PURPOSE: This study was designed to evaluate the survival rate and prognostic factor of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer who received chemoirradiation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From March 1993 to November 1995, twenty patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer were treated at the Department of Therapeutic Radiology, St Mary's Hospital, Catholic University Medical College. There were 11 men and 9 women. Age at diagnosis ranged from 34 to 75 years. All patient were treated according to a protocol consisting of 40 Gy external radiation by split course concomitant with intravenous 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) 500 mg/m2 given in a bolus injection 4 hours before radiatian on each of the first 3 days of each treatment course. Among them, 5 patients received incomplete radiotherapy. The follow-up period ranged from 1.3 to 29 months. RESULTS: In all the patients, median survival is 5.0 months and one and two-year overall survival rate was 34.3% and 25.8%, respectively. Median survival was 9.0 months and one-year survival rate was 33.3% in 15 patients with complete radiotherapy. The significant prognostic factors were stage, tumor location, and completion of chemoradio- therapy(p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: A combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy resulted in improved median survival. However, the significant prognostic factars affecting survival rate in this analysis need to be verified further through randomized trial.
Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Fluorouracil ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Pancreatic Neoplasms* ; Radiation Oncology ; Radiotherapy ; Survival Rate

PURPOSE: To evaluate the MR findings of optic chiasmatic glioma (OCG). MATERIALS AND METHODS: MR images were reviewed in 14 patients with histologically proven OCGs and one with neurofibromatosis type 1 (male: female=8:7, mean age=8.5 years). Tumors were evaluated retrospectively with respect to their size, involvement of the optic pathway, transverse/vertical diameter ratio based on the coronal plane, signal intensities, enhancement pattern, and the presence of a cyst or calcification. RESULTS: Tumors was measured 1.7-5.5 (mean, 3.3) cm in maximum diameter. In ten patients, the optic tracts were involved, and in three, the optic nerves. In 12 patients, tumors had a transverse/vertical diameter ratio of over one, and showed iso (n=5) or low signal intensity (n= 10) compared with gray matter at T1-weighted imaging and high signal intensity (n=15) at T2-weighted imaging. Cyst formations were seen in eight patients, and tumors were enhanced strongly and homogeneously in nine and peripherally in four. In seven there was associated hydrocephalus, and in one, calcification. CONCLUSION: OCG is a suprasellar tumor which can extend into the optic pathway, has a transverse/vertical diameter ratio of more than one, and shows strong and homogeneous enhancement. These MR imaging findings are useful for the differentiation of OCG from other suprasellar tumors.
Glioma* ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Neurofibromatosis 1 ; Optic Nerve ; Retrospective Studies ; Visual Pathways