• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.293-301
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• 1991

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) has been studied in the field of gynecologic malignancy to determine whether it can be used as a tumor marker for early detection of recurrence or evaluation of therapeutic results. From January 1985 through December 1989, a total of 239 cervical cancer patients were entered for an analysis of plasma CEA level in the group with conical cancer compared to the control group consisting of 65 normal healthy women and 18 women with benign gynecologic disease. Plasma CEA levels appear to be directly related with the tumor extension and as stages advance, the incidence of patients with abnormal plasma CEA levels is increased. Also, there seems to be a little higher incidence of abnormal CEA levels in patients with adenocarcinomas or adenosquamous carcinoma but not statistically significant because of small number of patients. When the patients developed recurrence, plasma CEA levels are markedly elevated in the majority, particularly in patients with hepatic metastases, In conclusion, serial plasma CEA checks could be used to detect recurrence during follow-up after treatment of cervical cancer.

• Journal of Digestive Cancer Research
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.69-72
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• 2018

Mucinous adenocarcinoma occurs in 1.6-25.4% of patients with colorectal cancer. We report a case of a 27-year-old man with negative findings on initial colonoscopic biopsy, but finally diagnosed with mucinous adenocarcinoma of the colon. After undergoing an abdominal CT due to persistent abdominal pain, he was transferred to our hospital. The abdominal CT showed a diffuse and irregular wall thickening in the distal transverse colon. Due to the edema and stenosis of colonic wall, it was difficult to insert the colonoscope into the proximal region; a biopsy revealed chronic colitis with lymphofollicular hyperplasia. Transverse colectomy and lymph node dissection were performed. The diagnosis was mucinous adenocarcinoma of approximately 20×4.5 cm. Compared to adenocarcinoma, mucinous adenocarcinoma is found in a younger population with an advanced stage and is less responsive to palliative chemotherapy. Therefore, recalcitrant abdominal pain even in young people warrants early detection through appropriate examinations such as abdominal CT and colonoscopy.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.55-59
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• 2001

Purpose: Several studies of an endoscopic mucosal resection(EMR) have been reported, but reports about benign protruding lesions that arise at the scar of EMR for early gastric cancer (EGC) or a gastric adenoma are rare. The purpose of this study was to elucidate endoscopic and histological characteristics of benign protruding lesions which arise at the scar of an EMR for EGC and a gastric flat adenoma. Materials and Methods: In 101 lesions (73 gastric flat adenomas and 28 EGCs) from 96 patients, 16 lesions developed new protruding lesions that arose at the scar of the EMR. We retrospectively analyzed the endoscopic findings of initial and protruding lesions, and several other clinical factors (H. pylori infection, eradication therapy, and proton pump inhibitor (PPI) or H2-blocker use). Results: 1. The mean duration until detection of the protruding lesion was 8.9 months ($1.5\∼27$). Protruding lesions arose at the scar of the EMR in 1 of 28 EGCs ($3.6\%$) and from 15 of 73 gastric flat adenomas ($20.5\%$). All of the patients were men. 2. With respect to the endoscopic findings, the shapes of the protruding lesions were as follows: 10 Yamada (Y) I, 4 Y-II, 1 Y-III, and 1 flat lesion. Histological examination of the protruding lesions revealed regenerating hyperplasia in 5 lesions, intestinal metaplasia in 5, and both in 6. 3. The incidence of these lesions was higher in cases of tubular adenomas with focal high-grade dysplasia than in cases of tubular adenomas without dysplasia (p<0.05). 4. The incidence of H. pylori infection was higher in patients ($81.7\%$) who developed a protruding lesion than in those ($51.8\%$) who did not develop (p=0.029); also, the incidence of use of PPI was higher in those patients (p=0.045). However, eradication therapy for H. pylori and duration of use of PPI or H2-blocker showed no difference between groups. Conclusions: It may be possible that the potential hyperplasia that may reside in normal mucosa surrounding EGC or a gastric adenoma might awaken during the healing process of the EMR ulcer and develop to benign protruding lesions. And, H. pylori and PPI might also be related to the development of the protruding lesions.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.2857-2860
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• 2016

Background: Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection is one of the important causes of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Thailand, involved in the pathogenesis and leading to a development of HCC with or without cirrhotic changes of the liver. This study was aimed to investigate the predictive factors for HCC among CHB patients in a tertiary care center in Thailand. Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of CHB patients with or without HCC during the period of January 2009 and December 2014 at Thammasat University Hospital, Pathumthani, Thailand. Data on clinical characteristics, biochemical tests and radiologic findings were collected from review of medical records. Results: A total of 266 patients were diagnosed with CHB in Thammasat university hospital during the study period. However, clinical information of only 164/266 CHB patients (98 males, 66 females with mean age of 49.4 years) could be completely retrieved in this study. The prevalence of HCC in CHB infection in this study was 38/164 (23.2%). CHB patients with HCC had a mean age older than those without HCC (59.5 vs 47 years, P-value = 0.01). Furthermore, history of upper GI bleeding, tattooing, blood transfusion, and chronic alcoholism were significantly more common in CHB patients with HCC than patients without HCC (13.2% vs 3.2% P-value 0.03, OR = 4.6, 95%CI = 1.2-18.1, 20% vs 3.9%, P-value = 0.01, OR= 6.1, 95% CI= 1.6-23.6, 20% vs 6.3%, P-value = 0.03, OR = 3.8, 95%CI =1.1-12.7, 62.2% vs 30.3%, P-value <0.0001, OR = 3.7, 95%CI= 1.7-8.1 respectively). Interestingly, more CHB patients with HCC had evidence of cirrhosis than those without HCC (78.9% vs 20.4%, P-value <0.0001, OR = 14.6, 95%CI = 5.8-36.7). In CHB patients with HCC, surgical therapy provided longer survival than radiofrequency ablation (RFA) (72 vs 46.5 months, P-value= 0.04). The mean survival time after HCC diagnosis was 17.2 months. Conclusions: HCC remains a major problem among patients with CHB infection in Thailand. Possible risk factors are male gender, history of upper GI bleeding, chronic alcoholism, tattooing, blood transfusion and evidence of cirrhosis. For early stage HCC patients, surgical treatment provided longer survival time than RFA. Most HCC patients presented with advanced disease and had a grave prognosis. Appropriate screening of CHB patients at risk for HCC might be an appropriate approach for early detection and improvement of long-term outcomes.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.674-679
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• 2009

Purpose : The authors aimed to analyze the long-term effects of treatments, especially external beam radiotherapy (EBRT), in bilateral retinoblastoma patients. Methods : This retrospective study analyzed the medical records of 22 bilateral retinoblastoma patients who were registered between October, 1987 and October, 1998 and followed-up for more than 10 years. They were treated by enucleation, EBRT, and systemic chemotherapy. Age at diagnosis, sex, delay prior to treatment, Reese-Ellsworth (RE) classification, and the local treatment modalities were analyzed in relation to recurrence-free survival (RFS) and complications. Results : Median age at diagnosis was 7.0 months (range 1.7-31.6 months). Leukocoria was the most common presenting feature. Two patients had a familial history. The RE classifications of the 44 eyes were group II in 4, III in 14, IV in 4, and V in 22. At the end of a median follow-up period of 141 months (range 55-218 months), 20 patients were alive. The 10-year ocular survival rate of the 44 eyes was $56.8{\pm}7.5%$. The 10-year RFS and ocular survival rate of the 29 eyes treated by combined EBRT and chemotherapy were 75.9% and 86.2%, respectively. Treatment delay (>3 months) was found to be related to higher risk of recurrence. Complications after EBRT were cataract, retinal detachment, phthisis bulbi, and facial asymmetry. No patient developed a second malignancy during the follow-up period. Conclusion : Early detection and prompt treatment can increase ocular survival rates. In addition, careful attention should be paid to possible long-term sequelae in these patients.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.588-595
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• 2010

Background: Base on types of tumor, the types of expressed tumor is diverse and the difference in its expression rate is even more various. Due to such reasons an animal model is absolutely needed for a clinical research of lung cancer. The author attempted oncogenesis by cultivating a cell line of non-small cell carcinoma and then injecting it inside thoracic cavities of nude mice. The author conducted quantitative analyses of HER2/neu tumor gene - an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) related to lung cancer, and TGF-${\beta}_1$, which acts as a resistance to cell growth inhibition and malignant degeneration. In order to investigate achievability of the oncogenesis, histological changes and the expression of cancer gene in case of orthotopic lung cancer is necessary. Material and Method: Among 20 immunity-free male BALB/c, five nude mice were selected as the control group and rest as the experimental group. Their weights ranged from 20 to 25 gm (Orient, Japan). After injection of lung cancer line (SW900 G IV) into the pleural cavity of nude mice, They were raised at aseptic room for 8 weeks. HER2/neu was quantitatively analyzed by separating serum from gathered blood via chemiluminiscent immunoassay (CLIA), and immunosandwitch method was applied to quantitatively analyze TGF-${\beta}_1$. SPSS statistical program (SPSS Version 10.0, USA) was implemented for statistical analysis. Student T test was done, and cases in which p-value is less than 0.05 were considered significant. Result: Even after lung cancer was formed in the normal control group or after intentionally injected lung cancer cell line, no amplification of HER2/neu gene showed reaction. However, the exact quantity of TGF-${\beta}_1$ was $28,490{\pm}8,549pg/mL$, and the quantity in the group injected with lung cancer cell was $42,362{\pm}14,449pg/mL$, meaning 1.48 times highly Significant (p<0.483). It proved that HER2/neu gene TGF-${\beta}_1$ had no meaningful interconnection. Conclusion: TGF-${\beta}_1$ gene expressed approximately 1.48 times amplification in comparison to the control group. The amplification of TGF-${\beta}_1$ meant somatic recuperation inhibition mechanism due to carcinogenesis in nude mice was definitely working. It may be implemented as a quantitative analysis that allows early detection of lung cancer in human body.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.60 no.6
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• pp.645-652
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• 2006

Objective: Patients with lung cancer have a relative high risk of developing secondary primary lung cancers. This study examined the additional value of autofluorescence bronchoscopy (AFB) for diagnosing synchronous lung cancers and premalignant lesions. Methods: Patients diagnosed with lung cancer from January 2005 to December 2005 were enrolled in this study. The patients underwent a lung cancer evaluation, which included white light bronchoscopy (WLB), followed by AFB. In addition to the primary lesions, any abnormal or suspicious lesions detected during WLB and AFB were biopsied. Results: Seventy-six patients had non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and 23 had small cell lung cancer (SCLC). In addition to the primary lesions, 84 endobronchial biopsies were performed in 46 patients. Five definite synchronous cancerous lesions were detected in three patients with initial unresectable NSCLC and in one with SCLC. The secondary malignant lesions found in two patients were considered metastatic because of the presence of mediastinal nodes or systemic involvement. One patient with an unresectable NSCLC, two with a resectable NSCLC, and one with SCLC had severe dysplasia. The detection rate for cancerous lesions by the clinician was 6.0% (6/99) including AFB compared with 3.0% (3/99) with WLB alone. The prevalence of definite synchronized cancer was 4.0% (4/99) after using AFB compared with 2.0% (2/99) before, and the staging-up effect was 1.0% (1/99) after AFB. Since the majority of patients were diagnosed with advanced disease, the subjects with newly detected cancerous lesions did not have their treatment plans altered, except for one patient with a stage-up IV NSCLC who did not undergo radiotherapy. Conclusions: Additional AFB is effective in detecting early secondary cancerous lesions and is a more precise tool in the staging workup of patients with primary lung cancer than with WLB alone.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.3357-3362
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• 2016

Purpose: To correlate ultrasonographic (US) features of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) with preoperative and post-operative calcitonin levels. Materials and Methods: A total of 130 thyroid nodules diagnosed as MTC were evaluated. Two radiologists retrospectively evaluated preoperative US features according to size, shape, margin, echogenicity, type of calcification, and lymph node status. Postoperative clinical and imaging follow-up (mean duration $31.9 {\pm} 22.5$ months) was performed for detection of tumor recurrence. US features, presence of LN metastasis, and tumor recurrence were compared between MTC nodules with and without elevated preoperative calcitonin (>100 pg/mL). Those with normalized and non-normalized postoperative calcitonin levels groups were also compared. Results: Common US features of MTCs were solid internal content (90.8%), irregular shape (44.6%), circumscribed margin (46.2%), and hypoechogenicity (56.2%). Comparing MTC nodules with and without elevated preoperative calcitonin levels, the size and shape of MTC nodule and lymph node metastasis showed statistical significance (p<0.05). Postoperative calcitonin normalization correlated with US features of tumor size (p=0.002), margin (p=0.034), shape ($p{\leq}0.001$), and presence of calcification (p=0.046). Tumor recurrence and LN metastasis were more prevalent in patients without normalization of postoperative calcitonin than in those with normalization (p=0.001). Conclusions: Serum calcitonin measurement is helpful for early diagnosis and predicting prognosis. Postoperative calcitonin measurement is also important for postoperative US follow up, especially in cases with larger nodule size, presence of calcification, irregular shape, and irregular margin.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Communications and Information Sciences
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• v.29 no.3C
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• pp.374-386
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• 2004

The mammogram provides the way to observe detailed internal organization of breasts to radiologists for the early detection. This paper is mainly focused on efficiently detecting the Microcalcification's Region Of Interest(ROI)s. Breast cancers can be caused from either microcalcifications or masses. Microcalcifications are appeared in a digital mammogram as tiny dots that have a little higher gray levels than their surrounding pixels. We can roughly determine the area which possibly contain microcalifications. In general, it is very challenging to find all the microcalcifications in a digital mammogram, because they are similar to some tissue parts of a breast. To efficiently detect microcalcifications ROI, we used four sequential processes; preprocessing for breast area detection, modified multilevel thresholding, ROI selection using simple thresholding filters and final ROI selection with two stages of neural networks. The filtering process with boundary conditions removes easily-distinguishable tissues while keeping all microcalcifications so that it cleans the thresholded mammogram images and speeds up the later processing by the average of 86％. The first neural network shows the average of 96.66％ recognition rate. The second neural network performs better by showing the average recognition rate 98.26％. By removing all tissues while keeping microcalcifications as much as possible, the next parts of a CAD system for detecting breast cancers can become much simpler.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.76-83
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• 1999

Purpose: We performed this study to compare T1-201 and Tc-99m MIBI scans for the differentiation of malignant from benign breast mass. Materials and Methods: Thirty-eight female patients underwent T1-201 breast scan and thirty-two of them also underwent Tc-99m MIBI scan of the breast. After intravenous injection of 74-111 MBq of T1-201, early (10 minutes) and delayed (3 hours) images were obtained. Then, 555-740 MBq of Tc-99m MIBI was injected and images after 30 minutes were obtained. We compared T1-201 and Tc-99m MIBI scans with pathologic results. Results: Twenty-three patients were confirmed to have infiltrating duct carcinoma and fifteen patients to have benign breast mass by excisonal biopsy. The sensitivity of early and delayed T1-201 scan and Tc-99m MIBI scan in the detection of malignant breast lesion were 100% (23/23), 82% (18/22), and 90% (18120), respectively. The sensitivity of early T1-201 scan was significantly higher than that of delayed T1-201 scan (p<0.05). The specificity of early and delayed T1-201 scan and Tc-99m MIBI scan were 73% (l1/15), 73% (l1/15) and 83% (10/12), respectively (p: not significant). Three patients out of nine with fibroadenoma and one patient with atypical duct hyperplasia were false positive in both early and delayed T1-201 scans. The size of fibroadenoma with false positive in early and delayed T1-201 scan (4 cases) was larger than that of 11 fibroadenoma with true negative scan (p<0.01). Metastatic axillary lymph node involvement was present in fifteen patients. The sensitivity to detect metastatic nodes was 38% (5/13) for early T1-201 images, 15% (2/13) for delayed T1-201 images, 58% (7/12) for Tc-99m MIBI planar images and 67% (4/6) for Tc-99m MIBI SPECT. The sensitivity of Tc-99m MIBI planar or SPECT was significantly higher than that of delayed T1-201 images (p<0.05). Conclusion: Early T1-201 and Tc-99m MIBI scan are useful noninvasive methods to differentiate malignant from benign mass of breast Tc-99m MIBI scan was sensitive in detecting axillary lymph node metastasis in patients with breast cancer.