Successful Intra-Arterial Thrombolysis of an Occluded Basilar Artery in Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome

No abstract available.

Statistical Errors in Papers Published in the Journal of the Korean Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology / 대한방사선종양학회지

PURPOSE: To improve the quality of the statistical analysis of papers published in the Journal of the Korean Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (JKOSTRO) by evaluating commonly encountered errors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Papers published in the JKOSTRO from January 2006 to December 2007 were reviewed for methodological and statistical validity using a modified version of Ahn's checklist. A statistician reviewed individual papers and evaluated the list items in the checklist for each paper. To avoid the potential assessment error by the statistician who lacks expertise in the field of radiation oncology; the editorial board of the JKOSTRO reviewed each checklist for individual articles. A frequency analysis of the list items was performed using SAS (version 9.0, SAS Institute, NC, USA) software. RESULTS: A total of 73 papers including 5 case reports and 68 original articles were reviewed. Inferential statistics was used in 46 papers. The most commonly adopted statistical methodology was a survival analysis (58.7%). Only 19% of papers were free of statistical errors. Errors of omission were encountered in 34 (50.0%) papers. Errors of commission were encountered in 35 (51.5%) papers. Twenty-one papers (30.9%) had both errors of omission and commission. CONCLUSION: A variety of statistical errors were encountered in papers published in the JKOSTRO. The current study suggests that a more thorough review of the statistical analysis is needed for manuscripts submitted in the JKOSTRO.

Pathological Analysis of Tumor Response after Preoperative Chemoradiation Therapy for Advanced Rectal Cancer

PURPOSE: We investigated the association of survivin expression with the prognosis in advanced rectal cancer with preoperative chemoradiotherapy for pathological analysis. METHODS: We examined 16 patients with rectal cancer who were preoperatively staged as T3 or T4. The enrolled patients were given 5-FU, 425 mg/m2/day, and leucovorin, 20 mg/m2/day, intravenously for 3 days during weeks 1 and 5 of pelvic radiotherapy. Surgical resection was performed 4~6 weeks after completion of the schedule. Tumor response was divided into CR (complete remission), PR (partial remission), and NR (non remission). Immunohistochemical staining of paraffin sections using monoclonal antibodies for survivin, bcl-2, and p53 was performed on pretreatment biopsy and surgically resected tissue by using the standard avidin-biotin-peroxidase technique. RESULTS: No CR was achieved. PR was achieved in 10 patients (62.5%), and NR in 6 patients (37.5%). After preoperative treatment, survivin expression tended to be decreased in tumor cells (62.5% to 31.3%) and slightly increased in adjacent normal mucosa a (12.5% to 25%). After preoperative treatment, survivin expression was correlated with lymph-node metastasis in the statistical analysis. We failed to find any other significant relationship between survivin expression and any parameters, except lymph node metastasis and apoptotic index. CONCLUSIONS: Survivin expression before preoperative treatment was not related to the prognosis in rectal cancer patients, but survivin expression after preoperative treatment was related to lymph node metastasis of advanced rectal cancer. Further studies, including large numbers of rectal cancer cases with a sufficient follow-up period, are needed in order to establish survivin as a prognostic target in rectal cancer.

The 1998, 1999 Patterns of Care Study for Breast Irradiation after Mastectomy in Korea / 대한방사선종양학회지

PURPOSE: To determine the patterns of evaluation and treatment in patients with breast cancer after mastectomy and treated with radiotherapy. A nationwide study was performed with the goal of improving radiotherapy treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A web-based database system for the Korean Patterns of Care Study (PCS) for 6 common cancers was developed. Randomly selected records of 286 eligible patients treated between 1998 and 1999 from 17 hospitals were reviewed. RESULTS: The ages of the study patients ranged from 20 to 80 years (median age 44 years). The pathologic T stage by the AJCC was T1 in 9.7% of the cases, T2 in 59.2% of the cases, T3 in 25.6% of the cases, and T4 in 5.3% of the cases. For analysis of nodal involvement, N0 was 7.3%, N1 was 14%, N2 was 38.8%, and N3 was 38.5% of the cases. The AJCC stage was stage I in 0.7% of the cases, stage IIa in 3.8% of the cases, stage IIb in 9.8% of the cases, stage IIIa in 43% of the cases, stage IIIb in 2.8% of the cases, and IIIc in 38.5% of the cases. There were various sequences of chemotherapy and radiotherapy after mastectomy. Mastectomy and chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy was the most commonly performed sequence in 47% of the cases. Mastectomy, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy followed by additional chemotherapy was performed in 35% of the cases, and neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy was performed in 12.5% of the cases. The radiotherapy volume was chest wall only in 5.6% of the cases. The volume was chest wall and supraclavicular fossa (SCL) in 20.3% of the cases; chest wall, SCL and internal mammary lymph node (IMN) in 27.6% of the cases; chest wall, SCL and posterior axillary lymph node in 25.9% of the cases; chest wall, SCL, IMN, and posterior axillary lymph node in 19.9% of the cases. Two patients received IMN only. The method of chest wall irradiation was tangential field in 57.3% of the cases and electron beam in 42% of the cases. A bolus for the chest wall was used in 54.8% of the tangential field cases and 52.5% of the electron beam cases. The radiation dose to the chest wall was 45~59.4 Gy (median 50.4 Gy), to the SCL was 45~59.4 Gy (median 50.4 Gy), and to the PAB was 4.8~38.8 Gy, (median 9 Gy) CONCLUSION: Different and various treatment methods were used for radiotherapy of the breast cancer patients after mastectomy in each hospital. Most of treatment methods varied in the irradiation of the chest wall. A separate analysis for the details of radiotherapy planning also needs to be followed and the outcome of treatment is needed in order to evaluate the different processes.

Radiotherapy of Brain Metastases from Lung Cancer

PURPOSE : Brain metastasis is estimated to occur in 10~45% of solid cancer patients, and is the most common intracranial tumor in adults. Several neurologic symptom palliations are made with steroid therapy and whole brain irradiation. MATERIALS AND METHODS : We evaluated respectively the clinical characteristics and treatment outcome for 44 patients with metastatic brain tumor from lung cancer during the period from April 2000 to December 2003. RESULTS : Median age of the patients was 61 years. The male : female ratio was 2.7 : 1. Synchronous and metachronous brain metastasis was seen in 18 (40.9%) and 26 patients (59.1%), respectively and median duration between the diagnosis of lung cancer and brain metastases was 6 months (range 1~18 months) in metachronous cases. Pathologic types of lung cancer were as follows : small cell lung cancer in 11 patients and non-small cell lung cancer in 33 patients (squamous cell carcinoma-13, adenocarcinoma-11, large cell carcinoma- 3, others-6). The most common symptom of brain metastasis was headache, which was in 27 patients (61.4%). Seven patients (15.9%) had a single brain metastasis while 37 patients (84.1%) had multiple brain metastases. The total radiation dose to whole brain ranged from 30 to 40 Gy (median 30 Gy). In 29 patients (65.9%) neurological symptoms were resolved after whole brain irradiation. Median survival was 18 weeks for patients with steroid therapy and whole brain radiotherapy. CONCLUSION : In present study, we confirmed that whole brain irradiation is an effective palliative treatment for patients with metastatic brain tumors from lung cancer

The National Survey of Breast Cancer Treatment Pattern in Korea (1998): The Use of Breast-Conserving Treatment / 대한방사선종양학회지

PURPOSE: In order to improve the proper use of radiotherapy and breast-conserving treatment (BCT) in the management of breast cancer, current status of breast cancer treatment in Korea was surveyed nationwide and the use of BCT were evaluated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients characteristics and treatment pattern of 1048 breast cancer patients from 27 institutions diagnosed between January, 1998 and June, 1998 were analyzed. The incidence of receiving BCT was analyzed according to the stage, age, geography, type of hospital, and the availability of radiotherapy facility. RESULTS: Radical mastectomy was performed in 64.8% of total patients and 26% of patients received breast- conserving surgery (BCS). The proportions of patients receiving BCT were 47.5% in stage 0, 54.4% in stage I, and 20.3% in stage II. Some of the patients (6.6% of stage I, 10.1% of stage II and 66.7% of stage III) not received radiotherapy after BCS. Only 45% of stage III patients received post-operative radiotherapy after radical mastectomy. The proportion of patients receiving BCT was different according to the geography and availability of radiotherapy facilities. CONCLUSION: Radiotherapy was not fully used in the management of breast cancer, even in the patients received breast-conserving surgery. The proportion of the patients who received BCT was lower than the report of western countries. To improve the application of proper management of breast cancer, every efforts such as a training of physicians, public education, and improving accessibility of radiotherapy facilities should be done. The factors predicting receipt of BCT were accessibility of radiotherapy facility and geography. Also, periodic survey like current research is warranted.

The 1998, 1999 Patterns of Care Study for Breast Irradiation After Breast-Conserving Surgery in Korea / 대한방사선종양학회지

PURPOSE: To determine the patterns of evaluation and treatment in the patient with early breast cancer treated with conservative surgery and radiotherapy and to improve the radiotherapy techiniques, nationwide survey was performed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A web-based database system for Korean Patterns of Care Study (PCS) for 6 common cancers was developed. Two hundreds sixty-one randomly selected records of eligible patients treated between 1998~999 from 15 hospitals were reviewed. RESULTS: The patients ages ranged from 24 to 85 years(median 45 years). Infiltrating ductal carcinoma was most common histologic type (88.9%) followed by medullary carcinoma (4.2%) and infiltrating lobular carcinoma (1.5%). Pathologic T stage by AJCC was T1 in 59.7% of the casses, T2 in 29.5% of the cases, Tis in 8.8% of the cases. Axillary lymph node dissection was performed in 91.2% of the cases and 69.7% were node negative. AJCC stage was 0 in 8.8% of the cases, stage I in 44.9% of the cases, stage IIa in 33.3% of the cases, and stage IIb in 8.4% of the cases. Estrogen and progesteron receptors were evaluated in 71.6%, and 70.9% of the patients, respectively. Surgical methods of breast-conserving surgery was excision/lumpectomy in 37.2%, wide excision in 11.5%, quadrantectomy in 23% and partial mastectomy in 27.5% of the cases. A pathologically confirmed negative margin was obtained in 90.8% of the cases. Pathological margin was involved with tumor in 10 patients and margin was close (less than 2 mm) in 10 patients. All the patients except one recieved more than 90% of the planned radiotherapy dose. Radiotherapy volume was breast only in 88% of the cases, breast+supraclavicular fossa (SCL) in 5% of the cases, and breast+SCL+posterior axillary boost in 4.2% of the cases. Only one patient received isolated internal mammary lymph node irradiation. Used radiation beam was Co-60 in 8 cases, 4 MV X-ray in 115 cases, 6 MV X-ray in 125 cases, and 10 MV X-ray in 11 cases. The radiation dose to the whole breast was 45~9.4 Gy (median 50.4) and boost dose was 8~20 Gy (median 10 Gy). The total radiation dose delivered was 50.4~70.4 Gy (median 60.4 Gy). CONCLUSION: There was no major deviation from current standard in the patterns of evaluation and treatment for the patients with early breast cancer treated with breast conservation method. Some varieties were identified in boost irradiation dose. Separate analysis for the datails of radiotherapy planning will be followed and the outcome of treatment is needed to evaluate the process.

Apoptosis and Proliferation in Paired Primary Colorectal Adenocarcinomas and Their Liver Metastases

The proliferation potentials and the level of apoptosis were compared in paired primary colorectal adenocarcinomas and their liver metastases within each individual. From a total of 22 patients 44 specimens of paired primary and metastatic tumors were obtained for analysis. The levels of spontaneous apoptosis (a spontaneous apoptosis index, SAI: % apoptotic nuclei among a total of 1000 nuclei) and of proliferation (KI-67 index: % positively stained cells for KI-67 among a total of 1000 cells) were analyzed between primary and metastatic tumors. Survival rates and its relationship with the clinical parameters were also analyzed. The overall survival rate at 5 years was 16.9% with the median survival time of 45 months. T-stage (p=0.005) and time to liver metastasis (synchronous versus metachronous, p=0.03) showed statistical significance in relation to survival. The mean SAI of primary tumors was 1.35 +/- 0.25, which was not statistically different from the 1.58 +/- 0.18 of metastatic tumors (p=0.33). The mean KI-67 indices in primary and metastatic tumors were 23.9 +/- 3.4 and 16.4 +/- 2.5, respectively, and this difference was statistically significant (p=0.016). Subset analysis showed significant difference in the KI-67 index in the synchronous group but not in the metachronous group. No significant difference was shown in the relative ratios of apoptosis to proliferation between the primary tumor and the metastasis within each individual. The results in this study may partly explain the indolent behavior of liver metastasis from colorectal cancer and provides a rationale for the active treatment of metastatic tumors as well as of primary disease.

Development of Model System for Radiation Induced Congenital Malformations by Whole Embryo Culture / 체질인류학회지

It is known that radiation can induce various kind of mutations, cancers and congenital malformations. Day 9 rats embryos were cultured by whole embryo culture method and irradiated 0.1, 0.5, 2 and 5 Gy at day 10 to study the effect of radiation on the development of rat embryos. Haversting after 48 hours culture, the morphological changes and apoptosis were investigated. In addition, we assessed the expression patterns of p53, WAF1, Bcl -2, Bcl -x and Bax. Compared to the control group, no remarkable morphological changes were observed in the low dosage group (0.1 and 0.5 Gy). But at high dosage group (2 and 5 Gy), growth was retarded and the heart beats were weak. The crown rump length, the number of somites, and branchial arch were decreased and the rotation of embryo and development of otic pit and lens pit, and upper limb bud was delayed significantly. Especially in the 5 Gy group the most of external morphology were difficult to discriminate. In histological observations, high dosage group showed marked increase in the number of apoptotic bodies in the optic cup, trigeminal ganglion, pharyngeal arches, heart and small intestine. In western blot analysis, Bcl -x and Bax were not expressed in all groups. Expression level of Bcl -2 was constant regardless of the amount of radiation. Expression level of p53 and WAF1 increased significantly in accordance with the increasing amount of radiation. Especially, WAF1 was expressed 7.2, 6.3, 9.9 and 11.3 folds more than the control groups when embryos were exposed to 0.1, 0.5, 2 and 5 Gy, respectively. Considering WAF1 arrests cell cycle, we concluded that cell cycle was affected most sensitively to radiation injury. From these results, radiation showed growth retardation, decrease in protein synthesis, increase in apoptosis and expression of related genetic materials. These results may be used as a standard to test the effect of drugs for reducing and protecting agents against deterious effect of radiation in developing embryo and fetus.

Results of Definitive Radiation Therapy in Adenosquamous Cell Carcinoma of the Uterine Cervix / 대한암학회지

PURPOSE: To define the clinical features and pattern of failure and to evaluate the results of radiation treatment in of adenosquamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From Jun. 1981 to Dec. 1997, 43 patients with adenosquamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix were retrospectively analyzed external radiation treatment and HDR-ICR from Yonsei cancer center and Wonju cristian hospital. The median age was 51. Stage distribution according to FIGO were stage 1b in 10, 2a in 5, 2b in 18, 3b in 9, 4a in 1. Median follow-up period was 41 months. RESULTS: Overall survival rate and disease free survival rate were 57.2% and 60.2%. Complete response rate was 86.0%. Locoregional failure was observed in seven patients. CONCLUSION: Major pattern of failure was locoregional failure. Adenosquamous cell carcinoma was not more aggressive than other pathologic types.

Regulation of Apoptosis and Cell Cycle in Irradiated Mouse Brain / 대한방사선종양학회지

PURPOSE: To investigate the regulation of apoptosis and cell cycle in mouse brain irradiation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 8-week old male mice, C57B1/6J were given whole body gamma-radiation with a single dose of 25 Gy using Cobalt 60 irradiator. At different times 1, 2, 4, 8 and 24hr after irradiation, mice were killed and brain tissues were collected. Apoptotic cells were scored by TUNEL assay. Expression of p53, Bcl-2, and Bax and cell cycle regulating molecules; cyclins B1, D1, E and cdk2, cdk4, p34cdc2 were analysed by Western blotting. Cell cycle was analysed by Flow cytometry. RESULTS: The peak of radiation induced apoptosis is shown at 8 hour after radiation. With a single 25 Gy irradiation, the peak of apoptotic index in C57B1/6J is 24.0+/-0.25 (p<0.05) at 8 hour after radiation. Radiation upregulated the expression of p53/tubulin, Bax/tubulin, and Bcl-2/tubulin with 1.3, 1.1 and 1.45 fold increase, respectively were shown at the peak level at 8 hour after radiation. The levels of cell cycle regulating molecules after radiation are not changed significantly except cyclin D1 with 1.3 fold increase. Fractions of Go-G1, G2-M and S phase in the cell cycle does not specific changes by time. CONCLUSIONS: In mouse brain tissue, radiation induced apoptosis is particularly shown in a specific area, subependyma. These results and lack of radiation induced changes in cell cycle offer better understanding of radiation response of normal brain tissue.

The Use of Normal Tissue Complication Probability to Predict Radiation Hepatitis / 대한방사선종양학회지

PURPOSE: Although It has been known that the tolerance of the liver to external beam irradiation depends on the irradiated volume and dose, few data exist which quantify this dependence. However, recently, with the development of three dimensional (3-D) treatment planning, have the tools to quantify the relationships between dose, volume, and normal tissue complications become available. The objective of this study is to investigate the relationships between normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) and the risk of radiation hepatitis for patients who received variant dose partial liver irradiation. MATERIALS AND METHOD: From March 1992 to December 1994, 10 patients with hepatoma and 10 patients with bile duct cancer were included in this study. Eighteen patients had normal hepatic function, but 2 patients (prothrombin time 73%, 68%) had mild liver cirrhosis before irradiation. Radiation therapy was delivered with 10MV linear accelerator, 180~200 cGy fraction per day. The total dose ranged from 3,960 cGy to 6,000 cGy (median dose 5,040 cGy). The normal tissue complication probability was calculated by using Lyman's model. Radiation hepatitis was defined as the development of anicteric elevation of alkaline phosphatase of at least two fold and non-malignant ascites in the absence of documented progressive. RESULTS: The calculated NTCP ranged from 0.001 to 0.840 (median 0.05). Three of the 20 patients developed radiation hepatitis. The NTCP of the patients with radiation hepatitis were 0.390, 0.528, 0.844 (median : 0.58+/-0.23), but that of the patients without radiation hepatitis ranged from 0.001 to 0.308 (median : 0.09+/-0.09). When the NTCP was calculated by using the volume factor of 0.32, a radiation hepatitis was observed only in patients with the NTCP value more than 0.39. By contrast, clinical results of evolving radiation hepatitis were not well correlated with NTCP value calculated when the volume factor of 0.69 was applied. On the basis of these observations, the volume factor of 0.32 was more correlated to predict a radiation hepatitis. CONCLUSION: The risk of radiation hepatitis was increased above the cut-off value. Therefore the NTCP seems to be used for predicting the radiation hepatitis.

High Versus Low Dose-Rate Intracavitary Irradiation for Adenocarcinoma of the Uterine Cervix / 대한방사선종양학회지

PURPOSE: The incidence of adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix is low. Traditionally, Low Dose R ate (LDR) brachytherapy has been used as a standard modality in the treatment for patients with carcinoma of the uterine cervix. The PURPOSE of this report is to evaluate the effects of the High dose rate (HL)R) brachytherapy in the patients with adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix compared with the LDR. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 1971 to December 1992, 106 patients of adenocarcinoma of uterine cervix were treated with radiation therapy in the Department of Radiation Oncology, Yonsei University with curative intent. LDR brachytherapy was carried out on 35 patients and 7 1 patients w -re treated with HDR brachytherapy. In LDR Group, 8 patients were in stage I, 18 in stage II and 9 in st;ge III. External radiation therapy was delivered with 10 MV X-ray, daily 2 Gy fractionation, total dose 40-46 Gy (median 43 Gy), And LDR Radium intracavitary irradiation was performed with Henschke applicator, 22-59 Gy to point A (median 43 Gy). In HDR Group, there were 16 patients in stage I, 38 in stag 0.05). There was no statistical difference in terms of the 5-year overall survival rate between HDR Group and LDR Group in a denocarcinoma of the uterine cervix. There was 1 1% of late complication rates in LDR Group and 27% in HDR Group. There were no prognostic factors compared HDR with LDR group. The incidence of the late complication rate in HDR Group stage II, III was higher than that in LDR Group ( 16.7% vs. 31.6% in stage II, 11. 1% vs. 35.3% in stage III, p>0.05). Although the incidence of radiation induced late complication rate was higher in HDR Group stage II and III patients than that in the LDR Group, statistical significance was not detected and within acceptable level. CONCLUSION: There was no difference in terms of 5-year survival rate and failure pattern in the patients with adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix treated with HDR and LDR brachytherapy. Even late complication rates were higher in the HDR group it was an acceptable range. This retrospective study suggests that HDR brachytherapy seems to replace the LDR brachytherapy in the adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix. However, further studies will be required to refine the dose rate effects.

Clinical Significance of Apoptosis and p53 Protein Expression in Stage IIB Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Cervix Treated with Radiotherapy Alone / 대한암학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose was to investigate the spontaneous apoptotic index (SAI) and p53 protein expression and to identify the role of SAI and p53 protein positivity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty six patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix, FIGO stage IIB, treated with curative radiotherapy alone between 1990 and 1993 were included in this study. Definitive radiotherapy including external beam and high-dose-rate brachytherapy was given. Pretreatment paraffin-embedded biopsy specimens of those patients were scored for apoptosis and p53 protein expression using mouse mondegrees Clonal antibody (DO-7) by immuno staining. Clinicopathologic characteristics were also studied in relation to SAI and p53 protein expression, and as prognostic factors for clinical outcome. RESULTS: SAI and p53 were not related to any clinical characteristics. The range of the SAI was 0.2~4.7% (median 1.1%, mean 1.5%). The rate of p53 protein expression was 65.2% (30/46). Patients whose tumors had high SAI and low p53 protein positivity had better treatment outcome than those with lower SAI. There was also a significant correlation between the SAI and p53 protein expression. CONCLUSION: The pretreatment SAI and p53 oncoprotein expression are clinically useful in predicting the clinical outcome of FIGO stage IIB squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix patients treated with definitive radiotherapy.

Effect of Small Dose of Radiation on Induction of Apoptosis in Murine Tumors / 대한방사선종양학회지

PURPOSE: To investigate the presence of adaptive response by low dose radiation in murine tumors in relation to radiation induced apoptosis as well as related mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Syngeneic murine tumors, OCa-I and HCa-I, were given 0.05 Gy pretreatment followed by therapeutic dose of 25 Gy radiation. Induction of apoptosis was analyzed for each treatment group. Regulating molecules of apoptosis, p53, Bcl-2, Bax, Bcl-X, were also analyzed by Western blotting. RESULTS: In 0.05 Gy pretreatment group of OCa-I, 25 Gy-induced apoptosis per 1000 cells was 229, which was estimated at 30% lower level than the expected (p<0.05). In contrast, this reduction in radiation induced apoptosis was not seen in HCa-I. In the expression of apoptosis regulating molecules, p53 increased in both tumors in response to radiation. Bcl-2 and Bax did not show significant change in both tumors however, the expression of Bcl-2 surpassed that of Bax in 0.05 Gy pretreatment group of OCa-I. Bcl-X was not expressed in OCa-I. In HCa-I, Bcl-X showed increased expression even with 0.05 Gy. CONCLUSION: Adaptive response by low dose radiation is shown in one murine tumor, OCa-I, in relation to radiation induced apoptosis. Apoptosis regulating molecules including Bcl-2/Bax and Bcl-X, appear to related. This study shows an evidence that adaptive response is present, but not a generalized phenomenon in vivo.

The Analyses of Treatment Results and Prognostic Factors in Supradiaphragmatic CS I-II Hodgkin's Disease / 대한방사선종양학회지

PURPOSE: The aim of this retrospective study is to assess the necessity of staging laparotomy in the management of supradiaphragmatic CS I-II Hodgkin's disease. Prognostic factors and the usefulness of prognostic factor groups were also analyzed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 1985 to 1995, fifty one patients who were diagnosed as supradiaphragmatic CS I-II Hodgkin's disease at Yonsei Cancer Center in Seoul, Korea were enrolled in this study. Age range was 4 to 67 with median age of 30. The number of patients with each CS IA, IIA, and IIB were 16, 25, and 10, respectively. Radiotherapy (RT) was delivered using 4 or 6 MV photon beam to a total dose of 19.5 to 55.6Gy (median dose : 45Gy) with a 1.5 to 1.8Gy per fraction. Chemotherapy (CT) was given in 2-12 cycles (median : 6 cycles). Thirty one patients were treated with RT alone, 4 patients with CT alone and 16 patients with combined chemoradiotherapy. RT volumes varied from involved fields (3), subtotal nodal fields (18) or mantle fields (26). RESULTS: Five-year disease-free survival rate (DFS) was 78.0% and overall survival rate (OS) was 87.6%. Fifty patients achieved a complete remission after initial treatment and 8 patients were relapsed. Salvage therapy was given to 7 patients, 1 with RT alone, 4 with CT alone, 2 with RT+CT. Only two patients were successfully salvaged. Feminine gender and large mediastinal adenopathy were significant adverse prognostic factors in the univariate analysis for DFS. The significant adverse prognostic factors of OS were B symptom and clinical stage. When patients were analyzed according to European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) prog-nostic factor groups, the DFS in patients with very favorable, favorable and unfavorable group was 100, 100 and 55.8% (p<0.05), and the OS in each patients' group was 100, 100 and 75.1% (p<0.05), respectively. In very favorable and favorable groups, the DFS and OS were all 100% by RT alone, but in unfavorable group, RT with CT had a lesser relapse rate than RT alone. The subtotal nodal irradiation had better DFS than mantle RT in patients treated with RT. CONCLUSION: In present study, the DFS and OS in patients who did not undergo staging laparotomy were similar with the results in the literatures of which patients were surgically staged. Therefore, we may suggest that staging laparotomy would not influence the outcome of treatments. In univariate analysis, gender, large mediastinal adenopathy, B symptoms and clinical stage were significant prognostic factors for the survival rate. We confirm the usefulness of EORTC prognostic factor groups which may be a good indicator to select the treatment modality.

The Analyses of Treatment Results and Prognostic Factors in Supradiaphragmatic CS I-II Hodgkin's Disease / 대한방사선종양학회지

PURPOSE: The aim of this retrospective study is to assess the necessity of staging laparotomy in the management of supradiaphragmatic CS I-II Hodgkin's disease. Prognostic factors and the usefulness of prognostic factor groups were also analyzed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 1985 to 1995, fifty one patients who were diagnosed as supradiaphragmatic CS I-II Hodgkin's disease at Yonsei Cancer Center in Seoul, Korea were enrolled in this study. Age range was 4 to 67 with median age of 30. The number of patients with each CS IA, IIA, and IIB were 16, 25, and 10, respectively. Radiotherapy (RT) was delivered using 4 or 6 MV photon beam to a total dose of 19.5 to 55.6Gy (median dose : 45Gy) with a 1.5 to 1.8Gy per fraction. Chemotherapy (CT) was given in 2-12 cycles (median : 6 cycles). Thirty one patients were treated with RT alone, 4 patients with CT alone and 16 patients with combined chemoradiotherapy. RT volumes varied from involved fields (3), subtotal nodal fields (18) or mantle fields (26). RESULTS: Five-year disease-free survival rate (DFS) was 78.0% and overall survival rate (OS) was 87.6%. Fifty patients achieved a complete remission after initial treatment and 8 patients were relapsed. Salvage therapy was given to 7 patients, 1 with RT alone, 4 with CT alone, 2 with RT+CT. Only two patients were successfully salvaged. Feminine gender and large mediastinal adenopathy were significant adverse prognostic factors in the univariate analysis for DFS. The significant adverse prognostic factors of OS were B symptom and clinical stage. When patients were analyzed according to European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) prog-nostic factor groups, the DFS in patients with very favorable, favorable and unfavorable group was 100, 100 and 55.8% (p<0.05), and the OS in each patients' group was 100, 100 and 75.1% (p<0.05), respectively. In very favorable and favorable groups, the DFS and OS were all 100% by RT alone, but in unfavorable group, RT with CT had a lesser relapse rate than RT alone. The subtotal nodal irradiation had better DFS than mantle RT in patients treated with RT. CONCLUSION: In present study, the DFS and OS in patients who did not undergo staging laparotomy were similar with the results in the literatures of which patients were surgically staged. Therefore, we may suggest that staging laparotomy would not influence the outcome of treatments. In univariate analysis, gender, large mediastinal adenopathy, B symptoms and clinical stage were significant prognostic factors for the survival rate. We confirm the usefulness of EORTC prognostic factor groups which may be a good indicator to select the treatment modality.

Parasternal Recurrence after Curative Resection of Breast Cancer / 대한암학회지

PURPOSE: We tried to find the patients characteristics of parasternal recunence, to classify the parasternal recunence according to the radiological and clinical features, and to evaluate the efficacy of local radiotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between August 1987 and April 1997, twenty one patients with parastemal recurrence of breast cancer after surgery with or without adjuvant chemotherapy were treated with radiotherapy. Age distribution at initial operation was ranged from 31 to 79 years(median 48 years). Sixteen(76.2%) cancers were in the right breast and five(23.8%) were in the left. The pathologic types were infiltrative ductal carcinoma in 18 patients and medullary carcinoma in 3 patients. Eight patients had stage I, three had stage IIa, six had stage IIb, one had stage IIIa diseases and we had no information about the initial stage of the other 3 patients. Parasternal recurrence were diagnosed by biopsy in 7 patients, and the other 14 recurrences were diagnosed by clinical and radiologic findings such as chest CT, whole body bone scan. All the patients were treated with radiation for the parasternal recurrent tumors. In addition, five patients also received chemotherapy(FAC or Taxol based protocol) and one patient also received partial resection before radiotherapy. Radiotherapy was delivered with Co-60 gamma-ray or 4~6 MV X-ray or electron beam to both supraclavicular lymph nodes and parasternal areas with total doses of 3000~6480 cGy(median 6100 cGy). RESULTS: The range of interval between curative resection and parasternal recurrence were 4~110 months(median 34 months). The main symptoms of the parasternal recurrence were a painless mass(n=10). The duration of symptom before diagnosis ranged from one to 36 months(median 7 months). Among 21, five patients(23.8%) presented distant metastses at the diagnosis of parasternal recurrences. The parasternal recurrences were classified into three groups according to radiologic and clinical findings; the recurrent tumors originated from sternum and invaded into adjacent tissues(Group 1, n=5), tumors originated from intemal mammary lymph nodes and invaded into sternum or parasternal tissues(Group 2, n=6), tumors originated from medial chest wall and invaded into sternum or parasternal tissues(Group 3, n=10). In nineteen patients(19/21; 90.5%) there was complete response of parasternal recurrence following radiotherapy. Although the follow up period was relatively short(3~78 montbs, median 14 months), there were no local recurrence in radiation field in 19 patients with complete response. Among the 16 patients without distant metastases at diagnosis of parasternal recurrence, nine patients were alive without any evidence of disease. CONCLUSION: Chest CT scan is necessary and effective in patients with parastemal discomfort, pain, swelling or palpable mass after mastectomy. And we found that radiotherapy was very effective for the local treatment of parasternal recunence in terms of symptom palliation and local control of tumor. Although we classified the parasternal recurrence into three groups, we could not reach any conclusive results because of short follow up duration and insufficient patients number.

Risk Factors for Recurrence after Conservative Treatment in Early Breast Cancer: Preliminary Report / 대한치료방사선과학회지

PURPOSE: To evaluate our experience in the breast-conserving treatment for early breast cancer with special regard to recurrence pattern and related risk factors. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Two hundred and sixteen patients with AJC stagei and ii breast cancer who received breast conserving treatment between January 1991 and December 1994 were evaluated. Age distribution ranged from 23-80 year old with a median age of 44. One hundred and seventeen patients had T1 lesions and 99 patients had T2 lesions. Axillary lymph nodes were involved in 73 patients. All patients received a breast conserving surgery (wide excision to quadrantectomy) and axillary node dissection followed by radiotherapy. Ninety six patients received chemotherapy before or after radiotherapy. RESULTS: During the follow-up period (3-60 months, median 30 months), local recurrences were noted in six patients (true; 3, elsewhere; 1, skin; 2). Sixteen patients developed distant metastases as the first sign of recurrence at 8-38 months (median 20 months) after surgery. Among them, three patients simultaneously developed local recurrence with distant metastases. Contralateral breast cancer developed in one patient and non-mammary cancers developed in three patients. The actuarial 5 year survival rate was 88.4% (stage i 96.7%, stage iia 95.2%, stage iib 69.9%). Age, T stage, number of involved axillary lymph nodes, and AJC stage were risk factors for distant metastases in univariate analysis. In the multivariate analysis, the number of involved axillary lymph nodes was the most significant risk factor for metastases. CONCLUSION: Local recurrence was not common in the early years after radiotherapy. Distant metastases occurred at a steady rate during the first three years and was more common in the patients with larger tumors, highernumber of involved axillary nodes, and younger age.

Radiotherapy in Small Cell Carcinoma of the Uterine Cervix / 대한치료방사선과학회지

PURPOSE: This study was performed to identify the histopathologic feature by the reevaluation of the pathologic specimen of the cervical tumors and to evaluate the clinical findings and the treatment results of the patients with small cell carcinoma of the cervix treated by radiotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 2890 patients with cervical carcinoma received radiotherapy at the Department of Radiation Oncology, Yonsei Cancer Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine between October 1981 and April 1995. Of the 2890 patients in this data base, sixty were found to have small cell carcinomas (2.08%). Among them thirty six patients were transferred from other hospitals, the biopsy specimens of those patients were not available. So we could review the slides of the other twenty four patients who were diagnosed at our hospital. Twenty four patients with small cell carcinoma of the cervix were analyzed retrospectively based on the assessment of H & E staining and other four immunohistochemical stains for neuroendocrine differentiation (neuron specific enolase, chromogranin, synaptophysin and Grimelius stain). And we also evaluate the patients and tumor characteristics, response to radiation, patterns of failures, 5 year overall and disease free survival rates. RESULTS: Thirteen tumors were neuroendocrine carcinomas (13/24=54.2%) and eleven tumors were squamous carcinomas, small cell type (11/24= 47.8%) based on the assessment of H & E staining and other four neuroendocrine marker studies. So we classified the patients two groups as neuroendocrine carcinoma and small cell type of squamous carcinoma. Among the 13 neuroendocrine carcinomas, five were well to moderately differentiated tumors and the other eight were poorly differentiated or undifferentiated ones. The median age was 54 years old (range 23-79 years). Eight patients had FIGO stage IB disease, 12 had stage II, 3 had stage III and one had stage IV disease. Pelvic lymph node metastases were found in five patients(20.8%), three of them were diagnosed by surgical histologic examination and the other two were diagnosed by CT scan. There was no difference between two histopathologic groups in terms of patients and tumor characteristics, response to radiation, 5 year overall and disease free survival rates. However the distant metastases rate was higher in neuroendocrine carcinoma patients (6/13:46.2%) than in small cell type of squamous carcinoma patients (2/11:18.2%), but there was no statistically significant difference because of the small number of patients (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: More than half of the small cell carcinoma of the cervix patients were neuroendocrine carcinoma (13/24 : 54.1%) by reevaluation of the biopsy specimen of the cervical tumors. The tendency of distant metastases of the neuroendocrine carcinoma was greater than those of the small cell type of squamous carcinoma (46.2% vs. 18.2%). But there were no differences in the patients and tumor characteristics and other clinical treatment results in both groups. These data suggest that radical local treatment such as radiotherapy or radical surgery combined with combination systemic cytotoxic chemotherapy might provide these patients with the best chance for cure.