No abstract available.
Pancreaticoduodenectomy* ; Risk Factors*

Transcatheter hepatic arterial embolization (THAE) is one of the treatment modalities that can be applied to hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) and metastatic tumors of the liver. Complications such as cholecystitis and gallbladder necrosis, are common with THAE, but liver and peripheral bile duct necrosis are rare, and intrahepatic stones with main bile duct necrosis have never been reported. To prevent intrahepatic spread during operative manupulation and to decrease the vascularity and size of the tumor, we performed a THAE on a huge-sized HCC five times before performing the hepatectomy. We succesfully undertook a right lobectomy after the THAE with lipiodol, gelform, and adriamycin. However, severe bile duct stricture and intrahepatic stones were confirmed during the operation.
Bile Ducts* ; Bile* ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Cholecystitis ; Constriction, Pathologic* ; Doxorubicin ; Ethiodized Oil ; Gallbladder ; Hepatectomy ; Liver ; Necrosis

PURPOSE: Lichtenstein`s tension-free repair & mesh-plug hernia repair are the most frequently used procedures for inguinal hernia repair by american surgeons. A new tension- free hernioplasty procedure, maintaining the advantages of both of these procedures, was invented by an experienced surgeon in our hospital. In this procedure, an umbrella- shaped mesh is applied to the entire posterior wall, not only to the defective area. We analyzed the results of this procedure in comparison with those from conventional repair (Bassini procedure). METHODS: From March 1998 to March 2001, 69 cases of hernioplasty were performed by one staff surgeon. Among these cases, we excluded 2 cases of bilateral inguinal hernia, 1 case of femoral hernia, and 6 cases which were impossible to follow up. In addition, we analyzed 29 cases of tension-free hernioplasty using an umbrella-shaped mesh (U group) and 31 cases of conventional repair (B group). Retrospective chart reviews and telephone interviews were carried out. Operation duration, length of hospital stay, period of analgesics use, complications, time required to return to usual activity, and recurrence were compared between these two groups. RESULTS: No significant differences were found concerning operation duration, period of hospital stay, complications, and time for return to usual activity. The period of analgesic use was significantly shorter in the U group than in the B group (p=0.001, 2.0 days vs 2.9 days). Only one recurrence occurred in B group. CONCLUSION: This new procedure has all the properties of tension free hernioplasty and plug hernia repair. This procedure can be used for all types of inguinal hernia and for a much lower cost than the preformed plug method. No incidence of recurrence was found folling the use of this procedure.
Analgesics ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hernia, Femoral ; Hernia, Inguinal ; Herniorrhaphy* ; Incidence ; Interviews as Topic ; Length of Stay ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: The primary metabolic characteristic of malignant cells is an increased uptake of glucose and its anaerobic glycolysis. Recent studies have demonstrated that facilitative glucose transport across the plasma membrane is mediated by a family of proteins, i.e., glucose transporters. PURPOSE: In order to evaluate the clinicopathologic correlations of glucose transporter genes expressed in colorectal cancer, the author studied the expression of glucose transporter genes in human colorectal cancer and analyzed their expression in normal and malignant colorectal tissues. METHODS: A reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was applied to quantitatively determine the levels of the glucose transporter genes, GLUT1 and GLUT3, from Crohnes diseases (N=2), adenomatous polyps (N=4), and colorectal cancers (N=40) and their normal counterparts. RESULTS: The expresssion of the GLUT1 gene was detected in 50% of the inflammatory colonic mucosae and adenomatous polyp tissues, but the levels of expression were not significantly different from their normal counterparts. Among the 40 colorectal cancer patients, 23 patients (57.5%) showed GLUT1 gene expression and the levels of expression were increaed by 1.8 as compared to their normal counterparts (p<0.05). The expression of the GLUT3 gene was detected in almost all tissues examined, and the levels of expression were not significantly different from their normal counterparts. In colorectal cancers, there was correlation between GLUT1 expression, the extent of lymph node involvement and the stage of colorectal cancers (p<0.05). But, the correlation between the expressions of the GLUT3 gene and the clinicopathologic prognostic factors of colorectal cancers could not be determined because almost all tissues showed a GLUT3 gene expression. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the GLUT1 glucose transporter expression in colorectal cancer was associated with high possibilities of lymph node metastases and poorer prognosis, and the assessment of GLUT1 expression in colorectal cancer would be useful in identifying high risk patients.
Adenomatous Polyps ; Cell Membrane ; Colon ; Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Gene Expression ; Glucose Transport Proteins, Facilitative* ; Glucose* ; Glycolysis ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Mucous Membrane ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis

PURPOSE: The purpose of this experiment was to study the effects of Ox-LDL (oxidized low density lipoprotein) and Ox-VLDL (oxidized very low density lipoprotein) with or without probucol treatment on the proliferation of human vascular endothelial cells (EC) which were three dimensionally constructed vascular wall model. METHOD: The thiobarbituric acid reactive substance content of LDL and VLDL oxidized by incubation with copper irons was consistently greater than 10 nM malondialdehyde (MDA)/mg protein compared with less than 3 nM MDA/mg for unmodified lipoprotein immediately after isolation. On agarose gel electrophoresis, Ox-LDL and Ox-VLDL were shown to have greater cationic charge than unmodified lipoprotein. RESULT: In Ox-LDL stimulated ECs, the cellular enzymatic activity was markedly decreased in 50 mug/ml concentration of Ox-LDL and was protected by 10 nM probucol. And in Ox-VLDL stimulated ECs, the cellular enzymatic activity was markedly decreased in 25 and 50 mug/ml concentration of ox-VLDL and was not protected by 10 nM probucol. On scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), endothelial layers of control, unmodified LDL and unmodified VLDL groups showed similar appearance. But in Ox-LDL and Ox-VLDL groups, cellular edema, loosened cell-to-cell contact and loss of microvilli were shown on SEM, and marked cellular edema, distortion of cell membrane, loss of intracellular organelles and destruction of nulcleus were shown on TEM. And the protective effect of probucol was definite in Ox-LDL group but in 25 and 50 mug/ml concentration of Ox-VLDL group, there were no protective effects of probucol. CONCLLUSION: As a conclusion, three dimensionally constructed vascular wall model is to be a good experimental model for vascular research. And Ox-LDL and Ox-VLDL have toxic effects on vascular endothelial cell layer and its toxic effects are partially prevented by probucol.
Cell Membrane ; Copper ; Edema ; Electrophoresis, Agar Gel ; Endothelial Cells ; Humans ; Iron ; Lipoproteins* ; Malondialdehyde ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission ; Microvilli ; Models, Theoretical ; Organelles ; Probucol

No abstract available.
Lipoproteins* ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular*

PURPOSE: The combination of cisplatin, epirubicin, leucovorin and 5-fluorouracil (PELF) administration, as adjuvant chemotherapy after curative resection for gastirc cancer, was compared with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) administration alone. This paper reports the results of a prospective randomized comparison of the two regimens, PELF and 5-FU. METHODS: From August 1996 to July 1999, 54 patients were selected subsequent to being diagnosed with stage III cancer after a curative resection for gastric cancer. The patients were stratified according to stage IIIA/IIIB and subtotal/total gastrectomy, and then they were randomized into each treatment group, i.e. the PELF or 5-FU alone groups. RESULTS: 54 assessable patients were enrolled in this study: 28 received PELF and 26 received 5-FU alone. 12 patients relapsed in each group and the median follow-up duration was 42 months (range: 10~77 months). The overall survival rate and disease-free survival rate (DFS) were not significantly different between two groups, (5-year survival of PELF vs. 5-FU: 57% vs. 64%, 5-year DFS: 54% vs. 51%). The PELF combination was more toxic in terms of anemia, anorexia, nausea and diarrhea than the 5-FU. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that the PELF combination, as an adjuvant therapy for gastric cancer after a curative resection, was a less effective treatment, and it had more toxic effects than the 5-FU.
Anemia ; Anorexia ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant* ; Cisplatin* ; Diarrhea ; Disease-Free Survival ; Epirubicin* ; Fluorouracil* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Leucovorin* ; Nausea ; Prospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Survival Rate

This article presents the results of the Implementation Study of the Seoul Cancer Registry, which started in July, 1991 as a population based cancer registry in Seoul, Korea. The completeness and validity of the registered data were evaluated using Mortality/Incidence ratio (M/I ratio), Histologically Verified Cases (HV%), Primary Site Uncertain (PSU%), and Age Unknown (Age UNK%). Owing to the additional active surveillance, the completeness of the data turned out to be fairly acceptable, except for the aged over 75(Mortality/Incidence ratio was over 100%). Eventhough the Seoul cancer registry(SCR) has further way to go in the completeness especially among elderly persons, the validity of SCR data was also acceptable in terms of HV%, PSU%, and Age UNK%. However, PSU% and Age UNK% might need to be further reduced to be comparable with other well established cancer registries. The age standardized incidence rates(ASR) of all cancers between July 1, 1991 and June 30, 1992 were 232.4/100,000 in males and 147.9/100,000 in females. The top five major sites of cancers in Seoul were the stomach, liver, lung, colo-rectum, and bladder in order in males, and the uterine cervix, stomach, breast, colo-rectum, and liver in females. Those 5 cancer sites comprised 68.9% and 64.7% of the total cancer incidence in males and females, respectively.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Human ; Incidence ; Infant ; Korea/epidemiology ; Male ; Middle Age ; Neoplasms/*epidemiology/pathology ; *Registries ; Sex Factors ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't