• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.213-225
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• 1989

An analysis has been made of two hundred seven patients who were treated at the department of Radiation Oncology of Korea University Hospital for lung cancer from January 1981 through December 1986. There were 137 patients of nonsmall cell carcinoma (137/207, 66%), 26 patients of small cell carcinoma (26/207, 12.5%) and 44 patients of unproven histology. By aims of treatment, there were 104 patients (104/207, 50%) treated for cure, 89 patients (89/207, 42.9%) for palliation and 14 patients treated postoperatively. In 22 out of 207 patients, chemotherapy was done with radiotherapy, 12 of which were patients with small cell carcinoma. Stage II patients were 49 (49/207, 23.6%), stage III patients were 157 (157/207, 75.8%) and one patient had an occult cancer The tumor was initial Iy measured by CAT scan and chest X-rays in the 165 (165/207, 79.7%) patients, among which 117 patients had tumor diameter more than 5cm and 48 patients less than 5cm. Radiation therapy was given with Cobalt 60 teletherapy unit and the treatment volume encompassed primary tumor and the mediastinum. For curative aim, daily tumor dose of 180 cGy was given up to the range of 5,400~6,120cGy/30~34F/6~7 week period and for palliative aim, daily tumor dose of 300 cGy was given up to the range of 3,600~4,500 cGy/12~15F/2~3 week period. Postoperatively, mediastinum was treated for total dose of 5,040 cGy/28F/5.5 week period. 123 patients (123/207, 59%) were followed up after completion of radiotherapy for 14 months to 7 years. Local tumor response to the irradiation was measured by chest X-ray taken at one month follow up and was evaluated for response rate, if they were regressed more than 50% or less than 50% of the initial tumor size. The treatment results were as follows; 1. The median survival time was 8.5 months and survival rates for 1 year, 2 year and 5 year was 25%, 3.5% and 1% of nonsmall cell lung ca of 74 evaluable patients. 2. More than 50% of local tumor response rate was obtained in about half of overall cases; 90.5% for small cell ca, 50% for squamous cell ca, 25% for adenoca and 57% for large cell ca. 3. Response rate more than 50% was seen in the 50% of the patient group with tumor diameter more than 5cm and in the 55% of those with tumor diameter less than 5cm. 4. By total raidation dose given, patient group which was given 5,400~6,120 cGy equivalent dose or higher showed tumor response rate more than 50% in 53% of the patients, whereas the group with dose less than 5,400cGy equivalent, in 25% of the patients. 5. Survival rate for 6 month, 1 year and 2 year was compared between the group of local tumor response rate more than 50% vs. group with response rate less than 50%; 74% vs. 43%, 33% vs, 23%, 10% vs. 1%, respectively. 6. Local failure was seen in 21%(44/207) of the patients, which occured mostly within 15 months after completion of radiation therapy. Distant metastases were seen in 49.7%(103/207) of the patients, of which 43 cases were found before initiation of radiotherapy. The most common metastatic sites were bone and brain. In this sutdy, 1 year,2 year and S year survival rates were somewhat poor compared to the other studies. It mainly seems to be due to the poor general status of the patients and the far-advanced stage of the disease. In nonsmall cell cancer patients who had limited local disease and had small primary tumor size, we observed better local response. In addition, dose higher than 6,000 cGy group showed better tumor control than lower dose group. Survival rate was better for the local control group. For imporvement of local control of the lung cancer and hence, the survival of the patients with lung cancer, proper radical radiotherapy with high dose for localized disease is needed. New modality of treatment such as high LET beam in radiation therapy or drugs for the advanced disease as well as early diagnosis is also needed.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.73-76
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• 2002

In order to evaluate the exposure to the radiologic technologists from patients who had been administrated with radiopharmaceuticals, we measured the spatial dose rates at 5 cm, 50 cm, and 100 cm from skin surface of patients using an proportional digital surveymeter, both 5 min after injection and right before the studies. In results, the exposure to the technologists in each procedure was small, compared nth the dose limits of the medical workers. However, the dose-response relationships in cancer and hereditary effects, referred to as the stochastic effects, have been assumed linear and no threshold models ; therefore, the exposure should be minimized. For this purpose, the measurements of spatial dose rate distributions were thought to be useful.

• Journal of the Korean Physical Society
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• v.73 no.10
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• pp.1571-1576
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• 2018

We developed and evaluated an algorithm to calculate the target radiation dose in cancer patients by measuring the transmitted dose during 3D conformal radiation treatment (3D-CRT) treatment. The patient target doses were calculated from the transit dose, which was measured using a glass dosimeter positioned 150 cm from the source. The accuracy of the transit dose algorithm was evaluated using a solid water phantom for five patient treatment plans. We performed transit dose-based patient dose verification during the actual treatment of 34 patients who underwent 3D-CRT. These included 17 patients with breast cancer, 11 with pelvic cancer, and 6 with other cancers. In the solid water phantom study, the difference between the transit dosimetry algorithm with the treatment planning system (TPS) and the measurement was $-0.10{\pm}1.93%$. In the clinical study, this difference was $0.94{\pm}4.13%$ for the patients with 17 breast cancers, $-0.11{\pm}3.50%$ for the eight with rectal cancer, $0.51{\pm}5.10%$ for the four with bone cancer, and $0.91{\pm}3.69%$ for the other five. These results suggest that transit-dosimetry-based in-room patient dose verification is a useful application for 3D-CRT. We expect that this technique will be widely applicable for patient safety in the treatment room through improvements in the transit dosimetry algorithm for complicated treatment techniques (including intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) or volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT).

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.84 no.2
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• pp.134-139
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• 2021

Background: Intrapleural urokinase is one of the most widely used fibrinolytic agents in the treatment of complicated parapneumonic effusion (CPPE). However, little research has been performed on the optimal urokinase dosage. The aim of this study was to evaluate the treatment efficacy of half dose urokinase compared with conventional dose urokinase. Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 92 patients with CPPE or empyema who underwent intrapleural urokinase treatment at two tertiary hospitals. Patients received antibiotics, chest tube drainage, and other treatments as part of routine care. The primary outcome was the treatment success rate in the half dose urokinase group (50,000 IU daily for maximal 6 days) and the conventional dose urokinase group (100,000 IU daily). Treatment success was defined as clinical and radiological improvements without surgical treatment or re-admission within one month. Results: Forty-four patients received half dose urokinase, whereas 48 patients were treated with conventional dose urokinase. Both groups were relatively well matched at baseline, excluding higher serum white blood cell count and higher empyema prevalence in the half dose urokinase group. The treatment success rate was not different between the two groups (p=0.048). There were no differences in the rate of in-hospital death and surgical treatment, hospitalization duration, and indwelling catheter duration. In the multivariate analysis, urokinase dose was not a predictor of treatment success. Conclusion: Half dose intrapleural urokinase is equally effective conventional dose urokinase in treating patients with CPPE or empyema.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.96-105
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• 2016

Purpose: The standard radiation dose for patients with locally rectal cancer treated with preoperative chemoradiotherapy is 45-50 Gy in 25-28 fractions. We aimed to assess whether a difference exists within this dose fractionation range. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed to compare three dose fractionation schedules. Patients received 50 Gy in 25 fractions (group A), 50.4 Gy in 28 fractions (group B), or 45 Gy in 25 fractions (group C) to the whole pelvis, as well as concurrent 5-fluorouracil. Radical resection was scheduled for 8 weeks after concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Results: Between September 2010 and August 2013, 175 patients were treated with preoperative chemoradiotherapy at our institution. Among those patients, 154 were eligible for analysis (55, 50, and 49 patients in groups A, B, and C, respectively). After the median follow-up period of 29 months (range, 5 to 48 months), no differences were found between the 3 groups regarding pathologic complete remission rate, tumor regression grade, treatment-related toxicity, 2-year locoregional recurrence-free survival, distant metastasis-free survival, disease-free survival, or overall survival. The circumferential resection margin width was a prognostic factor for 2-year locoregional recurrence-free survival, whereas ypN category was associated with distant metastasis-free survival, disease-free survival, and overall survival. High tumor regression grading score was correlated with 2-year distant metastasis-free survival and disease-free survival in univariate analysis. Conclusion: Three different radiation dose fractionation schedules, within the dose range recommended by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, had no impact on pathologic tumor regression and early clinical outcome for locally advanced rectal cancer.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.109-115
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• 2021

In this study, a physical evaluation of internal radiation exposure in children was conducted using nuclear medicine test(Renal DTPA Dynamic Study) to simulate the distribution and effects of the radiation throughout the tracer kinetics over time. Monte Carlo simulations were performed to determine the internal medical radiation exposure during the tests and to provide basic data for medical radiation exposure management. Specifically, dose variability based on changes in the tracer kinetic was simulated over time. The internal exposure to the target organ (kidney) and other surrounding organs was then quantitatively evaluated and presented. When kidney function was normal, the dose to the target organ(kidney) was approximately 0.433 mGy/mCi, and the dose to the surrounding organs was approximately 0.138-0.266 mGy/mCi. When kidney function was abnormal, the dose to the surrounding organs was 0.228-0.419 mGy/mCi. This study achieved detailed radiation dose measurements in highly sensitive pediatric patients and enabled the prediction of radiation doses according to kidney function values. The proposed method can provide useful insights for medical radiation exposure management, which is particularly important and necessary for pediatric patients.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.1703-1706
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• 2014

Background: The current standard treatment for patients with newly diagnosed diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is rituximab combined with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisolone (CHOP). A significant number of patients were not treated with recommended dose of rituximab due to limited financial resources in Malaysia. This study evaluates the efficacy of R-CHOP like chemotherapy in Malaysian patients with DLBCL. Materials and Methods: The study comprised a retrospective analysis of patients with DLBCL treated at a single centre. The outcome was compared with patients who were treated with R-CHOP like and CHOP like chemotherapy. Patients who were treated with lower dose of rituximab was subanalysed for outcome. Results: A total of 86 patients who had CHOP-like chemotherapy were included. Only 39 (45%) patients had rituximab and only 12 (29%) patients had the recommended dose. The overall response (OR) and complete response (CR) rates were 88% and 81% respectively. There was no significant difference in OR and CR in patients who had rituximab and those without rituxmab. Those with International Prognostic Index (IPI) score of ${\leq}2$ had significant higher CR rate, progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (p<0.001). Conclusions: The lack of significant improvement in CR and DFS in our patients may be due to an inadequate dose of rituximab.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.91-99
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• 2000

This is a preliminary study for developing the method of the dose reconstruction in the patients, irradiated by mega-voltage photon beams from the linear accelerator, using the transit dose distributions. In this study we present the method of three-dimensional dose reconstruction and evaluate the method by computer simulation. To acquire the dose distributions in the patients (or phantoms) we first calculate the differences between the doses at the arbitrary points in the patients and the doses at the corresponding points where the transit doses are measured. Then, we can get the dose in the patients from the measured transit dose and the calculated value of the difference. The dose differences are calculated by applying the inverse square law and using the linear attenuation coefficient. The scatter to primary dose ratios, which are calculated by the Monte Carlo program using the CT data of the patient (or phantoms), are also used in the calculations. For the evaluation of this method we used various kinds of homogeneous and inhomogeneous phantoms and calculated the transit dose distributions with the Monte Carlo program. From the distributions we reconstructed the dose distributions in the phantom. We used mono-energy Photon beam of 1.5MeV and Monte Carlo program EGS4. The comparison between the dose distributions reconstructed using the method and the distributions calculated by the Monte Carlo program was done. They agreed within errors of -4%∼+2%. This method can be used to predict the dose distributions in the patient

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.681-688
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• 2022

Dose monitoring in CT patients requires accurate dose estimation but most of the CT dose calculation tools are based on Caucasian computational phantoms. We established a library of organ dose conversion coefficients for Korean adults by using four Korean adult male and two female voxel phantoms combined with Monte Carlo simulation techniques. We calculated organ dose conversion coefficients for head, chest, abdomen and pelvis, and chest-abdomen-pelvis scans, and compared the results with the existing data calculated from Caucasian phantoms. We derived representative organ doses for Korean adults using Korean CT dose surveys combined with the dose conversion coefficients. The organ dose conversion coefficients from the Korean adult phantoms were slightly greater than those of the ICRP reference phantoms: up to 13% for the brain doses in head scans and up to 10% for the dose to the small intestine wall in abdominal scans. We derived Korean representative doses to major organs in head, chest, and AP scans using mean CTDI_vol values extracted from the Korean nationwide surveys conducted in 2008 and 2017. The Korean-specific organ dose conversion coefficients should be useful to readily estimate organ absorbed doses for Korean adult male and female patients undergoing CT scans.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.286-292
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• 2007

Objective : Gamma Knife Stereotactic Radiosurgery (GK SRS) has become an important treatment modality for vestibular schwannomas. We evaluated the tumor control rate, patterns of tumor volume change and preservation of hearing following low-dose radiation for vestibular schwannomas in a homogeneous cohort group in which the mean marginal dose was 12 Gy. Methods : A total of 59 patients were enrolled in this study. All enrolled patients were followed-up for at least 5 years and the radiation dose was 11-13 Gy. Regular MRI, audiometry and clinical evaluations were done and tumor volumes were obtained from MRI using the OSIRIS program. Results : The tumor control rate was 97%. We were able to classify the patterns of change in tumor volume into three categories. Transient increases in tumor volume were detected in 29% of the patients and the maximum transient increase in tumor volume was identified at 6 to 30 months after GK SRS. The transient increases in tumor volume ranged from 121% to 188%. Hearing was preserved in 4 of the 12 patients who had serviceable hearing prior to treatment. There were no other complications associated with GK SRS. Conclusion : Low-dose GK SRS was an effective and safe mode of treatment for vestibular schwannomas in comparison to the previously used high-dose GK SRS. Transient increases in tumor volume can be identified during the follow-up period after low-dose GK SRS for vestibular schwannomas. Physicians should be aware that these increases are not always indicative of treatment failure and that close observation is required following treatments. Unfortunately, a satisfactory hearing preservation rate was not achieved by reducing the radiation dose. It is thought that hearing preservation is a more sophisticated problem and further research is required.