PURPOSE: To establish the role of stereotactic radiosurgery using a linear accelerator for the treatment of patients with cavernous angioma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between February 1995 and May 1997, 11 patients with cavernous angioma were treated with stereotactic radiosurgery using a linear accelerator. Diagnoses were based on the magnetic resonance imaging in 8 patients, and the histological in 3. The vascular lesions...

PURPOSE: The effects of hyperfractionation radiation therapy, such as the failure pattern and survival, on the treatment results in advanced stage head and neck cancer were studied. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between September 1990 and October 1998, 24 patients with advanced stage (III, IV) head and neck cancers, were treated using hyperfractionation radiation therapy in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the...

PURPOSE: The goal of this study was to determine the role of postoperative radiation therapy in extrahepatic bile duct cancers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 1997 and 2001, 41 patients with extrahepatic bile duct cancer having undergone surgical resection were retrospectively analyzed. Of the 41 patients, 22 were treated by surgery alone (Group I) with remaining 19 treated by surgery and postoperative...

PURPOSE: To report the early results of preopeartive concurrent radio-chemotherapy (CRCT) for treating rectal cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From June 1999 to April 2002, 40 rectal cancer patients who either had lesions with a questionable resectability or were candidates for sphincter-sacrificing surgery received preoperative CRCT. Thirty-seven patients completed the planned CRCT course. 45 Gy by 1.8 Gy daily fraction over 5 weeks...

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the positional change of the uterus during radiotherapy MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 1997 and 2001, 47 patients received definitive radiotherapy for cervical cancer at the Samsung Medical Center. For each patient, two MRI scans were taken; one before and the other 3~4 weeks after the radiotherapy treatment. In T2 weighted MRI...

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate treatment results in terms of the survival and failure patterns subsequent to radiation therapy in recurrent cervical cancer, following primary surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between January 1990 and December 1999, 27 patients, with recurrent cervical cancer following primary surgery, were subsequently treated with radiation in the Department of Radiation Oncology, at the...

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine if there were prognostic differences between BRCA related and BRCA non-related Korean patients with early-onset breast carcinomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty women who had developed breast cancers before the age of 40, and who were treated at the Soonchunhyang University Hospital, were studied independently of their family histories. The age range was...

PURPOSE: To propose a conceptual design of a novel source for intensity modulated brachytherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The source design incorporates both radioactive and shielding materials (stainless steel or tungsten), to provide an asymmetric dose intensity in the azimuthal direction. The intensity modulated intravascular brachytherapy was performed by combining a series of dwell positions and times, distributed along the azimuthal coordinates....

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether a GafChromic film applied to stereotactic radiosurgery with a linear accelerator could provide information on the value for acceptance testing and quality control on the absolute dose and relative dose measurements and/or calculation of treatment planning system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A spherical acrylic phantom, simulating a patient's head, was constructed from...

PURPOSE: The target volume for the three field technique in breast cancer include the breast tangential and supraclavicular areas. The techniques rotating the gantry and couch angles, to match these two areas, will geometrically produce mismatching of the posterior edge between the medial and lateral tangential beams. This mismatch was confirmed by film dosimetry and three-dimensional computer planning. The correction...