• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.2875-2878
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• 2014

Background: Lung cancer is one of the commonest and most lethal cancers throughout the world. The majority of the patients present at advance stage and are not suitable for curative intent treatment. Even among patients with localized disease, there has been underutilization of curative treatment modalities. The aim of this study was to analyze the radical treatment utilization rates in patients with non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated at our centre. Materials and Methods: We analyzed case records of 104 patients with a pathologically confirmed diagnosis of NSCLC having stage 1-3B disease who were treated at our centre over last 3 years, to assess the utilization of curative treatment modalities i.e. surgery or radical radiotherapy. Results: The median age of this cohort was 58 years. Out of 104 patients only 33 (31.7%) received curative intent treatment, 14 undergoing curative resection and 19 receiving radical doses of radiotherapy. The baseline characteristics of both the groups (with or without radical treatment) were not different. Major factors associated with underutilization with curative treatment were progressive disease or loss of follow up after chemotherapy and inappropriate use of TKI and/or palliative radiotherapy in patients with stage 1-3B disease. Patients who did not receive radical treatment had inferior PFS and OS than those who received radical treatment. Conclusions: In our practice we observed gross underutilization of curative intent treatment modalities in patients with NSCLCs which is associated with inferior survival.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.25-33
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• 2013

Purpose: We reviewed the treatment outcomes and prognostic factors for patients with anal canal carcinoma who were treated with curative intent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) at Severance Hospital from 2005 to 2011. Materials and Methods: Data for 38 eligible patients treated during this period were reviewed. All patients were treated with curative intent using radiotherapy (RT) with (n = 35) or without concomitant chemotherapy (n = 3). Among 35 patients who received CRT, most of the chemotherapeutic regimens were either 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) plus mitomycin C (23 patients) or 5-FU plus cisplatin (10 patients). Recurrence-free survival (RFS), colostomy-free survival (CFS), overall survival (OS), and locoregional control (LRC) rates were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method and survival between subgroups were compared using the log-rank test. Cox's proportional hazard model was used for multivariate analysis. Results: Over a median follow-up period of 44 months (range, 11 to 96 months), 3-year RFS, CFS, OS, and LRC were 80%, 79%, 85%, and 92%, respectively. In multivariate analysis, tumor size >4 cm was an independent predicting factor for poorer RFS (hazard ratio [HR], 6.35; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.42 to 28.5; p = 0.006) and CFS (HR, 6.25; 95% CI, 1.39-28.0; p = 0.017), while the presence of external iliac lymph node metastasis was an independent prognosticator for poorer OS (HR, 9.32; 95% CI, 1.24 to 70.3; p = 0.030). No treatment-related colostomies or deaths occurred during or after treatment. Conclusion: Curative intent CRT resulted in excellent outcomes that were comparable to outcomes in previous randomized trials. No severe treatment-related toxicities were observed.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.72-80
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• 2013

Purpose: We designed this study to identify and suggest the reasonable timing of adjuvant radiotherapy in the treatment of uterine carcinosarcoma according to the surgical intent and patterns of progression. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed a total of 50 carcinosarcoma patients diagnosed between 1995 and 2010. Among these 50 patients, 32 underwent curative surgery and 13 underwent maximal tumor debulking surgery. The remaining five patients underwent biopsy only. Twenty-six patients received chemotherapy, and 15 patients received adjuvant radiotherapy. Results: The median follow-up period was 17.3 months. Curative resection (p < 0.001) and stage (p < 0.001) were statistically significant factors affecting survival. During follow-up, 30 patients showed progression. Among these, eight patients (16.0%) had loco-regional progression only. The patients who had received adjuvant radiotherapy did not show loco-regional progression, and radiotherapy was a significant negative risk factor for loco-regional progression (p = 0.01). The time to loco-regional progression was much earlier for non-curative than curative resection (range, 0.7 to 7.6 months vs. 7.5 to 39.0 months). Conclusion: Adjuvant radiotherapy in the treatment of carcinosarcoma might be related to a low loco-regional progression rate. Radiotherapy should be considered in non-curatively resected patients as soon as possible.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.73-78
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• 2013

Surgery is still considered to be the mainstay for the treatment of localized gastric cancer with negative margins (R0-resection) and an adequate lymph-node-dissection (D2-lymphadenectomy). Unfortunately, most cases of gastric cancer are only diagnosed at an advanced stage due to frequent recurrences after primary resection in curative intent. In order to improve prognosis after curative resection, in the recent past, patients with locally advanced tumors were subjected to a pre-, peri-, or postoperative treatment. Interestingly, postoperative chemotherapy has significantly improved survival after gastric resection in Asia, adjuvant radiochemotherapy is favored in North America and perioperative chemotherapy is considered as a treatment of choice in Europe indicating region specific approach towards the treatment. Recently there has also been growing evidence of positive outcomes of neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy on patient survival. In the present article, we discuss the concepts of neoadjuvant treatment approach and provide recommendations to surgeons based on current evidence.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.922-928
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• 1990

Treatment of patients with esophageal carcinoma remains disappointing. Fewer than 20% *of patients with esophageal carcinoma treated with curative intent by surgery and radiation therapy will be alive at 5 years. Fifty five patients underwent treatment for carcinoma of the esophagus and cardia which retrospective clinical study done between January 1983, and December, 1989 in Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, National Medical Center, Seoul, Korea. There were 48 men. 7 women and the mean age was 56.2 years[range, 38 to 78 years]. The most frequent preoperative findings included dysphagia[46 cases], weight loss[33 cases] and substernal pain[19 cases]. 19 cases[34.5%] were underwent resectional surgery, which was total esophagectomy with esophagogastrostomy[ 5 cases], with colon interposition[3 cases], lower esophagectomy with esophagogastrostomy [10 cases], with total gastrectomy and esophagojejunostomy [1 case]. The operative mortality was 15.8%[3/19] and causes of death were respiratory failure in 2 cases, and 1 case of sepsis. Palliative procedures, such as feeding gastrostomy and jejunostomy[14 cases], bypass surgery without resection[ 4 cases], radiation therapy[ 3 cases] were done.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.2829-2834
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• 2013

The objective was to analyze the radiotherapy (RT) practice at the cancer centre of a tertiary academic medical institution in Delhi. This audit from an Indian public institution covered patient care processes related to cancer diagnosis, integration of RT with other anti-cancer modalities, waiting time, overall treatment time, and compliance with RT. Over a period of one year, all consecutively registered patients in radiotherapy were analyzed for the audit cycle. Analysis of 1,030 patients showed median age of 49.6 years, with presentation as stage I and II in 14.2%, stage III and IV in 71.2% and unknown stage in 14.6%. A total of 974 (95%) were advised for RT appointment; 669 (68.6%) for curative intent and 31.4% for palliation. Mean times for diagnostic workup and from registration at cancer centre to radiotherapy referral were 33 and 31 days respectively. Median waiting time to start of RT course was 41 days. Overall RT compliance was 75% and overall duration for a curative RT course ranged from 50 days to 61 days. Non-completion and interruption of RT course were observed in 12% and 13% respectively. Radiotherapy machine burden in a public cancer hospital in India increases the waiting time and 25% of advised patients do not comply with the prescribed treatment. Infrastructure, machine and manpower constraints lead to more patients being treated on cobalt (74%) and by two-dimensional (78%) techniques.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.172-178
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• 2015

Purpose: To investigate clinical outcomes of synchronous head and neck and esophageal cancer (SHNEC). Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 27 SHNEC patients treated with curative intent at a single institution. The treatment modality for individual cases was usually determined on a case by case basis. Results: The median follow-up duration for the surviving patients was 28.2 months. The most common site of head and neck cancer was hypopharyngeal carcinoma (n = 21, 77.7%). The lower esophagus was the most common location of esophageal carcinoma (n = 16, 59.3%). The 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were 57.5% and 39.6%. Major pattern of failure was locoregional recurrence in the study patients. Esophageal cancer stage, the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status, and pretreatment weight loss were significant prognostic factors for OS in univariate analysis. Treatment-related death was observed in two patients, and one patient developed a grade 4 late treatment-related complication. Conclusion: Although the survival outcome for SHNEC is poor, long-term survival might be achievable with aggressive treatment with stage I-II esophageal cancer and good performance.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.41-47
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• 1984

From March of 1979 through December of 1982, 84 Patients with supraglottic carcinoma were seen and evaluated in the Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Seoul National University Hospital. Of these, 68 patients were treated with a curative intent by employing either radiotherapy alone or a combined approach of radiotherapy Plus surgery. Sixteen patients refused to complete the treatment program. Seventy-three per cent of patients had $T_3\;and\;T_4$ lesions and $63\%$ of patients had lymph node metastasis at the time of diagnosis. Actuarial recurrence-free survival at 3 year was: Stage $I\~II\;62\;%,\;Stage\;III \;54\%,\;Stage\;IV\;18\%$, For $T_{1-2},\;T_3\;and\;T_4$ lesions, the actuarial recurrence free survival at 3 years were 50\%,\;34\;%\;and \;9\%$ respectively. Of 39 Patients with treatment failure, 29 Patients $(78\%)$ had uncontrol or ultimate recurrence at the primary site while 9 patients having lymph node recurrence, 14 patients$(21\%)$ had lymph node recurrence, and S patients had distant metastasis. It is suggested that planned combined radiotherapy is indicated for advanced but rescetable supraglottic carcinoma.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.347-352
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• 2016

Background: This study used receiver operating characteristic curve to analyze Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) adenosquamous carcinoma data to identify predictive models and potential disparities in outcome. Materials and Methods: This study analyzed socio-economic, staging and treatment factors available in the SEER database for adenosquamous carcinoma. For the risk modeling, each factor was fitted by a generalized linear model to predict the cause specific survival. An area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was computed. Similar strata were combined to construct the most parsimonious models. Results: A total of 20,712 patients diagnosed from 1973 to 2009 were included in this study. The mean follow up time (S.D.) was 54.2 (78.4) months. Some 2/3 of the patients were female. The mean (S.D.) age was 63 (13.8) years. SEER stage was the most predictive factor of outcome (ROC area of 0.71). 13.9% of the patients were un-staged and had risk of cause specific death of 61.3% that was higher than the 45.3% risk for the regional disease and lower than the 70.3% for metastatic disease. Sex, site, radiotherapy, and surgery had ROC areas of about 0.55-0.65. Rural residence and race contributed to socioeconomic disparity for treatment outcome. Radiotherapy was underused even with localized and regional stages when the intent was curative. This under use was most pronounced in older patients. Conclusions: Anatomic stage was predictive and useful in treatment selection. Under-staging may have contributed to poor outcome.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.7-10
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• 2008

The early glottic cancers are traditionally treated by radiotherapy or endoscopic surgery. The excellent effectiveness of both treatment modalities for local control, larynx preservation, and disease specific death is similar. Therefore, functional voice outcome after treatment is one of the most important factors in the choice of treatment for early glottic cancer. To assess the functional outcomes and compare the voice quality in patients with early glottic cancer treated with curative intent with radiotherapy or laser cordectomy, we performed literature review. Most studies showed that the voice quality after radiation therapy is slightly better than that after laser cordectomy. Subanalysis according to types of laser cordectomy, however, indicates that voice quality depends on type of laser cordectomy. Especially, type I or type II laser cordectomy might be superior to other types of laser cordectomy and radiation therapy. We conclude that the laser cordectomy is a good surgical alternative for properly selected early glottic cancer including professional voice users.