PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of a Linear accelerator based Photon Knife Radiosurgery System developed by the staff of Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center for the treatment of cerebral arteriovenous malformation. Material and Methods:Between December 1993 and October 2000, 30 patients with cerebral arteriovenous malformation (AVM) were treated with the Linac based Photon Knife Radiosurgery...

PURPOSE: To evaluate the role of fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (FSRT) in the management of benign brain tumors, we reviewed the clinical, and radiographic responses of patients treated. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Between March 1996 and March 2002, 36 patients with benign brain tumors were treated by FSRT. The pathological diagnoses consisted of pituitary adenomas (12 patients), craniopharyngiomas (5 patients), meningiomas (10 patients),...

PURPOSE: Maxillary sinus cancers are usually locally advanced, and involve the structures around sinus, but the regional lymphatic spread is uncommon. Therefore, the local control of these cancers is important for their cure. We reviewed our experience of 55 patients with squamous cell carcinomas of the maxillary sinus, treated with radiation therapy, and looked for the role of radiation therapy...

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of radiotherapy, and the factors affecting survival in patients of extrahepatic bile duct cancer, by analyzing the results of postoperative radiotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between October 1991 and July 2001, 21 patients with extrahepatic bile duct cancer, who received radiotherapy after a radical resection, were retrospectively reviewed. The patients' ages ranged from 39 to 75 years,...

PURPOSE: To analyze the survival period, prognostic factors and complications of patients having undergone high-dose-rate intraluminal brachytherapy (HDR-ILB) as a salvage radiation therapy, while having a catheter, for percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD), inserted due to biliary obstruction caused by a secondary malignant biliary tumor. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A retrospective study was performed on 24 patients having undergone HDR- ILB, with...

PURPOSE: To conduct a nationwide survery on the principles in radiotherapy for rectal cancer, and develop the framework of a database of Korean Patterns of Care Study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A consensus committee was established to develop a tool for measuring the patterns in radiotherapy protocols for rectal cancer. The panel was composed of radiation oncologists from 18 hospitals in Seoul...

PURPOSE: To analyze the gene expression profiles of uterine cervical cancer, and its variation after radiation therapy, with or without concurrent chemotherapy, using a cDNA microarray. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixteen patients, 8 with squamous cell carcinomas of the uterine cervix, who were treated with radiation alone, and the other 8 treated with concurrent chemo-radiation, were included in the study. Before the...

PURPOSE: The matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of enzymes whose main function is the degradation of the extracellular matrix. Several studies have revealed that MMPs and TIMPs are related to the wound healing process and in photoaging caused by ultraviolet irradiation. However, the expressions of MMP and TIMP after irradiation have not, to the best of our knowledge, been...

PURPOSE: This study quantitatively evaluated the apoptosis in human peripheral blood lymphocytes using flow cytometry, and investigated the possibility of using this method, with a small amount of blood, and the time and dose dependence of radiation-induced apoptosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Peripheral blood lymphocytes were isolated from the heparinized venous blood of 11 healthy volunteers, 8 men and 3 women, with...

PURPOSE: To reduce the irradiation dose to the lungs and heart in the case of chest wall irradiation using an oppositional electron beam, we used an individualized custom bolus, which was precisely designed to compensate for the differences in chest wall thickness. The benefits were evaluated by comparing the normal tissue complication probabilities (NTCPs) and dose statistics both with and...

PURPOSE: To explore a 3D conformal radiotherapy technique for a posterior fossa boost, and the potential advantages of a prone position for such radiotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A CT simulator and 3D conformal radiotherapy planning system was used for the posterior fossa boost treatment of a 13-year-old medulloblastoma patient. He was placed in the prone position and immobilized with an aquaplast...

PURPOSE: To develop a patients' setup verification tool (PSVT) to verify the alignment of the machine and the target isocenters, and the reproducibility of patients' setup for three dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) and intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). The utilization of this system is evaluated through phantom and patient case studies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We developed and clinically tested a new method...