OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to identify the prognostic factor for survival of patients with recurrent cervical cancer. METHODS: Sixty-eight patients were diagnosed as recurrent cervical cancer at the Seoul National University Hospital from January, 1988 to December, 1998. Recurrence was defined as new evidence of tumor after 6 months of disease free survival. Retrospective analysis was done in terms of clinical features and the Cox proportional hazard model was used to identify independent variables associated with an improved survival rate. Histopathologic types were distributed as follows; squamous cell carcinoma in 70.6%, adenocarcinoma in 11.8%, adenosquamous cell carcinoma in 11.8%, and small cell carcinoma in 1.5%. Distribution of FIGO stage was as follows; stage I in 25.0%, stage II in 66.2%, and stage III in 4.4%. Sites of recurrence were as follows; central pelvic recurrence in 44.1%, pelvic side wall recurrence in 11.8%, and distant metastasis in 44.1% and the most common site of distant recurrence was extrapelvic lymph nodes (29.4%). 29.4% of recurrences were observed within the first 12 months after initial therapy, 50.0% within 2 years and 64.7% within 3 years. RESULTS: Positive rate of SCC-Ag at initial diagnosis was 45.2% with cutoff value of 2.0 ng/ml. Positive rate of SCC-Ag at the diagnosis of recurrence was 60.0%. Overall response rate to the treatment was 29.1%. Complete response rate was higher in central pelvic recurrrence than pelvic side wall recurrence and distant metastasis (P = 0.002) and also higher in normal SCC-Ag level (< or = 2.0 ng/ml) at the diagnosis of recurrence than elevated level (P = 0.032). Cumulative survival rates of 1 year after recurrence was 66.8%, 2 year 36.7%, and 5 year 18.7%. Central recurrence showed higher cumulative survival rate than pelvic side wall or distant recurrence (P = 0.029). The patients with elevated SCC-Ag level at the time of diagnosis of recurrence showed lower cumulative survival rate than those with normal SCC-Ag level (P < 0.001). Cox proportional hazard model showed that SCC-Ag elevation at the time of diagnosis of recurrence retained significant values in predicting survival(OR = 2.56; 95% CI = [1.22-5.39]; P = 0.01). CONCLUSION: SCC-Ag elevation at the diagnosis of the recurrence is a strong independent prognostic indicator for survival of patients with recurrent cervical cancer.
Adenocarcinoma ; Carcinoma, Small Cell ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Diagnosis ; Disease-Free Survival ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Seoul ; Survival Rate ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*

BACKGROUND: The HER-2/neu proto-oncogene (also known as c-ErbB-2) encodes a 185 kD transmembrane glycoprotein with intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity. Many studies revealed the correlation between the aberrant overexpression of HER-2/neu oncogene and poor prognosis of the malignant tumors such as breast, stomach, colon, lung cancers. But the significance of HER-2/neu oncogene overexpression as a prognostic factor in ovarian cancer remains controversial. OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to assess the prevalence of HER-2/neu oncogene amplification by polymerase chain reaction(PCR) and to evaluate the prognostic significance of HER-2/neu oncogene overexpression in terms of chemo-responsiveness and survival rate. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included 32 patients with advanced ovarian cancers(24 epithelial ovarian cancers, 2 Brenner tumors, 2 malignant mixed miillerian tumors, 2 granulosa cell tumors, 1 struma ovarii, 1 Krukenberg tumor). All patients had underwent staging laparotomy, and postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy with platinum-based combination chemotherapy. PCR was performed using tissues preserved in liquid nitrogen at the time of debulking operation. Overexpression of HER-2/neu oncogene was defined as being equal to or greater than 1.5 a.u. We analyzed whether the HER-2/neu overexpression correlated with chemoresponsiveness and 5-year survival rate(5-YSR). RESULT: HER-2/neu oncogene amplification was present in all of the ovarian cancers(32/32). Significant overexpression[gene copy number(GCN) > or =1.5 a.u.] was present in 13 of 32 ovarian cancers(41%) and 12 of 24 epithelial ovarian cancers (50%). The clinical response rate to chemotherapy in high copy group(GCN > or = 1.5 a.u.) was 67%(8/12) and that of low copy group(GCN<1.5 a.u.) was 92%(11/12)(p>0.05). Pathologic response rate to chemotherapy was 0%(0/5) and 50%(3/6), respectively(p>0.05). 5-YSR was 8% in high copy group and 25% in low copy group, but this difference was not statistically significant(p=0.17). CONCLUSION: HER-2/neu overexpression might be a poor prognostic factor, but this difference was not definitely elucidated by satistical analytsis in this study. Larger scaled prospective randomized study is needed to define the prognostidc significance of the HER-2/neu overezpression in ovarian cancer.
Breast ; Brenner Tumor ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Colon ; Drug Therapy ; Drug Therapy, Combination* ; Glycoproteins ; Granulosa Cell Tumor ; Humans ; Laparotomy ; Lung Neoplasms ; Nitrogen ; Oncogenes* ; Ovarian Neoplasms* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence ; Prognosis ; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases ; Proto-Oncogenes ; Stomach ; Struma Ovarii ; Survival Rate

Backgrouad & Aims: Cyclophosphamide, adriamycin and cisplatin(CAP) combination chemo- therapy improved the response rate in the treatment of advanced epithelial ovarian cancer, and it has been the gold standard. However, adriamycin is a rather toxic drug, and there is still confusion concerning the choice of adriamycin to be included in optimal regimen. The present study was designed to compare the activity and toxicity of combination regimens in advanced epithelial ovarian cancer between CAP and CTP which substitutes adriamycin with pirarubicin(THP- adriamycin). PATIENTS AND METHODS: From March 1995 to December 1997, 47 patients with FIGO stage III-IV epithelial ovarian cancer who were diagnosed after initial cytoreductive surgery were divided into two groups at random: (1) The case group were treated with CTP(500/40/50 mg/m2) as a first line chemotherapy. (2) The control group were treated with CAP(500/50/50 mg/m2) as that of case group. Clinical characteristics, response rates and toxicities according to Gynecologic Oncology Group criteria were compared between those treated with CAP and CTP respectively. RESULTS: Forty one patients out of 47 were evaluable and the number of patients in case and control group was 22 and 19 respectively. There was no significant differences in patient characteristics such as age, stage, histologic type between two groups. Clinical complete response rate was 50.0%(11/22) in patients treated with CTP regimen and 47.4%(9/19) with CAP regimen and there was no significant difference between two groups. Second look operation was undergone in 10 patients of CTP group and 7 patients of CAP group who showed clinical complete response and the pathologic complete response rate was 27.3%(6/22) with CTP and 21.1%(4/19) with CAP. The incidence of leukocytopenia of grade 3 or 4 was more frequently occurred in CAP group(52.6%, 10/19) than CTP group(22.7%, 5/22). There was no significant difference in the incidence of other toxicitied such as hepatic, renal and G-I toxicities. Suspicious cardiac toxicity according to the finding of EKG was seen in 15.8%(3/19) only with CAP regimen and all of them showed decreased cardiac function in gated blood pool scan. There were no significant differences in risponse rates between two groups, but the incidence of cardiac toxicity and leukocytopenia o f grade 3 or 4 was more frequently occurred in CAP group than CTP group. CONCLUSION : CTP regimen has comparable response rates to CAP regimen, with lower incidence of hematolohic and cardiac toxicity.
Cyclophosphamide* ; Cytidine Triphosphate ; Doxorubicin* ; Drug Therapy ; Drug Therapy, Combination* ; Electrocardiography ; Humans ; Incidence ; Leukopenia ; Ovarian Neoplasms*

PURPOSE: This study was to evaluate the efficiency of routine performance of a batch of tests in the clinical staging work-up of cervical carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical records were reviewed for 1,393 consecutive cervical carcinoma patients who underwent pretreatment staging work-up in Seoul National University Hospital from January 1988 to December 1997. The impression stage -which is designated ten tatively by the findings of pelvic examination and biopsy-, the results of staging work-up, and the finally allotted FIGO clinical stage were reviewed. The annual trend of stage distribution and the positive yields of tests were evaluated. RESULTS: Annual trend shows that Ia is increasing. The positive yield of chest x-ray was 0.22% (3/1, 379; Ib: 1, IIa: 1, IIb: 1), intravenous pyelography (IVP) 2.50% (31/1, 242; Ib: 2, IIa: 4, IIb: 17, IIIb: 8), cystoscopy 0.55% (6/1, 093; IIb: 4, IIIb: 2), and proctosigmoidoscopy 0.086% (1/1, 157; Ib: 1). After completing the staging work-up, 29 patients (2.08%) were upstaged. The routine performance of IVP in impression stage Ia and cystoscopy in impression stage IIa or less was considered inefficient. The routine performance of proctosigmoidoscopy was considered inefficient because of its very low yield. CONCLUSION: The selective performance of tests according to the impression stage during staging work-up is recommended to minimize the unnecessary treatment delay, cost, and patients' discomfort.
Cystoscopy ; Gynecological Examination ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Seoul ; Sigmoidoscopy ; Thorax ; Urography ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

Vaginal foreign bodies in children are often associated with intermittent vaginal disch-arge, vaginal bleeding and create a clinical scenario similar to that of certain cases of sex-ual abuse and isolated premature menarche. Intravaginal foreign body of especially long duration can pose a diagnostic dilemma, since a number of diagnostic modalities may fail to detect its existence. A 4-year-old girl who suffered from a bloody, malodorous vaginal discharge visited SNUH. She had had such problems for over a year and had been evaluat-ed by several gynecologists. Preoperative evaluations including ultrasound was performed and pelvis MRI strengthened the suspicion that some foreign bodies could be an etiologic factor. A vaginal inspection performed under general anesthesia with 0degrees endoscope and nasal speculum size no. 43 revealed "pen top of ink pen" lodged in her vaginal mucosa of posterior fornix area. We were allowed to remove a foreign body without trauma of genital tract by nasal forceps. We report a case of intravaginal foreign body in a 4-year-old girl with a brief review.
Anesthesia, General ; Child ; Child, Preschool* ; Endoscopes ; Female* ; Foreign Bodies* ; Humans ; Ink ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Menarche ; Mucous Membrane ; Pelvis ; Surgical Instruments ; Ultrasonography ; Uterine Hemorrhage ; Vagina ; Vaginal Discharge

PURPOSE: Studies conducted on both animal and adult human subjects have demonstrated that a decrease in cerebral blood flow (CBF) causes cerebrocortical dysfunction resulting in an abnormal electroencephalogram (EEG). Although it is assumed that in premature infants with patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), the shunt will decrease CBF and alter the cerebrocortical function thus resulting in an abnormal EEG, this has yet to be firmly established. This comparative study, therefore, measures EEG as effected by CBF before and after PDA closures. Furthermore, in order to observe the effect of PDA on CBF and EEGs, the results were compared against a control group made up of premature infants without PDA. METHOD: All subjects were premature infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of Chungbuk National University Hospital between February and August of 1997, were under gestational age (GA) 36 weeks, and weighed less than 2 kilograms: PDA group (group I consisted of 8 with PDA and respiratory distress syndrom (RDS); group II of 5 with PDA but without RDS) and Control group (group III of 6 without PDA but with RDS; group IV of 12 with neither PDA nor RDS). Studies were performed on the third and seventh day after birth and continued weekly throughout the period of study. Using Acuson 128XP/10c Doppler Echo cardiography, we measured the peak systolic velocity (PVS), the end-diastolic velocity (EDV) and the area under the velocity curve (AUVC) of the anterior cerebral artery (ACA), the blood flow of the left carotid artery and the descending aorta, calculated the LA/Ao ratio and conducted EEG's. RESULTS: 1) Birth weight and gestational age There was a significant difference between group I and group IV. However, when contrasting the two control groups overall, we found no significant variation. 2) In the PDA group, the infants were treated as follows: four infants were performed PDA ligations and seven were administrated indomethacine, resulting in 5 successful closures. Two infants had PDA which closed naturally without any treatment.3) PSV, DV, AUVC in the PDA group before and after closureThe incidence of decreased cerebral blood flow tended to increase after the PDA closure; however, the variation was not significant. In the groupes with RDS, on the other hand, the increase of CBF was significant after treatment, especially in group III.4) Incidence of abnormal EEGsThe preliminary EEG was abnormal for the above infants, with the background EEG appearing as suppressed or sharp and spike wave discharges. There was no significant difference in the results of the two groups and all EEG's were normalized in subsequent examinations. CONCLUSION: The decreased cerebral blood flow in premature infants with PDA increased following closure of the shunt; however, this increase was not significant. In groupes with RDS, the decreased cerebral blood flow significantly increased as the RDS improved, especially in group III. Nonetheless, despite the observed changes in CBF, we were unable to detect a corresponding change in the EEGs of the newborns in this study.
Adult ; Animals ; Anterior Cerebral Artery ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Birth Weight ; Carotid Arteries ; Chungcheongbuk-do ; Ductus Arteriosus, Patent ; Electroencephalography* ; Gestational Age ; Hand ; Humans ; Incidence ; Indomethacin ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature* ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Ligation ; Parturition

The skin lesion of herpes zoster is classically limited to a single dermatome, and most cases of multi-dermatomal herpes zoster have contiguous skin lesions. Noncontigous multi-dermatomal herpes zoster is very rare in both immunocompetent and immunosuppressed persons. The phenomenon of zoster occurring in two non-contiguous dermatomes has been referred to as zoster duplex unilateralis or bilateralis. We report here on a case of herpes zoster duplex bilateralis in a 49-year-old woman who had previously received chemotherapy for breast cancer treatment.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Female ; Herpes Zoster ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Skin

Topical photodynamic therapy (PDT) via topical 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) is potentially useful for the treatment of basal cell carcinoma. However, as a photosensitizer used in PDT, methyl aminolevulinate (MAL) can replace ALA, because MAL has more advantages than ALA. We treated two patients with basal cell carcinoma using MAL-PDT. Topical MAL-PDT may be a safe and effective treatment modality for basal cell carcinoma.
Carcinoma, Basal Cell ; Humans ; Photochemotherapy ; Triazenes

OBJECTIVES: To clarify the clinicopathologic features of borderline malignancy of the ovary and analyze the treatment and survival characteristics through the study of our cases. Study METHODS: 102 patients with borderline tumors of the ovary, aged from 14 to 79 years, treated between 1982 and 1999 at Seoul National University Hospital, were analyzed retrospectively for clinicopathologic features. Most informations about stage, treatment modality and prognosis were obtained by hospital record or contacting patient with telephone. RESULTS: There were 77 patients (75.5%) with stage Ia, 5 stage Ib, 11 stage Ic, 4 with stage II and 5 with stage III by the classification of FIGO. 72 patients (70.6%) were mucinous type and 28 (27.5%) were serous type, 1 endometrioid type, 1 mixed. Total abdominal hysterectomy, bilateral adnexectomy, and omentectomy were performed in 43 (42.2%) patients and fertility saving surgery in 43 patients(cystectomy in 11 patients, USO in 32 patients). Twenty two patients (21.6%) were treated with postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. The median duration of follow up was 54.0 months (1-204 months) and 6 patients developed recurrence after several years from the primary operation. The ten-year eumulative survival rate was 92.2% and the only independent prognostic factors evaluated by Cox analysis in regards to corrected survival were the FIGO stage (p=0.0197). There was no difference in the ten-year survival rate between surgery types - conservative surgery versus full surgical staging. And there was no difference in the 10-year survival rate between treatment groups - surgery only versus surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: FIGO stage is the only independent prognostic factor in the borderline ovarian tumors. There was no difference in the 10-year survival rate of barderline ovarian tumors between surgery alone versus surgery followed by adjuvant chemothearpy. The slow clinical course, low recurrence rate and good prognosis in our patients explained again the reason for therapeutic approach relying on surgery alone.
Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Classification ; Female ; Fertility ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hospital Records ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Mucins ; Ovary* ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Seoul ; Survival Rate ; Telephone

Muir-Torre syndrome (MTS) is an autosomal dominant genodermatosis characterized by at least one rare sebaceous neoplasm occurring in association with at least one internal malignancy. The visceral neoplasms most frequently associated with MTS are colorectal and genitourinary cancer, accounting for approximately 50 and 25% of cases, respectively. MTS rarely occurs in association with head and neck cancers. We report a rare case of MTS involving follicular thyroid carcinoma in an 84-year-old female.
Accounting ; Adenocarcinoma, Follicular ; Aged, 80 and over ; Carcinoma ; Female ; Head ; Humans ; Muir-Torre Syndrome ; Neck ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; Urogenital Neoplasms