• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.395-399
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• 2016

In the present case, the effect and toxicity of carboplatin and cyclophosphamide chemotherapy combined with surgery of mammary tumors in a dog were examined. An 8-year old spayed female Beagle presented with a mammary tumor. Physical examination, radiography, ultrasonography, computed tomography (CT), and laboratory examination were performed. Metastasis of the mammary tumor was confirmed by CT scan. Chemotherapy using a combination of carboplatin and cyclophosphamide was initiated following surgery. The first cycle of chemotherapy was planned to last for 6 weeks; it was planned that carboplatin would be intravenously administered for the first week (1 day) and cyclophosphamide would be intravenously administered for the next 3 weeks (22 days). Between the end of cycle 1 and the beginning of cycle 2, based on CT, it was confirmed that the number and size of tumors were unchanged and the tumors had not spread to other organs. However, at the end of cycle 2 and the beginning of cycle 3, CT revealed an increase in the number and size of mass in the lung. Chemotherapy was associated with adverse effects such as lethargy, anorexia, leukopenia, and hair loss. In conclusion, this case showed that a combination of carboplatin and cyclophosphamide suppressed the development of new neoplasms as well as metastasis for a certain period of time but did not improve the survival time. Although more cases are required, this chemotherapeutic procedure remains challenging.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.344-349
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• 2021

Background: Cancer patients have been disproportionally affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, with high rates of severe outcomes and mortality. Fever is the most common symptom in COVID-19 patients. During the COVID-19 pandemic, physicians may have difficulty in determining the cause of fever (COVID-19, another infection, or cancer fever) in cancer patients. Furthermore, there are no specific guidelines for managing cancer patients with fever during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, this study evaluated the clinical characteristics and outcomes of cancer patients with fever during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This study retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 328 cancer patients with COVID-19 symptoms (fever) admitted to five hospitals in Daegu, Korea from January to October 2020. We obtained data on demographics, clinical manifestations, laboratory test results, chest computed tomography images, cancer history, cancer treatment, and outcomes of all enrolled patients from electronic medical records. Results: The most common COVID-19-like symptoms were fever (n=256, 78%). Among 256 patients with fever, only three (1.2%) were diagnosed with COVID-19. Most patients (253, 98.8%) with fever were not diagnosed with COVID-19. The most common solid malignancies were lung cancer (65, 19.8%) and hepatobiliary cancer (61, 18.6%). Twenty patients with fever experienced a delay in receiving cancer treatment. Eighteen patients discontinued active cancer treatment because of fever. Major events during the treatment delay period included death (2.7%), cancer progression (1.5%), and major organ dysfunction (2.7%). Conclusion: Considering that only 0.9% of patients tested for COVID-19 were positive, screening for COVID-19 in cancer patients with fever should be based on the physician's clinical decision, and patients might not be routinely tested.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.35-45
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• 2021

Background: As a descriptive study targeting 2,068 cancer patients as men of national merit in 2013, this study aims to provide the basic data for systematizing the early diagnosis and treatment of cancer by comparatively analyzing the 5-year survival rate. Methods: This study researched the survival of cancer patients through Electronic Medical Record and Patriots-Veterans Qualification Program, targeting 2,068 newly-diagnosed cancer patients verified in five veterans hospitals and consigned management system. This study verified differences between general characteristics of cancer patients as men of national merit and analyzed their survival rate. Results: The cancer patients as men of national merit were super-aged as their average age was 72.5. In the analysis of general characteristics of five major prevalent cancers, there were statistically significant differences according to age, region, cancer diagnostic path, differentiation, diagnostic method, treatment method, SEER stage, and survival period, except for the types of the man of national merit (p<0.001). The whole survival rate of cancer patients as men of national merit was 50%. The 5-year survival rates of predisposing cancers were shown as prostate cancer (79%), colorectal cancer (64%), gastric cancer (57%), liver cancer (32%), and lung cancer (12%). In the cancer diagnostic path, all the predisposing cancers showed the highest survival rate in medical examination. In the treatment method, the surgery showed the highest survival rate. The cancer patients as men of national merit showed a lower survival rate than the general cancer patients of Korea. Conclusion: It would be needed to guarantee the honorable and happy life through health recovery as special treatment of contribution and sacrifice of super-aged men of national merit by increasing the cancer survival rates through regular checkup, early diagnosis, and high-quality treatment system that could have important effects on the survival rate according to the occurrence of cancers.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.81 no.1
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• pp.219-224
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• 2020

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor is a rare benign lesion that accounts for 0.04-1% of all lung tumors and usually appears as a solitary pulmonary nodule or mass. Here, we report the case of an endobronchial inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor in a 21-year-old man with a focus on the imaging findings and a review of previous literature.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.84 no.5
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• pp.999-1008
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• 2023

Thyroid cancer, characterized by high incidence rates, good prognosis, and frequent recurrence, is typically treated surgically. However, since the early 2000s, radiofrequency ablation, which is commonly utilized in liver, lung, and kidney cancers, is being performed for management of primary and recurrent thyroid cancers. Many studies have focused on inoperable cases of low-risk papillary microcarcinoma (≤ 1 cm) and some have investigated its role in larger lesions (up to 4 cm). Overall, these studies have reported positive results. Radiofrequency ablation for recurrent cancer has primarily been performed for locally recurrent cervical cancer, and this therapeutic approach has been attempted for treatment of distant metastases in lungs and bones, with encouraging outcomes. A growing global trend, particularly in South Korea, the United States, and Europe supports radiofrequency ablation for thyroid cancer. However, this therapy is currently not recognized as a treatment option recommended by universally accepted clinical guidelines such as those established by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Based on past efforts and future research, radiofrequency ablation is expected to play a key role in thyroid cancer treatment in the near future.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.146-154
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• 2000

Background and Purpose: Radioopaque lesions are commonly seen in patients who received thoracic radiotherapy for various kinds of thoracic neoplasm, But therir exact diagnos are sometimes uncertain. Patients and Methods: We examined simple chest radiograph and computed tomogram(CT) of 69 patients who received thoracic radiotherapy for lung cancer and were follow up at least 6 months in Yeungnam University Medical Center. Results: Of the 69 patients. thirty-eight patients showed radioopaque lesions in their chest radiographs except radiation fibrosis; radiation pneumonitis was witnessed in 24 patients. infectious pneumonia in 8 patients, and recurrence in 6 patients. In radiation pneumonitis patients, the pneumonitis occurred usually between 50 to 130 days after receiving radiation therapy, and interval between pneumonitis and fibrosis is 21 to 104 days. Simple chest radiographs of radiation pneumonitis(24 patients) represented ground glass opacities or consolidation in 4 cases(type I, 17%), reticular of reticulonodular opacities in 10 cases(type II, 42%), irregular patchy consolidations in 2 cases( type III, 8%), and consolidation with fibrosis in 8 cases(type IV, 33%), CT represent ground glass opacities or consolidation in 5 cases(type I, 29%), irregular nodular opacities in 3 cases(type II, 19%), irregular opacity beyond radiation fields in 3 cases(type III, 18%), and consolidation with fibrosis in 6 cased(type IV, 35%). The CT of four patients who represented type II on simple chest radiographs reveal type I and III, and CT of two patients with clinical symptoms who had no abnormal finding on simple radiograph revealed type I. Conclusions: In conclusion, computed tomogram is superior to the simple radiograph when trying to understand the pathologic process of radiation pneumonitis and provide confidence in the diagnosis of radiation induced lung disease.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.55-63
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• 2004

Purpose : To evaluate the reflection of tumor motion according to the planning CT scan time. Material and Methods : A model of N-shape, which moved aiong the longitudinal axis during the ventilation caused by a mechanical ventilator, was produced. The model was scanned by planning CT, while setting the relative CT scan time (T: CT scan time/ventilatory period) to 0.33, 0.50, 0.67, 0.75, 1.00, 1.337, and 1.537. In addition, three patients with non-small cell lung cancer who received stereotactic radiosurgery In the Department of Radiation Oncology, Asan Medical Center from 03/19/2002 to 05/21/2002 were scanned. Slow (10 Premier, Picker, scan time 2.0 seconds per slice) and fast CT scans (Lightspeed, GE Medical Systems, with a scan time of 0.8 second per slice) were peformed for each patient. The magnitude of reflected movement of the N-shaped model was evaluated by measuring the transverse length, which reflected the movement of the declined bar of the model at each slice. For patients' scans, all CT data sets were registered using a stereotactic body frame scale with the gross tumor volumes delineated in one CT image set. The volume and three-dimensional diameter of the gross tumor volume were measured and analyzed between the slow and fast CT scans. Results : The reflection degree of longitudinal movement of the model increased in proportion to the relative CT scan times below 1.00 7, but remained constant above 1.00 T Assuming the mean value of scanned transverse lengths with CT scan time 1.00 T to be $100\%$, CT scans with scan times of 0.33, 0.50, 0.57, and 0.75 T missed the tumor motion by 30, 27, 20, and $7.0\%$ respectively, Slow (scan time 2.0 sec) and Fast (scan time 0.8 sec) CT scans of three patients with longitudinal movement of 3, 5, and 10 mm measured by fluoroscopy revealed the increases in the diameter along the longitudinal axis Increased by 6.3, 17, and $23\%$ in the slow CT scans. Conculsion : As the relative CT scan time increased, the reflection of the respiratory tumor movement on planning CT also Increased, but remained constant with relative CT scan times above 1.00 T When setting the planning CT scan time above one respiration period (>1.00 T), only the set-up margin is needed to delineate the planning target volume. Therefore, therapeutic ratio can be increased by reducing the radiation dose delivered to normal lung tissue.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.39 no.1 s.258
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• pp.1-11
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• 2006

Background: CD44 is a glycoprotein on the cell surface which is involved in the cell-to-cell and cell-to-matrix interaction. The standard form, CD44s and multiple isoforms are determined by alternative splicing of 10 exons. Recent studies have suggested that CD44 may help invasion and metastasis of various epithelial tumors as well as activation of Iymphocytes and monocytes. The expression pattern of CD44 can be different according to tumor types. The author studied the expression pattern of CD44s and one of its variants, CD44v6 in non-small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLC) to find their implications on clinicopathologic aspects, including the survival of the patients. Material and Method: A total of 89 primary NSCLSs (48 squamous cell carcinomas, 33 adenocarcinomas, and 8 undifferentiated large cell carcinomas) were retrieved during the years between 1985 to 1994. The immunohisto chemistry was done by using monoclonal antibodies and the CD44 expression for angiogenesis was evaluated by counting the number of tumor microvessels. Result: Seventy-one (79.8$\%$) and 64 (71 .9$\%$) among 89 NSCLSs revealed the expression of CD44s and CD44v6, respectively. The expression of CD44s was well correlated with that of CD44v6 (r=0.710, p < 0.0001). The expression of CD44s and CD44v6 was associated with the histopathologic type of the NSCLCs, and squamous cell carcinoma was the type that showed the highest expression of CD44s and CD44v6 (p < 0.0001). Microvessel count was the highest in adenocarcinomas (113.6$\pm$69.7 on 200-fold magnification and 54.8$\pm$41.1 on 400-fold magnification) and correlated with the tumor size of TNM system (r=0.217, p=0.043) and CD44s expression (r=0.218, p=0.040). In adenocarcinoma, the patients with higher CD44s expression survived shorter than those with lower CD44s expression (p=0.0194) but there was no statistical significance on multivariate analysis(p=0.3298). Conclusion: The expression of both CD44s and CD44v6 may be associated with the squamous differentiation in non-small cell lung carcinomas. The relationship of CD44s expression with micro-vessel density of the tumor suggests an involvement of CD44s in tumor angiogenesis, which in turn would help tumor growth.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.38 no.1 s.246
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• pp.38-43
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• 2005

Matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) is a class of proteolytic enzymes that digest collagen type IV and other components of the basement membrane. It plays a key role in the local invasion and the formation of distant metastases by various malignant tumors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the activity of MMP-2 and its significance as a prognostic marker in resected stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Material and Method: In this study we obtained fresh-frozen samples of tumor and non-tumor tissues from 34 patients with stage I NSCLC who underwent resection without preoperative radiotherapy or chemotherapy. After the extraction of total protein from tissue samples, MMP-2 activities were assessed by gelatin-substrate-zymography. The activities were divided into the higher or lower groups. Result: The MMP-2 activities were higher in tumor tissues than in non-tumor tissues. The MMP-2 activity of non-tumor tissues in recurrent group was higher than in non-recurrent group (p<0.01). Also the patients with higher MMP-2 activity of non-tumor tissues showed poor 5 year survival (p<0.01). Conclusion: This result indicates that the higher level of MMP-2 activity in the non-tumor tissue is associated with the recurrence and survival after the resection of stage I NSCLC. Therefore, MMP-2 activity in the non-tumor tissue could be used as a potential prognostic marker for the resected stage I-NSCLC.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.644-649
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• 2002

Background : Pulmonary hamartomas are the most common form of benign tumors, occurring in approximately 0.2% of routine autopsies. However, only a few reports on the clinical characteristics of pulmonary hamartoma in Korea have been published. Materials and Methods : The charts, X-rays and pathological specimens of 29 pulmonary hamartoma patients who were diagnosed by a pathological examination from 1990 to 1999 at the Catholic Medical Center were retrospectively reviewed. Results : The peak incidence of the tumor occurred in the sixth decade of life (37.5%). Seventeen patients (58.6%) were asymptomatic and 12 patients (41.4%) had symptoms. Chest discomfort was the most common symptom (31.0%). A total of 25 tumors (86.2%) were parenchymal, and 4 (13.8%) were endobronchial. Twenty cases were in the right lung and 9 cases were in the left lung (approximately 1:2.2). The RLL was the most commonly involved lobe (31.0%). Calcification was noted in 5 cases(19.2%) on a plain X-ray and in 5 cases (29.4%) on chest CT. Accompanied neoplasms were observed in 2 cases. Twenty-four hamartomas (82.8%) were diagnosed by a surgical resection and 4 cases(13.8%) were diagnosed by a fine needle aspiration biopsy. Twenty-six hamartomas (89.7%) were managed by a surgical resection. The follow up ranged from 4 to 55 months (mean, 19.6 months) and no recurrent pulmonary hamartomas were noted. Conclusion : Pulmonary hamartoma is more common in females and more commonly in the right lung. Calcification was noted only in 19.2% on a plain chest X-ray and 29.4% on a chest CT. No recurrent hamartomas had developed during the follow up period.