Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Intracranial Tumors : Early Experience with Linear Accelerator / 대한치료방사선과학회지

Between August 1988 and December 1991, 24 patients with intracranial tumors were treated with stereotactic radiosurgery(RS) using a 10 MV linear accelerator at Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine. There were 5 meningiomas, 3 craniopharyngiomas, 9 glial tumors, 2 solitary metastases, 2 acoustic neurinomas, 2 pineal tumors, and 1 non-Hodgkin's Iymphoma. Ten patients were treated as primary treatment after diagnosis with stereotactic biopsy or neuroimaging study. Nine patients underwent RS for post-op. residual tumors and three patients as a salvage treatment for recurrence after external irradiation. Two patients received RS as a boost followed by fractionated conventional radiotherapy. Among sixteen patients who were followed more than 6 months with neuroimage, seven patients (2 meningiomas, 4 benign glial tumors, one non-Hodgkin's lymphoma) showed complete response on neuroimage after RS and nine patients showed decreased tumor size. There was no acute treatment related side reaction. Late complications include three patients with symptomatic peritumoral braid edema and one craniopharyngioma with optic chiasmal injury. Through this early experience, we conclude that stereotactically directed single high doses of irradiation to the small intracranial tumors is effective for tumor control. However, in order to define the role of radiosurgery in the management of intracranial tumors, we should get the long-term results available to demonstrate the benefits versus potential complications of this therapeutic modality.

Interstitial Hyperthermia by Radiofrequency Needle Electrode System: Phantom and Canine Brain Studies / 대한치료방사선과학회지

No abstract available.

Adenocarcinoma of the Uterine Cervix / 대한치료방사선과학회지

Survival data, prognostic factors, and patterns of failure were retrospectively analyzed for a total of 76 patients with adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix treated between January 1981 and December 1987, which represents 4.1% of all primary cervical carcinomas treated, at Department of Radiation Oncology, Yensei Cancer Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine. The mean age of the patients was 49years(range, 27~79years) and the peak incidence was in the group 50 to 59years of age. More half of the patients were postmenopausal (46/76=60.5%). Most patients(76%)had abnormal vaginal bleeding either alone or in combination with other symptoms. The proportion of stage Iib was 43.4%. There were 4 major histologic subtypes: pure adenocarcinoma(48/76=63.2%), adenosquamous carcinoma(20/76=26.3%), papillary (5/76=6.6%) and clear cell carcinoma(3/76=3.9%). Of the many clinicopathologic variables evaluated for prognosis, the most significant prognostic factors were stage of disease and the size of tumor. The overall 5-year survival rate was 68%, and the 5-year survival rates for stage Ib, II and III were 90%, 66% and 54%, respectively. Control of pelvic tumors was achieved in 938%, 90.2% and 50.0% of cases of stage Ib, II and III disease, respectively. In present study, treatment modalities (radiation therapy alone/combined operative and radiation therapy) did not affect the local control of tumor and the survival.

Treatment Results and Prognostic Factors in the Management of Locoregional Recurrent Breast Carcinoma / 대한치료방사선과학회지

Between January, 1974 and December 1986, fifty eight patients with locoregional recurrent breast carcinoma who did not have evidence of distant metastasis after initial treatment of surgery with or without adjuvant chemotherapy were treated with radiation therapy. Among them, five patients were excluded from this study because of incomplete record or incomplete treatment. The 5-year overall survival and disease free survival from the time of locoregional recurrence was 27% and 15% respectively. In univariate analysis of prognostic variables, the clinical stage at initial diagnosis, recur duration, number of recurrence sites, size of recurrences, response to the treatment, remission duration were all found to have no significant effect on survival or disease free survial. On the other hand, menopausal status at initial diagnosis, number of positive node at initial surgery, whether or not the use of adjuvant chemotherapy after initial mastectomy had definite prognositc significance. In multivariate analysis of prognostic variables, remission duration, menopausal status at diagnosis, number of axillary node at mastectomy had definite prognostic significance. On the other hand, remission duration more than 12 months, premenopaus at initial mastectomy, less than four positive axillary lymph nodes at mastectomy predicted a good prognosis.

Nasopharyngeal Cancer in Patients Under Thirty Years of Age / 대한치료방사선과학회지

Between January 1971 and December 1987, 113 patients with nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) were treated by radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy in the department of Radiation Oncology, Yonsei University Hospital. There were 19 patients under thirty years of age. The histology was undifferentiated carcinoma in 68% of the younger patients as compared to 47% of the older patients. Sex, stage, initial symptoms and treatment modalities differed little from those of older patients. In younger patients, the initial complete response rate was 79% as compared to older patients with 54%, distant metastases were more common and the overall five year survival rate was not significantly different between the two age groups (33.7% for the young vs. 37.4% for the old). The five year survival rates for stage III and IV were 60.0% and 24.5%, respectively. Histologic subtype was not correlated with survival. The best survival was found only in patients who obtained a complete clearance of disease after radiation therapy. Adjuvant chemotherapy is suggested as an important target for further study.

Combined Radiotherapy and Hyperthermia for Nonresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma / 대한치료방사선과학회지

Thirty Patients with nonresectable hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) doe to either locally advanced lesion or association with liver cirrhosis, treated with combined radiotherapy and hyperthermia between April 1988 and July 1988, at Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Yonsei university College of medicine, were analysed. External radiotherapy of a total dose of 3060 cGy/3.5 wks was given. Hyperthermia was given twice a week with a total of 6 treatment sessions using 8 MHz radiofrequency capacitive type heating device, i.e., Thermotron RF-8 and Cancermia. In all cases hyperthermia was given within 30 minutes after radiotherapy for 30~60 min. Temperature was measured by inserting thermocouple into the tumor mass under the ultrasonographic guidance only for those who had not bleeding tendency. As a result, partial response(PR) was achieved in 12 patients (40%), and symptomatic improvement was observe in 22 patients (78.0%) among 28 patients who had suffered from abdominal pain. The most significant factor affecting the tumor response rate was the type of tumor (single massive: 10/14, 71.4%; diffuse infiltrative: 2/10, 20%; multinodular: 0/0.6%;p<0.005). There were not any significant side effects relating to combined treatment. The overall 1 year survival rate was 34%, with 50% in the PR group and 22% in the no response group(NR), respectively. Median survival was 6.5 months and longer for those of PR than of NR (11 mos. vs 5, p<0.05). In conclusion, combined radiotherapy and hyperthermia appeared to be effective in local control and symptomatic palliation of HCC. Further study including a larger number of the patients to confirm its effect in survival and detrimental side effect should be urged.

Radiotherapy of Para-Aortic Node Metastases in Carcinoma of the Uterine Cervix / 대한치료방사선과학회지

Forty one patients with para-aortic node metastases from carcinoma of the uterine cervix treated with radiotherapy at Department of Radiation Oncology, Yonsei University, College of Medicine from January 1982 to December 1987 were retrospectively analyzed. Eleven patients were diagnosed at the time of diagnosis of carcinoma of the cervix (early diagnosis) and 30 patients were diagnosed during follow up period after definitive radiotherapy of primary site (late diagnosis). The most important factors affecting the survival in this study were time of diagnosis and dose of irradiation. Overall 5 year actuarial survival rate of 41 patients was 25.7%. Five year survival rate for early diagnosis was 60.3%, but late diagnosis was 10.9%. And survival rate for high dose (over 4000 cGy) radiation group arid low dose radiation group were 42.2% and 8.9% respectively. The most leading cause of death was para-aortic node failure, so early diagnosis and maximum palliation with full dose radiotherapy (over 4000 cGy) is necessary to improve the survival and the quality of life.

Unusual Angular Arrangement of Electrodes in Capacitive Heating Device: Thermal Distribution and Clinical Application / 대한치료방사선과학회지

In capacitive heating device, which considered efficient for deep heating, parallel arrangement of the electrodes is a serious limiting factor in heating for eccentrically located lesions because it causes overheating of the exposed ipsilateral skin surface, the heating pattern is also frequently inappropriate, arid the arrangement tends to be unstable due to the patient's gravity. Therefore we attempted an angular arrangement of the electordes to achieve more homogenous and efficient heating for such lesions. In phantom study, both the thermal profile and thermogram established the heating pattern in this unusual angular arrangement of the electrodes at 60degree, 90degree and 120degree angles, respectively. An angular arrangement was also clinically applied to 3 patients. The patients' tolerance was good without significant complication and the thermal distribution was satisfactory. In conclusion, this unusual arrangement of electrodes appears to be promising in the clinical application to the eccentrically located lesions.