Yonsei University · Medicine
Professor Hwa Kyung Byun's research lab specializes in advanced radiation oncology, focusing on improving cancer treatment through precision radiotherapy techniques. The lab investigates particle therapy—particularly proton and carbon ion radiotherapy—due to their superior physical and biological characteristics, such as the Bragg peak and high relative biological effectiveness, which enable targeted tumor control with minimal damage to surrounding tissues. Key research directions include optimizing treatment planning with IMRT and autocontouring systems to enhance treatment accuracy and reduce inter-observer variability, as well as exploring non-surgical management strategies like the watch-and-wait approach for rectal cancer. The lab also investigates adjuvant radiotherapy in high-risk glioblastoma and rare cancers, aiming to improve survival and quality of life in the era of immunotherapy and personalized medicine.
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
Particle therapy is a promising and evolving modality of radiotherapy that can be used to treat tumors that are radioresistant to conventional photon beam radiotherapy. It has unique biological and physical advantages compared with conventional radiotherapy. The characteristic feature of particle therapy is the "Bragg peak," a steep and localized peak of dose, that enables precise delivery of the radiation dose to the tumor while effectively sparing normal organs. Especially, the charged particl
IMRT and low PTV were significantly associated with decreased ASL incidence after RT plus temozolomide for glioblastoma. An IMRT-based strategy is necessary to enhance treatment outcomes in the immune-oncology era.
The autocontouring system had a similar performance in OARs as that of the experts' manual contouring. This system can be valuable in improving the quality of breast radiotherapy and reducing interphysician variability in clinical practice.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly lethal cancer with limited treatment options and poor prognosis. Carbon ion radiotherapy (CIRT) has emerged as a promising treatment modality for HCC due to its unique physical and biological properties. CIRT uses carbon ions to target and destroy cancer cells with a high precision and efficacy. The Bragg Peak phenomenon allows precise dose delivery to the tumor while minimizing damage to healthy tissues. In addition, the high relative biological effect
Rectal resection surgery after neoadjuvant treatment has been the mainstay treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer. However, functional outcomes and quality of life after radical resection of the rectum remain suboptimal. The excellent oncologic outcomes in patients who achieved pathologic complete response after neoadjuvant treatment questioned the need for radical surgery. The watch-and-wait approach is a noninvasive therapeutic alternative for organ preservation and avoiding operative mor
ART significantly improved PFS and P/R in patients with MNG2, irrespective of the surgical extent, and can be recommended after gross total resection. A prognostic model may guide decision-making for the use of ART.
IL-7 is associated with the development of and recovery from ASL, which may impact survival. To overcome radiation-induced lymphopenia, a novel strategy using IL-7 may be considered.
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