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Background/aims: The aim of this study was to compare palliative treatments such as chemotherapy, chemoradiotherapy or radiotherapy with best supportive care in patients with inoperable advanced esophageal cancer., Methods: A total of 67 patients with inoperable advanced esophageal cancer visiting Kosin University Gospel Hospital between January 2000 and July 2010 were included in a retrospective analysis. Patients were categorized as having palliative treatment or best supportive care to compare their prognosis., Results: The median survival was 6.4 months in 67 patients. There was significant difference in median survival between the palliative and best supportive treatment (9.8 months vs. 4.5 months, p=0.01). The patients who underwent palliative treatment had superior 1-year and 3-year overall survival rate than those with best supportive treatment (27%, 10% vs. 5%, 5%, respectively). The 1-year and 3-year overall survival rate of palliative treatment was 18% (1-year overall survival rate) in chemotherapy, 33% (1-year overall survival rate) in radiotherapy, 45% and 9% in concurrent chemoradiotherapy, and 20% and 20% in sequential chemoradiotherapy, respectively., Conclusions: These results may suggest that palliative treatments are more effective than best supportive care. Further prospective studies are still needed to elucidate beneficial effect of palliative treatments on inoperable advanced esophageal cancer.

A survey on the prevalence of intestinal parasites was performed during the period from April to June of 1969, to evaluate the present status of parasitic infections in ROK Army soldiers. Stool specimens of 1,0l2 soldiers were collected from a camp located in Won-Ju area, and examined by the method of formalin-ether sedimentation technique. For protozoan cysts, examined slide was stained with Lugol's iodine solution and for eggs of Enterobius, the Graham's scotch cellulose tape anal swab technique was applied. The results obtained in this survey were as follows: 1)Of the 1,012 soldiers examined, 95.0 % were found infected by one or more intestinal parasites and 28.7 % were found positive for protozoan cysts. 2)The positive rates of each parasites were; A. lumbricoides 61.0 %, T. trichiurus 73.4 %, hookworm 17.5 %, T. orientalis 9.5 %, E. vermicularis 0.1 % (from stool specimen), C. sinensis 8.8 %, M. yokogawai 1.1 %, Taenia sp. 1.0 % (from stool), H. nana 0.3 % and E. histolytica 7.4 %. E. coli 12.6 %, E. nana 5.9 %, I. buetchlii 0.7 pecent, G. lamblia 6.1 %, and C. mesnili 0.8 %. 3)From the anal swabs, eggs of Enterobius were recovered in 2.6 %, and eggs of Taenia sp. showed positive rate of 1.5 %.