ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: To evaluate the clinical characteristics of lung cancer patients in Korea, where there is a higher number of smokers than in Western countries. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed on 1655 lung cancer patients, who were diagnosed at a university hospital between September 1996 and August 2005. Age, gender, cell types and clinical stage were analysed. Of 941 patients, who responded to a questionnaire at the time of diagnosis, the smoking habits, occupational history, family history of lung cancer in the first-degree relatives, coexisting diseases (diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease), body weight loss, ECOG performance status and presenting symptoms, were examined prospectively. In addition, coexisting diseases including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and active pulmonary tuberculosis were evaluated. RESULTS: Of the 1655 patients, the male to females ratio was 3.6. Squamous cell carcinoma was the most common cancer whereas adenocarcinoma was more common in lifetime nonsmokers or women. 19.9% of the patients were non smokers and 80.1% ever smokers. Since 2000, there was an increase in the incidence of adenocarcinoma with a corresponding decrease in the incidence of squamous cell carcinoma. 6.2% of patients were asymptomatic. A coincident diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, active pulmonary tuberculosis, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis was made in: 44.1%, 22.2%, 10.7%, 3.9%, and 1.6% of patients, respectively. A positive family history of lung cancer in the first-degree relatives was identified in 4.4% of patients. An occupational history relevant to lung cancer was identified in 12.2% of patients. CONCLUSION: There is a high proportion of cigarette smokers in Korean lung cancer patients. The most common cell type was squamous cell carcinoma. However, a more detailed, prospective study of the clinical characteristics will be needed to better characterize lung cancer in Korea.
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Male , Adenocarcinoma , Body Weight , Carcinoma, Squamous Cell , Cardiovascular Diseases , Diabetes Mellitus , Diagnosis , Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis , Incidence , Korea , Lung Neoplasms , Lung , Prospective Studies , Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive , Surveys and Questionnaires , Retrospective Studies , Smoke , Smoking , Tertiary Care Centers , Tobacco Products , Tuberculosis, PulmonaryABSTRACT
Intramedullary spinal cord metastasis (ISCM) has rarely been reported in patients wit carcinomas. In about half the ISCM reported the primary origins are lung cancer, with small cell lung cancer responsible for almost all reported cases. Thus, ISCM from small cell lung cancer is relatively well documented, but ISCM from nonsmall cell lung cancer is rarely diagnosed prior to the patients' demise, so very little data about such patients is available. Spine MRI is the most sensitive technique for diagnosing ISCM. ISCM are now being encountered with increasing frequency due to the increasing survival rates of lung cancer patients, and the development of new imaging technique. We reported a case of an ISCM from non-small cell lung cancer with a brief review of the literature.
Subject(s)
Humans , Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung , Lung Neoplasms , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Neoplasm Metastasis , Small Cell Lung Carcinoma , Spinal Cord , Spine , Survival RateABSTRACT
Intramedullary spinal cord metastasis (ISCM) has rarely been reported in patients wit carcinomas. In about half the ISCM reported the primary origins are lung cancer, with small cell lung cancer responsible for almost all reported cases. Thus, ISCM from small cell lung cancer is relatively well documented, but ISCM from nonsmall cell lung cancer is rarely diagnosed prior to the patients' demise, so very little data about such patients is available. Spine MRI is the most sensitive technique for diagnosing ISCM. ISCM are now being encountered with increasing frequency due to the increasing survival rates of lung cancer patients, and the development of new imaging technique. We reported a case of an ISCM from non-small cell lung cancer with a brief review of the literature.
Subject(s)
Humans , Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung , Lung Neoplasms , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Neoplasm Metastasis , Small Cell Lung Carcinoma , Spinal Cord , Spine , Survival RateABSTRACT
Among the patients with rectal cancer who entered Yonsei University Hospital for management from Jan. 1980 to Dec. 1990, we selected 23 subjects who were received surgical resection of tumor in rectum, and who proved to have liver metastasis during the diagnostic work-up, at the time of the operation, or within 3 months after starting definitive treatment. With those subjects, we investigated the role of radiation therapy by comparison of the treatment results of the patients without radiation therapy (S group) with those of the patients with radiation therapy to the primary site (S+R group). The local control rates of S group and S+R group were 64% and 89%, and 2-year survival rates were 50% and 78%, respectively. Although there was not statistically meaningful difference, local control rate and 2-year survival rate were higher in the group with radiation therapy to primary site than that without radiation therapy. The 2-year survival rates of the case with resection of the liver and the case without it were 03.6% and 58.3% respectively, which was not statistically significant. Also, the 2-year survival rate of the case with sustained local control was higher than that of the case with local failure, which was statistically significant(70.5% and 16.7%, p<0.005). From the above results, it is thought that radiation therapy to the primary site might improve the local control rate even in the patients with liver metastasis, which seems to be correlated to the higher survival rate.
Subject(s)
Humans , Liver , Neoplasm Metastasis , Radiotherapy , Rectal Neoplasms , Rectum , Survival RateABSTRACT
No abstract available.
Subject(s)
Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung , Cisplatin , Drug Therapy, Combination , Etoposide , FluorouracilABSTRACT
A total of 93 patients with rectal cancer treated with radiotherapy at department of Radiation Oncology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Yonsei Cancer Center between January 1974 and December 1983 are retrospectively analysed. The patients are divided into three groups as follows: I. Postoperative radiotherapy, II. Pstoperative recurrent, III. Unresectable or Inoperable group. In postoperative radiotherapy group, overall 5 year survival rate is 34.8% and prognostic factors are presence of obstruction and degree of differentiation. In postoperative recurrent group, overall 5 year survival rate is 34.8% and prognostic factors are presence of obstruction and degree of differentiation. In postoperative recurrent group, overall 2 year survival rate is 7.4% with median survival of 13 months and prognostic factors are RT responsiveness and sex, and the local failure rate is 22.7%. In unresectable or inoperable group, overall 2 year survival rate is 19.8% with median survival of 12.6 months and prognostic factors are RT responsiveness and RT dose. The complications for RT are not significant and are acceptable in all patients.
Subject(s)
Humans , Radiation Oncology , Radiotherapy , Rectal Neoplasms , Retrospective Studies , Survival RateABSTRACT
Hypertermia for the treatment of cancer has been introduced for a long time and the biological effect for the use of hyperthermia to treat malignant tumors has been well established and encouraging clinical results have been obserbed. Unfortunately, however, the engineering or technical aspects of hyperthermia for the deep seated tumors has not been satisfactory. We developed the radiofrequency capactive hyperthermia device (Greenytherm-GY8) in cooperation with Yonsei Cancer Center and Green Cross Medical Corporation. It was composed with 8~10 MHz RF generator, capacitive electrode, matching system, cooling system, temperature measuring system and control PC computer. The thermal profile was investigated in agar phantom, animals and in human tumors, heated with capactivie RF device. Deep and homogeneous heating could be achieved in a large phantom of 25 cm diameter and 19 cm thick when heated with a pair of 23 cm diameter electrodes, coupled to both bases of the phantom, when the size of the two electrodes was not the same, the region near the smaller electrode was preferentially heated. It was, therefore, possible to control the depth of heating by choosing proper size of electrodes. Therapeutic temperature (42degree C~43degree C) could be obtained in the living animal experiments. Indications are that deep heating of human tumors might be achieved with the capacitive method, provided that subcutaneous fat layer is cooled by temperature controlled bolus and large size of electrodes.