PURPOSE: This study was performed to evaluate survival, failure patterns, and prognositc factors of MMR patients after radiation therapy. We also discussed the need for chemotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was done for 23 patients with MMR who were treated with radiation therapy form June 1985 to November 1992. There were 19 male and 4 female patients. The patients' age ranged from 17 to 71 years(median 39 years). Systemic symptoms including fever, weight loss, or malaise were found in 30% of the patients. He nasal cavity was most frequently involved. No patients had nodal involvement at diagnosis. There were 2 patients with distant metastasis at presentation. Radiation therapy was delivered five times a week, 1.8 Gy daily, total 45~54 Gy(median 50.4 Gy) using 6 MV X-ray. No patients received chemotherapy as initial treatment. RESULTS: Overall 5-year and 10-yar survival rates were 52.4% and 44.1%, respectively. Seventy percent(12/17) of the patients achieved complete response to radiotherapy., and 29.4%(5/17) achieved partial response. The patients with complete response showed a better 5-year survival rate than those with partial response (66.9% vs. 20%, p-0.004). Symptom duration before diagnosis, the presence of systemic symptom, ad the number of primary sites had no influence on survival. The patterns of failure were as flows: local failure(1), failure in adjacent site(1), local and distant failure(1), distant metastasis(2), and conversion to malignant lymphoma(1). W could not find factors associated with the patterns of failure. CONCLUSION: The most important factor associated with survival was the response to radiotherapy. Seventeen percent of the patients had distant metastasis, and the salvage after distant metastasis was not successful. However, about 50% of the patients could achieve long-term survival with local radiation therapy alone. Therefore, chemotherapy of MMR should be done after a prospective randomized study for the factors associated with distant metastasis.
Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Fever ; Humans ; Male ; Nasal Cavity ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Radiotherapy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Weight Loss

PURPOSE: We performed this study to evaluate the prognostic factors and the effect of induction chemotherapy in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was done for 130 patients with locally advanced NSCLC treated with curative radiotherapy alone or induction chemo-radiotherapy from January 1986 to October 1996. Eighty-five patients were treated with radiotherapy alone, forty-five with induction chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Age, sex, performance status, histopathologic type, and stage were evenly distributed in both groups. The patients were treated with 6 MV or 10 MV X-ray. Conventional fractionation with daily fraction size 1.8~2.0 Gy was done. Of the patients, 129 patients received total dose above 59.6 Gy (56~66 Gy, median 60 Gy). Induction chemotherapy regimen were CAP (Cyclophosphamide, Adriamycin, Cisplatin) in 6 patients, MVP (Mitomycin, Vinblastine, Cisplatin) in 9 patients, MIC (Mitomycin, Ifosfamide Cisplatin) in 13 patients, and EP (Etoposide, Cisplatin) in 17 patients. Chemotherapy was done in 2~5 cycles (median 2). RESULTS: Overall 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival rate (YSR) for all patients were 41.5%, 13.7%, and 7%, respectively (median survival time 11 months). According to treatment modality, median survival time, overall 1-, 2-, and 3-YSR were 9 months, 32.9%, 10.5%, 6% for radiotherapy alone group, and 14 months, 57.8%, 20%, 7.6% for induction chemotherapy group, respectively (p=0.0005). Complete response (CR) to overall treatments was 25% (21/84) in radiotherapy alone and 40.5% (17/42) in induction chemotherapy group (p=0.09). The prognostic factors affecting overall survival were hemoglobin level (p=0.04), NSE (neuron-specific enolase) level (p=0.004), and response to overall treatment(p= 0.004). According to treatment modalities, NSE (neuron-specific enolase) (p=0.006) and response to overall treatment (p=0.003) were associated with overall survival in radiotherapy alone group, and response to overall treatment (p=0.007) in induction chemotherapy group. The failure pattern analysis revealed no significant difference between treatment modalities. But, in patients with CR to overall treatment, distant metastasis were found in 11/19 patients with radiotherapy alone, and 3/13 patients with induction chemotherapy and radiotherapy (p=0.07). Locoregional failure patterns were not different between two groups (10/19 vs 6/13). CONCLUSION: Induction chemotherapy and radiotherapy achieved increased 2YSR compared to radio therapy alone. At least in CR patients, there was decreased tendency in distant metastasis with induction chemotherapy. But, locoregional failures and long-term survival were not improved. Thus, there is need of more effort to increasing local control and further decreasing distant metastasis.
Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung* ; Doxorubicin ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Ifosfamide ; Induction Chemotherapy* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Radiotherapy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Vinblastine

This is a retrospective study of 62 patients with unresected squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus treated by radiotherapy alone (25 patients) or combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy (37 patients). Of these, 14 of 25 patients treated by radiation therapy alone and 25 of 37 patients treated by combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy completed radiotherapy consisting of 55 to 60 Gy in 5 to 6 weeks and were analyzed for local control rate and survival rate. Follow up ranged from 6 days to 58 months. Three (8%) of 39 patients had a complete response, twenty-eight(72%) a partial reponse and eight(20%) minimal or no resonse. Overall median survival was 11 months for all stages. The 1 year and 2 year actuarial survival rates were 48.6% and 13% respectively. Age and stage had prognostic significances (p<0.05, p<0.05 respectively). The 1 year survival rate was 70.1% for stage I, 47.6% for stage II, and 28.4% for stage III. The median survival was 19 months for stage I, 11 months for stage II, 6 months for stage III, and 5.5 months for stage III with distant metastases. The 1 year survival rate of patients 55 years and above was 69.6%, 54 years and below was 0%. There was no significant difference in survival rate between treatment modalities, locations of tumor, and responses of tumor.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Drug Therapy* ; Esophageal Neoplasms* ; Esophagus ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Radiotherapy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

PURPOSE: This study was to evaluate survival, failure patterns, and prognostic factors of patients with metastatic neck nodes from an unknown primary site. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was done for 35 patients with metastatic neck nodes from an unknown primary site who were treated with radiation from January 1986 to September 1994. There were 26 male and 9 female patients. Patients' age ranged from 41 to 74 years (median 58 years). Stage distribution showed 1 patient with N1, 27 with N2, and 7 with N3. Amomg these patients, 7 with a supraclavicular lymph node alone were included. The histologic type was squamous cell carcinoma in 22 patients, undifferentiated carcinoma in 6, adenocarcinoma in 4. We could not classify a histologic type in 3 patients. Radiation therapy alone was done in 7 patients, induction chemotherapy and radiation therapy in 10, and postoperative radiation therapy in 18. Radiation therapy fields included both neck and pharyngeal axis, and total dose was 40-95.6Gy (median 60Gy) using 6MV X-ray. Chemotherapy consisted of 2 cycles of 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin. Surgical methods were a radical neck dissection in 17 patients and an excisional biopsy in 1 patient. Follow-up time ranged from 2 to 95 months, median 15 months. RESULTS: Overall and disease-free survival rate at 4 years were 33.4% and 33.9%, respectively. The factors associated with the overall survival rate were histologic type(adenocarcinoma vs. non-adenocarcinoma, p=0.0005), N stage(p=0.023), and the site of involved nodes(p=0.021). According to the treatment modality, 2-year survival rate was 14.3% in radiation therapy alone group, 35.8% in induction chemotherapy and radiation thrapy, and 37.5% in postoperative radiation therapy(Fig. 4, p=0.05), which might be due to the difference of N stage distribution. The failure patterns were analyzed in 25 patients with a complete response to the treatment. Local failure wasnoted in 7 patients, distant metastases in 6, local failure and distantmetastases in 1. Excluding the 7 patients with supraclavicular lymph node metastaes alone, 28%(7/25) of the patients had distant metastases. During the follow-up period, 11%(3/35) of the patients showed a delayed primary site, 1 in oral cavity, 1 in nasopharynx, and 1 in hypopharynx. CONCLUSION: N stage, the site of involved node, and histologic type were associated with survival rate. In patients with advanced N stage, curative rather than inductive chemotherapy is needed because combined surgery and radiation therapy achieved poor results and considerable patients developed distant metastases.
Adenocarcinoma ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Biopsy ; Carcinoma ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Cisplatin ; Disease-Free Survival ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Fluorouracil ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hypopharynx ; Induction Chemotherapy ; Lymph Nodes ; Male ; Mouth ; Nasopharynx ; Neck Dissection ; Neck* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Radiotherapy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

PURPOSE: We performed a retrospective analysis to compare short term results of induction chemotherapy-radiotherapy versus concurrent chemo-radiotherapy in patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From Oct. 1989 to May 1998, 62 patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma were treated with induction chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy (induction group) or concurrent chemo-radiotherapy (concurrent group). Induction chemotherapy was done for 50 patients, and concurrent chemotherapy for 12 patients. Age, sex, performance status, and pathologic types were evenly distributed between two groups. Stage distribution showed 32% with IIB, 30% with III, and 38% with IV in induction group, and 50%, 33.3%, and 16.7% in concurrent group, respectively. Chemotherapy regimen was CF (cisplatin and 5-FU) in both groups, and drug delivery method also same. Cisplatin 100 mg/m2 was intravenously infused on day 1, and 5-FU 1,000 mg/m2 on day 2~6. This was repeated at 3 weeks interval. At the end of radiotherapy, total cycles of chemotherapy were 1~3 (median 2) in both groups. Conventionally fractionated radiotherapy with daily fraction size 1.8~2.0 Gy and 5 fractions/week was done. Total dose was 69.4~86 Gy(median 73.4 Gy) for induction group, and 69.4~75.4 Gy (median 70.8 Gy) for concurrent group. Follow-up time was 9~116 months (median 40.5 months) for induction group, 14~29 months (median 21 months) for concurrent group, respectively. RESULTS: Overall 2 year survival rate (2YSR) for all patients was 78.7%. According to treatment modality, 2YSR were 77% for induction group, 87% for concurrent group (p>0.05). 2 year disease-free survival rate were 56% and 81% (p>0.05), respectively. Complete response to treatment were 75.5% for induction group and 91.7% for concurrent group, but there was no statistical difference. The incidence of grade 3~4 hematologic toxicity during radiotherapy was not differ between two groups, but grade 2 leukopenia was more frequent in concurrent group (18% vs 66.7%). Grade 3~4 mucositis was more frequent in concurrent group (4.0% vs 33.3%). Overall incidence of grade 3~4 acute toxicity during radiotherapy was more frequent in concurrent group (6.0% vs 41.7%, p=0.005). CONCLUSION: Concurrent chemo-radiotherapy showed a trend of improvement in short-term survival and in treatment response when compared with induction chemotherapy-radiotherapy in locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma. More controlled randomized trial are needed.
Cisplatin ; Disease-Free Survival ; Drug Therapy ; Fluorouracil ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Induction Chemotherapy ; Leukopenia ; Mucositis ; Radiotherapy ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

Rhabdomyolysis has been reported as a cause of acute renal failure (ARF), and it can arise from traumatic and variable non-traumatic events. Rhabdomyolysis-induced ARF is very rare in children. We experienced a case of rhabdomyolysis-induced ARF in a 14-year-old boy who presented with generalized edema and oliguria following trauma, a compressed thigh by a cultivator. Laboratory tests showed marked elevation of muscle enzymes (aspatate aminotransferase, creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase), increased serum and urine myoglobin, and other laboratory abnormalities showing ARF. Ten days after continuous arteriovenous hemofiltration using catheterization of the femoral artery and vein, the daily urine output gradually increased and he recoverd. We report this case with brief review of literature.
Acute Kidney Injury* ; Adolescent ; Catheterization ; Catheters ; Child* ; Creatine Kinase ; Edema ; Femoral Artery ; Hemofiltration ; Humans ; Lactic Acid ; Male ; Myoglobin ; Oliguria ; Rhabdomyolysis ; Thigh ; Veins

This study was designed to evaluate radiosurgery technique using multiple noncoplanar arc therapy with intensity modulated fine MLC shaped photon beam. The stereotactic radiosurgery was performed with 6-MV X-ray beams from a Clinac 21EX LINAC (Varian, Palo Alto, CA, USA) with a MLC-120, which features a full 40 x 40 cm field and is the first MLC for general use that offers 0.5 cm resolution for high precision treatment of small and irregular fields. We used a single isocenter and five gantry-couch combinations with a set of intensity modulated arc therapy. We investigated dosimetric characteristics of 2 cm sized spherical target volume with film (X-OMAT V2 film, Kodak Inc, Rochester NY, USA) dosimetry within 25 x 25 cm acrylic phantom. A simulated single isocentric treatment using inversely planned 3D radiotherapy planning system demonstrated the ability to conform the dose distribution to an spherical target volume. The 80% dose level was adequate to encompass the target volume in frontal, sagittal, and transverse planes, and the region between the 40% and 80% isodose lines was 4.0~4.5 mm and comparable to the dose distribution of the Boston Arcs. We expect that our radiosurgery technique could be a treatment option for irregular-shaped large intracranial target.
Radiosurgery* ; Radiotherapy ; Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated*

In the radiation therapy for breast cancer patients, wedge shaped compensators are essentially used to achieve appropriate dose distribution because of thickness difference according to breast shapes. Tangential irradiation technique has usually been applied to radiation therapy for breast cancer patients treated with breast conservative surgery. When a primary beam is incident on wedge shaped compensators from medial direction in tangential irradiation technique, low energy scattered radiation is generated and gives additional dose to the breast surface. As a method to reduced additional dose to breast surface, the use of virtual wedge shaped compensator is possible. Eclipse radiation treatment planning (RTP) systems installed at our institution have virtual wedge shaped compensator for radiation therapy treatment planning. The dose distributions of 15, 30, 45, 60 degree physical wedges and virtual wedges were measured and compared. Results showed that there was no significant differences in symmetry of 10 x 10 field among various wedge angles. When the transmission factor was compared, transmission factor increased linearly as the wedge angle increased. These results indicates that the application of virtual wedge in clinical use is appropriate.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Humans

Twenty-one patients undergoing aortic valve replacement for pure aoritic regurgitation were studied retrospectively to evaluate the left ventricular function and internal dimension change before, 1-6 weeks(early postoperative) and 2-36 months after(late postoperative) aortic valve replacement by serial echocardiography. Postoperatively, NYHA function class improved remarkably (from 3.3+/-0.6 to 1.4+/-0.7). Early postoperatively, left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (EDD), left ventricular end-systolic dimension(ESD), left ventricular fractional shortenting(FS) significantly decreased in all patients(7.6+/-1.2cm vs 5.8+/-1.5cm P<0.001, 5.5+/-1.3cm vs 4.7+/-1.3cm P<0.001, 39+/-12% vs20+/-8% P<0.001 respectively). Interventricular septum thickness(IVS) and posterior wall thickness (PW) were slightly thickened before(1.4+/-0.3cm, 1.3+/-0.3cm respectively) and in the early postoperative period (1.3+/-0.4cm, 1.3+/-0.3cm respectively) without significant interval change. Late postoperatively, EDD and ESD decreased significantly (7.8+/-1.2cm vs 5.1+/-0.8cm P<0.01, 5.1+/-1.1cm vs 3.4+/-0.8cm P<0.001. respectively), and FS increased significantly (25+/-9% vs 34+/-9%, P<0.05). Among 3 patients of so called high risk group mentioned by Henry(22,33), ESD and FS improved to normal range in 2 patients, and ESD decreased to 4.4cm and FS increased to 33% in the other one. EDD and ESD decreased significantly in both group I(preoperative ESD<5.5cm) and group II(preoperative ESD<5.5cm), without no decrement difference between two groups, and there was a significant difference of FS decrement between group I and group II at early postoperative period. Preoperative ESD correlated highly with the early postoperative EDD(r=0.89) and ESD(r=0.87) with statistical significance, and moderately high with late postoperative EDD(r=0.45), ESD(r=0.50) and FS(r=0.42) without statistical signiticance. We concluded that there was significant improvement in left ventricular function in pure aortic regurgitation patients postoperatively. Preoperative left ventricular and systolic dimension above 5.5cm and fractional shortenting below 25% are not so reliabel index of poor postoperative prognosis.
Aortic Valve Insufficiency* ; Aortic Valve* ; Echocardiography* ; Humans ; Postoperative Period ; Prognosis ; Reference Values ; Retrospective Studies ; Ventricular Function, Left

In order to determine the value of induction chemotherapy (CT) for inoperable head and neck cancer, the authors conducted a retrospective study. Fifty-five patients were treated with CT and radiotherapy(RT)(CT + RT group). This group was compared with a group of 54 patients treated RT alone (RT alone group). The CT regimen used were CF (cis-platine + 5-FU), CVB(cyclophos-phamide + vincristine + bleomycin), CAP (cyclophosphamide + adriamycin + prednisolone) or PVBM(cis-platine + vincristine + bleomycin + methotrexate). Toxicity from induction chemotherapy was minimal, and toxicity was limited primarily to nausea and vomiting, mucositis and myelosuppression. The complete response (CR) rate to CT was 14.5% and the partial response (PR) rate was 47.3% for an overall major response rate of 61.8%. The major response rate at the completion of loco-regional therapy was 87.3% (48/55) with 32 CR (58.2%) and 16 PR (29.1%) for CT-RT group and 81.5% (44/55) with 27 CR(50.0%) and 17 PR (31.5%) for RT alone group (p=0.57). Median follow-up of CT-RT group was 17 months and 11 months for RT alone group. Median survival was 36 months for CT-RT group and 24 monts for RT alone group (p=0.3). The overall survival rate at 2 years, 3years and 5 years, respectively was 60.9%, 48.6% and 42.5% for CT-RT guoup, and 54.9%, 49.9% for RT alone group (p=0.33). Comparision between patients in both groups, stratified by overall stage, T and N stage, site, and pathology, all failed to show any significant difference in survival rates. We conclude that this retrospective study failed to demonstrate an advantage for induction chemotherapy in inoperable head and neck cancer.
Bleomycin ; Doxorubicin ; Follow-Up Studies ; Head and Neck Neoplasms* ; Head* ; Humans ; Induction Chemotherapy ; Mucositis ; Nausea ; Pathology ; Radiotherapy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Vincristine ; Vomiting