PURPOSE : Weight loss and malnutrition in patients undergoing radiation therapy for lung cancer are common problems. We evaluated the effect of nutritional support with administering oral high calorie, high protein liquid, Mediwell ProteinTM. MATERIALS AND METHODS : From Feb. 2007 to Aug. 2008, 21 patients with lung cancer received nutritional supplement for 4 weeks with Mediwell StandardTM (n=10) or higher protein liquid, Mediwell ProteinTM (n=11). Their nutritional statues were evaluated just before radiation therapy and after 4 weeks. RESULTS : Nutritional support with oral high calorie, high protein liquid, Mediwell ProteinTM, showed improvement of the nutritional status during radiation therapy for lung cancer, even though it was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION : Nutritional support with oral high calorie, high protein liquid was effective for maintaining the nutritional status of patients with lung cancer during radiation therapy
Humans ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Malnutrition ; Nutritional Status ; Nutritional Support ; Weight Loss

PURPOSE : Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the world, including Korea. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical features of the lung cancer patients who were seen in a University hospital between 1994 to 1998. MATERIALS AND METHODS : We performed a retrospective review of lung cancer clinical information at Kosin University Gospel Hospital from 1994 to 1998. We analyzed the age, gender, pathologic types, treatment methods and survival. RESULTS : Among 1,547 patients, 1,232 patients (79.6%) were male. The age distribution ranged from 20 to 84 years, and the mean age was 60.2 years old. Squamous cell carcinoma was the most common type of lung cancer (39.7%), followed by adenocarcinoma (23.1%), and small cell carcinoma (16.4%). However, there was an increasing incidence of adenocarcinoma every year. The stages at the diagnosis were I : 6.6%, II : 6%, III : 45.6% and IV : 41.8%. For the small cell carcinoma, 44.6% of the patients were in a limited stage and 55.4% were in an extensive stage. The initial treatments included chemotherapy (46.5%), surgery (15.1%) and radiotherapy (5.1%), but 32.2% of the patients received supportive care only. For the cases receiving surgery, the 5 year survival rate for the stage I patients was 66%, that for the stage II patients was 43.2% and that for the stage III patients was 11.8%. The median survival time (MST) for patients who underwent surgery plus adjuvant chemotherapy was 3.22 year, but the MST of the surgery-treated only patients was 1.51 years. So, adjuvant chemotherapy prolonged survival (p=0.000). On the subgroup analysis, young age and female lung cancer patients who did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy showed poor survival. CONCLUSION : Squamous cell carcinoma was the most common type of lung cancer. The active treatments were important for the patients' prognosis. For the patients receiving surgery, adjuvant chemotherapy had a role in improving survival and especially for young age and female lung cancer patients
Adenocarcinoma ; Age Distribution ; Carcinoma, Small Cell ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Male ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

PURPOSE : Since the year 2000, lung cancer has been the leading cause of cancer death in South Korea and also in many other parts of the world. MATERIALS AND METHODS : We developed a multidisciplinary (MD) care system for lung cancer patients in 1996. Here, we report the results obtained in the process of development of MD team (MDT). RESULTS : The MDT was launched with including medical doctors, chest surgeons, radiation oncologists, radiologists, nuclear medicine specialists and physician assistants. To facilitate co-operation between the MDT members, a specialized out-patient clinic was located within a sector of the hospital. A common ward was allocated for lung cancer patients regardless of the department of the attending physician. Shared electronic medical record forms that were specialized for lung cancer were developed. The MDT operates weekly lung cancer conferences and multidisciplinary out-patient clinics. To make diagnostic or therapeutic decisions early on, the electronic medical records of the patients were previewed or consulted by the specialists before they meet the individual patients. CONCLUSION : Despite every effort, we still need to shorten the waiting time from presentation to the first treatment and we need to improve the patients' satisfaction. We also have a mission to develop our own regulations and guidelines for our lung cancer MD care system. Clinical trials and basic research should also be encouraged along with improving the quality of life of the team members
Congresses as Topic ; Electronic Health Records ; Humans ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Missions and Missionaries ; Nuclear Medicine ; Outpatients ; Physician Assistants ; Quality of Life ; Republic of Korea ; Social Control, Formal ; Specialization ; Thorax

PURPOSE : JAK kinases play important roles not only in normal cellular processes, but they are also important in tumor development. A recent study identified two somatic mutations of JAK1 in leukemia cells that were detected in exon 10 (p.T478S) and exon 13 (p.V623A). The aim of this study was to see whether the JAK1 mutations in these exons occur in non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC). MATERIALS AND METHODS : We analyzed the exons 10 and 13 of JAK1 for detecting somatic mutations in NSCLC by performing polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) assay. RESULTS : The SSCP analysis revealed no evidence of somatic mutation in the DNA sequences of JAK1 exon 10 and exon 13 in the 47 NSCLCs. CONCLUSION : The data presented here indicate that the JAK1 exons 10 and 13 may not be somatically mutated in human NSCLCs, and this suggests that the JAK1 mutation in exons 10 and 13 may not play an important role in the tumorigenesis of NSCLCs
Base Sequence ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic ; Exons ; Humans ; Janus Kinases ; Leukemia ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational

PURPOSE : Aberrant DNA methylation patterns have been commonly associated with human cancers. We have investigated the frequency of DNA hypermethylation in promoter regions from adenocarcinomas of the lung and then attempted to detect the same epigenetic changes from patient serum samples. MATERIALS AND METHODS : We collected tissues from 72 cases of lung adenocarcinomas. The cancer and normal lung tissues were tested for DNA hypermethylation using methylation-specific PCR (MSP). The genes investigated were DAPK, RARbetaP2 and p16. We selected 12 patients where promoter hypermethylation was present for all three genes and four patients where hypermethylation was not seen for any of the three genes. Serum-free DNA was extracted and was tested for promoter hypermethylation. The status of serum-free DNA methylation was analyzed; the hypermethylation status was compared to clinical variables and cancer outcomes. RESULTS : DNA hypermethylation was observed in 32% of samples for DAPK, 63% of samples for RARbetaP2 and 83% of samples for p16 from the cancer tissues. Among the 12 matched serum samples where the primary tumor showed hypermethylation in all three gene promoter regions, we were able to detect five incidences of serum DNA hypermethylation in four patients. The four patients had TNM stage II or higher disease. None of the patients with stage I disease showed serum-free DNA hypermethylation. CONCLUSION : Aberrant promoter hypermethylation was frequently observed in surgically resected adenocarcinoma of the lung. Concurrent serum-free DNA hypermethylation was detected in 34% of patients where the primary tumor showed hypermethylation in all three gene promoter regions. The findings suggest that the serum-free DNA methylation status might be used as a potential target for the diagnosis of lung cancer. However, the low sensitivity should be improved for use in a clinical application
Adenocarcinoma ; DNA ; DNA Methylation ; Epigenomics ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Promoter Regions, Genetic

Apoptosis is a principal type of cell death, and it has a profound effect on the development of cancer. It is also well known that anti-cancer agents induce apoptosis, and defects in the apoptosis pathways reduce the treatment sensitivity. Of the many pathways that induce apoptosis, the mechanisms of the intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis pathways are well established. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a leading cause of cancer death worldwide, yet the exact molecular mechanisms of its development remain unclear. Apoptosis deregulations may underlie the development and pathogenesis of NSCLC. This review discusses the general mechanisms of apoptosis, the constituents of the apoptosis machinery and the alterations of the apoptosis-related genes in NSCLC
Apoptosis ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; Cell Death

Thymic carcinoma is a rare neoplasm arising in the thymic epithelium. The prognosis of thymic carcinoma is often poor with an aggressive histologic appearance and clinical course. However, few studies about efficacy of treatment modalities have been published because of the rarity of this tumor. Although resection of tumor is the first choice in the treatment of thymic carcinoma, the optimal adjuvant therapy has yet to be defined. A case showed that a patient with thymic carcinoma should be treated by tumor resection followed by radiotherapy alone. And we consider proper management for thymic carcinoma with reviewing literatures
Drug Therapy ; Epithelium ; Humans ; Prognosis ; Radiotherapy* ; Thymoma*

An endobronchial leiomyoma is extremely rare benign tumor of the lung. Most endobronchial leiomyomas reported in the literature have been resected by either a lobectomy or a pneumonectomy. Herein is report a case whose tumor was successfully removed using a fiberoptic bronchoscope without surgical resection. A 64-year-old female presented with a fever, and a cough with purulent sputum of 10 days duration. The bronchoscopy revealed a 1cm sized, glistening, light yellow colored mass lesion totally obstructing the orifice of the superior segment of the right lower lobe. During the bronchoscopic biopsy procedures, the mass lesion was completely removed. A diagnosis of a leiomyoma was made from a histological examination of the obtained specimen. The early diagnosis and appropriate treatment including bronchoscopic removal may prevent respiratory complications.
Biopsy ; Bronchoscopes* ; Bronchoscopy ; Cough ; Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis ; Female ; Fever ; Humans ; Leiomyoma* ; Lung ; Middle Aged ; Pneumonectomy ; Pneumonia ; Sputum

PURPOSE: Photodynamic therapy, with photosensitizer and non-thermal laser, produces selective destruction of cancer without affecting the adjacent normal tissues. The aim of our study was to evaluate the pathological changes to the normal tissues when photodynamic therapy, with non-thermal laser irradiation, after the administration of a photosensitizer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Studies were performed on four C57BL/6 mouse models using a photosensitizer (Photogem(R), Moscow Institute of High Chemical Technologies). The mice received Photogem, 3 mg/kg i.v., 24 hours prior to the exposure of normal tissues to 180 J/cm2 laser light, at a wavelength and power density of 635 nm and 600 mW/cm2, respectively, with the light source being a 635 nm Diode Laser (Laxcell 2004, Bio-Optics. co.) Histological staining and analysis were used to determine the nature and extent of injury at the first, third, fifth, and seventh days after the photodynamic therapy. RESULTS: Histologically, there were losses of endothelium from small vessels in the skin and muscle, with focal necrosis and diffuse inflammatory changes in the adjacent tissues. Between the fifth and seventh days following the photodynamic therapy, generation of granulation tissue, composed of fibroblasts and endothelial cells was observed surrounding the necrotic area. CONCLUSION: Photodynamic therapy using Photogem and a 635 nm Diode Laser, with a power density of 600 mW/cm2, develops non-selective necrosis and has a thermal effect on normal tissue
Animals ; Endothelial Cells ; Endothelium ; Fibroblasts ; Granulation Tissue ; Lasers, Semiconductor* ; Mice* ; Necrosis ; Photochemotherapy* ; Skin

PURPOSE: We investigated the effect of macrolides on the extracellular matrix (ECM) invasion and expression of cell adhesion proteins in non-small cell lung cancer cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three kinds of macrolides, azithromycin, erythromycin and clarithromycin were treated in several human Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) cell lines at doses from 0.1 to 1.5microg/ml. ECM invasion was measured by an in vitro chemo-invasion assay using matrigel-coated invasion chambers. RESULTS: Azithromycin inhibited the migration of NCI-H157 and NCI-H1299 cell lines. Erythromycin inhibited the migration of NCI-H157 and NCI-H2066, and clarithromycin had inhibitory effects on the migration of NCI-H358 and NCI-H2009. These results indicate that macrolides inhibit the ECM invasion of the tested NSCLC cells cell line-specifically. Western blot analyses for cell adhesion proteins (CAPs) showed that these were up-regulated by treatment with macrolides in some of the NSCLC cell lines. Based on the results of chemo-invasion assay, we selected each 2-cell line group, one was significantly suppressed by AM (NCI-H157 and NCI-H1299) and the other was less effectively suppressed by EM (NCI-H358 and NCI-H460). The expression levels of cell adhesion proteins increased in a dose-dependent manner in two cell lines in which their ECM invasion was inhibited by AM, however, the other two cell lines showed unchanged expression levels even at higher doses. Furthermore, the expressions of E1AF and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) activity were examined by RT-PCR and gelatin zymography, respectively with the selected 4 cell lines. E1AF expression level was found to decrease from the basal level in NCI-H157 and the activity of MMP-9 was also shown to decrease in NCI-H157 and NCI-H1299. Cell adhesion to fibronectin was a little reduced in NCI-H157 from its basal level. CONCLUSION: Consequently, the present study suggests that macrolides inhibit the ECM invasion of NSCLC cells by inducing the altered expression of cell adhesion proteins
Azithromycin ; Blotting, Western ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung* ; Cell Adhesion* ; Cell Line ; Clarithromycin ; Erythromycin ; Extracellular Matrix* ; Fibronectins ; Gelatin ; Humans* ; Macrolides* ; Matrix Metalloproteinases