No abstract available.
Positron-Emission Tomography and Computed Tomography*

No abstract available.
Positron-Emission Tomography and Computed Tomography*

For the distant metastasis of differentiated thyroid cancers, such as papillary thyroid carcinoma, follicular thyroid carcinoma, and Hurthle cell carcinoma, radioiodine therapy is one of the standard treatment methods after total thyroidectomy. Radioiodine is accumulated in thyroid cells and thyroid cancer cells through sodium iodide symporter which is located in the membrane of cells. This molecular target specific therapy renders a better prognosis and less adverse effects. Radioiodine 131I emits gamma ray for imaging and beta ray for treatment at the same time, we can monitor patients' specific distribution of radioiodine, which let us know unexpected metastasis lesions or differentiated status of thyroid cancer cells. In this article, I reviewed practical points of view about radioiodine therapy for distant metastasis of thyroid cancers such as methods for administration of radioiodine, patients' preparation before radioiodine treatment, follow up of patients, adverse effects, and radiation safety issues.
Adenocarcinoma, Follicular ; Beta Particles ; Carcinoma ; Enzyme Multiplied Immunoassay Technique ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gamma Rays ; Humans ; Ion Transport ; Linear Energy Transfer ; Membranes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Organothiophosphorus Compounds ; Prognosis ; Sodium Iodide ; Symporters ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; Thyroidectomy

Somatostatin receptors (SSTR) are overexpressed in various tumors including neuroendocrine tumors. In-111 Octreoscan or Ga-68 DOTATOC positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) showed these SSTR expressing tumors in whole body of patients. Ga-68 DOTATOC PET/CT has a better sensitivity and resolution than In-111 Octreoscan with single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)/CT.. The indications of Ga-68 DOTATOC PET/CT are 1) staging: detect sites of primary and metastasis, 2) re-staging: follow-up of patients with known disease to detect residual, recurrent or progressive disease, 3) prognosis & management decisions: determine SSTR status & select patients with SSTR radionuclide therapy, and 4) monitor the response to therapy. Nuclear medicine treatments for neuroendocrine tumors with radioisotope labeling on the somatostatin receptor targeting peptide (peptide receptor radionuclide therapy, PRRT) were conducted in Europe, Australia, and other countries for over 20 years. Eligible patients to be effective to PRRT using Lu-177 DOTATATE can be pre-screened by confirming the expression of somatostatin receptor on tumors using Octreoscan or Ga-68 DOTATOC PET/CT prior to treatment. This pair of molecular targeted treatment and companion diagnostics, so called molecular theranostics makes PRRT a good example for a precision medicine. A multinational clinical trial with the Lu-177 DOTATATE treatment (Lutathera) showed a significant progression free survival over the control group and Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in Korea approved Lutathera. Some doctors are treating patients who are refractory to Lu-177 using Ac-225, an alpha-emitter therapy in Germany and India. The high therapeutic effect of the alpha emitting radionuclides will lead the future of nuclear medicine therapy.

PURPOSE: F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) has been proven to be useful in the differential diagnosis of breast mass and staging of breast cancer. This study assessed the diagnostic accuracy of F-18-FDG PET in the differentiation of breast mass and staging of breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Total 42 patients who had breast mass underwent F-18-FDG PET (all female, 40+/-10 year old). We compared F-18 FDG PET results with pathologic findings in 24 patients RESULTS: In the differentiation of breast mass, sensitivity and specificity were 95% (19/20) and 77% (7/9) respectively. Three false positive cases were due to inflammation and one false negative patient had small tumor less than 1 cm. In the assessment of axillary lymph node status, sensitivity and specificity were 73% (8/11) and 100% (7/7) respectively. We found distant metastasis that were not suspected before F-18-FDG PET in 2 patients. CONCLUSION: F-18-FDG PET shows good diagnostic performance in differentiation of breast mass and staging of breast cancer.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Diagnosis, Differential* ; Female ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Sensitivity and Specificity

International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), an independent international organization established in 1925, develops, maintains, and elaborates radiological protection standards, legislation, and guidelines. United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) provides scientific evidence. World Health Organization (WHO) and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) utilise the ICRP recommendations to implement radiation protection in practice. Finally, radiation protection agencies in each country adopt the policies, and adapt them to each situation. In Korea, Nuclear Safety and Security Commission is the governmental body for nuclear safety regulation and Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety is a public organization for technical support and R&D in nuclear safety and radiation protection.
History, 20th Century ; Humans ; International Agencies/*organization & administration ; Radiation Injuries/etiology/prevention & control ; Radiation Protection/history/*legislation & jurisprudence ; Radiation, Ionizing

Recent advances in immune modulation have made impressive progress in cancer immunotherapy. Because dynamic nature of the immune response often makes it difficult to evaluate therapeutic outcomes, innovative imaging technologies have been developed to enable non-invasive visualization of immune cells and tumors in their microenvironment. This review summarizes the current tumor immunology and describes new innovative imaging methods with great potential to obtain non-invasive real-time insights into the complex functions of the immune system and into the management of cancer immunotherapy.

PURPOSE: We investigated the feasibility and clinical applicability of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in patients with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, tumor size > 2 cm, and privious excisional biopsy. METHODS: 175 patients with 176 breast cancer underwent aLNB between October 2001 and October 2002. Among them twenty-five patients with locally advanced breast cancer underwent SLNB after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Eighty-nine (50.6%) had primary tumor > 2 cm. The recent biopsy method used before SLNB was excision in thirty-one (17.6%) procedures. The identification rate, false-negative rate, negative prediction value and accuracy of SLNB were determined. RESULTS: SLNB was successful in 164 of 176 cases (detection rate, 93.2%). The identification rate of patients who had neoadjuvant chemotherapy was 68% and lower than that of who had not (97.3%), significantly (P=0.00). However, mapping success was not influenced by large tumor size (> 2 cm) or previous excisional biopsy. The false-negative rate and accuracy were 16.5% and 91.5, respectively. The false negative rate was 21.3% (3/14) in those patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy compared with a 15.5% in those patents not received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (P> 0.05). In addition, Tumor size > 2 cm and previous excision did not adversely impact the false negative rate and accuracy. CONCLUSION: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy was associated with a lower identification rate for SLNB. But if detected, SLNB after neoadjuvant chemotherapy might reliably predict axillary status. SLNB is feasible and accurate in patients with large tumor (> 2 cm) and previous excision.
Biopsy ; Breast Neoplasms ; Drug Therapy* ; Humans ; Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy*

This study investigated the utilization of clinical information on cancer to establish a basic paln for construction of systematic and efficient Cancer Clinical Information System (CCIS) in Korea. A mail survey was conducted among 141 clinical oncologists from 10 hospitals. Their utilization of the information system, capabilities in managing the information, and opinions on establishing a nationalized CCIS were surveyed and analyzed. By descriptive statistical methods, a Chi-square test, a Kruskal-Wallis test, a t-test and ANOVA. The most popular way to obtain the clinical information on cancer was through paper charts. All the respondents stated that the cancer clinical information procured from the current information system was insufficient due to the lack of standardized clinical information, the absence of coded data and applicable information, and the inefficiency of the information system. Over 90% of respondents indicated the need to develop a well organized and specifically planned CCIS. Information on diagnosis, surgery and pathology were three most useful and accessible item in clinical research on cancer. Information on side effects of cancer treatment and survival rates of cancer patient were necessary, but not available in the current CCIS. In conclusion, the existing information system has not been used effectively in extracting the requested information on clinical oncology. In order to develop a database, a higher priority should be placed on standardizing and continuously updating the contents, diversifying the search subjects and improving the security of the database system. The government needs to get involved in planning this CCIS to connect all the health care facilities across the country. Moreover, there must be some administrative support for the construction of a CCIS in order to achieve some technical advancement in hardware and software development and to regulate the clinical information.
Surveys and Questionnaires ; Delivery of Health Care ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Information Systems* ; Korea* ; Medical Oncology ; Pathology ; Postal Service ; Survival Rate

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical feasibility of FDG-PET scan in selection of patients with pelvic recurrence of cervical cancer for surgical treatment. METHODS: From Jun. 2001 to Oct. 2002, whole body FDG-PET scan findings were compared with findings of CT, MRI, and pathologic reports in 24 patients with pelvic recurrence of cervical cancer. PET scan was obtained with a GE Advance PET scanner, beginning at 60 minutes after injection of 370-555 MBq (10- 15 mCi) of 18F FDG. Regional scan was also obtained if needed. Uptake exceeding 2.5 SUV was determined as a positive finding. RESULTS: Among these 24 patients, 10 patients had metastatic lesions at pelvic lymphnodes (4), para- aortic lymphnodes (3), mediastinal lympnnodes (1), lung (4), and bone (1). Among 14 patients with no metastasis, 10 patients underwent surgical treatment but the operations were abandoned in 2 patients due to lymphnodes metastasis and pelvic peritoneal spreads that confused as normal FDG uptake of the intestines pre- operatively. Among 8 patients whom the operation was completed, 3 patients received pelvic exenteration, 2 patients received CORT, and 3 patients received LEER. CONCLUSION: FDG-PET is clinically feasible in selection of patients with pelvic recurrence of cervical cancer for surgical treatment.
Humans ; Intestines ; Lung ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Pelvic Exenteration ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Recurrence* ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*