• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• 제38권1호
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• pp.26-34
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• 2020

Purpose: Intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) allows for more precise treatment, reducing unwanted radiation to nearby structures. We investigated the safety and feasibility of IMRT for anaplastic ependymoma patients below 3 years of age. Materials and Methods: A total of 9 anaplastic ependymoma patients below 3 years of age, who received IMRT between October 2011 and December 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. The median equivalent dose in 2 Gy fractions was 52.0 Gy (range, 48.0 to 60.0 Gy). Treatment outcomes and neurologic morbidities were reviewed in detail. Results: The median patient age was 20.9 months (range, 12.1 to 31.2 months). All patients underwent surgery. The rates of 5-year overall survival, freedom from local recurrence, and progression-free survival were 40.6%, 53.3%, and 26.7%, respectively. Of the 9 patients, 5 experienced recurrences (3 had local recurrence, 1 had both local recurrence and cerebrospinal fluid [CSF] seeding, and 1 had CSF seeding alone). Five patients died because of disease progression. Assessment of neurologic morbidity revealed motor dysfunction in 3 patients, all of whom presented with hydrocephalus at initial diagnosis because of the location of the tumor and already had neurologic deficits before radiotherapy (RT). Conclusion: Neurologic morbidity is not caused by RT alone but may result from mass effects of the tumor and surgical sequelae. Administration of IMRT to anaplastic ependymoma patients below 3 years of age yielded encouraging local control and tolerable morbidities. High-precision modern RT such as IMRT can be considered for very young patients with anaplastic ependymoma.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• 제23권2호
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• pp.289-302
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• 2023

Purpose: Liver metastasis (LM) is reported in approximately 40% of patients with advanced/metastatic gastric/gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma (metastatic esophagogastric adenocarcinoma; mGEA) and is associated with a worse prognosis. This post-hoc analysis from the RAINBOW trial reported the efficacy, safety, and biomarker outcomes of ramucirumab and paclitaxel combination treatment (RAM+PAC) in patients with (LM+) and without (LM-) LM at baseline. Materials and Methods: Patients (n=665) were randomly assigned on a 1:1 basis to receive either RAM+PAC (LM+: 150, LM-: 180) or placebo and paclitaxel (PL+PAC) (LM+: 138, LM-: 197). The overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were evaluated using stratified Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression models. The correlation of dichotomized biomarkers (VEGF-C, D; VEGFR-1,2) with efficacy in the LM+ versus LM- subgroups was analyzed using the Cox regression model with reported interaction P-values. Results: The presence of LM was associated with earlier progression than those without LM, particularly in patients receiving PL+PAC (hazard ratio [HR], 1.68). RAM+PAC treatment improved OS and PFS irrespective of LM status but showed greater improvement in LM+ than that in LM- (OS HR, 0.71 [LM+] vs. 0.88 [LM-]; PFS HR, 0.47 [LM+] vs. 0.76 [LM-]). Treatment-emergent adverse events were similar between patients with and without LM. No predictive relationship was observed between biomarker levels (VEGF-C, D; VEGFR-1,2) and efficacy outcome (OS, PFS) (all interaction P-values >0.05). Conclusions: RAM provided a significant benefit, irrespective of LM status; however, its effect was numerically stronger in patients with LM. Therefore, RAM+PAC is a clinically meaningful therapeutic option for patients with mGEA and LM.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제66권4호
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• pp.280-287
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• 2009

연구배경: 표피성장인자수용체(epidermal growth factor receptor, EGFR) 티로신 활성효소 억제제(tyrosine kinase inhibitor, TKI)는 진행성 비소세포폐암의 새로운 치료제이다. 몇몇 연구 결과 gefitinib와 erlotinib에 대한 반응률과 반응 예측인자에 차이가 있을 가능성을 제시하였다. 저자들은 한국인 진행성 비소세포폐암에서 gefitinib와 erlotinib의 효과 및 독성을 비교하고 각 약제에 대해 서로 다른 반응 예측인자가 있는지 평가하였다. 방 법: 2003년 7월부터 2009년 2월까지 이화여자대학 교부속병원에서 진행성 비소세포폐암으로 gefitinib 또는 erlotinib로 치료 받은 환자들의 임상정보를 수집하였다. 중앙 생존기간은 Kaplan-Meier법으로 계산하였다. 결 과: 대상 환자는 총 86명이었다(gefitinib군 52명 대 erlotinib군 34명). 나이의 중앙값은 64세였고 53명(62%)이 남자였다. 86명 중 83명에서 반응평가가 가능했으며, 83명 중 35명이 반응을 보였고 12명이 안정성 질환이었으며 36명이 진행성 질환으로, 치료 반응률이 42%였고 질병 조절률이 57%였다. 중앙 추적관찰기간 502일 동안, 진행까지의 중앙기간은 129일이었으며 중앙 생존기간은 259일이었다. 치료 반응률(gefitinib 44% 대 erlotinib 39%, p=0.678), 중앙 생존기간(gefitinib 301일 대 erlotinib 202일, p=0.151) 및 병의 진행까지 기간의 중앙값(gefitinib 136일 대 erlotinib 92일, p=0.672)은 두 군 사이에 차이가 없었다. 두 약제는 비슷한 독성을 보였다. Cox 회귀모형을 이용한 다변수분석에서 선암이 생존과 관련된 독립적인 예후인자였다(상대위험도: 0.487, 95% 신뢰구간: 0.292~0.811, p=0.006). 아집단 분석 결과 두 약제에 대한 서로 다른 반응 예측인자는 없었다. 결 론: Gefitinib와 erlotinib 사이에 반응률, 생존기간, 진행까지의 기간 및 독성에 차이는 없었다. 각 약제에 대한 특이적인 반응 예측인자도 없었다.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권10호
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• pp.4165-4168
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• 2014

Background: The prognosis of primary glioblastoma (GBM) is poor. Approximately 2/3 of primary brain tumor diagnoses are GBM, of which 95% are primary lesions. In this study, we aimed to evaluate whether more sunlight exposure has an effect on survival of patients with primary GBM. Materials and Methods: A total of 111 patients with primary GBM were enrolled from Kayseri in inner Anatolia which has a cold climate (n: 40) and Mersin in Mediterranean region with a warm climate and more sunlight exposure (n: 71). The patients with primary GBM were divided into two groups as Kayseri and Mersin and compared for progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).Results: The PFS values were 7.0 and 4.7 months for Kayseri and Mersin groups, respectively (p=0.10) and the repsective OS values were 13.3 and 9.4 months (p=0.13). We did not found any significant difference regarding age, sex, comorbidity, smoking, surgery, resurgery, adjuvant chemoradiotherapy and palliative chemotherapy between the groups. Conclusions: We found that more sunlight exposure had no impact on prognosis of patients with primary GBM, adding inconsistency to the literature about the relationship between sunlight and GBM.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제14권11호
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• pp.6267-6271
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• 2013

Objective: To determine clinical efficacy, safety and prognostic factors of pemetrexed plus platinum as first-line treatment in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Materials and Methods: Clinical characteristics, short-term efficacy, survival and adverse reactions of 47 advanced non-squamous NSCLC patients who had received pemetrexed plus platinum as first-line treatment in Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital from January 2009 to June 2011 were retrospectively analyzed. The Chi-squared test was applied to statistically analyze the overall response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR) and toxicity reactions in both groups, while survival data wereanalyzed by Kaplan-Meier and logrank methods, and the COX proportional hazards model was adopted for a series of multi-factor analyses. Results: Only two patients were lost to follow-up. The ORR, DCR, medium progression-free survival time (PFS) and medium overall survival (OS) were 31.9%, 74.5%, 5 months and 15.2 months, while 1- and 2-year survival rates were 63.8% (30/47) and 19.2% (9/47), respectively. Single-factor analysis showed that tumor pathological patterns and efficacy were in association with medium PFS (P<0.05), whereas tumor pathological patterns, smoking history and efficacy were closely connected with medium OS (P<0.05). Multi-factor analyses demonstrated that pathological patterns and efficacy were independent factors influencing OS (P<0.05). The rate of toxicity reactions in degree III/IV was low, including hematologic toxicity marked by decline in white blood cell count and decrease in the platelet count (PLT), and non-hematologic toxicity manifested by gastrointestinal reactions, such as nausea and vomiting. Conclusions: Pemetrexed plus platinum as first-line treatment has excellent efficacy and slight adverse reactions with favorable drug-tolerance in patients with advanced non-squamous NSCLC.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제16권14호
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• pp.5687-5690
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• 2015

Background: Factors predictive of survival have been identified in Western patients with metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (mCCRCC) treated with sunitinib. Less is known, however, about factors predictive of survival in Japanese patients. This study evaluated factors prognostic of survival in Japanese patients with mCCRCC treated with first-line sunitinib. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study evaluated 46 consecutive Japanese mCCRCC patients treated with sunitinib as first line therapy. Clinical and biochemical markers associated with progression-free survival (PFS) were analyzed, with prognostic factors selected by uniand multivariate Cox regression analyses. Results: Univariate analysis showed that factors significantly associated with poor PFS included Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center poor risk scores, International Metastatic RCC Database Consortium poor risk and high (>0.5 mg/dl) serum C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations (p<0.001 each). Multivariate analysis showed that high serum CRP was independently associated with poorer PFS (p=0.040). Six month disease control rate (complete response, partial response and stable disease) in response to sunitinib was significantly higher in patients with normal (${\leq}0.5mg/dl$) than elevated baseline CRP (p<0.001). Conclusions: CRP is a significant independent predictor of PFS for Japanese patients with mCCRCC treated with first-line sunitinib. Pretreatment CRP concentration may be a useful biomarker predicting response to sunitinib treatment.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제16권3호
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• pp.869-874
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• 2015

Background: The prognostic value of microvessel density (MVD), reflecting angiogenesis, detected in ovarian cancer is currently controversial. Here we performed a meta-analysis of all relevant eligible studies. Materials and Methods: A comprehensive search of online PubMed, Medline, EMBASE and Sciencedirect was performed to identify all related articles. The search strategy was designed as 'microvessel density', 'ovarian cancer', 'ovarian neoplasm', 'CD34' and 'angiogenesis'. Results: The studies were categorized by author/year, number of patients, FIGO stage, histology, cutoff value for microvessel density, types of survival analysis, methods of hazard rations (HR) estimation, HR and its 95% confidence interval (CI). Combined hazard ratios suggested that high MVD was associated with poor overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), with HR and 95% CIs of 1.84 (1.33-2.35) and 1.36 (1.06-1.66), respectively. Subgroup analysis showed that high MVD detected by CD34 was relevant for OS [HR=1.67 (1.36-2.35)], but not MVD detected with other antibodies [HR=2.11 (0.90-3.31)]. Another subgroup analysis indicated that high MVD in patients without pre-chemotherapy, but not with pre-chemotherapy, was associated with OS [HR=1.88(1.59-2.18 and HR=1.70 (-0.18-3.59)]. Conclusions: The OS and PFS with high MVD were significant poorer than with low MVD in ovarian cancer patients. However, high MVD detected by CD34 seems to be more associated with survival for patients without pre-chemotherapy.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제13권3호
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• pp.1059-1063
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• 2012

Objective: Angiogenesis represents a key element in the pathogenesis of malignancy. There are no robust data on prognostic factors for overall survival (OS) in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer treated with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-targeted therapy. The present study was conducted to establish a prognostic model for patients using an oxaliplatin-based or irinotecan-based chemotherapy plus bevacizumab in metastatic colorectal cancer. Methods: Baseline characteristics and outcomes on 170 patients treated with FOLFIRI or XELOX plus anti-VEGF therapy-naive metastatic colorectal cancer were collected from three Turkey cancer centers. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to identify independent prognostic factors for OS. Results: The median OS for the whole cohort was 19 months (95% CI, 14.3 to 23.6 months). Three of the seven adverse prognostic factors according to the Anatolian Society of Medical Oncology (ASMO) were independent predictors of short survival: serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) greater than the upper limit of normal (ULN; p<0.001); neutrophils greater than the ULN (p<0.0014); and progression free survival (PFS) less than 6 months (p =0.001). Conclusion: Serum LDH and neutrophil levels were the main prognostic factors in predicting survival, followed by PFS. This model validates incorporation of components of the ASMO model into patient care and clinical trials that use VEGF-targeting agents.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• 제36권4호
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• pp.304-316
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• 2018

Purpose: The indication of elective neck treatment (ENT) for clinically N0 (cN0) paranasal sinus (PNS) carcinoma remains unclear. We aimed to investigate different treatment outcomes regarding ENT and propose optimal recommendations for ENT. Materials and Methods: We identified patients with cN0 PNS carcinoma who underwent curative-intent treatment between 1992 and 2015. Survival outcomes and pattern of failure were compared between patients who received ENT and those who did not. We sought to identify significant patient or pathologic factors regarding treatment outcomes. Results: Among 124 patients meeting the inclusion criteria, 40 (32%) received ENT ('ENT (+) group') and 84 (68%) did not ('ENT (-) group'). With a median follow-up of 54 months, the 5-year overall survival (OS) was 67%, and the 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) was 45%. There was no significant difference between the ENT (+) and ENT (-) groups regarding OS (p = 0.67) and PFS (p = 0.50). Neither group showed a significantly different pattern of failure, including regional failure (p = 0.91). There was no specific benefit, even in the subgroups analysis by tumor site, histologic type, and T stage. Nevertheless, patients who ever had regional and/or distant failure showed significantly worse prognosis. Conclusion: ENT did not significantly affect the survival outcome or pattern of failure in patients with cN0 PNS carcinomas, showing that ENT should not be generalized in this group. However, further discussion on the optimal strategy for ENT should continue because of the non-negligible regional failure rates and significantly worse prognosis after regional failure events.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• 제15권1호
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• pp.19-28
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• 2015

Purpose: To compare the clinicopathological data and long-term survival of gastric cancer patients in China and Korea. Materials and Methods: Patients who had undergone gastrectomy for gastric cancer between 1998 and 2009 in 2 high-volume institutions in both China (n=1,637) and Korea (n=2,231) were retrospectively evaluated. Clinicopathological variables, overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and surgery-related complications were assessed for all patients and compared between the 2 institutions. Results: Chinese patients included in the study were significantly older and had a significantly lower body mass index (BMI) than the Korean patients. Esophagogastric junction tumors were more frequent in Chinese patients. However, the number of patients with stage I gastric cancer, the number of harvested lymph nodes, and the number of total gastrectomies were significantly higher in the Korean population. Korean patients also presented with fewer undifferentiated tumors than Chinese patients. Furthermore, Korean patients had prolonged OS and PFS for stage III cancers only. BMI, tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage, tumor invasion, number of positive lymph nodes, and distant metastases were all independent factors affecting OS and PFS. Conclusions: Although China and Korea are neighboring Asian countries, the clinicopathological characteristics of Chinese patients are significantly different from those of Korean patients. Korean gastric cancer patients had longer OS and PFS than Chinese patients. Influencing factors included TNM stage, tumor invasion, and lymph node metastasis.