Publications by authors named "Su SSan Kim"

Purpose: Given the aggressive nature and poor prognosis of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), adjuvant capecitabine has been the standard therapy for residual disease after preoperative systemic therapy (PST). However, the optimal sequence of postoperative radiation therapy (RT) and capecitabine remains unclear. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of concurrent RT and capecitabine (RT+CAP) versus sequential RT followed by capecitabine (RT→CAP) in patients with residual TNBC after PST.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study focused on treatment results and failure patterns in breast cancer patients classified as cT3N0 who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) followed by surgery.
  • Researchers examined 87 patients from 2000 to 2015, identifying high-risk individuals based on specific clinical factors like age and tumor characteristics.
  • Results showed promising outcomes overall, with low rates of recurrence; however, high-risk patients faced significantly worse outcomes, highlighting the importance of pre-treatment evaluation for predicting survival.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background And Purpose: No established early biomarkers currently exist to predict responses during concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) in patients with unresectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study investigated the potential of gross tumor volume (GTV) and its changes during CCRT as predictors of survival outcomes.

Materials And Methods: We identified 227 patients with unresectable stage III NSCLC who underwent definitive CCRT followed by durvalumab between November 2018 and December 2022.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • This study evaluated the effectiveness of local ablative therapy (LAT) combined with pembrolizumab in patients with synchronous oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), aiming to identify those who would most benefit from this treatment.
  • Out of 258 patients studied, those who underwent LAT along with pembrolizumab experienced significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) compared to those who received pembrolizumab alone.
  • The research also developed a model to categorize patients into risk groups, finding that LAT specifically benefited low- and intermediate-risk patients, while having less impact on high-risk patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: We developed a deep learning model for distinguishing radiation therapy (RT)-related changes and tumour recurrence in patients with lung cancer who underwent RT, and evaluated its performance.

Methods: We retrospectively recruited 308 patients with lung cancer with RT-related changes observed on F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography (F-FDG PET/CT) performed after RT. Patients were labelled as positive or negative for tumour recurrence through histologic diagnosis or clinical follow-up after F-FDG PET/CT.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • This study investigated the effects of adding durvalumab, an immunotherapy drug, to treatment in patients with unresectable locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC) who had already received concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT).
  • Results showed that patients receiving durvalumab after CCRT had significantly improved progression-free survival (20.9 months vs. 13.7 months) and better local control rates (57.3% vs. 38.8%) than those who only received CCRT.
  • The findings indicate that durvalumab is beneficial in extending survival and controlling disease in LA-NSCLC patients, particularly for those expressing the PD-L1 biomarker, thus supporting its inclusion in standard
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: We investigated the proportions of patients eligible for accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) among those with pT1-2N0 breast cancer, based on the criteria set by the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), the Groupe Européen de Curiethérapie and the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (GEC-ESTRO), the American Brachytherapy Society (ABS), and the American Society of Breast Surgeons (ASBS). Additionally, we analyzed the rate of APBI utilization among eligible patients.

Materials And Methods: Patients diagnosed with pT1-2N0 breast cancer in 2019 were accrued in four tertiary medical centers in Korea.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Researchers are studying a new way to treat a type of lung cancer called limited disease small cell lung cancer, using a special kind of radiation therapy that is given once a day.
  • They compared two groups of patients: one group got the standard treatment, and the other group received a stronger dose of radiation.
  • The patients who received the higher dose had better survival rates and control of their cancer, without experiencing more side effects.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: The detection rate of early-stage lung cancer with ground-glass opacity (GGO) has increased, and stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) has been suggested as an alternative to surgery in inoperable patients. However, reports on treatment results are limited. Therefore, we performed a retrospective study to investigate the clinical outcome after SBRT in patients with early-stage lung cancer with GGO-predominant tumor lesions at a single institution.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the incidence and prognosis of second non-breast primary cancer (SNBPC) among Korean survivors of breast cancer.

Materials And Methods: Data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service were searched to identify women who received curative surgery for initial breast cancer (IBC) between 2003 and 2008 (n=64,340). Among them, patients with the following characteristics were excluded: other cancer diagnosis before IBC (n=10,866), radiotherapy before IBC (n=349), absence of data on sex or age (n=371), or male (n=248).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: We evaluated the impact of omitting axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) on oncological outcomes in breast cancer patients with residual nodal disease after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC).

Methods: The medical records of patients who underwent NAC followed by surgical resection and had residual nodal disease were retrospectively reviewed. In total, 1273 patients from 12 institutions were included; all underwent postoperative radiotherapy.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) could be useful for pN1 breast cancer patients who have undergone breast-conserving surgery (BCS) or mastectomy. However, the value of regional nodal irradiation (RNI) for BCS patients, and the indications for post-mastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) for pN1 breast cancer mastectomy patients, have recently been challenged due to the absence of relevant trials in the era of modern systemic therapy. "PORT de-escalation" should be assessed in patients with pN1 breast cancer.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: Whether prior radiotherapy (RT) affects the response of EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) remains elusive.

Methods: Patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC treated with EGFR TKIs who recurred after curative treatment at Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea were included. The progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) from the initiation of EGFR TKI in patients who recurred after definitive RT were analyzed and compared to the outcomes of RT-naïve patients with advanced NSCLC treated with EGFR TKIs from previously reported prospective clinical trial results.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The uncertainties of four-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT), also called as residual motion artefacts (RMA), induced from irregular respiratory patterns can degrade the quality of overall radiotherapy. This study aims to quantify and reduce those uncertainties. A comparative study on quantitative indicators for RMA was performed, and based on this, we proposed a new 4DCT sorting method that is applicable without disrupting the current clinical workflow.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background And Purpose: The European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO) recently defined delineation guidelines for the clinical target volume for postmastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) after immediate implant-based reconstruction for early-stage breast cancer. We analyzed the three-dimensional location and pattern of local recurrence in accordance with the reconstruction type and ESTRO-target volume.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study involved patients who had undergone mastectomy with implant reconstruction between 2010 and 2019 and who had local recurrence as the first event.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Immunotherapy has been administered to many patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, only few studies have examined toxicity in patients receiving an immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) after concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). Therefore, we performed a retrospective study to determine factors that predict radiation pneumonitis (RP) in these patients.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Importance: The benefit of internal mammary node irradiation (IMNI) for treatment outcomes in node-positive breast cancer is unknown.

Objective: To investigate whether the inclusion of IMNI in regional nodal irradiation improves disease-free survival (DFS) in women with node-positive breast cancer.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This multicenter, phase 3 randomized clinical trial was conducted from June 1, 2008, to February 29, 2020, at 13 hospitals in South Korea.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate prognosis of patients with level I/II axillary lymph node metastases from occult breast cancer (OBC).

Materials And Methods: Data of 53 patients with OBC who received axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) positive/negative (+/-) breast-conserving surgery between 2001 and 2013 were retrospectively collected at seven hospitals in Korea. The median number of positive lymph nodes (+LNs) was 2.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: To determine the effectiveness of salvage radiation therapy (RT) in patients with locoregional recurrence (LRR) following initial curative resection of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and identify the prognostic factors affecting survival.

Materials And Methods: Between January 2009 and January 2019, 54 patients with LRR after NSCLC surgery were treated with salvage RT (83.3%) or concurrent chemoradiation therapy (16.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: To investigate the safety and efficacy of hypofractionated radiation therapy (HFRT) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer who are unfit for surgery or stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) at our institution.

Materials And Methods: From May 2007 to December 2018, HFRT was used to treat 68 lesions in 64 patients who were unsuitable for SBRT because of central tumor location, large tumor size, or contiguity with the chest wall. The HFRT schedule included a dose of 50-70 Gy delivered in 10 fractions over 2 weeks.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: To evaluate the role of postmastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) in patients with node-negative breast cancer of 5cm or larger tumors undergoing mastectomy.

Materials And Methods: Medical records of 274 patients from 18 institutions treated with mastectomy between January 2000 and December 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. Among these, 202 patients underwent PMRT, while 72 did not.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the impact of postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) in de novo metastatic breast cancer (dnMBC) patients undergoing planned primary tumor resection (PTR) and to identify the subgroup of patients who would most benefit from PORT.

Materials And Methods: This study enrolled 426 patients with dnMBC administered PTR alone or with PORT. The primary and secondary outcomes were overall and progression-free survival (OS and PFS), respectively.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: Data are lacking regarding pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) programs in patients with lung cancer receiving radiation therapy. This study aimed to confirm the feasibility of an outpatient-based PR program in lung cancer patients during radiation therapy.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed of 40 patients with lung cancer who had undergone radiation therapy between July and December 2019.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background/aim: To present the variations in the target delineation and the planning results of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for breast cancers.

Patients And Methods: We requested the target volumes and organs at risk delineation for two cases of left breast cancers, and evaluated the IMRT plans including the supraclavicular and internal mammary node irradiation.

Results: Twenty-one institutions participated in this study.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: To evaluate the prognostic value of the 21-gene recurrence score (RS) for regional recurrence (RR) in patients with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer.

Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 446 patients who underwent 21-gene RS assay after breast-conserving surgery or mastectomy. The high-RS group was defined as patients who were (1) older than 50 years with an RS of 26 or higher, or (2) 50 years or younger with an RS of 16 or higher.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF