• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.79-92
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• 2007

[ $\underline{Purpose}$ ]: For the first time, a nationwide survey in the Republic of Korea was conducted to determine the basic parameters for the treatment of esophageal cancer and to offer a solid cooperative system for the Korean Pattern of Care Study database. $\underline{Materials\;and\;Methods}$: During $1998{\sim}1999$, biopsy-confirmed 246 esophageal cancer patients that received radiotherapy were enrolled from 23 different institutions in South Korea. Random sampling was based on power allocation method. Patient parameters and specific information regarding tumor characteristics and treatment methods were collected and registered through the web based PCS system. The data was analyzed by the use of the Chi-squared test. $\underline{Results}$: The median age of the collected patients was 62 years. The male to female ratio was about 91 to 9 with an absolute male predominance. The performance status ranged from ECOG 0 to 1 in 82.5% of the patients. Diagnostic procedures included an esophagogram (228 patients, 92.7%), endoscopy (226 patients, 91.9%), and a chest CT scan (238 patients, 96.7%). Squamous cell carcinoma was diagnosed in 96.3% of the patients; mid-thoracic esophageal cancer was most prevalent (110 patients, 44.7%) and 135 patients presented with clinical stage III disease. Fifty seven patients received radiotherapy alone and 37 patients received surgery with adjuvant postoperative radiotherapy. Half of the patients (123 patients) received chemotherapy together with RT and 70 patients (56.9%) received it as concurrent chemoradiotherapy. The most frequently used chemotherapeutic agent was a combination of cisplatin and 5-FU. Most patients received radiotherapy either with 6 MV (116 patients, 47.2%) or with 10 MV photons (87 patients, 35.4%). Radiotherapy was delivered through a conventional AP-PA field for 206 patients (83.7%) without using a CT plan and the median delivered dose was 3,600 cGy. The median total dose of postoperative radiotherapy was 5,040 cGy while for the non-operative patients the median total dose was 5,970 cGy. Thirty-four patients received intraluminal brachytherapy with high dose rate Iridium-192. Brachytherapy was delivered with a median dose of 300 cGy in each fraction and was typically delivered $3{\sim}4\;times$. The most frequently encountered complication during the radiotherapy treatment was esophagitis in 155 patients (63.0%). $\underline{Conclusion}$: For the evaluation and treatment of esophageal cancer patients at radiation facilities in Korea, this study will provide guidelines and benchmark data for the solid cooperative systems of the Korean PCS. Although some differences were noted between institutions, there was no major difference in the treatment modalities and RT techniques.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.100-107
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• 1999

Purpose: This is to evaluate the acute complication, resection rate, and tumor down-staging after pre-operative concurrent chemoradiotherapy for stage IIIA (N2) non-small cell lung cancer. Materials and Methods Fifteen patients with non-small cell lung cancer were enrolled in this study from May 1997 to June 1998 in Samsung Medical Center. The median age of the patients was 61 (range, 45~67) years and male to female ratio was 12:3. Pathologic types were squamous cell carcinoma (11) and adenocarcinoma (4). Pre-operative clinical tumor stages were cT1 in 2 patients, cT2 in T2, and cT3 in 1 and all were N2. Ten patients were proved to be N2 with mediastinoscopic biopsy and five had clinically evident mediastinal Iymph node metastases on the chest CT scans. Pre-operative radiation therapy field included the primary tumor, the ipsilateral hilum, and the mediastinum. Total radiation dose was 45 Gy over 5 weeks with daily dose of 1.8 Gy. Pre-operative concurrent chemotherapy consisted of two cycles of intravenous cis-Platin (100 mg/m$^{2}$) on day 1 and oral Etoposide (50 mg/m$^{2}$/day) on days 1 through 14 with 4 weeks' interval. Surgery was followed after the pre-operative re-evaluation including chest CT scan in 3 weeks of the completion of the concurrent chemoradiotherapy if there was no evidence of disease progression. Results : Full dose radiation therapy was administered to all the 15 patients. Planned two cycles of chemotherapy was completed in 11 patients and one cycle was given to four. One treatment related death of acute respiratory distress syndrome occurred In 15 days of surgery. Hospital admission was required in three patients including one with radiation pneumonitis and two with neutropenic fever. Hematologic complications and other acute complications including esophagitis were tolerable. Resection rate was 92.3% (12/l3) in 13 patients excluding two patients who refused surgery. Pleural seeding was found in one patient after thoracotomy and tumor resection was not feasible. Post-operative tumor stagings were pT0 in 3 patients, pTl in 6, and pT2 in 3. Lymph node status findings were pN0 in 8 patients, pN1 in 1, and pN2 in 3. Pathologic tumor down-staging was 61.5% (8/13) including complete response in three patients ($23.7%). Tumor stage was unchanged in four patients (30.8%) and progression was in one (7.7%). Conclusions : Pre-operative concurrent chemoradiotherapy for Stage IIIA (N2) non-small cell lung cancer demonstrated satisfactory results with no increased severe acute complications. This treatment shceme deserves more patinet accrual with long-term follow-up.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.194-199
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• 2000

Purpose : Then determining the lower margin of post-operative pelvic radiation therapy field according to the traditional method (recommended by Gunderson), the organs located in the low pelvic cavity and the perineum are vulnerable to unnecessary radiation. This study evaluated the effect of individualized determination of the lower margin at 2 cm to 3 cm below the anastomotic site on the failure patterns. Materials and Methods . Authors included ぉ patients with modified Astler-Coiler (MAC) stages from B2 through C3, who received low anterior resection and post-operative pelvic radiation therapy from Sept. 1994 to May 1998 at Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University. The numbers of male and female patients were 44 and 44, and the median age was 57 years (range: 32-81 years). Three field technique (posterior-anterior and bilateral portals) by 6, 10, 15 MV X-rays was used to deliver 4,500 cGy to the whole pelvis followed by Sn cGy's small field boost to the tumor bed over 5.5 weeks. Sixteen patients received radiation therapy by traditional field margin determination, and the lower margin was set either at the low margin of the obturator foramen or at 2 cm to 3 cm below the anastomotic site, whichever is lower. In 72 patients, the lower margin was set at 2 cm to 3 cm below the anastomotic site, irrespectively of the obturator foramen, by which the reduction of radiation volume was possible in 55 patients ($76\%$). Authors evaluated and compared survival, local control, and disease-free survival rates of these two groups. Results : The median follow-up period was 27 months (range : 7-58 months). MAC stages B2 in 32($36\%$), B3 in 2 ($2\%$), Cl in 2 ($2\%$), C2 in 50 ($57\%$), and C3 in 2 ($2\%$) Patients, respectively. The entire patients' overall survival rates at 2 and 4 years were $94\%$ and $68\%$, respectively, and disease-free survival rates at 2 and 4 years were $86\%$ and $58\%$, respectively. The first failure sites were local only in 4, distant only in 14, and combined local and distant in 1 patient, respectively. There was no significant difference with respect to local control and disease-free survival rates ( p=0.42, p=0.68) between two groups of different lower margin determination policies. Conclusion : The new concept in the individualized determination of the lower margin depending on the anastomotic site has led to the equivalent local control and disease-free survival rates, and is expected to contribute to the reduction of unnecessary radiation-related morbidity by reduction of radiation volume, compared with the traditional method of lower margin determination.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.59-66
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• 1994

Seventy-five patients with tumors of the head and neck treated with either radiation therapy alone or combined with surgery or chemotherapy were studied prospectively to evaluate the effects of radiation therapy to the neck on thyroid gland between September 1986 and October 1992. All patients were serially monitored for thyroid function tests before and after radiation therapy. Radiation dose to the thyroid gland ranged from 35 to 60 Gy with a median dose of 50 Gy. Median follow-up time was 30 months with a range of 11 to 85 months. The incidence of thyroid dysfunction was 40$ \% $: forty-five patients(60$ \% $) euthyroid, 2 patients(3$ \% $) clinical hypothyroidism, 27 patients(36$ \% $) subclinical hypothyroidism and 1 patient(1$ \% $) hyperthyroidism. No thyroid nodules or thyroid cancer were detected in any patients. Thyroid dysfunction appeared earlier in patients who underwent surgery than in those patients treated with radiation therapy alone or combination of chemotherapy and radiation therapy(P=0.0013). By multivariate analysis, risk factors that significantly influenced a higher incidence of thyroid dysfunction were female sex(p=0.0293) and combination of total laryngectomy and radiation therapy(p : 0.0045). In conclusion, evaluation of thyroid function before and after radiation therapy with periodic thyroid function tests are recommended to detect thyroid dysfunction in time and thyroid hormone replacement therapy is recommended whenever thyroid dysfunction develops.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.76-83
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• 1999

Purpose: We performed this study to compare T1-201 and Tc-99m MIBI scans for the differentiation of malignant from benign breast mass. Materials and Methods: Thirty-eight female patients underwent T1-201 breast scan and thirty-two of them also underwent Tc-99m MIBI scan of the breast. After intravenous injection of 74-111 MBq of T1-201, early (10 minutes) and delayed (3 hours) images were obtained. Then, 555-740 MBq of Tc-99m MIBI was injected and images after 30 minutes were obtained. We compared T1-201 and Tc-99m MIBI scans with pathologic results. Results: Twenty-three patients were confirmed to have infiltrating duct carcinoma and fifteen patients to have benign breast mass by excisonal biopsy. The sensitivity of early and delayed T1-201 scan and Tc-99m MIBI scan in the detection of malignant breast lesion were 100% (23/23), 82% (18/22), and 90% (18120), respectively. The sensitivity of early T1-201 scan was significantly higher than that of delayed T1-201 scan (p<0.05). The specificity of early and delayed T1-201 scan and Tc-99m MIBI scan were 73% (l1/15), 73% (l1/15) and 83% (10/12), respectively (p: not significant). Three patients out of nine with fibroadenoma and one patient with atypical duct hyperplasia were false positive in both early and delayed T1-201 scans. The size of fibroadenoma with false positive in early and delayed T1-201 scan (4 cases) was larger than that of 11 fibroadenoma with true negative scan (p<0.01). Metastatic axillary lymph node involvement was present in fifteen patients. The sensitivity to detect metastatic nodes was 38% (5/13) for early T1-201 images, 15% (2/13) for delayed T1-201 images, 58% (7/12) for Tc-99m MIBI planar images and 67% (4/6) for Tc-99m MIBI SPECT. The sensitivity of Tc-99m MIBI planar or SPECT was significantly higher than that of delayed T1-201 images (p<0.05). Conclusion: Early T1-201 and Tc-99m MIBI scan are useful noninvasive methods to differentiate malignant from benign mass of breast Tc-99m MIBI scan was sensitive in detecting axillary lymph node metastasis in patients with breast cancer.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.564-573
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• 1999

Background: With variable symptoms and nonspecific radiographic appearances, pulmonary embolism (PE) is a frequent and often undiagnosed cause of mortality and morbidity. The Prospective Investigation of Pulmonary Embolism Diagnosis (PIOPED) study suggested that the majority of patients undergoing ventilation-perfusion (V-Q) scan would require additional studies to establish or to exclude the diagnosis of PE. Pulmonary angiography has been regarded as gold standard for diagnosis of PE. However, it is an invasive procedure that may be associated with significant notable morbidity and mortality. Thus, availability of an accurate, noninvasive screening examination is highly desirable. Method: From October 1994 to February 1997, twenty patients (male 13, female 7, range 23-91 years, median 58 years) who were suspected as pulmonary embolism on the basis of clinical evidence and underwent the spiral volumetric computed tomography (spiral CT), were studied retrospectively to evaluate the effectiveness of spiral CT as a diagnostic tool in PE. Results: PE could be excluded with spiral CT in 4 patients ; diagnoses of these patients were lung cancer, pneumonia with lung abscess, bilateral pleural effusion due to congestive heart failure, nonspecific pulmonary abnormality retrospectively. One patient who disclosed high probability in V/Q scan, could be diagnosed as pneumonia with lung abscess and underlying emphysema with spiral CT. Among 4 patients who showed intermediate and low probability in V/Q scan, 3 patients could be confirmed as PE with spiral CT. Spiral CT was helpful in 3 patients, in whom V/Q scan could not be performed due to other reasons (e.g. night time, mechanical ventilation) to confirm the diagnosis of PE. Spiral CT could demonstrate embolus above lobar artery level in 11 patients, and up to segmental artery level in 5 patients. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that spiral CT could allow accurate demonstration of thrombotic clots in centrally localized embolism. Spiral CT could be effective, specific, noninvasive and useful diagnostic screening modality for the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.246-259
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• 2000

The purpose of this study was to assess the provided home health care services and to evaluate the patient's satisfaction level of received home health care services. Well trained two home health care nurses interviewed with 138 respondents who received home health care by Keimyung University Hospital from January 1st to August 31st 1999. The results were summarized as follows : 1) Among 138 respondents, $55.8\%$ were mail and $44.2\%$ were female and $70.3\%$ of them were over sixty years old. Respondents main family care givers were spouse$(53.6\%)$, daughters and sons$(36.2\%)$ and parents$(7.2\%)$. 2) $60.2\%$ of cancer patients received home health care services, $23.3\%$ of cerebral­cardiovascular patients, $7.5\%$ of endocrine disorder patients, $2.3\%$ of those who have indwelling foley catheter patients, $1.5\%$ of those who have respiratory problems and others$(5.2\%)$. 3) $88.1\%$ of respondents were satisfied with the number of home visits they received. $50.5\%$ of respondents' were received 1 to 3 times of home visits by home health care nurse per month. $48.6\%$ of respondents answered they were introduced by attending doctors or nurses to home health care services. $55.8\%$ of respondents answered registration to home health care services was simple and easy. $97.4\%$ of respondents answered home health care payment system was adequate. $64.9\%$ of respondents answered the cost of home health care per visit was adequate and comfortable. 4) Health education, counselling, physical assessment was provided to most of the patients. Those who suffered with cerebral-cardiovascular disease was needed hands on direct care most of all. The least home health care service provided was medication. 5) The satisfaction measurement tool was composed with 13 items and 3 score scale. The mean score of satisfaction on provided home health care services was 2.67 out of 3. Among 13 items. 'home health care service was kind enough' was highest(2.84). 'nurse use precise word to understand and communicate'. 'nurse gave home visiting notice ahead of time and kept the home visiting promise on time' was 2.83. 'whenever I need home health care nurse I can give a call and meet the nurse' was lowest 2.41. Special Home Health care programs such as comprehensive hospice care programs for elders over sixty years old should be organized. Adequate and standardized home health care payment system should be developed as soon as possible. In korean family situation. when family members are getting sick and stay at home. family members were taking care of the patients. special program such as counselling family members are needed.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.86-92
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• 2009

Purpose: The PET/CT has a clear distinction on the lesion of the functional image by adding anatomical information. It also could reduce the examination time using CT data as the attenuation-correction. When the stomach was contracted from a fast, it could bring a misinterpretation of the cancer of the lesion with a presence of physiological $^{18}F$-FDG uptake in stomach and it occasionally would bring an additional scan to confirm. To complement this shortcoming, the method that the patients had water before the examination to extend the stomach had been attempted. However, a short excretion time of the stomach did not give sufficiently extended image of the stomach. Then the patients had additional water and had the examination again. Therefore, the noticed fact is that the stomach excretion time depends on calories, protein content, and the level of carbohydrate. In this study, we use an orange juice to evaluate the extension of the stomach and usefulness of it. Materials and Methods: PET/CT scan were obtained on total 150 of patient from February 2008 to October2008, There were 3 groups in this study and each group had 50 patients. First group drank nothing, Second group drank water and third group drank orange juice. The patients (man 25, female 25) not drinking are the age of 30~71 years old (average: 54), the patients (man: 25, female: 25) drinking water (400 cc) are the age of 28~71 years old (average: 54) and the patients (man: 25, female: 25) drinking orange juice (400 cc) are the age of 32~74 years old (average: 56). The patients were fasted in 6-8 hours before the test, the patients were not diabetic. $^{18}F$-FDG 370~555 MBq were injected intravenously. The patients were in stable position for 1 hour, than the image was obtained. The patients drank water and other patients drank orange juice before Whole body scan. The image scan started from mid-femur to skull base. The emission scan acquired for three minutes per bed and the images were reconstructed. Stomach extension analysis is measured from vertical and horizontal length. Results: Stomach Extension was described as the vertical length of the Non Drink Group was $1.20{\pm}0.50\;cm$, horizontal length was $1.4{\pm}0.53\;cm$, the vertical length of the Water Drink Group was $1.67{\pm}0.63\;cm$, horizontal length was $1.65{\pm}0.77\;cm$, the vertical length of Orange juice Drink Group was $3.48{\pm}0.77\;cm$, horizontal length was $3.66{\pm}0.77\;cm$ in coronal image. Stomach Extension was described the vertical length of the Non Drink Group was $2.03{\pm}0.62\;cm$, horizontal length was $1.69{\pm}0.68\;cm$, the vertical length of Water Drink Group was $5.34{\pm}1.62\;cm$, horizontal length was $2.45{\pm}0.72\;cm$, the vertical length of Orange juice Drink Group was $7.74{\pm}1.62\;cm$, horizontal length was $3.57{\pm}0.77\;cm$ in transverse image. The Stomach Extension has specific differences (p<0.001). The SUVs shows the Non Drink Group were measured as Liver $2.52{\pm}0.42$, Lung $0.51{\pm}0.14$, the Water Drink Group were measured as Liver $2.47{\pm}0.38$, Lung $0.50{\pm}0.14$, Orange juice Drink Group were measured as Liver $2.47{\pm}0.38$, Lung $0.50{\pm}0.14$. The SUVs did not have specific differences (p>0.759). Conclusions: There was not a large difference of SUV in three groups. When the patients drank Orange juice and water, the range extension of stomach was higher than without drinking nothing and it was possible to acquire fully extended images. Therefore, it will be possible that unnecessary additional stomach scans will be reduced by drinking orange juice before the examination so that the patients' claim from uncomfortable and long period of fast will be minimized.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.140-156
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• 2007

This research was performed to investigate the morphological changes of folliculus ovary according to the radiation dose. The whole body radiation of 200 cGy, 400 cGy, and 600 cGy was given to the each groups of 5 months-aged female mouse. Various staining methods used in this research are: Hematosylin-Eosin method, and immunohistochemistrical methods using BrdU, TUNEL, p53, p21, PCNA and inhibin. The minute structural changes of folliculus ovary were observed through an electron microscope with high magnification. The morphological changes of growing folliculus ovary became distinct as the dose of X-rays increased. Especially, the nuclei of granular cells showed manifest condensation and the changes of the transparent zone were distinct. As a result of histochemical reaction according to Masson's trichrome method and reticular fiber method, the changed granular cells, the deformed basilar membrane of folliculus ovary and the abnormal arrangement of the reticular fiber were observed. In the reaction of BrdU, the granular cells of normal folliculus ovary with positive reaction rapidly decreased according to the increase of the dose of X-rays. In TUNEL study, granular cells showing positive reaction in retarded folliculus ovary were expanded to growing folliculus ovary and primordial folliculus ovary according to the increase of the dose of X-rays. In case of 600 cGy of X-rays, oocyte underwent apoptosis. In p53 immunohistochemistry, p53 manifested to be stronger as the dose of X-rays increased. p53 reactivity was manifested distinctively in all cells comprising folliculus ovary following irradiation of 600 cGy. p21 was manifested in granular cells of folliculus ovary and showed very positive reaction around follicular antrum according to the increase of the dose of X-rays. In PCNA, positive reaction was manifested in growing folliculus ovary, mature folliculus ovary and primordial folliculus ovary, but the extent of the reaction decreased as the dose of the X-rays decreased. The finding that the reaction of granular cells around folliculus ovary was stronger than that near follicular membrane indicates that what was damaged first by X-ray was the cells near folliculus ovary and follicular antrum. The reactivity of $inhibin-{\alpha}$ showed difference according to the growing stage of folliculus ovary: $inhibin-{\alpha}$ showed the most strong reaction in mature folliculus ovary with follicular antrum. There was strong reaction in granular cells around follicular membrane but $inhibin-{\alpha}$ did not occur at all in theca cells comprising follicular membrane. $Inhibin-{\alpha}$ in ovary tissue exposed to 400 cGy of X-rays was manifested more strongly than in ovary tissue exposed to 600 cGy of X-rays, which was related to the phenomenon that granular cells of mature folliculus ovary underwent necrosis or apoptosis increasingly due to X-rays. In an electron microscope with high magnification, nuclei and protoplasm of granular cells in growing folliculus ovary abruptly underwent minute structural changes according to the increase of dose of X-rays. Cell residue, by-product of cell decease, neutrophil and macrophage around follicular antrum were observed. The minute structural changes in granular cells showed typical characteristics of apoptosis: the increase of electronic density due to nuclear condensation, fragmentation of nuclei and atrophy of protoplasm. Necrosis of cells was identified but it was not so remarkable. Macrophage with apoptotic bodies was scattered. Proportional to the radiation dose, we found that the generation of heterogeneous substance of normal ovary texture's follicular fluid, the emergence of dyeing characteristic in the basilar membrane of folicle, the generation of apoptosis, and the transformation of macrophages, etc. From this results, we can infer the possible radiation hazard on the ovary of cervix cancer patient with radiation therapy.