• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.2195-2199
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• 2014

Background: Despite being rare in incidence, malignant tumors of major salivary glands show diverse histological variation. There are limited data on major salivary gland tumor management and outcome from Pakistan. The objective of this study was to share our experience with management of malignant tumors of major salivary glands. Materials and Methods: Patients who received treatment at Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital and Research Center from July 2002 to June 2011 with an underlying diagnosis of a major salivary gland malignancy were included. Patient characteristics and treatment modalities were assessed. Local, regional and distant failures were determined. Disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated using Kaplan Meier curves and the Log rank test was used to determine statistical significance. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using Cox proportional hazard regression. Results: The parotid gland was the primary site of origin in 104 (80%) patients. Mucoepidermoid carcinoma (43%) and adenoid cystic carcinoma (24%) were the most common histological types. Surgery followed by adjuvant radiation remained the mainstay treatment modality with 81 (62%) patients. Nineteen (15%) patients were treated with surgery alone and 30 (23%) patients with locally advanced surgically inoperable tumors received radiation only. Forty one (32%) patients failed the treatment (local 12, regional 11, locoregional 5, distant 13). The expected 5 year DFS and OS were 65% and 74% respectively. On multivariate analysis, grade was the only independent predictor of DFS and nodal involvement was the only independent predictor of overall survival. Conclusions: Employing existing standards of treatment, comparable survival can be achieved in Pakistani population with major salivary gland malignancies as elsehwere in the world.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.1789-1795
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• 2016

Background: Breast cancer is the commonest female cancer worldwide and its propensity to metastasize negatively impacts on therapeutic outcome. Several clinicopathological parameters with prognostic/predictive significance have been associated with metastatic suppressor expression levels. The role of metastatic suppressor gene (MSG) KiSS1 in breast cancer remains unclear. Our goal was to investigate the possible clinical significance of KiSS1 breast cancer. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on 87 histologically proven cases of breast cancer and background normal tiisue. Quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT PCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were used to investigate KiSS1 at gene and protein levels, respectively, for correlation with several patient characteristics including age, family history, hormonal receptor status, stage, tumor size, nodal involvement and metastatic manifestation and finally with median overall survival (OS). Results: Our study revealed (i) KiSS1 levels were generally elevated in breast cancer vs normal tissue (P < 0.05). (ii) however, a statistically significant lower expression of KiSS1 was observed in metastatic vs non metastatic cases (P = 0.04). (iii) KiSS1 levels strongly correlated with T,N,M category, histological grade and advanced stage (p<0.001) but not other studied parameters. (iv) Lastly, a significant correlation between expression of KiSS1 and median OS was found (P = 0.04). Conclusions: Conclusively, less elevated KiSS1 expression is a negative prognostic factor for OS, advancing tumor stage, axillary lymph node status, metastatic propensity and advancing grade of the breast cancer patient. Patients with negative KiSS1 expression may require a more intensive therapeutic strategy.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.1881-1886
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• 2012

Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease that is affected by ethnicity of patients. According to hormone receptor status and gene expression profiling, breast cancers are classified into four molecular subtypes, each showing distinct clinical behavior. Lack of sufficient data on molecular subtypes of breast cancer in Iran, prompted us to investigate the prevalence and the clinicopathological features of each subtype among Iranian women. A total of 428 women diagnosed with breast cancer from 2002 to 2011 were included and categorized into four molecular subtypes using immunohistochemistry. Prevalence of each subtype and its association with patients' demographics and tumor characteristics, such as size, grade, lymph-node involvement and vascular invasion, were investigated using Chi-square, analysis of variance and multivariate logistic regression. Luminal A was the most common molecular subtype (63.8%) followed by Luminal B (8.4%), basal-like (15.9%) and HER-2 (11.9%). Basal-like and HER-2 subtypes were mostly of higher grades while luminal A tumors were more of grade 1 (P<0.001). Vascular invasion was more prevalent in HER-2 subtype, and HER-2 positive tumors were significantly associated with vascular invasion (P=0.013). Using muti-variate analysis, tumor size greater than 5 cm and vascular invasion were significant predictors of 3 or more nodal metastases. Breast cancer was most commonly diagnosed in women around 50 years of age and the majority of patients had lymph node metastasis at the time of diagnosis. This points to the necessity for devising an efficient screening program for breast cancer in Iran. Further, prospective surveys are suggested to evaluate prognosis of different subtypes in Iranian patients.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.29-34
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• 1999

Objectives: This study was carried out to analyze the clinical profile and the results of treatment of a series of patients with extramedullary plasmacytoma(EMP) of the head and neck. Materials and Methods: The clinical features, treatment and survival of 14 patients with EMP seen at Yonsei Medical Center between 1970 and 1998 were carefully reviewed. Results: The median age was 48 years(range 15-75) and there was a male predominance(M:F 1.8:1). Nasal cavities and paranasal sinuses account for 50% of the primary sites and the most common symptom was airway obstruction(50%). Five patients(36%) showed evidence of adjacent bone destruction, one patient had lymph node involvement and one patient had an IgG monoclonal gammopathy at the time of diagnosis. All 5 patients treated with radiotherapy alone achieved local control. Of 5 patients treated with surgery alone, 2 patients(40%) had local failure. Of 3 patient treated with a combination of surgery and radiotherapy, one patient had local recurrence. A total of7 patients(54%) had local, distant or nodal relapses after primary treatment. Six of them received salvage treatment. With salvage treatment of surgery and/or radiotherapy, local control was achieved in 4 of 6 patients. Conversion to multiple myeloma was seen in one patient. Conclusion: Radiotherapy should be recommanded as treatment of choice for EMP of the head and neck. Surgery should be reserved for radioresistant or recurrent tumors, but tumors that are localized and can be removed relatively easily with little morbidity may be treated by primary surgery.

• Journal of Gynecologic Oncology
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.97.1-97.12
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• 2018

Objective: Women with cervical cancer (CC) found to have positive surgical margins, positive lymph nodes, and/or parametrial invasion receive a survival benefit from postoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) vs. radiation therapy (RT) alone. However, older women may not benefit to the same extent, as they are at increased risk of death from non-oncologic causes as well as toxicities from oncologic treatments. This study sought to evaluate whether there was a survival benefit of CRT over RT in elderly patients with cervical cancer. Methods: The National Cancer Database was queried for patients ${\geq}70$ years old with newly diagnosed IA2, IB, or IIA CC and positive margins, parametrial invasion, and/or positive nodes on surgical resection. Statistics included logistic regression, Kaplan-Meier overall survival (OS), and Cox proportional hazards modeling analyses. Results: Altogether, 166 patients met inclusion criteria; 62 (37%) underwent postoperative RT and 104 (63%) underwent postoperative CRT. Younger patients and those living in areas of higher income were less likely to receive CRT, while parametrial invasion and nodal involvement were associated with an increased likelihood (p<0.05 for all). There were no OS differences by treatment type. Subgroup analysis by number of risk factors, as well as each of the 3 risk factors separately, also did not reveal any OS differences between cohorts. Conclusion: In the largest such study to date, older women with postoperative risk factor(s) receiving RT alone experienced similar survival as those undergoing CRT. Although causation is not implied, careful patient selection is paramount to balance treatment-related toxicity risks with theoretical outcome benefits.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.131-136
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• 2005

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical results of postoperative radiotherapy for parotid gland malignancy, and determine prognostic factors for locoregional control and survival. Materials and Methods: Between 1980 and 2002, 130 patients with parotid malignancy were registered In the database of the Department of Radiation Oncology, Seoul National University Hospital. The subjects of this analysis were the 72 of these 130 patients who underwent postoperative Irradiation, There were 42 males and 30 females, with a median age of 46.5 years. The most common histological type was a mucoepidermoid carcinoma. There were 6, 23, 23 and 20 patients in Stages I, II, III and IV, respectively. The median dose to the tumor bed was 60 Gy, with a median fraction size of 1.8 Gy. Results: The overall 5 and 10 year survival rates were 85 and $76\%$, respectively, The five-year locoregional control rate was $85\%$, which reached a plateau phase after 6 years. Sex and histological type were found to be statistically significant for overall survival from a multivariate analysis. No other factors, Including age, facial nerve palsy and stage, were related to overall survival. For locoregional control, nodal involvement and positive resection margin were associated with poor local control. Histological type, tumor size, perineural invasion and type of surgery were not significant for locoregional control. Conclusion: A high survival rate of parotid gland malignancies, with surgery and postoperative radiotherapy, was confirmed. Sex and histological type were significant prognostic factors for overall survival. Nodal Involvement and a positive resection margin were associated with poor locoregional control.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.125-132
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• 2010

Purpose: To retrospectively assess the advantages and side effects of prophylactic Paraaortic irradiation in cervical cancer patients with common iliac nodal involvement, the results for survival, patterns of failure, and treatment-related toxicity. Materials and Methods: From May 1985 to October 2004, 909 patients with cervical carcinoma received postoperative radiotherapy at the Seoul National University Hospital. Among them, 54 patients with positive common iliac nodes on pathology and negative Paraaortic node were included in the study. In addition, 44 patients received standard pelvic irradiation delivered 50.4 Gy per 28 fractions (standard irradiation group), and chemotherapy was combined in 16 of them. The other 10 patients received pelvic irradiation at a dose of 50.4 Gy per 28 fractions in addition to Paraaortic irradiation at 45 Gy per 25 fractions (extended irradiation group). In addition, all of them received chemotherapy in combination with radiation. Follow-up times for pelvic and Paraaortic irradiation ranged from 6 to 201 months (median follow-up time, 58 months) and 21 to 58 months (median follow-up time, 47 months), respectively. Results: The 4-year overall survival, disease free survival, and distant metastasis free survival in the standard irradiation group and extended irradiation group were 67.2% vs. 90.0% (p=0.291), 59.0% vs. 70.0% (p=0.568) and 67.5% vs. 90.0% (p=0.196), respectively. The most common site of first failure for the standard irradiation group was the paraaortic lymph node, while no paraaortic failure was observed in the extended irradiation group. Relatively, hematologic toxicity grade 3 or greater was common in the extended irradiation group (2/10 extended vs. 2/44 standard), while gastrointestinal toxicity of grade 3 or greater was lower (2/10 extended vs. 6/44 standard), and urologic toxicity of grade 3 or greater was observed in the standard irradition group only (0/10 vs. 3/44). Conclusion: Concurrent chemotherapy and prophylactic Paraaortic irradiation in patients with common iliac nodal involvement showed slightly improved clinical outcomes aside from increased hematologic toxicity, which was statistically insignificant. Considering the relatively small number of patients and short follow-up times, additional studies are needed to obtain more conclusive outcomes.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.117-127
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• 2002

Backgroud : MUC1 mucin is a heavily glycosylated large glycoprotein and is expressed aberrantly in carcinoma. CD44 is polymorphic family of cell surface glycoproteins participating in cell-cell adhesion and modulation of the cell-matrix interaction. MUC1 mucin and CD44 expression have been implicated in a tumor invasion and metastasis in certain malignancies. In this study, the expression of MUC1 and the standard form of CD44 (CD44s) was examined in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods : Immunohistochemical staining using monoclonal antibodies including MUC1 glycoprotein and CD44s was performed on 80 NSCLC surgical specimens. The association between MUC1 and CD44s expression and the histological type and tumor stage was investigated. Results : Depolarized MUC1 expression in more than 10% of cancer cells was found in 12 (27.9%) out of 43 squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) and 12 (32.4%) out of 37 adenocarcinomas (ACs). It was not associated with the tumor histological type and the TNM-stage in SCCs. Depolarized MUC1 expression correlated with the N-stage in ACs (p=0.036). CD44s was expressed in 36 (83.7%) out of 43 SCCs and 14 (37.8%) out of 37 ACs. Reduced CD44s expression correlated with the N-stage (p=0.031) and the TNM-stage (p=0.006) in SCCs. Conclusions : Depolarized MUC1 expression was related to the nodal stage in NSCLC adenocarcinoma. Reduced CD44s expression was related to nodal involvement and the TNM-stage in squamous cell carcinoma. This suggests that MUC1 and CD44s expression in NSCLC might play important roles in tumor progression and cap be used as prognostic variables.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.177-182
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• 1990

From 1984 to 1988, fourty two patients with nasopharyngeal cancer were treated at the Department of Radiation Oncology in Kyungpook National University Hospital. Thirteen patients refused treatment and the median survival time was 7.8 months. Twenty nine patients received a full course of radiation at least 70 Gy to the primary site and 60 Gy to the nodal sites. These patients were all belonged to stage III or IV, The local control rate was $75\% in squamous cell carcinomas, and all the patients with lymphoepithelioma showed a complete response. Overall locoregional failure was $27.6\%. Distant metastasis was the predominant pattern of failures; 4/6 in lymphoepithelioma, 4/10 En squamous cell carcinoma. The Three-year-survival rate for squamous cell carcinoma was $40.5\%$, and for lymphoepithelioma $25.9\%, respectively. This may be due to the more frequent distant metastases in lymphoepithelioma and ineffective chemotherapy. No survival correlation was found with the level of neck node involvement. Though adjuvant chemotherapy was found to be of no benefit in overall survival, more prudent and aggressive chemotherapy would be necessary.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.312-320
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• 1992

Radiotherapeutically, nasopharyngeal cancer is an important disease in korea. Because of its blind anatomic location, early detection is relatively uncommon. Clinically, most of cases are locally advanced and nodal involvement are common. Recently better understanding of nature of the disease and improvement of radio-therapy technique permit better treatment results, including locoregional control and survival rate, and minimal normal tissue damages comparing with previously published data. We analyzed 31 patients of pathologically proven and previously untreated naso-pharyngeal carcinoma with different treatment techniques, retrospectively. Minimal and maximal follow up period of the survuor is 6 months and 68 months, respectively. Thirteen patients with squamous cell carcinoma are included in this analysis. The median age is 49 years(range from 20 to 64 years). Twenty two patients are stage III. Eleven patients are treated with radiotherapy alone and 20 are treated with comblined modalities treatment. The degree of responses after radiotherapy are categorized by 3-classes, i.e. complete response, partial response. In spite of simioarities of complete response rate and 1-year survival rate between two different treatment techniques, those patients with undifferentiated carcinoma appear to benefit from the adjuvant chemotherapy. In addition, systemic failure is more prominant in radiotherapy alone group than in combined modalities treatment group. These results suggest that adjuvant therapy in the radiotherapeutic management of nasopharyngeal cancers needs additional research according to histologic types and future extensive clinical trials.