PURPOSE: This study is a prospective randomized clinical trial comparing the efficacy and complication of anti-emetic drugs for prevention of nausea and vomiting after radiotherapy which has moderate emetogenic potential. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the anti-emetic efficacy of ondansetron (Zofran(R)) 8 mg bid dose (Group O) is better than the efficacy of metoclopramide 5 mg...

PURPOSE: To evaluate the role of linac based radiosurgery (RS) in the treatment of meningiomas, we retrospectively analyzed the results of clinical and follow up CT/MRI studies. METHODS AND MATERIALS: From the 1988 July to 1998 April, twenty patients of meningioma had been treated with 6 MV linear accelerator based radiosurgery. Of the 20 patients, four (20%) were male and 16...

PURPOSE: To evaluate the role of LINAC-based stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) in the management of meningiomas, we reviewed clinical response, image response, neurological deficits for patients treated at our institution. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Between February 1995 and December 1999, twenty-six patients were treated with SRS. Seven patients had undergone prior resection. Nineteen patients received SRS as the initial treatment. There were 7...

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness and tolerance of postoperative external radiotherapy for patients with intracranial meningiomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The records of thirty three patients with intracranial meningiomas who were treated with postoperative external irradiation at our institution between Feb, 1988 and Nov, 1999 were retrospectively analyzed. Median age of patients at diagnosis was 53 years with range of 17 to...

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...

PURPOSE: To determine the prognostic significance of p53 mutations in advanced supraglottic cancer patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-six patients with pertinent tissue materials among 60 patients diagnosed as advanced supraglottic cancer in Kyung Hee university hospital and received total or partial laryngectomy followed by radiation therapy were enrolled. Immunohistochemical staining using DO7 monoclonal antibody was performed. Tumor specimens were analyzed for...

PURPOSE: To evaluate effect of postoperative radiotherapy on survival and local control for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety two NSCLC patients with N1or N2 involvement who were treated with postoperative radiotherapy following surgery with curative intent from May 1987 to October 1999 were retrospectively analyzed. Age of the patients was ranged from 32 to 78...

PURPOSE: In this study, it was investigated whether dose response relation existed or not in local radiotherapy for primary hepatocellular carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 1992 to March 2000, 158 patients were included in present study. Exclusion criteria included the presence of extrahepatic metastasis, liver cirrhosis of Child's class C, tumors occupying more than two thirds of the entire liver,...

PURPOSE: To evaluate the significance of serum SCC for the monitoring of treatment response and the early detection of distant metastasis during radiotherapy (RT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 13 patients with histologically proven primary squamous cell carcinoma of uterine cervix, serum SCC values were checked in pre-RT point, weekly during RT, and in post-RT point. RESULTS: In 4 of 13 cases, metastasis...

PURPOSE: Acute leukemia with hyperleukocytosis (more than 105/mm3) is at high risk of early sudden death, usually from intracerebral hemorrhage. Emergency cranial irradiation is a relatively simple approach to solve this the problem. We summarized our experience of cranial irradiation in 24 leukemic children who presented with hyperleukocytosis. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Between 1990 and 1998, 40 children with acute leukemia presenting...

PURPOSE: To investigate the regulation of apoptosis and cell cycle in mouse brain irradiation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 8-week old male mice, C57B1/6J were given whole body gamma-radiation with a single dose of 25 Gy using Cobalt 60 irradiator. At different times 1, 2, 4, 8 and 24hr after irradiation, mice were killed and brain tissues were collected. Apoptotic cells were scored...

PURPOSE: The mechanical insights of death of cancer cells by ionizing radiation are not yet clearly defined. Recent evidences have demonstrated that radiation therapy may induce cell death via activation of signaling pathway for apoptosis in target cells. This study is designed whether ionizing radiation may activate the signaling cascades of apoptosis including caspase family cysteine proteases, Bcl2/Bax, cytochrome c...

PURPOSE: The measurement of radiation survival using a clonogenic assay, the established standard, can be difficult and time consuming. In this study, We have used the MTT assay, based on the reduction of a tetrazolium salt to a purple formazan precipitate by living cells, as a substitution for clonogenic assay and have examined the optimal condition for performing this assay...

PURPOSE: Expression of TIMP, intrinsic inhibitor of MMP, is regulated by signal transduction in response to genotoxins and is likely to be an important step in metastasis, angiogenesis and wound healing after ionizing radiation. Therefore, we studied radiation mediated TIMP expression and its mechanism in head and neck cancer cell lines. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Human head and neck cancer cell lines established...

PURPOSE: Changes in the balance between MMP and TIMP can have a profound effect on the composition in the extracellular matrix (ECM) and affect various cellular functions including adhesion, migration, differentiation of cells, and fibrosis and invasion and metastasis of cancer cells. Radiation therapy is a popular treatment modality for benign and malignant tumor, but the study for radiation effect...

PURPOSE: It was reported that Captopril (angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor) had an effect to reduce the pneumonitis and pulmonary fibrosis induced by radiation in rat. We performed this study to investigate the radioprotective effect and mechanism of Captopril. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The comparison was made between the radiation only group and the combined Captopril and radiation group by examining histopathologic findings...

PURPOSE: To find the optimal values of total arc degree to protect the normal brain tissue from high dose radiation in stereotactic radiotherapy planning. METHODS AND MATERIALS: With Xknife-3 planning system & 4 MV linear accelerator, the authors planned under various values of parameters. One isocenter, 12, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 mm of collimator diameters, 100degrees, 200degrees, 300degrees, 400degrees,...