ABSTRACT
Angiosarcoma is a rare malignant mesenchymal tumor of vascular or lymphatic origin and represents less than 1% of all malignant tumors. Radiation therapy is a standard treatment in many head and neck cancer cases, but ionizing radiation is associated with radiation carcinogenesis including radiation-induced angiosarcoma. In this article, we report a rare case of radiation-induced angiosarcoma found in a 58-year-old female patient who was previously diagnosed with an odontogenic keratocyst and mucoepidermoid carcinoma.
ABSTRACT
Multiple primary cancers, i.e., the occurrence of multiple malignant neoplasms in a single patient, were first reported by Billorth in 1889. The incidence is low but increasing gradually due to developments in cancer diagnosis, early detection, and prolongation of life. In Korea, double primary cancers are occasionally reported. However, the simultaneous presence of four primary cancers in a single patient is rare. Recently, we experienced the case of a 68-year-old male diagnosed with quadruple primary cancers involving the esophagus, tonsils, liver and buccal mucosa. Here, we report this very rare case of four metachronous primary neoplasms and provide a brief review of the related literature.
Subject(s)
Aged , Humans , Male , Early Diagnosis , Esophageal Neoplasms , Esophagus , Gastrointestinal Tract , Head and Neck Neoplasms , Head , Incidence , Korea , Life Support Care , Liver , Mouth Mucosa , Neck , Palatine TonsilABSTRACT
Multiple bone metastases are common manifestation of many malignant tumors such as lung cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer and renal cell carcinoma. Bone metastasis is secondary cancer in the bone, and it can lead to bone pain, fracture, and instability of the weight bearing bones, all of which may profoundly reduce physical activity and life quality. Treatment for bone metastasis is determined by multiple factors including pathology, performance status, involved site, and neurologic status. Treatment strategies for bone metastasis are analgesics, surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. External beam radiotherapy has traditionally been an effective palliative treatment for localized painful bone metastasis. However, in some cases such as multiple bone metastases, especially osteoblastic bone metastasis originated from breast or prostate cancer, the radiopharmaceutical therapy using (89)Sr, (186)Re, (188)Re, (153)Sm and (117m)Sn are also useful treatment option because of administrative simplicity (injection), few side effects, low risk of radiation exposure and high response rate. This article offers a concise explanation of the radiopharmaceutical therapy for multiple bone metastases.
Subject(s)
Analgesics , Breast , Breast Neoplasms , Carcinoma, Renal Cell , Drug Therapy , Lung Neoplasms , Motor Activity , Neoplasm Metastasis , Osteoblasts , Palliative Care , Pathology , Prostatic Neoplasms , Quality of Life , Radiation Oncology , Radiopharmaceuticals , Radiotherapy , Weight-BearingABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The study was aimed to review and understand the meaning of cancer cachexia. METHODS: Using the keywords "cachexia" and "cancer cachexia" 30 oncology research published from 1974 to 2009 were selected for the review. RESULTS: The mechanism of cancer cachexia has not been fully understood, but various pathogenesis appears to be involved in the development cachexia including altered metabolism of carbohydrate, lipid, and protein associated with cytokines and hormone. As a result, muscle strength, food intake and resting energy expenditure (REE) are reduced. Most medications for the treatment of cachexia show debating results except some drugs such as megace. Supportive care including nutritional education, nursing care, and social support are found another effective treatment options. CONCLUSION: The results of this study would help oncology nurses to understand the mechanism of cancer cachexia and its management.
Subject(s)
Cachexia , Cytokines , Eating , Education, Nursing , Energy Metabolism , Megestrol Acetate , Muscle StrengthABSTRACT
Parathyroid carcinoma is a rare endocrine malignancy accounting for 0.5% to 4.0% of all cases of hyperparathyroidism and commonly present as hypercalcemia and parathyroid hormone (PTH) elevation. Nonfunctional parathyroid carcinoma does not show symptoms of hyperparathyroidism and only showed a vague indication of being pathologic, even when detected late. The optimal treatment is en bloc resection of the cancer, but frequent local recurrence after surgery has been reported. Adjuvant local treatment such as radiotherapy may improve the likelihood local control in cases with incompletely resected or microscopic residual tumor. The results of this study point to a case of nonfunctional parathyroid carcinoma treated by external beam radiotherapy after en-bloc resection of cancer.
Subject(s)
Accounting , Hypercalcemia , Hyperparathyroidism , Neoplasm, Residual , Parathyroid Hormone , Parathyroid Neoplasms , RecurrenceABSTRACT
Diffuse pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS) is an uncommon aggressive synovial proliferative disorder of unknown etiology affecting the joint linings. Though a histologically benign inflammatory process, because of its aggressive growth with bone destruction or recurrence, it is frequently suggested to occur as a low malignant neoplasm. Optimal treatment is surgery, but the local recurrence rate after radical synovectomy for diffuse PVNS is relatively high due to the infiltrative growth pattern. External beam radiotherapy with moderate doses or intra-articular instillation of radioactive isotopes may improve the likelihood of local control and long-term function in patients with incompletely resected or recurrent diffuse PVNS. I report one case of diffuse PVNS of the right knee joint treated with arthroscopic synovectomy and external beam radiotherapy is presented.
Subject(s)
Humans , Joints , Knee Joint , Knee , Radioisotopes , Radiotherapy , Recurrence , Synovitis, Pigmented VillonodularABSTRACT
PURPOSE: We performed a retrospective non-randomized clinical study of locally advanced rectal cancer, to evaluate the anal sphincter preservation rates, down staging rates and survival rates of preoperative chemoradiotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 2002 to December 2005, patients with pathologically confirmed rectal cancer with clinical stage T2 or higher, or patients with lymph node metastasis were enrolled in this study. A preoperative staging work-up was conducted in 36 patients. All patients were treated with preoperative chemoradiotherapy, and curative resection was performed for 26 patients at Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital. Radiotherapy treatment planning was conducted with the use of planning CT for all patients. A total dose of 45.0~52.2 Gy conventionally fractionated three-dimensional radiotherapy was delivered to the whole pelvis. Chemotherapy was given at the first and fifth week of radiation therapy with continuous infusion i.v. 5-FU (Fluorouracil) and LV (Leucovorine). Surgical resection was performed 2 to 4 weeks after the completion of the chemoradiotherapy regimen. RESULTS: The complete resection rate with negative resection margin was 100% (26/26). However, a pathologically complete response was not seen after curative resection. Surgery was done by LAR (low anterior resection) in 23 patients and APR (abdomino-perineal resection) in 3 patients. The sphincter preservation rate was 88.5% (23/26), down staging of the tumor occurred in 12 patients (46.2%) and down-sizing of the tumor occurred in 19 patients (73%). Local recurrence after surgical resection developed in 1 patient, and distant metastasis developed in 3 patients. The local recurrence free survival rate, distant metastasis free survival rate, and progression free survival rate were 96.7%, 87% and 83.1%, respectively. Treatment related toxicity was minimal except for one grade 3, one grade 4 anemia, one grade 3 leukopenia, and one grade 3 ileus. CONCLUSION: Preoperative concurrent chmoradiotherapy for locally advanced rectal cancer seems to have some potential benefits: high sphincter preservation and down staging. Treatment related toxicity was minimal and a high compliance with treatment was seen in this study. Further long-term follow-up with a larger group of patients is required.
Subject(s)
Humans , Anal Canal , Anemia , Chemoradiotherapy , Compliance , Disease-Free Survival , Drug Therapy , Fluorouracil , Follow-Up Studies , Heart , Ileus , Leukopenia , Lymph Nodes , Neoplasm Metastasis , Pelvis , Radiotherapy , Rectal Neoplasms , Recurrence , Retrospective Studies , Survival RateABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To evaluate the survival and prognostic factors in patients with stage III non-small cell lung cancer treated with curative radiotherapy alone or combined with chemotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was undertaken of 35 patients who had locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer and t treated with curative radiotherapy in Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Kangdong Sacred Heart Hospital, from January 1991 through December 1993. According to AJCC staging, 15 patients were stage IIIA, and 20 were stage IIIB. Radotherapy was delivered with 1.8-2 Gy per fraction/day, 5 days per week using 6 MV X-ray, to a total dose ranging from 48.8 Gy to 66.6 Gy(median, 61.2 Gy) in 4 to 9 weeks. Ten patients received neoadjuvant or concurrent chemotherapy with FIP (5-FU, ifosfamide, and cisplatin) or FP(5-FU and cisplatin). RESULTS: For all patients, median survival was 6 months, 1-year and 2-year survival rates were 23.3% and 6.7%, respectively. The median survival was 8 months in stage IIIA and 5.5 months in stage IIIB. In patients treated with radiation therapy alone, median survival was 5 months and 1-year survival rate was 9%. In patients who received chemotherapy, median survival was 11 months and 1-year survival rate was 60%. The difference of survival between these two groups was statistically significant (p=0.03). Total radiation dose, degree of response, and post-treatment ECOG score were also significantly associated with survival. But it was not affected by age, sex, pretreatment ECOG score, presence or absence of weight loss, tumor location, pathologic type, N stage, and degree of response to treatment. CONCLUSION: Conventional radiotherapy alone is unlikely to achieve long term survival in patients with stage III NSCLC. Radiotherapy with altered fractionation schedule or multimodality treatment combined with surgery and/or chemotherapy should be considered if feasible.
Subject(s)
Humans , Appointments and Schedules , Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung , Drug Therapy , Heart , Ifosfamide , Lung Neoplasms , Radiation Oncology , Radiotherapy , Retrospective Studies , Survival Rate , Weight LossABSTRACT
Radiation therapy is one of the cardial therapeutic modality on breast cancer. Three decades ago, the heart was considered to be radioresistant, but now it is generally recognized that the heart is also radiosensitive. The most common clinical syndromes after irradiation are pericarditis in acute and chronic forms, cardiomyopathy, valvular disease and, to a lesser degree, complete atrioventricular block. However, lesions of coronary vessels had been considered exceptionally rare and even questionable. And then there have been a few case reports for acute myocardial infartion after irradiation for left sided breast cancer and it may be considered that radiation therpy can injure endothelium of coronary artery and cause ischemic coronary artery disease. We report the case of a 38 years old women who developed acute anterior wall myocardial infarction after irradiation for left sided breast cancer.