• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.15-22
• /
• 1973

The definition of cancer, its diagnosis and its prognosis all depend upon description of growth. To the layman a synonym for cancer is a "growth". There are no quantitative terms for the description of growth or growth rate in clinical use. There has been no attempt to assign values that would define "rapidly" or "slowly" growing. Estimates of growth potentiality are implied in the descriptive phrases "poorly differentiated" or "well differentiated", "highly malignant" or "low grade malignancy". and in systems of grading. These qualifying terms represent a personal impression, clinically useful in prognosis, but relative in nature. They do not lend themselves to uniform application or precise measurement for purpose of comparison. Growth is related to size and time. The volume of tumor depends upon the duration of the period of growth and the rate of growth. If the interval and change in volume are known. the average growth rate can be determined. If the growth rate is determined, and assumed to be constant., the duration of a given tumor and the time of inception can be estimated. The commonest concept of the origin of cancer is that as a result of a mutation involving a single cell, succeeding divisions of cells establish a colony with the characteristics recognizable as cancer. If the growth rate of the hypothetical tumor were constant it could be described in terms of "tumor volume doubling time". In the department of thoracic surgery of St. Mary hospital in Catholic Medical College, a clinical evaluation for the growth rate, degree of malignancy, resectability and prognosis was done on a total 24 cases of primary bronchogenic carcinoma which contour was significant on the chest X-ray film as possible estimating the tumor volume doubling time. The following results were obtained: 1. In the cases of 6.0cm or more in diameter of minor size at operation the resectability rate was lower and in the cases of 60 days or more in the tumor or volume doubling time the resectability rate was higher. 2. If differentiation of cancer cells was lower graded in tissue pathology, the tumor volume was shorter and the resectability rate was lower. 3. The tumor volume doubling time of the primary bronchogenic carcinoma occured more over 60 years of age was slightly shorter than under 60 years of age. 4. The tumor size at operation was more important to evaluate the survival time and prognosis than the tumor volume doubling time because the tumor growth was not always constant, we presume.mor volume doubling time because the tumor growth was not always constant, we presume.

• The Southeast Asian review
• /
• v.20 no.3
• /
• pp.223-262
• /
• 2010

This paper has been written to find facts about the image of earth goddess broadly found in the Southeast Asia. The research findings are as follows: Firstly, the image of earth goddess wringing her hair is phenomenally discovered in both Buddhist temple murals and independent shrines in Thailand. This phenomenon is common in other Indochinese Buddhist countries such as Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia. Secondly, the life of Buddha including the story of the victory over Mara is found in such Buddhist canons as Mahavastu, Buddhacarita, Lalitavistara, Nidanakatha and Patamasambodhi. Among the canons, the story of the victory over Mara is described in differently ways. Earth becomes personified as the goddess in later version. The main cause to expel Mara's army also changes from sound to water. Patamasambodhi is most closely associated with the iconography of the earth goddess of Southeast Asia. Thirdly, Vessantara Jataka and Indian ancient customs tell us that a merit maker performs a rite of pouring water on the earth as an evidence for merit-making. This rite is a key to understanding the meaning of the scene where the earth goddess expels Mara's army into the flood by wringing her hair. The earth goddess is personified from the earth upon which the merit water is poured. Water soaked in her hair is the very holy water poured by the Buddha whenever he made a merit in his former lives. The amount of water flowed from the hair of the earth goddess representing the amount of his merit making was so huge and enough to defeat the Mara's army and for the Buddha to reach the Enlightenment. This legend explains the significance of the notion of merit in the Theravada Buddhist countries such as Thailand and Myanmar where the water pouring rites still take place and the images of the hair wringing earth goddess are commonly discovered. Fourthly, the first image of the earth goddess as the witness of merits for the Buddha appeared in some Gandharan Buddhist sculptures in the form of devotional gesture with her both hands pressed together and the upper half of her body above the ground. The appearance is in accordance with the description of her in the Lalitavistara canon. In later periods, the form changed into various types and finally the image of the earth goddess wringing her hair appeared in Southeast Asia around 11 century C.E. Some researchers argue this image form of the earth goddess shows the influence from China or India. However, the arguments are considered to be hypothetical as they have no strong evidence to prove. Finally, the modern image of earth goddess shows richer and more dynamic expression compared with its predecessors. Especially, outstanding is the standing earth goddess images found in the scene of the victory over Mara in many temple murals of central region of Thailand. The earth goddess in her voluptuous body shape is usually depicted as wringing her hair with her arms wide open in a posture of S curve. This appearance strongly reminds us of the postures of Salabhanjika and Tribhanga originated from Indian art. The adoption presumably has been made to signify her fertile and affluent characteristics.