PURPOSE: Oligodendrogliomas (ODG) are a rare, slow growing, tumor in the brain, which can be cured by complete surgical resection, but as yet it is not known if postoperative adjuvant radiation therapy (RT) is essential. We analyzed the treatment results of patients with irradiated ODG to investigate the efficacy of RT in terms of survival rates and other influencing prognostic...

PURPOSE: This study was performed to determine the optimal radiation therapy field for the treatment of malignant astrocytoma and glioblastoma multiforme. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From Jan. 1994 to Mar. 2000, 21 patients with malignant astrocytoma and glioblastoma multiforme, confirmed as recurrent by follow up MRI after surgery and radiation therapy, were analyzed. The distance from the margin of the primary lesion...

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness, survival rate and complications of radiation therapy and chemoradiation treatment in hypopharyngeal cancer. METHODS AND MATERIALS: From January 1984 to December 1999, 56 patients who had hypopharyngeal carcinoma treated with curative radiation therapy were retrospectively studied. Twenty four patients (42.9%) were treated with radiation therapy alone (Group I) and 32 (57.1%)...

PURPOSE: Preoperative radiotherapy has been used to induce tumor regression and allow complete resection of rectal cancer with a sphincter preservation surgery. This study was performed to determine the effectiveness of preoperative radiotherapy for T2, T3 distal rectal carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From November 1995 to June 1997, fifteen patients with invasive distal rectal cancer were treated with preoperative radiotherapy followed...

PURPOSE: To evaluate the role of postoperative chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer, we retrospectively analyzed the treatment results of patients treated by curative surgical resection and postoperative chemoradiotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From April 1989 through December 1998, 119 patients were treated with curative surgery and postoperative chemoradiotherapy for rectal carcinoma in Gyeongsang National University Hospital. Patient age ranged from 32...

PURPOSE: Although high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy regimens have been practiced with a variety of modalities and various degrees of success, few studies on the subject have been conducted. The purpose of this study was to compare the results of local control and late complication rate according to different HDR brachytherapy fractionation regimens in uterine cervical cancer patients. METHODS AND MATERIALS: From November...

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to evaluate the treatment results, prognostic factors, and complication rates after high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy in patients with uterine cervix cancer who were treated with curative aim. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Of 269 cervix cancer patients treated at the department of radiation oncology, Samsung Medical Center from September 1994 to July 1998, the 106 who were...

PURPOSE: It has been recognized that interaction of the Fas : Fas ligand plays an important role in radiation-induced apoptosis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of Fas mutation in radiation-induced apoptosis in vivo. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Mice with mutations in Fas, MRL/Mpj-Fas(lpr), and its normal control, MRL/Mpj, were used in this study. Eight-week old male...

PURPOSE: In order to understand in vivo radiation damage modifying effect of bFGF on jejunal mucosa, bone marrow and the effect of bFGF on the growth of transplanted mouse sarcoma 180 tumor in mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Mice were treated with 6 microgram of bFGF at 24 hours and 4 hours before exposing to 600 cGy, 800 cGy and 1,000 cGy...

PURPOSE: Three-dimensional radiation dosimetry using magnetic resonance imaging of polymer gel was recently introduced. This dosimetry system is based on radiation induced chain polymerization of acrylic monomers in a muscle equivalent gel and provide accurate 3 dimensional dose distribution. We planned this study to evaluate the clinical value of this 3-dimensional dosimetry. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The polymer gel poured into a...

PURPOSE: Measurement of transmission dose is useful for in vivo dosimetry. In this study, the algorithm for estimating the transmission dose for open radiation fields was modified for application to partially blocked radiation fields. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The beam data was measured with a flat solid phantom with various blocked fields. A new correction algorithm for partially blocked radiation field was...

PURPOSE: A PC based brachytherapy planning system was developed to display dose distributions on simulation images by 2D isodose curve including the dose profiles, dose-volume histogram and 3D dose distributions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Brachytherapy dose planning software was developed especially for the Ir-192 source, which had been developed by KAERI as a substitute for the Co-60 source. The dose computation was...