• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제14권5호
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• pp.3223-3228
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• 2013

Gene expression profiling (GEP) has identified several molecular subtypes of breast cancer, with different clinico-pathologic features and exhibiting different responses to chemotherapy. However, GEP is expensive and not available in the developing countries where the majority of patients present at advanced stage. The St Gallen Consensus in 2011 proposed use of a simplified, four immunohistochemical (IHC) biomarker panel (ER, PR, HER2, Ki67/Tumor Grade) for molecular classification. The present study was conducted in 75 newly diagnosed patients of breast cancer with large (>5cm) tumors to evaluate the association of IHC surrogate molecular subtype with the clinical response to presurgical chemotherapy, evaluated by the WHO criteria, 3 weeks after the third cycle of 5 flourouracil, adriamycin, cyclophosphamide (FAC regimen). The subtypes of luminal, basal-like and HER2 enriched were found to account for 36.0 % (27/75), 34.7 % (26/75) and 29.3% (22/75) of patients respectively. Ten were luminal A and 14 luminal B (8 HER2 negative and 6HER2 positive). The triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) was most sensitive to chemotherapy with 19% achieving clinical-complete-response (cCR) followed by HER2 enriched (2/22 (9%) cCR), luminal B (1/6 (7%) cCR) and luminal A (0/10 (0%) cCR). Heterogeneity was observed within each subgroup, being most marked in the TNBC although the most responding tumors, 8% developing clinical-progressive-disease. The study supports association of molecular subtypes with response to chemotherapy in patients with advanced breast cancer and the existence of further heterogeneity within subtypes.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• 제13권3호
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• pp.233-241
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• 1995

Purpose : To analyse clinical outcome and prognostic factors according to treatment modality, this paper report our experience of retrospective study of patients with esophageal cancer Materials and Methods : One hundred and ten patients with primary esophageal cancer who were treated in Presbyterian Medical Center from May 1985 to December 1992. We analysed these patients retrospectively with median follow up time of 28 months, one hundred and four patients($95{\%}$) were followed up from 15 to 69 months. In methods, twenty-eight patients were treated with median radiation dose irradiated 54.3Gy only. Fifty-six patients were treated with combined chemoradiotherapy. Sixteen cases of these patients were treated with concurrent chemoradiation and the other patients(forty cases) were treated sequential chemoradiotherapy. In concurrent chemoradiotherapy group, patients received 5-FU continuous IV infusion for 4 days. Cisplatin IV bolus. and concurrent esophageal irradiation to 30 Gy. After that patients received 5-FU continuous IV, Cisplatin bolus injection and Mitomycin-C bolus IV, Bleomycin continuous IV, and irradiation to 20 Gy. In sequential chemoradiotherapy group, the chemotherapy consisted of 5-FU 1,000mg/$m^2$ administered as a continuous 24 hour intravenous infusion during five days and Cisplatin 80-100mg/$m^2$ bolus injected, or Bleomycin, Vinblastine, Cisplatin, Methotrexate were used of 1 or 2 cycles. After preoperative concurrentm chemoradiation twenty-six patients underwent radical esophagectomy. Results : Ninety-three patients could be examined for response assessment, By treatment modality, response rates were $85.1{\%}$ for radiation alone group and $86.3{\%}$ for combined chemoradiation group. But in operation group, after one cycle of concurrent chemoradiation treatment, response rate was $61.9{\%}$. The pathologic complete response were $15.4{\%}$ in operation group. Overall median survival was II months and actuarial 5-year survival rate was $8{\%}$. The median survival interval was 6 months for radiation alone group, 11 months for combined chemoradiation group and 19 months for operation group. And also median survival was 19 months for complete responder group that 8 months for noncomplete responder group. In univariative analysis, statistically significant prognostic factors were tumor size, clinical stage, tumor response, and operation. In multivariative analysis, significantly better survival was associated with clinical stage, tumor response, radiation dose, and operation. Conclusion : Compared with radiotherapy alone, combined multimodality may improve the median survival in patients with localized carcinoma of the esophagus and toxicity is acceptable.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• 제26권4호
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• pp.247-256
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• 2008

목 적: 직장암에서 수술 전 동시적 항암화학방사선요법을 시행한 환자를 대상으로 항문 괄약근 보존율, 생존율, 예후인자 등을 알아보고자 하였다. 대상 및 방법: 1999년 1월부터 2007년 6월까지 직장암 환자로 진단되어 수술 전 동시적 항암화학방사선요법을 시행한 환자는 모두 150명이었다. 이 중 진단시 원격전이가 없고 재발암이 아니며 본원에서 근치적 수술을 받은 환자 중 계획된 방사선치료를 완료한 총 82명의 환자를 대상으로 하였다 방사선치료는 일일 $1.8{\sim}2\;Gy$씩, 주 5회 $41.4{\sim}46\;Gy$ (중앙값 44 Gy)를 전 골반에 조사한 후 원발부위 및 고위험 부위에 총 방사선량이 $43.2\;Gy{\sim}54\;Gy$(중앙값 50.4 Gy)까지 추가 조사하였다. 항암화학요법은 66명(80.5%)에서 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), leucovorin, cisplatin을 정주하였고, 15명(19.5%)에서는 5-FU와 leucovorin만을 정주하여 방사선치료 기간 동안 4주 간격으로 2회 시행되었다. 수술은 동시적 항암화학방사선치료 종료 후 $3{\sim}45$주(중앙값 7주)가 경과되어 시행되었다. 수술 후 유지 항암화학요법은 총 38명(47.6%)에서 시행되었다. 결 과: 전체 환자의 항문 괄약근 보존율은 73.2%(60명)이었다. 이 중 종양의 최하 위치가 항문연으로부터 5 cm 미만인 환자 48명중 31명(64.6%)에서, 5 cm 이상인 환자 34명 중 29명(85.3%)에서 항문 괄약근을 보존할 수 있었다. 수술 후 병리적 완전관해율은 14.6% (12/82)였다. 전체 환자의 T병기 하강률은 42.7% (35/82)였고, N병기 하강률은 75.5% (37/49)였으며, 전체 병기 감소율은 67.1% (55/82)였다. 전체 환자의 추적 관찰 기간은 $11{\sim}107$ 개월로 중앙값은 38개월이었다. 전체 환자의 5년 생존율, 무병생존율 및 국소종용제어율은 각각 67.4%, 58.9%, 84.4%였다. 수술 후 병기별 5년 생존율은 0 (n=12), I (n=16), II (n=30), III (n=23)기에서 각각 100%, 59.1%, 78.6%, 36.9%이었고 IV 병기 1예는 43개월 현재 생존 중이다(p=0.02). 병기별 5년 무병생존율은 0, I, II, III, IV 기에서 각각 77.8%, 63.6%, 58.9%, 51.1%, 0%였다(p<0.001). 병기별 5년 국소종양제어율은 0, I, II, III기 에서 각각 88.9%, 93.8%, 91.1%, 68.2%였고 IV병기 1예는 43개월 현재 국소재발 없이 생존 중이다(p=0.01). 생존율에 영향을 미치는 예후인자를 분석하기 위하여 연령(${\geq}55$세 VS. >55세), 임상적 병기(I+II vs, III), 방사선치료 종료 후 수술까지의 경과기간(${\leq}6$주 vs. >6주), 수술방법 (항문괄약근보존술 vs. 비보존술), 병리학적 T병기, 병리학적 N 병기, 병리학적 전체병기(0 vs. I+II vs. III+IV), 병리학적 완전관해여부 등 총 8개의 다변량 분석상, 연령과 병리학적 N병기는 전체 생존율에, 병리학적 전체 병기는 무병생존율에, 병리학적 N병기는 국소종양제어율에 각각 유의하였다. 전체 환자 중 재발한 환자는 모두 25명으로 국소재발 10명, 원격전이 13명, 국소 및 원격전이가 동시에 있던 환자 2명이었다 항암화학 방사선치료 중 등급 3 이상의 혈액학적 독성은 백혈구 감소가 2명이었고, 등급 3의 피부반응이 1명이었다. 수술 후 60일 이내의 입원을 요할 정도의 합병증으로는 총 11명으로 문합부 누출 5명, 골반부 농양이 2명, 그외 4명 등이었다. 결 론: 직장암에서 수술 전 동시적 항암화학방사선요법으로 병기 하강 및 항문 괄약근 보존에 유용한 결과를 얻었고, 수술 전 항암화학방사선요법으로 인한 독성은 미미하였다. 병리학적 N병기가 생존율과 국소종양제어율에 유의한 예후 인자로 나타나 이들에 대한 수술 후 보조적 요법이 더욱 강화될 필요가 있다고 생각된다.

• The Korean journal of internal medicine
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• 제39권2호
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• pp.347-359
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• 2024

Background/Aims: Renal relapse has known to be a poor prognostic factor in patients with lupus nephritis (LN), but there were few studies that identified the risk factors of renal relapse in real world. We conducted this study based on 35-years of experience at a single center to find out predictors of renal relapse in Korean patients with LN after achieving complete response (CR). Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical, laboratory, pathologic and therapeutic parameters in 296 patients of LN who reached CR. The cumulative risk and the independent risk factors for renal relapse were examined by Kaplan-Meier methods and Cox proportional hazards regression analyses, respectively. Results: The median follow-up period from CR was 123 months. Renal relapse had occurred in 157 patients. Renal relapse occurred in 38.2%, 57.6% and 67.9% of patients within 5-, 10-, and 20-year, respectively. The age at diagnosis of SLE and LN were significantly younger, and the proportions of severe proteinuria and serum hypoalbuminemia were higher in patients with renal relapse. Interestingly, the proportion of receiving cytotoxic maintenance treatment was higher in patients with renal relapse. In Cox proportional hazards regression analyses, only young-age onset of LN (by 10 years, HR = 0.779, p = 0.007) was identified to independent predictor of renal relapse. Conclusions: Young-age onset of LN was only independent predictor and the patients with severe proteinuria and serum hypoalbuminemia also tended to relapse more, despite of sufficient maintenance treatment. Studies on more effective maintenance treatment regimens and duration are needed to reduce renal relapse.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• 제21권2호
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• pp.155-168
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• 2021

Purpose: Previous studies have demonstrated the usefulness of the controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score in nutritional assessment and survival prediction of patients with various malignancies. However, its value in advanced gastric cancer (GC) treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and curative gastrectomy remains unclear. Materials and Methods: The CONUT score at different time points (pretreatment, preoperative, and postoperative) of 272 patients with advanced GC were retrospectively calculated from August 2004 to October 2015. The χ² test or Mann-Whitney U test was used to estimate the relationships between the CONUT score and clinical characteristics as well as short-term outcomes, while the Cox proportional hazard model was used to estimate long-term outcomes. Survival curves were estimated by using the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test. Results: The proportion of moderate or severe malnutrition among all patients was not significantly changed from pretreatment (13.5%) to pre-operation (11.7%) but increased dramatically postoperatively (47.5%). The pretreatment CONUT-high score (≥4) was significantly associated with older age (P=0.010), deeper tumor invasion (P=0.025), and lower pathological complete response rate (CONUT-high vs. CONUT-low: 1.2% vs. 6.6%, P=0.107). Pretreatment CONUT-high score patients had worse progression-free survival (P=0.032) and overall survival (OS) (P=0.026). Adjusted for pathologic node status, the pretreatment CONUT-high score was strongly associated with worse OS in pathologic node-positive patients (P=0.039). Conclusions: The pretreatment CONUT score might be a straightforward index for immune-nutritional status assessment, while being a reliable prognostic indicator in patients with advanced GC receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy and curative gastrectomy. Moreover, lower pretreatment CONUT scores might indicate better chemotherapy responses.

• 대한의생명과학회지
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• 제29권2호
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• pp.53-57
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• 2023

The main objective of pathologists is to achieve accurate lesion diagnoses, which has become increasingly challenging due to the growing number of pathological slides that need to be examined. However, using digital technology has made it easier to complete this task compared to older methods. Digital pathology is a specialized field that manages data from digitized specimen slides, utilizing image processing technology to automate and improve analysis. It aims to enhance the precision, reproducibility, and standardization of pathology-based researches, preclinical, and clinical trials through the sophisticated techniques it employs. The advent of whole slide imaging (WSI) technology is revolutionizing the pathology field by replacing glass slides as the primary method of pathology evaluation. Image processing technology that utilizes WSI is being implemented to automate and enhance analysis. Artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms are being developed to assist pathologic diagnosis and detection and segmentation of specific objects. Application of AI-based digital pathology in biomedical researches is classified into four areas: diagnosis and rapid peer review, quantification, prognosis prediction, and education. AI-based digital pathology can result in a higher accuracy rate for lesion diagnosis than using either a pathologist or AI alone. Combining AI with pathologists can enhance and standardize pathology-based investigations, reducing the time and cost required for pathologists to screen tissue slides for abnormalities. And AI-based digital pathology can identify and quantify structures in tissues. Lastly, it can help predict and monitor disease progression and response to therapy, contributing to personalized medicine.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• 제13권1호
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• pp.33-40
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• 1995

Purpose : To assess the efficacy and toxicity of the preoperative radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer Methods : Forty three patients (clinically diagnosed stages above or equal to Astler-Coiler stage B2 without distant metastasis) were assigned to preoperative radiotherapy alone arm (n=16) or combined preoperative radiotherapy and chemotherapy arm (n=27). Preoperative radiotherapy of 4500 cGy to whole pel-vis +/-540 cGy boost to primary site and concurrent chemotherapy of 2 cycles of 5-FU (500 mg/$m^2$) and leucovorin (20 mg/$m^2$) were used. Fifteen patients of preoperative radiotherapy alone arm and 19 of combined arm received surgical resection after preoperative treatment. Results : During the preoperative treatment, no significant complication was developed in both groups. Pathologic results were as follows; complete remission 1, Bl 1, B2 6, C1 2, C2, 5 in preoperative radiotherapy alone arm and complete remission 2, Bl 8, B2 4, C2 3, D 2 in combined arm. Postoperative complications were delayed perineal wound healing in three patients, intestinal obstruction in three patients (one managed by conservative medical treatment, two by surgical treatment). Conclusion : The combined preoperative radiotherapy and chemotherapy arm was more effective in pathological response and lymph node negativity rate than the preoperative radiotherapy alone arm. Both the preoperative radiotherapy alone arm and the combined arm were generally well tolerated and did not result in an increased postoperative morbidity.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• 제18권4호
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• pp.872-880
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• 1985

Myasthenia gravis is a neuromuscular transmission disorder characterized by fatigue and weakness of voluntary muscles. Although the pathogenesis is known as reduction of available acetylcholine receptors at neuromuscular junctions by autoimmune attack, the thymic role in myasthenia gravis is still unclear and under investigation. But thymectomy in the management of myasthenia gravis has become increasingly important since the first successful operation with remission of symptoms in 1939 by Blalock. From January 1983 to June 1985, authors performed 17 thymectomies for patients with myasthenia gravis. Among them, 12 patients were free from thymoma [Croup A] and 5 were coupled with thymoma [Group B]. The results were as follows: 1] Sex distribution was 11 females and 6 males. Mean age of the patients was 32.2 year old. Sex and age distribution by the Group A and B are shown Table 1. 2] Clinical manifestations of ocular symptoms were seen in 5 patients [88.2%], extremity weakness in 13 patients, bulbar weakness in 12 patients and dyspnea in 6 patients. According to the Osserman`s classification, 5 patients were in group IIA, 6 in IIB and 6 in IIC. 3] Pre-operatively, all patients were positive response to the anti-cholinesterase test and 12 patients [92.3%] revealed positive findings in electromyography [EMC] which was done in 13 patients. 4] The postoperative complications were respiratory distress in 3 patients, myasthenic crisis in 2 patients and wound disruption in one patients. 5] Pathologic examination of the thymus showed hyperplasia in 10 patients [90%] and thymoma in 5 patients, of which 4 were mixed type with invasion to the adjacent tissues and one lymphocytic type without invasion. Normal thymus was noticed in only 2 patients. 6] In postoperative evaluations, among the 12 patients c free from thymoma [Group A], complete remission of symptoms was noticed in 3 patients and improvement in 7 patients. But among the 5 patients coupled with thymoma [Group B], only one patients showed improvement [Table 8]. Therefore, remission and clinical improvement were noticed in 11 patients [64.7%] of the all and complete remission was noticed in 3 patients [17.6%].

• Journal of Breast Cancer
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• 제21권4호
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• pp.442-446
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• 2018

Purpose: The definition of nodal pathologic complete response (pCR) after a neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) just included the evaluation of axillary lymph node (ALN) without internal mammary lymph node. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of internal mammary-sentinel lymph node biopsy (IM-SLNB) in patients with breast cancer who underwent NAC. Methods: From November 2011 to 2017, 179 patients with primary breast cancer who underwent operation after NAC were included in this study. All patients received radiotracer injection with modified injection technology. IM-SLNB would be performed on patients with internal mammary sentinel lymph node (IMSLN) visualization. Results: Among the 158 patients with cN+ disease, the rate of nodal pCR was 36.1% (57/158). Among the 179 patients, the visualization rate of IMSLN was 31.8% (57/179) and was 12.3% (7/57) and 87.7% (50/57) among those with $cN_0$ and cN+ disease, respectively. Furthermore, the detection rate of IMSLN was 31.3% (56/179). The success rate of IM-SLNB was 98.2% (56/57). The IMSLN metastasis rate was 7.1% (4/56), and all of them were accompanied by ALN metastasis. The number of positive ALNs in patients with IMSLN metastasis was 3, 6, 8, and 9. The pathology nodal stage had been changed from $pN_1/pN_2$ to $pN_{3b}$. The pathology stage had been changed from IIA/IIIA to IIIC. Conclusion: Patients with visualization of IMSLN should perform IM-SLNB after NAC, especially for patients with cN+ disease, in order to complete lymph nodal staging. IM-SLNB could further improve the definition of nodal pCR and guide the internal mammary node irradiation.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• 제35권3호
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• pp.208-216
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• 2017

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of simultaneous integrated boost intensity-modulated radiotherapy (SIB-IMRT) for preoperative concurrent chemoradiotherapy (PCRT) in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC), by comparing with 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT). Materials and Methods: Patients who were treated with PCRT for LARC from 2015 January to 2016 December were retrospectively enrolled. Total doses of 45 Gy to 50.4 Gy with 3D-CRT or SIB-IMRT were administered concomitantly with 5-fluorouracil plus leucovorin or capecitabine. Surgery was performed 8 weeks after PCRT. Between PCRT and surgery, one cycle of additional chemotherapy was administered. Pathologic tumor responses were compared between SIB-IMRT and 3D-CRT groups. Acute gastrointestinal, genitourinary, hematologic, and skin toxicities were compared between the two groups based on the RTOG toxicity criteria. Results: SIB-IMRT was used in 53 patients, and 3D-CRT in 41 patients. After PCRT, no significant differences were noted in tumor responses, pathologic complete response (9% vs. 7%; p = 1.000), pathologic tumor regression Grade 3 or higher (85% vs. 71%; p = 0.096), and R0 resection (87% vs. 85%; p = 0.843). Grade 2 genitourinary toxicities were significantly lesser in the SIB-IMRT group (8% vs. 24%; p = 0.023), but gastrointestinal toxicities were not different across the two groups. Conclusion: SIB-IMRT showed lower GU toxicity and similar tumor responses when compared with 3D-CRT in PCRT for LARC.