c-erbB-2 oncogene is a normal cellular proto-oncogene coding transmembrane glycoprotein structurally similar to the epidermal growth factor receptor. Amplification of this oncogene in a variety of human adenocarcinomas has been reported and is particularly well documented in breast carcinoma. It has been suggested that amplification of this oncogene is indicative of poor prognosis and is valuable only second to the lymph node status. Using immunohistochemical staining for the c-erbB-2 protein, overexpression of this protein was analysed in 228 primary breast cancer specimens and the frequency of overexpression and the relationship between overexpression and the other established prognostic variables are evaluated. Ninty three cases out of 228 cases(40.8%) show postive oncoprotein overexpression and using the chi-squared test for a trend, a significant correlation was found between c-erbB-2 protein staining and the histological grade, lymph node status, and estrogen receptor status(P<0.05). No significant association was found between staining and the patient's age and tumor size. Most of the tumors with histological types known to have good prognosis showed negative expression. Above findings strongly suggest that expression of c-erbB-2 oncogene is another independent indicator of poor prognosis in breast carcinoma.
Humans ; Adenocarcinoma ; Breast Neoplasms

Squamous cell carcinoma of the bulbar conjunctiva is a rare disease and usually arise at the limbus and spread to the cornea and adjacent bulbar conjunctiva. The authers experienced two cases of squamous cell carcinoma of the bulbar conjunctiva. In the first case, a 30-year old male visited our hospital in February, 1969 with a congested granulomatous hypertrophy in the nasal side of the bulbar conjunctiva(OD) which had showed progressive enlargement of 3 months duration. An excisional biopsy was carried out and histopathological examination revealed bulbar squamous cell carcinoma. In second case, a 51-year old female visited our hospital in January, 1977 with recurrent mild conjunctival injection and a small whitish elevated mass in the temporal side of the bulbar conjunctiva(OD) which had showed progressive enlargement of 7 months duration. The elevated mass was resected and histopathological examination revealed bulbar squamous cell carcinoma. We had a study of the histopathological finding for two cases of squamous cell carcinoma of the bulbar conjunctiva with a brief review of relating literatures.
Adult ; Biopsy ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Conjunctiva* ; Cornea ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertrophy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Rare Diseases

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate treatment results, toxicity and efficacy of hyperfractionated radiation therapy combined with paclitaxel for paraaortic node recurrence in cervix cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between September 1997 to March 1999, 12 patients with paraaortic node recurrence in cervix cancer who previously received radical or postoperative radiotherapy were treated with hyperfractionated radiation therapy combined with paclitaxel. Of these, 2 patients who irradiated less than 30 Gy were excluded, 10 patients were eligible for this study. Median age was 5 1 years. Initial FlGO stage was 1 stage IB1, 2 stage IIA, 7 stage IIB. For initial treatment, 7 patients received radical radiotherapy and 3 received postoperative radiotherapy. The paraaortic field encompassed the gross recur rent disease with superior margin at T 12, and inferior margin was between L5 and S 1 with gap for previously pelvic radiation field. The radiation field was initially anterior and posterior opposed field followed by both lateral field. The daily dose was 1.2 Gy, twice daily fractions, and total radiotherapy dose was between 50.4 and 60 Gy(median, 58.8 Gy). Concurrent chemotherapy was done with paclitaxel as a radiosensitizer. Dose range was from 20 mg/m to 30 mg/m (median, 25 mg/m'), and cycle of chemotherapy was from 3 to 6 (median, 4.5 cycle). Follow-up period ranged from 3 to 21 months. RESULTS: Interval between initial diagnosis and paraaortic node recurrence was range from 2 to 63 months (median, 8 months). The 1 year overall survival rate and median survival were 75% and 9.5 months, respectively. The 1 year disease free survival rate and median disease free survival were 30% and 3 7 months, respectively. At 1 month after treatment, 4 (40%) achieved a complete response and 6 (63%) experienced a partial response and all patients showed response above the partial response. There was distant metastasis in 6 patients and pelvic node recurrence in 2 patients after paraaortic node irradialion. There was 2 patients with grade 3 to 4 leukopenia and 8 patients with grade 1 to 2 nausea/ vom ting which was usually tolerable with antiemetic drug. There was no chronic complication in abdomen and pelvis during follow up period. CONCLUSION: Hyperfractionated radiation therapy combined with paclitaxel as a radiosensitizer showed high response rate and few complication rate in paraaortic node recurrence in cervix cancer. Therefore, present results suggest that hyperfractionated radiation therapy combined with paclitaxel chemotherapy can be used as optimal treatment modality in this patients.
Abdomen ; Cervix Uteri* ; Diagnosis ; Disease-Free Survival ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Leukopenia ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Paclitaxel* ; Pelvis ; Radiotherapy ; Recurrence* ; Survival Rate ; Tolnaftate ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The status of tumor suppression gene can be assessed indirectly by analyzing the loss of heterozygosity. Hepatoblastoma is a malignant liver tumor in childhood. To find the molecular carcinogenetic mechanism of hepatoblastoma, loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of p73, APC and p53 was studied. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Hepatoblastoma tissues from thirty-three cases were collected by lobectomy or tumorectomy. On H- stained sections, normal and tumor cells were microdissected separately and LOH analysis was perfomed using 8 markers: six of p73, one of APC and one of p53. RESULTS: Number of cases showing at least one LOH in six p73 markers was four out of twenty- six (15.4%): each LOH frequencies in D1S160, D1S170, D1S199, D1S228, D1S243 and D1S253 were in order of 7.7%, 0%, 9.1%, 0%, 12.5% and 0%. LOH frequency of APC was 41.7% and that of p53 was 13.3%. CONCLUSION: Low LOH frequency of p73 related markers indicates that p73 gene may not be implicated in carcinogenesis of hepatoblastoma.
Carcinogenesis ; Hepatoblastoma* ; Liver ; Loss of Heterozygosity*

No abstract available.
Cervix Uteri* ; Extracellular Fluid* ; Female ; Humans

Diagnostic imaging plays an important role in accurate staging, restaging, and treatment monitoring, and is essential in both planning adequate treatment and minimizing treatment-related toxicity and functional impairment in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). MRI and CT remains the primary imaging modalities for the assessment of HNSCC, but F-18 FDG PET/CT had emerged as a vital adjunct when used in the appropriate clinical setting, such as: delineation of extent of regional lymph node involvement, detection of distant metastasis, identification of an unknown primary tumor, detection of an occasional synchronous primary tumor, monitoring of the treatment response, and long-term surveillance for recurrence and metastases. In this manuscript, clinical application of F-18 FDG PET/CT on HNSCC in initial staging, radiotherapy planning, carcinoma of unknown primary of squamous cell origin, evaluation of response to radiation and/or chemoradiation therapy, and prediction of prognosis will be discussed and other promising PET radiotracers will be introduced.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Diagnostic Imaging ; Head* ; Lymph Nodes ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neck* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasms, Unknown Primary ; Positron-Emission Tomography and Computed Tomography* ; Prognosis ; Radiotherapy ; Recurrence

The authors experienced a case of retinoblastoma which occured in left eye of a 8 month old Korean male. We had a study of the ultrasonographic finding for a case of retinoblastoma with a brief review of relating literatures.
Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Retinoblastoma* ; Ultrasonography*

The authors have experienced two cases of meibomian gland carcinoma. The first case was a 65-year-old female who was diagnosed as having chalazion and undergone curettage for twice. The second case was a 70-year old female who believed to be a ruptured chalazion. We had a study of the histopathological finding for two cases of meibomian gland carcinoma of the upper lid with a brief review of relating literature.
Aged ; Chalazion ; Curettage ; Female ; Humans ; Meibomian Glands*

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to estimate the economical impacts of surgical site infection (SSI) after general surgeries. METHODS: A prospective study was performed with the surgeries from September to December, 2002 and the SSI cases were collected based on the definitions of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, The length of stay (LOS) and the hospital charge for the SSI group were compared with the non-SSI (NSSI) group by a matched cohort study for age, sex, operation procedure, and NNIS risk groups. RESULTS: There were 1,007 cases of surgeries and the 52 cases of SSI and the 26 cases have been matched. The LOS of the SSI group was 5.2 days longer than that of the NSSI group (P<0.05) which was significant, The injection and dressing meal, and total hospital charge were \157,562, \72,251, and \2,153,964 more in SSI group than those of NSSI group (P<0,05) for post-operation stay. The charge of medication and room in SSI group were \558,146 and \723,114 more than those of the NSSI group, but there were no significant difference. CONCLUSION: The SSI could increase the LOS and the hospital charge; therefore, this economic loss had an impact on the hospitals as well as the patients. To estimate the economic impacts of SSI precisely, however, further studies are needed to analyze and control other factors for the cost such as a type of surgery. In addition, the scope and setting of cost analysis should be expanded into the aspects of an individual, the hospital, and society.
Bandages ; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.) ; Cohort Studies ; Costs and Cost Analysis ; Hospital Charges ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Meals ; Prospective Studies

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Hepatic fibrosis in rat induced by thioacet amide shares similar morphological and biochemical characteristics with human liver cirrhosis. Thioacetamide (T AA) initially induces accumulation of collagen in Disse space and eventually leads to macro- and micronodular cirrhos is. Ito cell was believed to play a main role in hepatic fibrosis. And it s activity was known to be regulated by the expression of various genes. But little has been discovered about the upstream signal trans duction pathway of these genes in hepatic fibrosis. The expression of genesrelated to Ito cell activity was regulated by many transcription factors , the activity of which was regulated by protein kinase C( PKC) is oforms. So it is s upposed that PKC could be as s ociated with fibrosis in liver. METHODS: We investigated the correlation of PKC is oforms and It ocell activity in the course of hepatic fibrosis using TAA induced rat liver cirrhosis model. We used six week- old male rats , and administered 0.03% TAA in drinking water. The animals were sacrificed at 9, 20, and 30 weeks after TAA administration. The degree of hepatic fibrosis was evaluated by measuring the total amount of collagen.-SMA immunohist ochemical st aining of liver tissue was done to determine the Ito cell activity. The expression pattern of PKC isoforms was investigated by West ern blotting. RESULTS: In TAA- treated group, collagen cont ent and Ito cell activity did not increase until 30 weeks and 20 weeks of treatment , respectively, while in control group collagen cont ent and Ito cell activity were not detected. Collagen content showed linear correlation with Ito cell activity. This implied that the proliferation of activated Ito cells was prior to the increase of collagen content. In view of expression pattern of PKC is oforms, PKC alpha showed no difference in TAA- treated group and control group. In TAA-treated group, PKCbeta1 exhibited increased level of expression in both particulate and cytosolic forms at 9 weeks, while PKCdelta and PKC epsilon showed striking shift to particulated form. After 20 weeks, all of the PKC beta1, delta, and epsilon degenerated and showed remarkably decreased level of expression. This suggested PKC alpha had no relation to hepatic fibrosis,while PKC beta1, delta, and epsilon, showing activity at 9 weeks, were related to fibrosis og liver. In response to fibrogenic factors, molecules engaged in intracellular signal transduction pathway like PKC beta1, delta, and epsilon, began to change prior to the increase of Ito cell activity, morphologic changes and alterations of collagen content. CONCLUSION: Our results strongly suggest that the activity of PKC isoforms play an important role in early step of hepatic fibrosis, while accompanying Ito cell activity do in later step.
Animals ; Collagen ; Cytosol ; Drinking Water ; Fibrosis ; Hepatic Stellate Cells ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis* ; Liver* ; Male ; Protein Isoforms ; Protein Kinase C-epsilon ; Protein Kinases ; Rats ; Signal Transduction ; Strikes, Employee ; Thioacetamide ; Transcription Factors