• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.2793-2796
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• 2014

Background: Glioblastoma multiform (GBM) is a highly aggressive tumor with median survival of approximately 14 months. Management consists of maximal surgical resection followed by post-operative chemoradiation with concurrent then adjuvant temozolamide. The standard radiotherapy dose is 60Gy in 2-Gy fractions recommended by the radiation therapy oncology group (RTOG). With the vast majority of tumor recurrences occurring within the previous irradiation field and the poor outcome associated with standard therapy, regimens designed to deliver higher radiation doses to improve local control and enhance survival are needed. In this study, we report a single institutional experience in treatment of 68 consecutive patients with GBM, treated with resection, and given post-operative radiotherapy followed by concurrent and/or adjuvant chemotherapy. Results: Of the 80 patients who entered this study, 68 completed the treatment course; 45 (66.2%) males and 23 (33.8%) females with a mean age at diagnosis of $49.0{\pm}12.9$ (21-75) years. At a median follow up of 19 months, 39 (57.3%) patients had evidence of tumor progression and 36 (52.9%) had died. The median over all survival for all patients was 16 months and progression free survival for all patients was 6.02 months. All potential prognostic factors were analyzed to evaluate their effects on overall survival. Age ${\leq}50$ year, concurrent and adjuvant chemotherapy and extent of surgery had significant p values. We found lower progression rate among patients who received higher doses of radiotherapy (>60Gy). Higher radiation doses improved progression free survival (p=0.03). Despite increasing overall survival, this elevation was not significant. Conclusions: This study emphasize that higher radiation doses of (>60Gy) can improve local control and potentially survival, so we strongly advise prospective multi centric studies to evaluate the role of higher doses of radiotherapy on GBM patient outcome.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.207-214
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• 2019

Purpose: To identify the prognostic factors that could influence survival and to compare prognoses of the patients with the number of the risk factors that might assist in the adequate management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with bone metastases that showed a heterogeneous range of survival. Materials and Methods: A total of 41 patients, treated with radiotherapy (RT) for bone metastases from HCC from 2014 to 2017, were enrolled retrospectively. Survival was determined by the Kaplan-Meier method from the start of the RT for metastatic bone lesions. Pre-RT clinical features were evaluated and their influences on survival were analyzed. The significant factors were considered to compare survivals according to the number of prognostic factors. Results: Median follow-up was 6.0 months (range, 0.5 to 47.0 months). The median overall survival was 6.5 months, and the 1-year and 2-year survival rates were 35.5% and 13.5%, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that the Child-Pugh class A group, alpha-fetoprotein increased more than 30 ng/mL, and HCC size of more than 5 cm were associated with worse overall survival. The median survivals in HCC with none, 1, 2, and 3 of the aforementioned risk factors were 19.5, 9.0, 2.5, and 1.0 months, respectively (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Our results show that the overall survivals were significantly different according to the number of the risk factors among HCC patients with bone metastases who showed various lengths of survival.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.296-304
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• 2018

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the outcomes of cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) in patients with peritoneal metastasis (PM) of advanced gastric cancer (AGC). Materials and Methods: Between May 2015 and June 2017, 38 CRS and HIPEC procedures were performed in patients with PM of AGC at the Dankook University Hospital. We prospectively collected and analyzed data regarding PM grade, morbidity and mortality rates, and short-term follow-up results (median, 13.5 months). Results: The mean peritoneal cancer index was 15 (range, 0-39). Complete cytoreduction was achieved in 21 patients (55.2%), whereas complications occurred in 16 (42.1%) and 2 (5.7%) patients died. The overall median patient survival time was 19 months. The patients who underwent complete cytoreduction had a median survival time of 26 months, which was significantly longer than the median survival time of 16 months in the patients who did not undergo complete cytoreduction (P=0.006). Conclusions: CRS with HIPEC may have a beneficial effect in patients with PM of AGC. However, the rates of complications and mortality associated with this combined therapeutic approach are high. Therefore, this treatment should be performed only in selected patients by surgeons experienced in the field of gastric cancer with PM.

• Journal of the Korean Statistical Society
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.35-44
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• 1999

We derive a new upper bound of convolution type for the median-unbiased estimators with respect to an arbitrary unimodal utility functions. We also obtain the necessary and sufficient condition for the attainability of the information bound. Applications to general MLR(Monotone Likelihood Ratio) model and censored survival data re discussed as examples.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.233-241
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• 1995

Purpose : To analyse clinical outcome and prognostic factors according to treatment modality, this paper report our experience of retrospective study of patients with esophageal cancer Materials and Methods : One hundred and ten patients with primary esophageal cancer who were treated in Presbyterian Medical Center from May 1985 to December 1992. We analysed these patients retrospectively with median follow up time of 28 months, one hundred and four patients($95{\%}$) were followed up from 15 to 69 months. In methods, twenty-eight patients were treated with median radiation dose irradiated 54.3Gy only. Fifty-six patients were treated with combined chemoradiotherapy. Sixteen cases of these patients were treated with concurrent chemoradiation and the other patients(forty cases) were treated sequential chemoradiotherapy. In concurrent chemoradiotherapy group, patients received 5-FU continuous IV infusion for 4 days. Cisplatin IV bolus. and concurrent esophageal irradiation to 30 Gy. After that patients received 5-FU continuous IV, Cisplatin bolus injection and Mitomycin-C bolus IV, Bleomycin continuous IV, and irradiation to 20 Gy. In sequential chemoradiotherapy group, the chemotherapy consisted of 5-FU 1,000mg/$m^2$ administered as a continuous 24 hour intravenous infusion during five days and Cisplatin 80-100mg/$m^2$ bolus injected, or Bleomycin, Vinblastine, Cisplatin, Methotrexate were used of 1 or 2 cycles. After preoperative concurrentm chemoradiation twenty-six patients underwent radical esophagectomy. Results : Ninety-three patients could be examined for response assessment, By treatment modality, response rates were $85.1{\%}$ for radiation alone group and $86.3{\%}$ for combined chemoradiation group. But in operation group, after one cycle of concurrent chemoradiation treatment, response rate was $61.9{\%}$. The pathologic complete response were $15.4{\%}$ in operation group. Overall median survival was II months and actuarial 5-year survival rate was $8{\%}$. The median survival interval was 6 months for radiation alone group, 11 months for combined chemoradiation group and 19 months for operation group. And also median survival was 19 months for complete responder group that 8 months for noncomplete responder group. In univariative analysis, statistically significant prognostic factors were tumor size, clinical stage, tumor response, and operation. In multivariative analysis, significantly better survival was associated with clinical stage, tumor response, radiation dose, and operation. Conclusion : Compared with radiotherapy alone, combined multimodality may improve the median survival in patients with localized carcinoma of the esophagus and toxicity is acceptable.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.10
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• pp.5081-5086
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• 2012

Background: The liver is one of the most common metastatic sites of breast cancer, hepatic metastases developing in 6%-25% of patients with breast cancer and being associated with a poor prognosis. The aim of this study was to analyze the survival and clinical characteristics of patients with hepatic metastases from breast cancer of different molecular subtypes and to investigate the prognostic and predictive factors that effect clinical outcome. Methods: We retrospectively studied the charts of 104 patients with breast cancer hepatic metastases diagnosed at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center from December 1990 to June 2009. Subtypes were defined as luminal A, luminal B, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) enriched, triple-negative (TN). Prognostic factor correlations with clinical features and treatment approaches were assessed at the diagnosis of hepatic metastases. Results: The median survival time was 16.0 months, and the one-, two- three-, four-, five-year survival rates were 63.5%, 31.7%, 15.6%, 10.8%, and 5.4%, respectively. Median survival periods after hepatic metastases were 19.3 months (luminal A), 13.3 months (luminal B), 18.9 months (HER2-enriched), and 16.1 months (TN, P=0.11). In multivariate analysis, a 2 year-interval from initial diagnosis to hepatic metastasis, treatment with endocrine therapy, and surgery were independent prognostic factors. Endocrine therapy could improve the survival of luminal subtypes (P=0.004) and was a favorable prognostic factor (median survival 23.4 months vs. 13.8 months, respectively, P=0.011). Luminal A group of patients treated with endocrine therapy did significantly better than the Luminal A group of patients treated without endocrine therapy (median survival of 48.9 vs. 13.8 months, P=0.003). Conclusions: Breast cancer subtypes were not associated with survival after hepatic metastases. Endocrine therapy was a significantly favorable treatment for patients with luminal subtype.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.60 no.1
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• pp.21-29
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• 2017

Objective : The purpose of this study was to analyze outcomes and identify prognostic factors in patients with cerebral metastases from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with gamma knife radiosurgery (GKS) particularly, focusing on associations of biomarkers and systemic treatments. Methods : We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 134 patients who underwent GKS for brain metastases due to NSCLC between January 2002 and December 2012. Representative biomarkers including epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation, K-ras mutation, and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) mutation status were investigated. Results : The median overall survival after GKS was 22.0 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 8.8-35.1 months). During follow-up, 63 patients underwent salvage treatment after GKS. The median salvage treatment-free survival was 7.9 months (95% CI, 5.2-10.6 months). Multivariate analysis revealed that lower recursive partition analysis (RPA) class, small number of brain lesions, EGFR mutation (+), and ALK mutation (+) were independent positive prognostic factors associated with longer overall survival. Patients who received target agents 30 days after GKS experienced significant improvements in overall survival and salvage treatment-free survival than patients who never received target agents and patients who received target agents before GKS or within 30 days (median overall survival: 5.0 months vs. 18.2 months, and 48.0 months with p-value=0.026; median salvage treatment-free survival: 4.3 months vs. 6.1 months and 16.6 months with p-value=0.006, respectively). To assess the influence of target agents on the pattern of progression, cases that showed local recurrence and new lesion formation were analyzed according to target agents, but no significant effects were identified. Conclusion : The prognosis of patients with brain metastases of NSCLC after GKS significantly differed according to specific biomarkers (EGFR and ALK mutations). Our results show that target agents combined with GKS was related to significantly longer overall survival, and salvage treatment-free survival. However, target agents were not specifically associated with improved local control of the lesion treated by GKS either development of new lesions. Therefore, it seems that currently popular target agents do not affect brain lesions themselves, and can prolong survival by controlling systemic disease status.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.164-172
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• 2014

Purpose: To evaluate the incidence, clinicopathological characteristics, treatment outcomes, prognostic factors, and survival of gastric cancer patients with bone metastases. Materials and Methods: Of 4,617 gastric cancer patients who were treated between 2001 and 2013, 176 patients with bone metastases were analyzed. Results: The incidence of bone metastasis was 3.8%. The most common histopathological subtype was adenocarcinoma (79%) with poor differentiation (60.8%). The median interval from the diagnosis to bone metastasis was 11 months. The median survival time after bone metastasis was 5.4 months. Factors that were associated with longer median survival times included the following: isolated bone metastasis (P=0.004), well-differentiated tumors (P=0.002), palliative chemotherapy (P=0.003), zoledronic acid treatment (P<0.001), no smoking history (P=0.007), and no metastatic gastric cancer at the time of diagnosis (P=0.01). On the other hand, high levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.86; P=0.015), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) (HR: 2.04; P=0.002), and carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 (HR: 2.94; P<0.001) were associated with shorter survival times. In multivariate analysis, receiving zoledronic acid (P<0.001) and performance status (P=0.013) were independent prognostic factors. Conclusions: Smoking history, poor performance status, poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma, and high levels of LDH, CEA, and CA 19-9 were shown to be poor prognostic factors, while receiving chemotherapy and zoledronic acid were associated with prolonged survival in gastric cancer patients with bone metastases.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.20
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• pp.8987-8992
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• 2014

Background: The efficacy of concurrent chemoradiotherapy in the treatment of locally advanced cervical cancer is well established. We aimed to investigate the long-term efficacy of definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy for cervical cancer in the University of Malaya Medical Centre. Materials and Methods: A cohort of 60 patients with FIGO stage IB2-IVA cervical cancer who were treated with definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy with cisplatin followed by intracavitary brachytherapy or external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) boost between November 2001 and May 2008 were analysed. Patients were initially treated with weekly intravenous cisplatin ($40mg/m^2$) concurrent with daily EBRT to pelvis of 45-50Gy followed by low dose rate brachytherapy or EBRT boost to tumour. Local control rate, progression free survival, overall survival and treatment related toxicities graded by the RTOG criteria were evaluated. Results: The mean age was 56. At the median follow-up of 72 months, the estimated 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) (median PFS 39 months) and the 5-year overall survival (OS) (median OS 51 months) were 48% and 50% respectively. The 5-year local control rate was 67.3%. Grade 3-4 late gastrointestinal and genitourinary toxicity occurred in 9.3% of patients. Conclusions: The 5-year PFS and the 5-year OS in this cohort were lower than in other institutions. More advanced stage at presentation, longer overall treatment time (OTT) of more than fifty-six days and lower total dose to point A were the potential factors contributing to a lower survival.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.117-122
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• 2014

Background: Breast cancer is the most common malignancy and the second leading cause of cancer-related death among women in the developed countries. Despite advances in screening, improved local therapies and adjuvant systemic treatments, median survival of metastatic breast cancer patients (MBC) is in the range of 2-3 years at most. We aimed to investigate whether the prognostic factors and therapeutic responses of our Turkish patients are similar to those in the literature. Materials and Methods: We reviewed the medical records of MBC patients who had been treated in our institution between 1999-2009 and analyzed their clinicopathological features and survival outcomes retrospectively Results: A hundred and sixty patients were included. Median age was 47 (23-82), median follow up was 24 (2-186) months. At the time of diagnosis 59% of patients were under the age of 50 and 46% were postmenopausal. The majority (37%) had multiple sites of metastases. Forty percent received endocrine therapy and 40% chemotherapy as first line metastatic treatment. Thirty (20%) patients were treated with molecular targeting agents like trastuzumab, lapatinib and sunitinib, frequently combined with a chemotherapy agent. Five-year overall survival (OS) was 32% and median OS was 38 months for the whole group. Five year progression free survival (PFS) was 10% and median PFS was 10 months. Menopausal status, hormone receptor expression and disease free status had a significant impact on overall survival in the multivariate analysis (p 0.018, p 0.018 and p:0.003, respectively). Conclusions: All our patients were treated with the modern oncologic therapies recommended by the international guidelines. From our data, MBC patients live up to 3-4 years, indicating that further improvement beyond that requires development of new treatment modalities. The survival outcomes of our patients were consistent with the data reported in the literature.