• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.149-156
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• 2013

Purpose: Clinical stage of gastric cancer is currently assessed by computed tomography. Accurate clinical staging is important for the tailoring of therapy. This study evaluated the accuracy of clinical N staging using stomach protocol computed tomography. Materials and Methods: Between March 2004 and November 2012, 171 patients with gastric cancer underwent preoperative stomach protocol computed tomography (Jeju National University Hospital; Jeju, Korea). Their demographic and clinical characteristics were reviewed retrospectively. Two radiologists evaluated cN staging using axial and coronal computed tomography images, and cN stage was matched with pathologic results. The diagnostic accuracy of stomach protocol computed tomography for clinical N staging and clinical characteristics associated with diagnostic accuracy were evaluated. Results: The overall accuracy of stomach protocol computed tomography for cN staging was 63.2%. Computed tomography images of slice thickness 3.0 mm had a sensitivity of 60.0%; a specificity of 89.6%; an accuracy of 78.4%; and a positive predictive value of 78.0% in detecting lymph node metastases. Underestimation of cN stage was associated with larger tumor size (P<0.001), undifferentiated type (P=0.003), diffuse type (P=0.020), more advanced pathologic stage (P<0.001), and larger numbers of harvested and metastatic lymph nodes (P<0.001 each). Tumor differentiation was an independent factor affecting underestimation by computed tomography (P=0.045). Conclusions: Computed tomography with a size criterion of 8 mm is highly specific but relatively insensitive in detecting nodal metastases. Physicians should keep in mind that computed tomography may not be an appropriate tool to detect nodal metastases for choosing appropriate treatment.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.37-40
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• 2007

Objectives：Cutaneous angiosarcoma is an infrequent but aggressive neoplasm involving the skin of the face and scalp. Unfamiliarity with the clinical manifestations of cutaneous angiosarcoma frequently leads to misdiagnosis and delay in treatment. Complete surgical resection requires the performance of preoperative staging biopsies to determine the true extent of the neoplasm. Intraoperative frozen section analysis to determine the adequacy of the surgical resection is unreliable due to the high false negative rate. Material and Methods：In five scalp angiosarcoma cases, mapping biopsies were performed at far from the suspected edge of the neoplasm. On permanent pathology, we obtained tumor free margin with occasional focal involvement of the tumor. Results：Frozen-section analysis of the resected margins is inconclusive, for the subtle diagnostic features of angiosarcoma are distorted by the tissue processing required for frozen-section analysis. The characteristic dermal vessels lined by their malignant cells are collapsed by the freezing process. This results in a high rate of false-negative reports and possibly leads to incomplete resection of the neoplasm. Conclusion：Our recommendation is to establish the margins of the tumor by performing preoperative evaluations by mapping biopsies.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.223-231
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• 2012

Purpose: Clinical staging of gastric cancer appears to be important more and more for tailored therapy. This study aimed to verify the accuracy of clinical T staging in a low-volume institute. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed prospectively collected data of gastric cancer patients who underwent resection. A total of 268 patients of gastric cancer were enrolled from March 2004 to June 2012. These demographics, tumor characteristics, and clinical stages were analyzed for identification of diagnostic value of clinical T staging. Results: The predictive values for pT1 of endoscopy and computed tomography were 90.0% and 89.4%, respectively. In detail, the predictive values of endoscopy for pT1a, pT1b, and pT2 or more were 87%, 58.5%, and 90.6%, respectively. The predictive values of computed tomography for pT1a, pT1b, and pT2 or more were 68.8%, 73.9%, and 84.4%, respectively. The factors leading to underestimation of pT2 or more lesions by gastroscopy were the middle third location, the size greater than 2 cm, and younger age. Those for overestimation of pT1 lesion by computed tomography were male, age more than 70 years, elevated type, and size greater than 3 cm. Conclusions: Diagnostic accuracy of early gastric cancer was 90%, which is comparable to those of high volume center. In patients with early gastric cancer, limited gastrectomy or minimal invasive surgery can be safely introduced at a low volume center also. However, the surgeon of low-volume institute should consider the accuracy of clinical staging before extending the indication of limited treatment.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.78-85
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• 2011

Since January of 2010, the seventh edition of UICC tumor node metastasis (TNM) Classification, which has recently been revised, has been applied to almost all cases of malignant tumors. Compared to previous editions, the merits and demerits of the current revisions were analyzed. Many revisions have been made for criteria for the classification of lymph nodes. In particular, all the cases in whom the number of lymph nodes is more than 7 were classified as N3 without being differentiated. Therefore, the coverage of the N3 was broad. Owing to this, there was no consistency in predicting the prognosis of the N3 group. By determining the positive cases to a distant metastasis as TNM stage IV, the discrepancy in the TNM stage IV compared to the sixth edition was resolved. In regard to the classification system for an esophagogastric (EG) junction carcinoma, it was declared that cases of an invasion to the EG junction should follow the classification system for esophageal cancer. A review of clinical cases reported from Asian patients suggests that it would be more appropriate to follow the previous editions of the classification system for gastric cancer. In addition, in the classification of the TNM stages in the overall cases, the discrepancy in the prognosis between the different stages and the consistency in the prognosis between the same TNM stages were achieved to a lesser extent as compared to that previously. Accordingly, further revisions are needed to develop a purposive classification method where the prognosis can be predicted specifically to each variable and the mode of the overall classification can be simplified.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.746-752
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• 2015

Background This study analyzed 100 consecutive patients with primary cutaneous melanoma over the course of 13 years to determine whether epidemiological differences correspond to different stages of the disease. We also investigated whether epidemiological characteristics affected the survival rate. Our results were compared with those of selected descriptive studies of melanoma in other East Asian populations, in order to determine whether cutaneous melanoma patterns are similar in East Asian populations. Methods The patients' medical records were reviewed retrospectively, and we analyzed the relationship of epidemiological characteristics to staging and survival rate. Additionally, papers from Hong Kong and Japan describing these phenomena in East Asian populations were subjected to a statistical comparison. Results The ratio of males to females was 1:1.8, and the foot was the most frequent tumor site (49%). Acral lentiginous melanoma occurred most frequently (55%). Nodular melanoma was associated with a higher stage. Stage III-IV tumors with Clark levels of IV-V were significantly associated with a low survival rate. A statistical analysis of comparable papers reported in Hong Kong and Japan showed similar results with regard to age, tumor location, and histopathological subtypes. Conclusions This study provides the first full epidemiological description of 100 consecutive cases of primary cutaneous melanoma in Korea, with results similar to those observed in other East Asian populations. Corresponding to previous findings, nodular melanoma tended to occur at a higher stage than other types, and tumors with high Clark levels and high stages showed a lower survival rate.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.80 no.4
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• pp.368-376
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• 2017

Background: A ground-glass nodule (GGN) represents early-stage lung adenocarcinoma. However, there is still no consensus for preoperative staging of GGNs. Therefore, we evaluated the need for the routine use of positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) scans and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) during staging. Methods: A retrospective analysis was undertaken in 72 patients with 74 GGNs of less than 3 cm in diameter, which were confirmed via surgery as malignancy, at the Samsung Medical Center between May 2010 and December 2011. Results: The median age of the patients was 59 years. The median GGN diameter was 18 mm. Pure and part-solid GGNs were identified in 35 (47.3%) and 39 (52.7%) cases, respectively. No mediastinal or distant metastasis was observed in these patients. In preoperative staging, all of the 74 GGNs were categorized as stage IA via chest CT scans. Additional PET/CT scans and brain MRIs classified 71 GGNs as stage IA, one as stage IIIA, and two as stage IV. However, surgery and additional diagnostic work-ups for abnormal findings from PET/CT scans classified 70 GGNs as stage IA, three as stage IB, and one as stage IIA. The chest CT scans did not differ from the combined modality of PET/CT scans and brain MRIs for the determination of the overall stage (94.6% vs. 90.5%; kappa value, 0.712). Conclusion: PET/CT scans in combination with brain MRIs have no additional benefit for the staging of patients with GGN lung adenocarcinoma before surgery.

• THE JOURNAL OF KOREAN ORIENTAL ONCOLOGY
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.75-87
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• 2003

Recently, the occurrence and death rates of cancer have increased rapidly. Metastasis and recurrence is the most important factor of death from cancer. So inhibition of recurrence and metastasis can increase the cure rate of cancer disease. At the basic chinese traditional medicine(TCM), there are a lot of theory related to neoplasm treatment. The metastasis and recurrence of neoplasm was the basis of yudu(餘毒) on remained neoplasm cell and stagnation of blood, thermotoxo, phlegm, asthenia of healthy enerngy and stagnation of vital energy. The principles therapy of neoplasm on metastasis and recurrence was based on knowledge of the method of support the healthy energy and strengthen the body resistance, promote blood circulation to remove blood stasis, clear away heat and toxic materials, dissipate phlegm and disperse the accumulation of evils. But the major clinical features of neoplasm was to be considered in developing a treatment plan include (1) distinguish between clinical and pathologic staging - acute and chronic, (2) classification of pathologic pattern, and (3) distingction of body situation : for examples asthenia - sthenia etc. It was most important to distinguish between supporting the healthy and eliminating the evil factors and to treat differently at the root and the branch cause of a neoplasm. This paper's results indicate that identification and effective use of THM can inhibite netastasis and recurrence and then it will help increasing survival rate. Also as BioTechnology(BT) has developed rapidly nowadays, as genes related to cancer have revealed. So it will give rise to the development of searching the mechanism of herb medicines which have inhibition effects of metastasis and recurrence.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.52-58
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• 1996

Sixty six patients who were operated as lung cancer during the period from Mar. 1991 to Sep. 1993 at the department of Thoracic and cardiovascular surgery, were reviewed retrospectively and the accuracy of regional lymph node in preoperative CT were compared with histopathologlc report obtained from operation. The age ranged from 30 to 72 years old (mean age : 56.5), and 51 patients were male and 15 patients were female. The author analysed the true positive, true negative, false positive and false negative and sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive index, negative predictive index and accuracy of each nodes. The result is that there were differences between seven nodal groups in specificity, sensitivity, positive predictive Index, negative predictive index and accuracy. The range of each nodal group is from 81.7 to 98.3% The nodes of the most poor accuracy are aortopulmonary area and hilar area.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.209-214
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• 1994

Lung cancer is one of the most disastrous of all the current cancers in Korea. In 1990 it was projected that there would be 5, 500 new lung cancer patients in Korea and that 5, 000 would die of their disease. This is a mortality rate of 91 percent. We reviewed the surgically treated 153 bronchogenic cancer patients from January 1987 to December 1991 in St. Mary`s Hospital of Catholic University Medical College. There were 121 men and 32 women ranging in age from 18 to 83 years, with a mean of 56 years. Of the 153 patients, resection was possible in 138 patients and the resectability was 90.1 percent. Squamous cell carcinoma was present in 48 percent of patients, adenocarcinoma in 29 percent, adenosquamous carcinoma in 7 percent, large cell carcinoma in 6 percent, salivary gland tumor in 5 percent, and small cell carcinoma and carcinoid in 3 percent respectively. Postoperative cancer staging was grouped stage I 33 percent, stage II 21 percent, stage IIIa 35 percent, and stage IIIb 10 percent. Lobectomy was performed in 70 percent, pneumonectomy in 17 percent, and segmentectomy in 14 percent. Three and 5-year postoperative survival in resectable 138 patients were 47 and 29 percent respectively.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.18-33
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• 2019

In this study, we summarize the clinical role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnosis of patients with malignant uterine neoplasms, including leiomyosarcoma, endometrial stromal sarcoma, adenosarcoma, uterine carcinosarcoma, and endometrial cancer, with emphasis on the challenges and disadvantages. MRI plays an essential role in patients with uterine malignancy, for the purpose of tumor detection, primary staging, and treatment planning. MRI has advanced in scope beyond the visualization of the many aspects of anatomical structures, including diffusion-weighted imaging, dynamic contrast enhancement-MRI, and magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Emerging technologies coupled with the use of artificial intelligence in MRI are expected to lead to progressive improvement in case management of malignant uterine neoplasms.