• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.20
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• pp.8667-8671
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• 2014

Background: Survival rates after resection of advanced gastric cancer are extremely poor. An increasing number of patients with gastric carcinomas (GC) are therefore being treated with preoperative chemotherapy. We evaluated 36 month survival rate of GC patients that were treated by adding a neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy before gastrostomy.Materials and Methods: Patients with stage II or III gastric adenocarcinomas were enrolled. The patients divided into two groups: (A) Neoadjuvant group that received concurrent chemoradiation before surgery (4500cGy of radiation at 180cGy per day plus chemotherapy with cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil, in the first and the end four days of radiotherapy). Resection was attempted 5 to 6 weeks after end of chemoradiotherapy. (B) Adjuvant group that received concurrent chemo-radiation after surgical resection. Results: Two (16.7%) patients out of 12 patients treated with neoadjuvant chemo-radiotherapy and 5 (38.5%) out of 13 in the surgery group survived after 36 months. These rates were not significantly different with per protocol and intention-to-treat analysis. The median survival time of patients in group A and B were 13.4 and 21.6 months, respectively, again not significantly different. Survival was significantly greater in patients with well differentiated adenocarcinoma in group B than in group A (p<0.004). Conclusions: According to this study we suggest surgery then chemoradiotherapy for patients with well differentiated gastric adenocarcinoma rather than other approaches. Additional studies with greater sample size and accurate matching relying on cancer molecular behavior are recommended.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.12
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• pp.5179-5183
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• 2016

Background: Prior series investigated the expression of prepro-gastrin releasing peptide (prepro-GRP) in the peripheral blood of lung cancer patients. Our aim was to assess any prepro-GRP role as a prognostic factor for small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and NSCLC and correlations with clinical presentation and treatment outcome. Methods: A prospective study was conducted during the time period from the beginning of January 2012 till the end of January 2014. Prepro-GRP expression was analysed using a nested RT-PCR assay in peripheral blood of 62 untreated lung cancer patients attending the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Cairo University, and 30 age and sex matched healthy volunteers. Results: Among the 62 lung cancer cases, there were 24 (38.7%) SCLC, and 38 (61.3%) NSCLC (10 squamous cell carcinomas, 12 adenocarcinomas, 11 large cell carcinomas, 4 undifferentiated carcinomas, and 1 adenosquamous carcinoma). Twenty six patients (41.9%) were prepro-GRP positive. Prepro-GRP expression was higher (58.3%) among SCLC patients compared to NSCLC (squamous cell carcinoma (15.4%), large cell carcinoma (36.4%), and adenocarcinoma (25%)). Mean OS among prepro-GRP negative cases was longer than that among preprogastrin positive cases (17.6 vs 14.9 months). The mean PFS durations among preprogastrin negative versus positive cases were 7.7 vs 4.6 months (p= 0.041). No difference in response to chemotherapy was identified between the groups (p=0.983). Conclusion: Prepro-GRP is suggested to be a useful prognostic marker for lung cancer patients, especially with the fast- growing, bad prognostic SCLC type. More studies should aim at detailed understanding of the mechanisms of prepro-GRP action and its use in monitoring the response to treatment in a larger cohort.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.5-14
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• 2003

The purpose of this study was to identify key educational and counseling needs of breast cancer patients in Korea. The data were collected from 102 breast cancer survivors. The instrument consisted of 66 items and the items were divided into five treatment stages: pre-admission, admission, discharge, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. The subjects' mean age was 50 years and most of them were housewives. All had a mastectomy and among them 69 had chemotherapy and 42 had radiation therapy. Average post-surgical period was 47 months. The mean score of the subjects' needs was 2.99 out of 4 points. The highest educational need was to know about the method of recurrence prevention. In terms of the treatment stages, mean score for pre-admission was 3.09, admission 3.06, chemotherapy 3.03, after discharge 2.95, and radiation therapy 2.80. In the pre-admission period, etiology, diagnostic tests, treatment and prevention of the breast cancer were needed the most. During the admission period, symptom management after the operation had the highest score. After discharge, prevention of recurrence had the highest score. The results of this research will help in developing educational and counseling programs by understanding the specific needs of breast cancer patients based on the treatment stages.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.24
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• pp.10735-10738
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• 2015

Background: Cancers of the breast, uterine cervix and ovary are common cancers amongst females of North East India. Not much is known about the descriptive epidemiology of these cancers in our population. The present retrospective analysis was therefore performed. Materials and Methods: The data set available at the hospital based cancer registry of a regional cancer center of North-East India, containing information on patients registered during the period of January 2010 to December 2012, was applied. A total of 2,925 cases of breast, uterine cervix and ovarian cancer were identified. Results: Of the total, 1,295 (44.3%) were breast cancers, 1,214 (41.5%) were uterine cervix and 416 (14.2%) ovarian cancer, median age (range) for breast, uterine cervix and ovary were 45 (17-85), 48 (20-91) and 45 years (7-80), respectively. Some 43.5% of cases with uterine cervix patients were illiterate, 5.4% and 5.7% stage I in breast and cervix respectively and 96.4% of ovarian cancers in advanced stage. Conclusions: Improvement of female education can contribute to increase the proportion of early stage diagnosis of breast and uterine cervix in our population. Any population-based intervention for the detection of cancers of breast, uterine cervix and ovarian cancer should be started early in our population.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.108-115
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• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of preoperative pain management education on postoperative pain control in patients with uterine tumor using patient controlled analgesia. Methods: This study used non-equivalent control group non-synchronized design. Data were collected from September, 2008 to March, 2009 at one university hospital in Daegu, Korea. There were 60 participants, 30 in both the experimental and control group. The experimental group was given preoperative pain education using videos, leaflets, and a PCA model. Postoperative pain intensity, frequency of the PCA button being pressed, and doses of additional analgesics were observed through 24 hours postoperative and knowledge of pain and attitude about the use of the pain medicine were measured at 3 days postoperative. Collected data were analyzed using t-test, ${\chi}^2$ test, repeat measured ANOVA, and Bonferroni methods. Results: There were no significant differences in the postoperative pain level between the experimental and control group. Postoperative frequency of the PCA button pressed, doses of additional analgesics, pain knowledge and attitude about the use of the pain medicine of the experimental group were significantly higher than those of the control group. Conclusion: Pain management education is an effective nursing intervention for pain control after surgery.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.37-54
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• 1987

The aim of surgery for all parotid masses is directed toward total removal of the tumor with adequate safe margins of adjacent normal tissue and preservation of the facial nerve whenever possible. Reconstructive procedures following parotidectomy for benign or low grade malignant lesions are most commonly necessary if soft tissue deficits appear at the angle of the mandible below the earlobe as a major cosmetic deformity. This is a report of Z4 cases with a diagnosis of parotid tumor who were treated using various surgical procedures at Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Hanyang University Hospital over the period of 4 years from January, 1983 to December, 1986. Among 24 cases, 11 cases were reconstructed by Sternocleidomastoid muscle flap at the same time that extirpative surgery is outlined. The advantage of Sternocleidomastoid muscle flap is the coverage of the facial nerve, so adhesion between the facial nerve and skin was prevented. Absorption and loss of bulk was not found such as dermofat graft. It was a simple method. Neither donor site defect nor sternocleidomastoid muscle deformity was developed. Sternocleidomastoid muscle flap have been found satisfactory in maintaining filled-out soft tissue hollows with good result cosmetically and functionally.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.54-58
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• 2011

Objectives : There are many reports on attempts to minimize complications and recurrences of tumor by several techniques for benign parotid tumor resection. The purpose of our study is to find out meaning of procedure without identifying main trunk of facial nerve compared to conventional parotidectomy. Material and Methods : We classified 121 patients into two groups. Patients who were underwent superficial parotidectomy or partial superficial parotidectomy were included in idenitification group(IF group), and patients who were treated with conservative partial parotidectomy or extracapsular dissection without identification of main trunk of facial nerve were included in the non-identification group(NF group). We analyzed the location of tumor, operation time, mean drainage duration, complication, recurrence and cosmetic satisfaction in two groups. Results : NF group has shorter operation time and mean drainage duration than IF group, however there is no significant difference in complication and recurrence between two surgical techniques. The Cosmetic satisfaction was similar between two groups. Conclusion : Limited parotidectomy without finding main trunk of facial nerve may be reliable option for benign parotid tumors because it has advantages such as less operation time and mean drainage duration without increasing in recurrence or complication rate.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.47-52
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• 2017

Anaplastic thyroid cancer is a rare disease entity consist 2% of whole thyroid cancer but once diagnosed, it is too fatal to survive. Airway obstruction is a leading cause of death in anaplastic thyroid cancer, which may be caused by both vocal cord palsy, mass effect of the cancer or direct invasion of the cancer itself to the tracheal lumen. Tracheal stent insertion can be a solution for airway compromised cases where surgical excision cannot be performed. The advantage is that the airway problem can be solved without invasive procedure. In this case, we tried expandable tracheal stent insertion for 66 years-old man with anaplastic cancer who visited ER for small amount of hemoptysis and dyspnea. There was severe tracheal narrowing and deviation due to the anaplastic thyroid cancer, ECMO (Extra Corporal Membrane Oxygenation) was used instead of a tracheal intubation for general anesthesia.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.73-77
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• 2017

An 81 year-old male patient presented with rapid enlargement of left lateral neck mass, diagnosed two months earlier as cervical nontuberculous mycobacterial lymphadenitis. Abscess formation and impending rupture related to aggravation of nontuberculous mycobacterial lymphadenitis was highly suspected. Unexpectedly, blood flow was detected by Doppler ultrasonography, which indicated possible vascular mass. Computed tomography demonstrated a $6.0cm{\times}4.0cm$ sized enhancing mass consistent with pseudoaneurysm of internal carotid artery. The patient underwent pseudoaneurysmectomy. Surgical drainage without adequate evaluation might have led to potentially life-threatening condition. We describe this rare case with importance of imaging screening in a neck mass.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.1 no.4
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• pp.217-223
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• 2005

To assess that the XRCC1 399Gln variant contributes to sensitivity to ionizing radiation treatment and is associated with progression-free and overall survival, one hundred and ninety-five lung cancer patients were recruited at the Asan Medical Center from 2000 to 2003. We determined the genotypes of the XRCC1 genes by PCR-RFLP. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and the log-rank test were used to analyze the effects of genotypes on survival. Hazard ratios, adjusted for age, sex, and other potential confounders, were calculated using the Cox-proportional hazard model. Patients carrying the 399Gln variant allele under radiotherapy only had a shorter progression-free and overall survival than those with the 399Arg homozygote. However, when we analyzed for the effect of the XRCC1 Arg399Gln polymorphism in the combined treatment of surgical resection and radiotherapy, we found that patients with the 399Gln variant allele had a longer progression-free and overall survival. This study shows different associations between the XRCC1 Arg399Gln polymorphism and progression-free or overall survival depending on treatment protocol in patients with NSCLC.