• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.7
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• pp.4061-4066
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• 2013

The extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTL) shows high local or systemic failure rates when radiotherapy (RT) is taken as the primary treatment, suggesting a role for chemotherapy (CT) added to RT for this disease. However, the appropriate mode of combined modality therapy (CMT) has not been fully defined. A total of one hundred and twenty-one patients with ENKTL receiving sandwich CT with RT were reviewed between January 2003 and August 2012. The primary endpoints were the response rate, progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and the relapse rate. After the initial CT, there were 84 (69.4%) patients in CR, 22 (18.2%) patients in PR, 9 (7.4%) patients in SD, and 6 (5%) patients in PD, respectively. At the end of RT, the CR, PR, SD, and PD rates for all patients were 90.9% (n=110), 1.7% (n=2), 4.1% (n=5), and 3.3% (n=4), respectively. After a median follow-up of 42.3 months (3.5~112.3 months), the 5-year PFS was 74.7% (95% CI 70.4%~79.0%), and 5-year OS was 77.3% (95% CI 67.9%~86.7%). Disease progression was documented in 25 (20.7%) patients. The rates of systemic failure, local failure, and regional failure were 18.2%, 5.8%, 1.7%, respectively. Twenty death events (16.5%) were observed for the entire group of patients (18 deaths related to PD). Furthermore, CR to the initial CT and low Korean Prognostic Index (KPI) can independently predict long PFS and OS. The sandwich CMT achieved an excellent outcome for localized ENKTL with acceptable toxicity. We recommend it can be applied as the optimal choice for localized ENKTL.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.55-66
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• 2003

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluated results of arthroscopic treatment of the traumatic recurrent unidirectional posterior subluxation. Materials and Methods: We treated twenty-seven patients who had traumatic recurrent unidirectional posterior subluxation of the shoulder by arthroscopic labral repair and posterior capsular shift and prospectively evaluated for a mean of thirty-nine months (range,24 to 85 months). Patients who had posteroinferior instability, multidirectional instability, atraumatic onset, or revision cases were excluded. There were twenty-five male and two female patients with the mean age of twenty-one years (range, 14 to 33 years). All patients were involved in sports activity. All had a significant traumatic event prior to the onset of the instability. Stability, motion, three objective measurement (UCLA, ASES, and Rowe scores) and two subjective measurements (pain and function visual analogue scale) were evaluated. Results: The most common finding in magnetic resonance image-arthrogram was separation of the posteroinferior labrum without displacement in 9 patients, In arthroscopic examination, all patients had one or more lesions in the posterior inferior labrum and capsule. The most common finding was incomplete stripping of the posterior inferior labrum (18 patients). The posteroinferior capsule subjectively appeared to be stretched in twenty-two patients. At follow-up, all patients had improved shoulder function and scores(p < 0.01). All patients had stable shoulder by subjectivel and objectivel measurements, except one patient who had recurrent subluxation. All but one patient with postoperative recurrence were able to return to their prior sports activity with little or no limitation. Twenty-four patients were graded as having more than 90％ of shoulder function. Their were twenty-one excellent, five good, and one fair UCLA. scores. Pain sore improved from 4.5 to 0.2 point(p : 0.0001). Mean loss internal rotation was one vertebral level. None had operative complications. Conclusion: In conclusion, treatment outcomes of the traumatic unidirectional recurrent posterior subluxation are consistently reliable with respect to the stability, pain relief, and functional restoration by the arthroscopic posterior capsular shift procedure.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.258-264
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• 2015

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic results and safety of pectoralis major muscle turnover flaps in the treatment of mediastinitis after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedures. Methods: Data regarding 33 patients with post-CABG deep sternal wound infections (DSWIs) who underwent pectoralis major muscle turnover flap procedures in the Emam Reza and Ghaem Hospitals of Mashhad, Iran were reviewed in this study. For each patient, age, sex, hospital stay duration, remission, recurrence, and associated morbidity and mortality were evaluated. Results: Of the 2,447 CABG procedures that were carried out during the time period encompassed by our study, DSWIs occurred in 61 patients (2.5%). Of these 61 patients, 33 patients (nine females [27.3%] and 24 males [72.7%]) with an average age of $63{\pm}4.54$ years underwent pectoralis major muscle turnover flap placement. Symptoms of infection mainly occurred within the first 10 days after surgery (mean, $10.24{\pm}13.62days$). The most common risk factor for DSWIs was obesity (n=16, 48.4%) followed by diabetes mellitus (n=13, 39.4%). Bilateral and unilateral pectoralis major muscle turnover flaps were performed in 20 patients (60.6%) and 13 patients (39.4%), respectively. Complete remission was achieved in 25 patients (75.7%), with no recurrence in the follow-up period. Four patients (12.1%) needed reoperation. The mean hospitalization time was $11.69{\pm}6.516days$. Four patients (12.1%) died during the course of the study: three due to the postoperative complication of respiratory failure and one due to pulmonary thromboembolism. Conclusion: Pectoralis major muscle turnover flaps are an optimal technique in the treatment of post-CABG mediastinitis. In addition to leading to favorable therapeutic results, this flap is associated with minimal morbidity and mortality, as well as a short hospitalization time.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.14
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• pp.5957-5961
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• 2015

Background: We designed this randomized controlled trial (RCT) to assess whether lobaplatin-based concurrent chemotherapy might be superior to cisplatin-based concurrent chemotherapy for FIGO stage II and III cervical cancer in terms of efficacy and safety. Materials and Methods: This prospective, open-label RCT aims to enroll 180 patients with FIGO stage II and III cervical cancer, randomly allocated to one of the three treatment groups (cisplatin $15mg/m^2$, cisplatin $20mg/m^2$ and lobaplatin $35mg/m^2$), with 60 patients in each group. All patients will receive external beam irradiation (EBRT) and high-dose-rate intracavitary brachytherapy (HDR-ICBT). Patients in cisplatin $15mg/m^2$ and $20mg/m^2$ groups will be administered four cycles of $15mg/m^2$ or $20mg/m^2$ cisplatin intravenously once weekly from the second week to the fifth week during EBRT, while patients inthe lobaplatin $35mg/m^2$ group will be administered two cycles of $35mg/m^2$ lobaplatin intravenously in the second and fifth week respectively during pelvic EBRT. All participants will be followed up for at least 12 months. Complete remission rate and progression-free survival (PFS) will be the primary endpoints. Overall survival (OS), incidence of adverse events (AEs), and quality of life will be the secondary endpoints. Results: Between March 2013 and March 2014, a total of 61 patients with FIGO stage II and III cervical cancer were randomly assigned to cisplatin $15mg/m^2$ group (n=21), cisplatin $20mg/m^2$ group (n=21) and lobaplatin $35mg/m^2$ group (n=19). We conducted a preliminary analysis of the results. Similar rates of complete remission and grades 3-4 gastrointestinal reactions were observed for the three treatment groups (P=0.801 and 0.793, respectively). Grade 3-4 hematologic toxicity was more frequent in the lobaplatin group than the cisplatin group. Conclusions: This proposed study will be the first RCT to evaluate whether lobaplatin-based chemoraiotherapy will have beneficial effects, compared with cisplatin-based chemoradiotherapy, on complete remission rate, PFS, OS, AEs and quality of life for FIGO stage II and III cervical cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.15
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• pp.6009-6014
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• 2014

Aims: To investigate changes in cellular immune function of patients with lung cancer before and after cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cell therapy and to identify variation effects on overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Materials and Methods:A total of 943 lung cancer patients with immune dysfunction were recruited from January 2002 to January 2010, 532 being allocated to conventional therapy and 411 to CIK therapy after a standard treatment according to the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines. All the patients were investigated for cellular immune function before and after therapy every three months. and clinical prognostic outcomes were analyzed. Results: After six courses of treatment, immune function was much improved in patients receiving CIK cells therapy as compared to controls. The percentages of recurrence and/or metastases for patients undergoing CIK cell therapy was 56.2% and 49.1% respectively but 78.6% and 70.3% among controls (p<0.001). The median OS times for CIK cell therapy and control groups were 48 and 36 months respectively. The OS rates at 12, 36, 60, 84 months in CIK treated patients were 97.8%, 66.9%, 27.7%, and 4.1% while they were 92.3%, 44.5%, 9.2%, and 1.5% in controls. OS and PFS were significantly different by log rank test between the two groups and across the three immune improvement classes. Conclusions: The immune function of lung cancer patients was improved by CIK cell therapy, associated with an increase in the OS rate and extension of the time to recurrence and/or metastasis.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.3017-3021
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• 2013

Background: Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) is an important aspect in identifying cancer patients' perceptions of being diagnosed with cancer and the assessment of treatment outcomes. The present study aimedto assess the profile and predicators of HRQoL of Malaysian oncology patients. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study adopting the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) was conducted. All cancer patients attending Penang General Hospital between August-November 2011 were approached. Descriptive statistics were used to assess demographic and disease related characteristics of the patients. All analyses were performed using SPSS v 16.0. Results: Three hundred and ninety three cancer patients met the inclusion criteria and were enrolled in the study. The mean age was 53.9 ($SD{\pm}13$) years. The cohort was dominated by females (n=260, 66.2%). Nearly half (n=190, 48.3%) of the participants were of Malay ethnicity, practicing Islam as their religion (n=194, 494%). Two hundred and ninety six (n=296, 75.3%) had beene diagnosed with cancer within six months to 3 years previously. The most common primary cancer site was breast (n=143, 36.4%). The mean Global Health Status (GHS) score was 60.7 (SD=21.3). Females (mean GHS score of 62.3, p=0.035) with Malay ethnicity (mean GHS score of 63.8, p=0.047), practicing Islam as their religion (mean GHS score of 63.0, p=0.011) had better GHS scores. Patients having medical insurance had good scores (mean 65.6, p-0.021). Marital status was significantly associated with GHS scores (p=0.022). Bone cancer patientshad the lowest mean GHS score of 49.2 (p=0.044). Patients at very advanced stages of cancer featured a low GHS mean score of 52.2 (p<0.001). Conclusions: The present study identified many demographic and disease related factors which may contribute to the HRQoL of cancer patients, pointing to the necessity for improved management of disease symptoms and provision of psychological and financial support.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.125-134
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• 2014

Purpose: The aim of this study was to characterize Korean patients with Fanconi anemia (FA), which is a rare but very challenging genetic disease. Methods: The medical records of 12 FA patients diagnosed at Chonnam National University Hospital from 1991 to 2012 were retrospectively reviewed. Results: The median age at diagnosis was 6.2 years. All patients showed evidence of marrow failure and one or more physical stigmata. Chromosome breakage tests were positive in 9 out of 11 available patients. The median follow-up duration was 69.5 months. The Kaplan-Meier (KM) survival of all patients was 83.3% at 10 years and 34.7% at 20 years, respectively. Seven patients underwent 9 stem cell transplantations (SCTs). Among them, 5 were alive by the end of the study. Ten-year KM survival after SCT was 71.4% with a median follow-up of 3.4 years. All 5 patients treated with supportive treatment alone died of infection or progression at the median age of 13.5 years, except for one with short followup duration. Acute leukemia developed in 2 patients at 15.4 and 18.1 years of age. Among 6 patients who are still alive, 3 had short stature and 1 developed insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Conclusion: We provide information on the long-term outcomes of FA patients in Korea. A nation-wide FA registry that includes information of the genotypes of Korean patients is required to further characterize ethnic differences and provide the best standard of care for FA patients.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.14
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• pp.5691-5696
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• 2014

Background: Many clinical trials have been conducted to evaluate sorafenib for the treatment of advanced NSCLC, but the results for efficacy have been inconsistent. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of sorafenib in patients with advanced NSCLC in more detail by meta-analysis. Methods: This meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was performed after searching PubMed, EMBASE, ASCO Abstracts, ESMO Abstracts, and the proceedings of major conferences for relevant clinical trials. Two reviewers independently assessed the quality of the trials. Outcomes analysis were disease control rate (DCR), progression- free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) and major toxicity. Subgroup analysis was conducted according to sorafenib monotherapy, in combination with chemotherapy or EGFR-TKI to investigate the preferred therapy strategy. Results: Results reported from 6 RCTs involving 2, 748 patients were included in the analysis. Compared to sorafenib-free group, SBT was not associated with higher DCR (RR 1.31 (0.96- 1.79), p=0.09), PFS (HR 0.82 (0.66-1.02), p=0.07) and OS (HR 1.01 (0.92-1.12), p=0.77). In terms of subgroup results, sorafenib monotherapy was associated with significant superior DCR and longer PFS, but failed to show advantage with regard to OS. Grade 3 or greater sorafenib-related adverse events included fatigue, hypertension, diarrhea, oral mucositis, rash and HFSR. Conclusions: SBT was revealed to yield no improvement in DCR, PFS and OS. However, sorafenib as monotherapy showed some activity in NSCLC. Further evaluation may be considered in subsets of patients who may benefit from this treatment. Sorafenib combined inhibition therapy should be limited unless the choice of platinum-doublet regimen, administration sequence or identification of predictive biomarkers are considered to receive better anti-tumor activity and prevention of resistance mechanisms.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.131-135
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• 2008

Objective : Hemifacial spasm (HFS) is considered as a reversible pathophysiological condition mainly induced by continuous vascular compression of the facial nerve root exit zone (REZ) at the cerebellopontine angle. As an offending vessel, vertebrobasilar artery tends to compress much more heavily than others. The authors analyzed HFS caused by vertebrobasilar artery and described the relationships between microsurgical findings and clinical courses. Methods : Out of 1,798 cases treated with microvascular decompression (MVD) from Jan. 1980 to Dec. 2004. the causative vessels were either vertebral artery or basilar artery in 87 patients. Seventy-nine patients were enrolled in this study. Preoperatively, computed tomography (CT) or brain magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with 3-dimentional short range MR technique was performed and CT was checked immediately or 2-3 days after anesthetic recovery. The authors retrospectively analyzed the clinical features. the compression patterns of the vessels at the time of surgery and treatment outcomes. Results : There were 47 were male and 32 female patients. HFS developed on the left side in 52 cases and on the right side in 27. The mean age of onset was 52.3 years (range 19-60) and the mean duration of symptoms was 10.7 years. Many patients (39 cases; 49.1%) had past history of hypertension. HFS caused only by the vertebral artery was 8 cases although most of the other cases were caused by vertebral artery (VA) in combination with its branching arteries. Most frequently, the VA and the posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) were the simultaneous causative blood vessels comprising 32 cases (40.5%). and in 27 cases (34.2 %) the VA and the anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) were the offenders. Facial symptoms disappeared in 61 cases (77.2%) immediately after the operation and 68 cases (86.1%) showed good outcome after 6 months. Surgical outcome just after the operation was poor in whom the perforators arose from the offending vessels concurrently (p<0.05). Conclusion : In case where the vertebral artery is a cause of HFS, commonly branching arteries associated with main arterial compression on facial REZ requires more definite treatment for proper decompression because of its relatively poor results compared to the condition caused by other vascular compressive origins.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.25-30
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• 2010

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical and radiological outcomes of the S.E.R.I. (simple, effective, rapid, inexpensive) operation for the bunionette deformity. Materials and Methods: Between March 2005 and February 2009, 22 patients (26 feet) who had been treated for the bunionette deformity with minimally invasive osteotomy were reviewed retrospectively. Clinically, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score, shoes selectivity, disappearance of callus and patient's satisfaction level by Coughlin scoring system were evaluated. Radiologically, the bunionette was classified as four types according to the Fallat classification. The 4-5$^{th}$ intermetatarsal angle (4-5$^{th}$ IMA), the 5$^{th}$ metatarsophalangeal angle (5$^{th}$ MPA) and the length of 5th metatarsal bone (5$^{th}$ MTL) were analyzed at preoperatively and at final follow up visit. Results: VAS improved from $6.8{\pm}1.8$ points to $2.2{\pm}1.8$ points (p<0.05). AOFAS score improved from $54.0{\pm}14.2$ points to $90.0{\pm}4.8$ points (p<0.05). There was no change in shoes selectivity. 9 feet (34.6%) were satisfied with excellent results, 16 feet (61.5%) with good results and 1 foot (3.9%) with fair results. The average 4-5$^{th}$ IMA was corrected from $10.1{\pm}2.3^{\circ}$ to $4.4{\pm}1.7^{\circ}$ (p<0.05). The average 5$^{th}$ MPA was corrected from $11.5{\pm}8.6^{\circ}$ to $-0.1{\pm}4.1^{\circ}$ (p<0.05). The average 5$^{th}$ MTL was changed from $66.1{\pm}4.3$ millimeters to $64.1{\pm}4.4$ millimeters (p=0.069). There was no malunion, nonunion or delayed union and other perioperative complications. Conclusion: S.E.R.I. operation is less invasive and easy technique. This procedure is recommendable for the treatment of the bunionette deformity.