No abstract available.
Cross Infection*

PURPOSE: Combined chemoradiotherapy is standard management for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC), but standard treatment for elderly patients with LA-NSCLC has not been confirmed yet. We evaluated the feasibility and efficacy of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) for elderly patients with LA-NSCLC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Among patients older than 65 years with LA-NSCLC, 36 patients, who underwent CCRT were retrospectively analyzed. Chemotherapy was administered 3-5 times with 4 weeks interval during radiotherapy. Thoracic radiotherapy was delivered to the primary mass and regional lymph nodes. Total dose of 54-59.4 Gy (median, 59.4 Gy) in daily 1.8 Gy fractions and 5 fractions per week. RESULTS: Regarding the response to treatment, complete response, partial response, and no response were shown in 16.7%, 66.7%, and 13.9%, respectively. The 1- and 2-year overall survival (OS) rates were 58.2% and 31.2%, respectively, and the median survival was 15 months. The 1- and 2-year progression-free survivals (PFS) were 41.2% and 19.5%, respectively, and the median PFS was 10 months. Regarding to the toxicity developed after CCRT, pneumonitis and esophagitis with grade 3 or higher were observed in 13.9% (5 patients) and 11.1% (4 patients), respectively. Treatment-related death was not observed. CONCLUSION: The treatment-related toxicity as esophagitis and pneumonitis were noticeably lower when was compared with the previously reported results, and the survival rate was higher than radiotherapy alone. The results indicate that CCRT is an effective in terms of survival and treatment related toxicity for elderly patients over 65 years old with LA-NSCLC.
Aged ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; Chemoradiotherapy ; Disease-Free Survival ; Esophagitis ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Pneumonia ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

PURPOSE: The prognosis of stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with radiotherapy alone has been disappointing. Combined therapy including chemotherapy and radiotherapy has potential of improving both local and distant metastatic control. Paclitaxel and cisplatin have demonstrated activity as radiation sensitizers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of paclitaxel and cisplatin with concurrent radiotherapy for stage III NSCLC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between April 2000 and July 2002, twenty-four previously untreated patients with unresectable stage III NSCLC received paclitaxel (60 mg/m2) and cisplatin (20 mg/m2) with concurrent radiotherapy. Chemotherapy was given on the first day of each week during radiotherapy. Concurrent radiotherapy was performed in 1.8 Gy daily fractions to a total dose of 54~59.4 Gy in 6~7 weeks (median: 59.4 Gy). RESULTS: Among 24 evaluable patients, the overall response was 83.3%, with four complete responses and 16 partial responses. Median survival was 16 months, with survival rates of 62.5% at 1 year and 28.7% at 2 years. Serious side effect was generally limited to grade 3 pulmonary toxicity in 37.5% of patients. CONCLUSION: Paclitaxel and cisplatin with concurrent radiotherapy has acceptable response with manageable toxicity in patients with stage III NSCLC. More randomized studies with a larger group of patients are required to improve the true efficacy
Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung* ; Cisplatin* ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Paclitaxel* ; Prognosis ; Radiation-Sensitizing Agents ; Radiotherapy* ; Survival Rate

No abstract available.

No abstract available.

BACKGROUND: This study was performed to evaluate the presynaptic effects of depolarizing neuromuscular blocking drugs by using slow and fast frequencies of indirect stimulation on partial twitch depression in vitro. METHODS: A rat phrenic nerve hemidiaphragm was dissected and was mounted in an organ bath containing an oxygenated Krebs solution. The phrenic nerve was stimulated supramaximally and the twitch response (0.1 Hz) was stabilized for at least 30 minutes. T200/T1 ratio (twitch height of the 200th stimuli divided by that of the first stimuli) at frequencies of 0.2, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 Hz using a drug concentration which provided approximately 20% twitch depression at 0.1 Hz was calculated. To compare T200/T1 ratios with TOF ratios, a 2.0 Hz TOF response was measured immediately after the 200th stimuli at either frequency of stimulation. RESULTS: T200/T1 ratios produced by succinylcholine (SCC) and decamethonium (C10) were located between alpha-bungarotoxin (ABX) and hexamethonium (C6), however, significant differences among the four drugs were found at 2.0 Hz. The propensity for a decrease in T200/T1 ratios at 2.0 Hz might differ from this study: C6 > C10 > SCC > ABX. T200/T1 ratios at 2.0 Hz were not different from TOF ratios. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that small doses of C10 have a greater presynaptic activity than that of SCC, when the observed effects in this study were compared with the result of ABX acting predominantly at postsynaptic receptors and C6 acting predominantly at presynaptic receptors.
Animals ; Baths ; Bungarotoxins ; Depression ; Hexamethonium ; Neuromuscular Blockade* ; Neuromuscular Blocking Agents* ; Oxygen ; Phrenic Nerve ; Rats ; Receptors, Presynaptic ; Succinylcholine

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate T2 relaxation time change using axial T2 mapping in a rabbit degenerated disc model and determine the most correlated variable with histologic score among T2 relaxation time, disc height index, and Pfirrmann grade. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Degenerated disc model was made in 4 lumbar discs of 11 rabbits (n = 44) by percutaneous annular puncture with various severities of an injury. Lumbar spine lateral radiograph, MR T2 sagittal scan and MR axial T2 mapping were obtained at baseline and 2 weeks and 4 weeks after the injury in 7 rabbits and at baseline and 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 6 weeks after the injury in 4 rabbits. Generalized estimating equations were used for a longitudinal analysis of changes in T2 relaxation time in degenerated disc model. T2 relaxation time, disc height index and Pfirrmann grade were correlated with the histologic scoring of disc degeneration using Spearman's rho test. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in T2 relaxation time between uninjured and injured discs after annular puncture. Progressive decrease in T2 relaxation time was observed in injured discs throughout the study period. Lower T2 relaxation time was observed in the more severely injured discs. T2 relaxation time showed the strongest inverse correlation with the histologic score among the variables investigated (r = -0.811, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: T2 relaxation time measured with axial T2 mapping in degenerated discs is a potential method to assess disc degeneration.
Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Intervertebral Disc/injuries/*pathology ; Intervertebral Disc Degeneration/*pathology ; Lumbar Vertebrae/*pathology ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/*methods ; Male ; Punctures ; Rabbits

PURPOSE: Hypopharyngeal cancer is diagnosed at the advanced stage in most cases, which the prognosis known to be poor. Thus, the efficacy of induction chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy, with regards to the response and survival rate for stage IV hypopharyngeal cancer patients, was examined. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From July 1998 to February 2000, 18 cases were diagnosedas AJCC stage IV hypopharyngeal cancer without distant metastasis. These patients were treated with induction chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy, and the results retrospectively analyzed. The regimen of the induction chemotherapy was the 5-FU and cisplatincombination, at 3-week intervals for, 2 cycles. The total radiation dose for the primary lesion and metastatic lymph nodes was 68.4~72.0 Gy (median: 70.2 Gy). RESULTS: The median follow up period was 28 months, ranging from 7 to 99 months. The 3-year overall survival and disease-free survival rate were 41.7 and 31.1%, respectively. In 6 cases (33.3%), conservation of the larynx for over 3 years was possible. After the induction chemotherapy there were 16 partial responses (88.8%), 1 complete response and 1 with no response (5.6% each), therefore, 17 of the 18 cases (94.6%) showed responses. After the completion of the induction chemotherapy and radiotherapy, a complete response was noted in 13 cases (72.2%), a partial response in 5 (27.8%), with an overall response rate of 100%. In the analysis of the prognostic factors influencing the survival rate, the 3-year and disease-free survival rates for the complete and partial response groups were 43.1, and 20.0%, and 39.6, and 20.0%, respectively (p=0.0003, p=0.002). Only the final response after treatment completion was statistically significant. CONCLUSION: For stage IV hypopharyngeal cancer, induction chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy was an effective treatment, with no severe side effects.
Disease-Free Survival ; Drug Therapy ; Fluorouracil ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hypopharyngeal Neoplasms* ; Induction Chemotherapy* ; Larynx ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Radiotherapy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

The prevalence of parasitic infections was investigated in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients (n = 105) who visited Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea, during the period from 1995 to 2003. Fecal samples were collected from 67 patients for intestinal parasite examinations, and sputum or bronchoalveolar lavage samples from 60 patients for examination of Pneumocystis carinii. Both samples were obtained from 22 patients. Thirty-three (31.4%) of the 105 were found to have parasitic infections; Cryptosporidium parvum (10.5%; 7/67), Isospora belli (7.5%; 5/67), Clonorchis sinensis (3.0%; 2/67), Giardia lamblia (1.5%; 1/67), Gymnophalloides seoi (1.5%; 1/67), and Pneumocystis carinii (28.3%; 17/60). The hospital records of the 11 intestinal parasite-infected patients showed that all suffered from diarrhea. This study shows that parasitic infections are important clinical complications in HIV-infected patients in the Republic of Korea.
AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/*parasitology ; Adult ; Feces/parasitology ; Female ; HIV Infections/*complications ; Humans ; Korea/epidemiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Parasitic Diseases/*epidemiology ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

PURPOSE: Combined modality therapy including chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy is considered the standard of care for the treatment of stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of paclitaxel and cisplatin with induction chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy for stage IIIB NSCLC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between July 2000 and October 2005, thirty-nine patients with stage IIIB NSCLC were treated with two cycles of induction chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy. The induction chemotherapy included the administration of paclitaxel (175 mg/m2) by intravenous infusion on day 1 and treatment with cisplatin (75 mg/m2) by intravenous infusion on day 1 every 3 weeks. Concurrent chemoradiotherapy included the use of paclitaxel (60 mg/m2) plus cisplatin (25 mg/m2) given intravenously for 6 weeks on day 43, 50, 57, 71, 78 and 85. Thoracic radiotherapy was delivered with 1.8 Gy daily fractions to a total dose of 54~59.4 Gy in 6~7 weeks (median: 59.4 Gy). RESULTS: The follow up period was 6~63 months (median: 21 months). After the induction of chemotherapy, 41.0% (16 patients) showed a partial response and 59.0% (23 patients) had stable disease. After concurrent chemoradiotherapy, 10.3% (4 patients) had a complete response, 41.0% (16 patients) had a partial response, and the overall response rate was 51.3% (20 patients). The 1-, 2-, 3-year overall survival rates were 66.7%, 40.6%, and 27.4% respectively, with a median survival time of 20 months. The 1-, 2-, 3-year progression free survival rates were 43.6%, 24.6%, and 24.6%, respectively, with median progression free survival time of 10.7 months. Induction chemotherapy was well tolerated. Among 39 patients who completed the entire treatment including chemoradiotherapy, 46.3% (18 patients) had esophagitis greater than grade 3 and 28.2% (11 patients) had radiation pneumonitis greater than grade 3. CONCLUSION: Paclitaxel and cisplatin with induction chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy for stage IIIB NSCLC seems to be an effective treatment. Occurrence of esophagitis and pneumonitis represents a significant morbidity and suggests a modification of the treatment regimen, either with the chemotherapy schedule or with radiotherapy treatment planning.
Appointments and Schedules ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung* ; Chemoradiotherapy* ; Cisplatin* ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Disease-Free Survival ; Drug Therapy ; Esophagitis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Induction Chemotherapy* ; Infusions, Intravenous ; Paclitaxel* ; Pneumonia ; Radiation Pneumonitis ; Radiotherapy ; Standard of Care ; Survival Rate