 31 Patients treated with radiation therapy alone and combination therapy of surgery and radiation. Materials and Methods: Between July 1974 and January 1992, 47 Patients with maxillary sinus cancers underwent either radiation therpay alone or combination therapy of surgery and radiation. Of these, only 31 patients were eligible for analysis. The distribution of clinical stage by the AJCC system was $26\%$(8/31) for T2 and $74\%$(23/31) for T3 and T4. Eight patients had palpable lymphadenopathy at diagnosis. Primary site was treated by Cobalt-60 radiation therapy using through a $45^{\circ}$ wedge-pair technique. Elective neck irradiation was not routinely given. Of these 8 patients, the six who had clinically involved nodes were treated with definite radiation therapy. The other two patients had received radical neck dissection. The twenty-two patients were treated with radiation alone and 9 patients were treated with combination radiation therapy, The RT alone patients with RT dose less than 60 Gy were 9 and those above 60 Gy were 13. Results : The overall 5 year survival rate was $23.8\%$. The 5 year survival rate by T-stage was $60.5\%$ and $7.9\%$ for T2 and T3,4, respectively. Statistical significance was found by T-stage(p<0.005). The 5 year survival rate by N-stage was $30\%$ for N (-) and $8.3\%$ for N(+), but statistically no significant difference was seen(p${\geq}$0.1). The 5 year survival rate for RT alone and combination RT was $22.5\%$ and $27.4\%$, respectively. The primary local control rate was $65\%$ (20/31). Conclusion : This study did not show significant difference in survival between RT alone and combination RT. There is still much controversy with regard to which treatment is optimum. Improved RT technique and development of multimodality treatment are essential to improve the local control and the survival rate in patients with advanced maxillary sinus cancer.