• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.31 no.10
• /
• pp.988-994
• /
• 1998

Background: Chest wall tumors can classified into soft tissue tumors and bone tissue tumors and can be subclassified into benign and malignant tumors. Materials and methods: We report an analysis of 68 patients with primary chest wall tumors treated at the department of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery at Hanyang University Hospital from January, 1973 to September 1997. Results: Among a total of 68 patients 33(48.5%) were males and 35(51.5%) were females. The ages of the patients ranged from 10 to 79 years with a mean age of 39.3 years. According to the age distribution, 23 patients (33.8%) were from the 4th decade, 12 patients(17.6%) were from the 6th decade, and 10 patients(14.7%) were from the 5th decade. Among the primary chest wall tumors, 53 cases were benign and 15 cases were malignant. Among the benign tumors, 17 cases(32.1%) were in the 4th decade and among the malignant tumors, 6 cases(40%) were in the 4th decade. In both malignant and benign tumors the most common ages were in the 4th decade. The most common tumors were fibrous dysplasia and chondroma, each with a total of 14 cases(26.4%). Osteochondroma and lipoma each had 8 cases(15.1%). Among malignant tumors, osteosarcoma was most common with 8 cases (53.3%). According to location, 49 cases occured in both bone and cartilage tissue, 19 cases occurred in cartilage. Among the presenting symptoms, palpable mass was present in all cases. Fifty-one patients complained of tenderness and among cases with involvement of the lung, 3 patients had complained of respiratory distress. Among the malignant tumors 6 cases underwent a radical operation and 4 cases of benign tumors underwent a radical operation. Postoperativly, there was one case with recurrence from a desmoid tumor. There were no deaths postoperativly and no deaths due to complications(and their postoperative courses were uneventful). Conclusions: Most patients with primary chest wall tumors initially present with mass at admission. Resection is sufficient treatment for benign tumors but in malignant tumors wide resection of the chest wall is needed and mchest wall reconstruction.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.52 no.8
• /
• pp.904-909
• /
• 2009

Purpose : The differential diagnosis for a pulmonary nodule is intriguing in cancer patients. Metastasis might be a preferential diagnosis, and yet possibilities of other medical conditions still exist. Pulmonary tuberculosis should be enlisted in the differential diagnosis for a pulmonary nodule in cancer patients in Korea. This study was aimed at analyzing the incidence and clinical features of pulmonary tuberculosis that were misdiagnosed as pulmonary metastasis during radiologic follow-up in pediatric cancer patients. Methods : We retrospectively studied 422 cancer patients less than 18 years old in the Korea Cancer Center Hospital from January 2001 to June 2007. We collected episodes of lung metastasis of primary tumor and tuberculosis during treatment or follow-up, and analyzed medical records. Results : There were 5 cases of tuberculosis confirmed after surgery which were initially regarded as cancer. Two patients had respiratory symptoms such as cough and sputum but the other 3 patients did not. One patient had a family history of tuberculosis. Acid-fast M. tuberculosis was found in one case upon tissue specimen analysis. Two cases were Mantoux positive and the sputum examination was negative in all cases. The polymerase chain reaction for tuberculosis on a pathologic specimen was used to differentiate M. tuberculosis from non-tuberculosis mycobacterium (NTM). It was positive in one case. Lung lesions in one case showed a concurrence of tuberculosis along with lung metastasis. One of these patients died after cancer recurrence. Conclusion : It is necessary to consider the possibility of tuberculosis when a lung mass is newly detected during treatment or follow-up in patients with childhood cancer.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.149-156
• /
• 1995

Purpose : Since February 1991 a Prospective study for non-small cell lung cancer patients who underwent radical resection and had a risk factor of positive resection margin or regional lymph node metastasis has been conducted to evaluate the effect of MVP chemotherapy and radiotherapy on the pattern of failure, disease free and overall survival. and tolerance of combined treatment. Materials and Methods: Twenty nine patients were registered to this study until Sep. 1993; of these 26 received planned therapy Within 3 weeks after radical resection, two cycles of MVP(Mitomycin C $6mg/m^2,$ Vinblastin $6mg/m^2,$ Cisplatin $60mg/m^2$) chemotherapy was given with 4 weeks intervals. Radiotherapy (5040cGy tumor bed dose and 900cGy boost to high risk area) was started 3 to 4 weeks after chemotherapy. Results: One and two year overall survival rates were $76.5\%\;and\;58.6\%$ respectively. Locoregional failure developed in 6 patients$(23.1\%)$ and distant failure in 9 patients$(34.6\%)$ Number of involved lymph nodes, resection margin positivity showed some correlation with failure pattern but T-stage and N-stage showed no statistical significance. The group of patients who received chemotherapy within 2 weeks postoperatively and radiotherapy within 70 days showed lower incidence of distant metastasis. Postoperative combined therapy were well tolerated without definite increase of complication rate, and compliance rate in this study was $90\%$. Conclusion: 1) MVP chemotherapy showed no effect on locoregional recurrence, but appeared to decrease the distant metastasis rate and 2) combined treatments were well tolerated in all patients. 3) The group of patients who received chemotherapy within 2 weeks postoperatively and radiotherapy within 70days showed lower incidence of distant metastasis. 4) Addition of chemotherapy to radiotherapy failed to increase the overall or disease free survival.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.113-117
• /
• 2006

Purpose: Post-mastectomy radiotherapy (PMR) is known to decrease loco-regional recurrence. Adequate skin and dermal dose are achieved by adding bolus. The more difficult clinical issue is determining the necessary number of bolus treatment, given the limits of normal skin tolerance. The aim of this study is to evaluate the necessary number of bolus treatment after PMR in patients with breast cancer. Materials and Methods: Four female breast cancer patients were included in the study. The median age was 53 years(range, $38{\sim}74$), tumor were left sided in 2 patients and right sided in 2patients. All patients were treated with postoperative radiotherapy after MRM. Radiotherapy was delivered to the chest wall (C.W) and supraclavicular lymph nodes (SCL) using 4 MV X-ray. The total dose was 50 Gy, in 2 Gy fractions (with 5 times a week). CT was peformed for treatment planning, treatment planning was peformed using $ADAC-Pinnacles^3$ (Phillips, USA) for all patients without and with bolus. Bolus treatment plans were generated using image tool (0.5 cm of thickness and 6 cm of width). Dose distribution was analyzed and the increased skin dose rate in the build-up region was computed and the skin dose using TLD-100 chips (Harshaw, USA) was measured. Results: No significant difference was found in dose distribution without and with bolus; C.W coverage was $95{\sim}100%$ of the prescribed dose in both. But, there was remarkable difference in the skin dose to the scar. The skin dose to the scar without and with bolus were $100{\sim}105%\;and\;50{\sim}75%$. The increased skin dose rates in the build-up region for Pt. 1, Pt. 2. Pt. 3 and Pt. 4 were 23.3%, 35.6%, 34.9%, and 41.7%. The results of measured skin dose using TLD-100 chips in the cases without and with bolus were 209.3 cGy and 161.1 cGy, 200 cGy and 150.2 cGy, 211.4 cGy and 160.5 cGy, 198.6 cGy and 155.5 cGy for Pt. 1, Pt. 2, Pt. 3, and Pt. 4. Conclusion: It was concludes through this analysis that the adequate number of bolus treatments is 50-60% of the treatment program. Further, clinical trial is needed to evaluate the benefit and toxicity associated with the use of bolus in PMR.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.105-113
• /
• 1996

Purpose : To improve treatment modality and results by analysis of clinical characteristics, local control, survival and recurrence rate in limited stage small cell lung cancer. Materials and Methods : patients with limited stage small cell lung cancer were treated with combined radiation and chemotherapy from Feb. 1986 to Dec. 1992 at the National Medical Center We followed up on 21 patients ($81\%$), who were mostly irradiated with 4,000-5.000cGy ($75\%$ of all Patients) in the results by the analysis retrospectively. Survival rate was evaluated by the Kaplan-Meier method Results : Mean survival of irradiated patients with limited small cell lung cancer was 12 months. 1-rear and 2-rear survival rate were $65.3\%$ and $15.4\%$ Tumor response rate and median survival after combined chemotherapy and irradiation were the following: $50\%$ and 15 months of complete response, and $23\%$ and 11 months of partial response respectively. Response rates by radiation dose were $66\%$ for below 4,000cGy $69\%$ for between 4,000-5,000cGy and $86\%$ for above 5,000cGy. 21 of all patients showed treatment failure($81\%$) which as appeared 9 of local failure.9 of distant failure and 3 of local and distant failure. Conclusion : Local response rate after induction chemotherapy alone in limited stage of small cell lung cancer was $54\%$. Furthermore it was increased to $73\%$ after adding of radiation. We have to increase radiation dose above 5,000cGy and need to try new effective chemotherapy agents for the improvement of local control and survival rate and also will try concurrent chemoradiotherapy in near time.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.27-34
• /
• 2003

Purpose : To evaluate the efficacy of radiotherapy, and the factors affecting survival in patients of extrahepatic bile duct cancer, by analyzing the results of postoperative radiotherapy Materials and Methods : Between October 1991 and July 2001, 21 patients with extrahepatic bile duct cancer, who received radiotherapy after a radical resection, were retrospectively reviewed. The patients' ages ranged from 39 to 75 years, with a median of 61 years, and a male to female ratio of 16 to 5. The numbers of patients with proximal and distal bile duct cancer were 14 and 7, respectively. From the postoperative pathological examination, 19 of the patients were found to have microscopic residues, and 7 to be lymph node positive. Patients with AJCC stages I, II and III were 10, 10 and 1, respectively. The total radiation dose administered was 4,500$\~$6,300 cGy, with a median dose of 5,040 cGy. The follow up period was 20$\~$81 months, with a median of 57.5 months. Results : The overall and disease free survival rates at 3 and 5 years were 41.0 and 29.3$\%$, and 41.6 and 29.7$\%$, respectively. The influences of age, sex, tumor location, differentiation, microscopic residue, neural invasion, 7 and N stage, the stage itself, the dose of radiation and chemotherapy, on survival were evaluated. The T stage and the stage itself were found to be significant from a univariate analysis (p<0.05), but the degree of significance was limited by the small number of patients. A recurrence occurred in 12 patients (57.1$\%$), 5 in locoregional sites, 4 in distant sites and 3 in a combination of locoregional and distant sites, and the sites of distant metastasis were the liver, 6, and the bone, 1 Grade 2 or 3 acute leucopenias occurred in 2 patients and grade 2 chronic peptic ulcers occurred in 4, who were all recovered by conservative management. Conclusion : Postoperative radiotherapy is feasigbls in extrah데atic bile duct cancer, with tolerable toxicity, but prospective studies, with a large patient enrollment, are needed for the evaluation of the effects of postoperative radiotherapy and the related prognostic factors.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.52 no.3
• /
• pp.230-240
• /
• 2002

Background : The majority of chemotherapy-treated small cell lung cancers(SCLC) patients eventually recur. Although many patients are in excellent physical condition at the time of recurrence, few drugs or drug combinations are capable of effecting a tumor regression in this setting. Topotecan, a topoisomerase I inhibitor, is one of the more widely studied single afents in SCLC. The aim of this study was to determine the response rate, survival and toxicity of topotecan as a second line traeatment SCLC. Materials and Methods : 19 patients with measurable SCLC, progressive during the first line chemotherapy (9 cases) or recurrent after the first line chemotherpy(10 cases), were enrolled in this study. Topotecan was administered as a 30-minute daily infusion at a dose of 1.5mg/$m^2$ for 5 consecutive days, every 3 weeks. Results : The overall response rate was 26.3%(5/19, CR 2, PR 3, SD 3, PD 11). The median survival was 24 weeks. The response rate and survival were poor in the nonresponders during first chemotherapy, those who were refractory to the first chemotherapy(recurrent within 3 months after completion of first chemotherapy) and extensive disease, but the results were not statistically significant. The toxicities were mainly hematologic and anemia grade III 1/90, leukopenia grade III 6/90 IV 4/90, thrombocytopenia grade III 1/90 IV 1/90, vomiting grade III 1/90 of cycles were occurred. There was no treatment-related deaths due to severe myelosuppression. Conclusion : Topotecan can be an active second line chemotherapeutic agent for treating SCLC.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• v.6 no.2
• /
• pp.76-83
• /
• 2006

Purpose: Endoscopic incision and submucosal dissection (EISD) is a technique that is being implemented for the resection of gastric adenomas and early gastric cancer (EGC). Since EISD requires a high degree of skill and experience, and due to its association with a moderate risk of gastrointestinal bleeding, its use has been limited. The objective of this study is to investigate the clinical benefits of EISD based upon clinical data on the EISD procedure. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted at Soonchunhyang University Hospital and it included 179 gastric adenoma and early gastric carcinoma lesions from 164 patients who had undergone an EISD from February 2003 to May 2005. Results: Among the total of 179 lesions, the distributions of EGC and adenomas were 70.3% (126/179) and 23.4% (42/179) respectively. The sizes of lesions were divided into 10 mm or less, $11{\sim}20\;mm,\;21{\sim}30\;mm$ and greater than 31 mm and each rates are 10.0% (18/179), 46.3% (83/179), 30% (50/179) and 15.0% (28/179). Among 120 cases which could be measured depth of lesion in according to pathologic findings, m1 (0.8%, 1/120), m2 (38.3%, 46/120), m3 (25%, 57/120), sm1 (11.7%, 14/120), sm2 (1.6%, 2/120) were diagnosed as early stages of gastric cancer. The complete resection rate was 85.2% (150/176) and en-bloc resection rate was 96.0% (169/176). Complications as such as perforation and bleeding developed in 4.4%(8/179) and 21.2% (38/179), respectively. Conclusion: EISD is an effective in the endoscopic treatment for gastric adenoma and early gastric cancers. However, further evaluation of this method and long-term follow-up will be necessary for an evaluation of the recurrence rate after resection of a tumor.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.27-33
• /
• 2001

Purpose : To evaluate interim results in terms of failure, cosmetic results and survival after breast conserving operation and radiation therapy in early breast cancer. Material and Methods : From January 1992 through December 1997, seventy two patients with early stage 0, I and II breast cancer were treated with conservative surgery plus radiotherapy at Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center. Age distribution was 25 to 77 years old with median age of 43. According to TNM stage, five patients had stage 0, thirty three were stage I, twenty five were IIa, and nine were IIb. Most patients underwent excision of all gross tumor and ipsilateral axillary dissection. Breast was irradiated through medial and lateral tangential fields of 6 MV photons to 50.4 Gy in 28 fractions over 5.5 weeks. We delivered a boost irradiation dose of 10 to 16 Gy in 1 to 2 weeks to excision site. Adjuvant chemotherapy was administered in forty one patients with CMF (cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil) regimens of 6 cycles concurrently or before radiation. Cosmetic results were assessed by questionnaire to patients grading of excellent, good, fair, poor. Follow-up periods were 22 to 91 months with median 40 months. Results : Five year disease free survival rate (5YDFS) was $95.8\%$. According to stage, 5YDFS was $100\%,\;96.9\%,\;96\%\;and\;88.9\%$ in stage 0, I, IIa and IIb, respectively. Two patients had distant metastasis and one had local and distant failure. One patient with distant failure had bone and liver metastasis at 14 months after treatment and the other had lung and both supraclavicular metastasis at 21 months after treatment. Patient with local and distant failure had local recurrence on other quadrant in same breast and then salvaged with total mastectomy and chemotherapy but she died due to brain metastasis at 55 months. Complications were radiation pneumonitis in five patients (four patients of asymptomatic, one patients of symptomatic) and hand or arm edema(4 patients). Fifty nine patients answered our cosmetic result questionnaire and cosmetic results were good to excellent in fifty one patients $(86\%)$. Conclusion : We considered that conservative surgery and radiation for the treatment of early stage invasive breast cancer was safe and had excellent survival and cosmetic results. We need to assess about prognostic factors with longer follow up and with large number of patients.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.213-218
• /
• 2007

Purpose: To analyze retrospectively the outcome of postoperative radiation therapy with or without concurrent chemotherapy for curatively resected stage II pancreatic cancer with T3 or N1 disease. Materials and Methods: Between January 1996 and December 2005, twenty-eight patients completed adjuvant radiation therapy at Ajou University Hospital. The patients had either pathologic T3 stage or N1 stage. The radiation target volume encompassed the initial tumor bed identified preoperatively, resection margin area and celiac nodal area. In the case of N1 patients, the radiation field extended to the lower margin of the L3 vertebra for covering both para-aortic lymph nodes bearing area. The median total radiation dose was 50 Gy. Ten patients received concurrent chemotherapy. Results: Thirteen patients (46%) showed loco-regional recurrences. The celiac axis nodal area was the most frequent site (4 patients). Five patients showed both loco-regional recurrence and a distant metastasis. Patients with positive lymph nodes had a relatively high probability of a distant metastasis (57.1%). Patients that had a positive resection margin showed a relatively high local failure rate (57.1%). The median disease-free survival period of all patients was 6 months and the 1-and 2-year disease free survival rates were 27.4% and 8.2%, respectively. The median overall survival period was 9 months. The 2-and 3-year overall survival rates were 31.6% and 15.8%, respectively. Conclusion: The pancreatic cancer patients with stage II had a high risk of local failure and a high risk of a distant metastasis. We suggest the concurrent use of an effective radiation-sensitizing chemotherapeutic drug and adjuvant chemotherapy after postoperative radiation therapy for the treatment of patients with stage II pancreatic cancer.