• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.69-75
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• 1992

The author experienced of four patients with intractable pain who were treated by continuous intraventricular infusion of morphine through an implanted port system. One suffered from tongue cancer and the others from bone metastasis or distant metatasis of abdominal cancer which were ineffectively to managed through an epidural route. Our experience is that this is a safe and effective method of pain management in patients with head and neck cancer. It is useful as well in patients who have intractable pain that cannot be managed through an intrathecal or epidural route.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.9
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• pp.4003-4006
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• 2015

Objecive: To investigate the clinical safety and efficacy of CT-guided $^{125}iodine$ (125I) seed implantation combined with percutaneous intra-tumor injection of chemotherapy emulsion of lobaplatin and lipiodol in treating patients with advanced lung cancer. Materials and Methods: Patients with advanced lung cancer and treated with spiral CT-guided $^{125}I$ seed implantation combined with percutaneous intra-tumor injection of chemotherapy emulsion of lobaplatin and lipiodol were recruited. Results: Of the 36 patients, there were 40 nidi in total. The contrast-enhanced CT evaluation was conducted 60 d after treatment. Response evaluation suggested that 4 patients achieved complete remission (CR), 24 partial remission (PR), 4 stable disease (SD) and 4 progression disease (PD), with a total response rate of 77.8% (28/36). Conclusions: CT-guided $^{125}I$ seed implantation combined with percutaneous intra-tumor injection of chemotherapy emulsion of lobaplatin and lipiodol are safe and effective in treating patients with advanced lung cancer.

• Journal of Korean Traditional Oncology
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.1-11
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• 2019

Objectives : We investigated whether a single center nutrition screening tool (Kyunghee Neo Nutrition Risk Screening, KNNRS) can predict survival in patients with metastatic cancer. Methods : We retrospectively reviewed data of inpatients with metastatic cancer from April 2016 to August 2019. Data on demographic and clinical parameters were collected from electronic medical records, and overall survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Stepwise Cox regression analysis was used to determine factors associated with survival. Patients with a KNNRS score of 0 to 3 were classified as "no-risk", 4 to 10 as "low-risk", and 11 to 20 as "high-risk". Results : Total 105 patients were included in the study. According to nutritional screening at baseline, 25 patients (23.8%, median age 57.0) were classified as ""no risk"" group; 80 patients (76.2%, median age 68.5) as "low risk" group; No patients as "high risk" group. Predictors of survival were Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status score of 3 or 4 (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.93; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.21-3.10), hemoglobin less than 10 g/dL (HR = 1.97; 95% CI = 1.25-3.10) and C-reactive protein more than 1.0 mg/dL (HR = 1.95; 95% CI = 1.21-3.13). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed significant differences in the survival between KNNRS groups: ""no risk"" group: 6.1 ± 1.4 months (95% CI = 3.37-8.83); ""low risk"" group: 3.4 ± 0.9 months (95% CI = 1.5-5.37). Conclusions : Nutritional status according to KNNRS wasn't significant predictor of survival for patients with metastatic cancer. Improvement of KNNRS score thresholds is needed.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.891-896
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• 2012

This study focused on infection rates and subtypes of human papillomavirus (HPV) in patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), and the relationship between HPV status and prognosis of the disease. We evaluated sixty-six OSCC patients who met the enrollment criteria during the period from January 1999 to December 2009. The presence or absence of oncogenic HPV types in tumors was determined using the SPF10 LiPA25 assay. Overall survival (OS) and disease specific survival (DSS) for HPV positive and HPV negative patients were estimated using Kaplan-Meier analysis. The Cox regression model was applied for multivariate analysis. HPV-DNA was detected in 11(16.7%) of all specimens. Among them, 7 were type HPV-16, while other types were HPV-16/11, HPV-35, HPV-58/52, and HPV-33/52/54. Patients with HPV positive tumors were more likely to be female, non-smokers and non-drinkers (p=0.002, 0.001 and 0.001, respectively). After a median follow-up of 24.5 months, patients with HPV positive tumors had significantly better overall survival (HR=0.106[95%CI=0.014-0.787], p=0.016,) and disease specific survival (HR=0.121[95%CI=0.016-0.906], p=0.030). Patients with HPV positive OSCC have significantly better prognosis than patients with HPV negative tumors. HPV infection is an independent prognostic factor.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.13
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• pp.5331-5335
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• 2015

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the tumor-free and overall survival rates between patients with low-risk endometrial cancer who underwent surgical staging and those who did not undergo surgical staging. Materials and Methods: Data, including demographic characteristics, grade of the tumor, myometrial invasion, cervical involvement, peritoneal washing, lymph node involvement, lymphovascular space invasion, postoperative complication, adjuvant treatment, cancer recurrence, and tumor-free and overall survival rates, for patients with low-risk endometrioid endometrial cancer who were treated surgically with and without pelvic and paraaortic lymph node dissection (LND) were analyzed retrospectively. The patients diagnosed with endometrioid endometrial cancer including the following criteria were considered low-risk: 1) a grade 1 (G1) or grade 2 (G2) endometrioid histology; 2) myometrial invasion of <50% upon magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); 3) no stromal glandular or stromal invasion upon MRI; and 4) no evidence of intra-abdominal metastasis. Then the patients at low-risk were divided into two groups; group 1 (n=117): patients treated surgically with pelvic and paraaortic LND and group 2 (n=170): patients treated surgically without pelvic and paraaortic LND. Results: There was no statistical significance when the groups were compared in terms of lymphovascular space invasion, cervical involvement, positive cytology, and recurrence, whereas the administration of an adjuvant therapy was higher in group 2 (p<0.005). The number of patients with positive pelvic nodes and the number of metastatic pelvic nodes were significantly higher in the group with positive LVI than in the group without LVI (p<0.005). No statistically significant differences were detected between the groups in terms of tumor-free survival (p=0.981) and overall survival (p=0.166). Conclusions: Total hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and stage-adapted postoperative adjuvant therapy without pelvic and/or paraaortic lymphadenectomy may be safe and efficient treatments for low-risk endometrial cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.2539-2543
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• 2016

Background: In the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) system, only sorafenib is suggested for HCC patients having performance status (PS) 1 or 2 even if they have treatable lesions. In the current study, we aimed to explore the outcome of using aggressive treatment for HCC patients with PS 1 and 2. Materials and Methods: Five hundred and twenty four patients with HCC were enrolled in this study and divided into 2 groups: 404 PS 1 and 120 PS 2. Of the included 524 patients, 136 recceived non-aggressive supportive treatment and sorafenib, while 388 patients were offered aggressive treatment in the form of surgical resection, transplantation, percutaneous ablation, trans-arterial chemoembolization and/or chemoperfusion. All the patients were followed up for a period of 2 years to determine their survival. Results: Most HCC patients were CHILD A and B grades (89.4% versus 85.0%, for PS1 and PS2, respectively). Patients with PS1 were significantly younger. Out of the enrolled 524 patients, 388 were offered aggressive treatment, 253 (65.2%) having their lesions fully ablated, 94 (24.2%) undergoing partial ablation and 41 patients with no ablation (10.6%). The median survival of the patients with PS 1 who were offered aggressive treatment was 20 months versus 9 months only for those who were offered supportive treatment and sorafenib (p<0.001). Regarding HCC patients with PS 2, the median survivals were similarly 19.7 months versus 8.7 months only (p<0.001). Conclusions: Aggressive treatment of HCC patients with PS 1 and 2 significantly improves their survival. Revising the BCLC guidelines regarding such patients is recommended.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.19
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• pp.8479-8482
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• 2014

Performance status (PS) is a key factor in the selection of treatment in head and neck cancer patients (HNC). There is a probability in the development of an unfavorable PS with HNC advancing stages. This retrospective study was done on data of patients registered during the period from January 2010 to December 2012 at a cancer registry in the North Eastern India. PS was recorded according to the WHO scale. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the probability of poor performance status with advancing stage. Out of 3,593 patients, there were 78.9% (2,836) males and 21.1% (757) females. Average PS0 was seen in 57.4% of all HNCs, less than 1% of all cases in HNCs with poor PS3-4 except in cases with thyroid, parotid and nose and PNS cancers, 0.7% stage IV (${\pm}M1$) HNC with PS4, favorable PS0-1 was seen in 84% to 100% of cases, RR=57.1 (CI=21.2-154.1) in M1 for PS4 and with advancing stages the probability of worsening of PS0 to PS4 was 3 times (P=0.021, 95% CI= 1.187-8.474). In HNC, the majority of patients presents with a favorable PS0-1 with different odds of worsening of PS with advancing stages and the presence of metastasis in stage IV is significantly associated with a poor PS.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.121-132
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• 2006

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe the lived experience of the patients with cancer participating in a clinical trial for the development of a new drug. Method: This study was based on a phenomenological approach. The eight patients participating in a clinical trial were selected as the participations of this study. The data were obtained through in-depth interviews from the participants and were analyzed using the Giorgi method. Results: Essential experiences of the patients with cancer under a clinical trial consisted of anticipating recovery of physical health and a social role, passing the strict criteria of a clinical trial, diminishing economic burden, satisfaction with special treatment receiving, social contribution, concerns about side effects and withdrawal from the clinical trial, conflicts as a participant, pain, limited administration of other treatments, regret for giving up other treatments, strict compliance with instructions, prevention of side effects and maintaining desirable life-style. Integrated units of meaning of these components were hope, good luck, a sense of satisfaction, fear, distress, and the will of self-control. Conclusion: The most essential meaning of the cancer patients participating in a clinical trial was hope. Hope was found to be a primary factor reinforcing the will of self-management. The results of this study can be of great help to the research nurses to understand the lived experience of the patients with cancer and to plan an effective nursing intervention for the patients.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.21
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• pp.9307-9312
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• 2014

Background: Hope is an important coping resource for cancer patients. Types and sources of hope and hope-inspiring strategies are not well investigated among Iranian cancer patients. The aims of present study were therefore to investigate the nature of hope and some demographic predictors of hope among Iranian cancer patients. Materials and Methods: This descriptive-correlational study was undertaken among 200 cancer patients admitted to an educational center affiliated to Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Participants were selected using a convenience sampling method. The Herth Hope Index and other validated questionnaires were used to investigate level of hope and types and sources of hope, as well as hope-inspiring strategies. Data were analyzed using SPSS statistical software. Results: The overall score for hope was 31 from total scores ranging between 12 and 48. Some 94% of patients mentioned 'return to normal life' and 'complete healing of disease by drugs and physicians' as their main hopes. The most important sources of hope reported by patients include spiritual resources, family members, healthcare workers, and medicines and treatments available for the disease. Relationship with God, praying/blessing, controlling the signs and symptoms of the disease, and family/health care workers' support were the main hope-inspiring strategies. Patients who had a history of metastasis, or who were older, illiterate, divorced/widowed and lived with their children reported lower levels of hope. On the other hand, employed patients and those with good support from their families had higher levels of hope. Conclusions: The study findings showed moderate to high levels of hope among Iranian cancer patients. Accordingly, the role of spiritual/religion, family members and health care workers should be considered in developing care plans for these patients.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.2925-2929
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• 2013

Objective: To explore the relationships between primary tumor $^{18}F$-FDG uptake measured as the SUVmax and local extension, and nodal or distant organ metastasis in patients with NSCLC on pretreatment PET-CT. Methods: 93 patients with NSCLC who underwent $^{18}F$-FDG PET-CT scans before the treatment were included in the study. Primary tumor SUVmax was calculated; clinical stages, presence of local extension, nodal and distant organ metastases were recorded. The patients with SUVmax${\geq}2.5$ were divided into low and high SUVmax groups by using the median SUVmax. The low SUVmax group consisted of 45 patients with SUVmax<10.5, the high SUVmax group consisted of 46 patients with SUVmax${\geq}10.5$. Their data were compared statistically. Results: 91 cases with SUVmax${\geq}2.5$ were included for analysis. The mean SUVmax in patients without any metastasis was $7.42{\pm}2.91$ and this was significantly lower than that ($12.18{\pm}4.94$) in patients with nodal and/or distant organ metastasis (P=0.000). In the low SUV group, 19 patients had local extension, 22 had nodal metastasis, and 9 had distant organ metastasis. In the high SUV group, 31 patients had local extension, 37 had nodal metastasis, and 18 had distant organ metastases. There was a significant difference in local extension (P =0.016), distant organ metastasis (P =0.046), and most significant difference in nodal metastasis rate (P =0.002) between the two groups. In addition, there was a moderate correlation between SUVmax and tumor size (r = 0.642, P<0.001), tumor stage (r = 0.546, P<0.001), node stage (r = 0.388, P<0.001), and overall stage (r = 0.445, P= 0.000). Conclusion: Higher primary tumor SUVmax predicts higher extensional or metastatic potential in patients with NSCLC. Patients with higher SUVmax may need a close follow-up and more reasonable individual treatment because of their higher extensional and metastatic potential.