• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제16권18호
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• pp.8491-8494
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• 2016

Purpose: To compare unsatisfactory rates and detection of abnormal cervical cytology between conventional cytology or Papanicolaou smear (CC) and liquid-based cytology (LBC). Materials and Methods: A total of 23,030 cases of cervical cytology performed at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital during 2012-2013 were reviewed. The percentage unsatisfactory and detection rates of abnormal cytology were compared between CC and LBC methods. Results: There was no difference in unsatisfactory rates between CC and LBC methods (0.1% vs. 0.1%, p = 0.84). The detection rate for squamous cell abnormalities was significantly higher with the LBC method (7.7% vs. 11.5%, p < 0.001), but those for overall abnormal glandular epithelium were similar (0.4% vs. 0.6%, p = 0.13). Low grade squamous lesion (ASC-US and LSIL) were more frequently detected by the LBC method (6.1% vs. 9.5%, p < 0.001). However, there was no difference in high gradd squamous lesions (1.1% vs. 1.1%, p = 0.95). When comparing between types of glandular abnormality, there was no significant difference the groups. Conclusions: There was no difference in unsatisfactory rates between the conventional smear and LBC. However, LBC could detect low grade squamous cell abnormalities more than CC, while there were similar rates of detection of high grade squamous cell lesions and glandular cell abnormalities.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제16권18호
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• pp.8145-8147
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• 2016

Background: Atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) feature a wide variety of cervical cells, including benign and malignant examples. The management of ASCUS is complicated. Guidelines for office gynecology in Japan recommend performing a high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) test as a rule. The guidelines also recommend repeat cervical cytology after 6 and 12 months, or immediate colposcopy. The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical significance of ASCUS. Materials and Methods: Between January 2012 and December 2014, a total of 162 patients underwent cervical conization for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 (CIN3), carcinoma in situ, squamous cell carcinoma, microinvasive squamous cell carcinoma, and adenocarcinoma in situ at our hospital. The results of cervical cytology prior to conization, the pathology after conization, and high-risk HPV testing were obtained from clinical records and analyzed retrospectively. Results: Based on cervical cytology, 31 (19.1%) of 162 patients were primarily diagnosed with ASCUS. Among these, 25 (80.6%) were positive for high-risk HPV, and the test results of the remaining 6 patients (19.4%) were uncertain. In the final pathological diagnosis after conization, 27 (87.1%) and 4 patients (12.9%) were diagnosed with CIN3 and carcinoma in situ, respectively. Conclusions: Although ASCUS is known as a low-risk abnormal cervical cytology, approximately 20% of patients who underwent cervical conization had ASCUS. The relationship between the cervical cytology of ASCUS and the final pathological results for CIN3 or invasive carcinoma should be investigated statistically. In cases of ASCUS, we recommend HPV tests or colposcopic examination rather than cytological follow-up, because of the risk of missing CIN3 or more advanced disease.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제13권12호
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• pp.6497-6500
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• 2012

Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in females in the World with around 500,000 new cases occurring annually, but the first in the developing countries with a high mortality if not diagnosed early. Papanicolau (Pap) smear is a cheap, easy-to-apply and widely accepted test which has been long used to detect cervical cancer at very early stages. However, despite being available for nearly 60 years, the test can hardly be considered to have become successfully applied in many communities. We aimed in this study to present the results of a screening survey for cervical cancer which targeted a women population aged between 35 and 40 living in a semi-rural area in the province of Hatay, located in the eastern Mediterranean region of Turkey, with specific aims of increasing early diagnosis, education and raising population awareness about cancers. This community-based descriptive study covered 512 women between 35 and 40 years of age living at Armutlu with a mean age of $37.6{\pm}1.7$. Gynecologic examinations revealed cervical erosion in 8 (1.6%), vaginitis in 193 (37.7%) and normal findings in 311 (60.7%); pathological evaluation reports of the smears were negative in 290 (56.6%), inflammation in 218 (42.6%) and ASC-US in 4 (0.8%), according to the 2001 Bethesda classification. It can be concluded that Pap smear test - proven to be a very valuable test at the clinical level- should also be widely used at the community level to detect cervical cancer at very early stages to reduce both the mortality and morbidity among healthy people. The need for continuous community-based cervical cancer screening programs is strongly suggested.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제16권3호
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• pp.1289-1293
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• 2015

Background: Anal intraepithelial lesions (AIL) are likely to represent a precursor for anal cancer. Women infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may be at higher risk of anal cancer but a screening program for AIL still is not routinely recommended. We here studied the relationship of dysplastic cells from cervical and anal cytology in HIV-infected women. Materials and Methods: This prospective study was conducted in Prapokklao Hospital, Thailand during 2013-2014. Five hundred and ninety nine HIV-infected women were recruited. Participants who had cytological reports of equally or over "abnormal squamous/glandular cells of undetermined significance" (ASC-US) were classified as abnormal cervical or anal cytology. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis were used to evaluate correlations between groups. Results: HIV-infected women with abnormal cervical cytology had 3.8 times more risk (adjusted odd ratio 3.846, 95% confidence interval 1.247-11.862, p-value. 019) for abnormal anal cytology. The major problem of the anal Pap test in this study was the inadequacy of the collected specimens for evaluation (34.4%, 206/599). Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of cervical and anal Pap tests were 93.9/12.0, 87.3/96.9, 39.7/21.4, 99.4/94.1 and 88.1/91.4 percent, respectively. Conclusions: Abnormal cervical cytology in HIV-infected women indicates elevated risk for abnormal anal cytology. The sensitivity of the anal Pap test for detection of AIL 2/3 in HIV-infected women was quite low while specificity was excellent. Inadequacy of specimen collection for evaluation was a major limitation. Improvement of sample collection is recommended for future investigations.

• ALGAE
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• 제35권2호
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• pp.107-121
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• 2020

Mariculture is regarded as the only option to supply the increasing demands for seaweeds as human food, feeds, fodder, and phycolloids in a sustainable manner. Technologies for culturing a range of seaweed species have been developed successively in Korea since the 1970s. In 2017, Korean marine farms produced 1,761,526 t of seaweed. The key focus of the industry is on the production of Pyropia (523,648 t), Undaria (622,613 t), and Saccharina (542,285 t). Pyropia is economically the most important species in Korea, accounting for up to 68% of total production value. As the top exporter of Pyropia in the world, Korea exported up to US $525 million of Pyropia products to 110 countries in 2018. Other economically important genera include Sargassum, Ulva, Capsosiphon, Codium, and Gracilariopsis, all of which are used for food, and Gelidium, Pachymeniopsis, and Ecklonia which are used as raw material for phycocolloid extraction. Significant work has gone into developing more productive strains of key seaweed species, and in 2012 the Korean government began to certify seaweed varieties. To date, 19 seaweed cultivars have been registered including 13 Pyropia, 5 Undaria, and 1 Saccharina. The industry is now seeking not only to increase productivity but also to add value through processing. Convenience foods and snacks have been developed that target health-conscious consumers and utilize the nutritional properties of seaweeds. The industry is also seeking to promote the sustainability of seaweed farming. One seaweed company in Korea obtained the world's first ASC-MSC (Aquaculture Stewardship Council-Marine Stewardship Council) certification in 2019 and more are expected to follow their lead. With continued research support, the Korean seaweed industry plans to continue to expand to meet new market demands at a sustainable pace.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권9호
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• pp.3997-4003
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• 2014

Background: Infection with certain human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes is the most important risk factor related with cervical cancer. The objective of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of HPV infection, the distribution of HPV genotypes and HPV E6/E7 oncogene mRNA expression in Turkish women with different cervical cytological findings in Mersin province, Southern Turkey. Materials and Methods: A total of 476 cytological samples belonging to women with normal and abnormal cervical Pap smears were enrolled in the study. For the detection and genotyping assay, a PCR/direct cycle sequencing approach was used. E6/E7 mRNA expression of HPV-16, 18, 31, 33, and 45 was determined by type-specific real-time NASBA assay (NucliSENS EasyQ$^{(R)}$HPV v1.1). Results: Of the 476 samples, 106 (22.3%) were found to be positive for HPV DNA by PCR. The presence of HPV was significantly more common (p<0.001) in HSIL (6/8, 75%) when compared with LSIL (6/14, 42.9%), ASC-US (22/74, 29.7%) and normal cytology (72/380, 18.9%). The most prevalent genotypes were, in descending order of frequency, HPV genotype 66 (22.6%), 16 (20.8%), 6 (14.2%), 31 (11.3%), 53 (5.7%), and 83 (4.7%). HPV E6/E7 oncogene mRNA positivity (12/476, 2.5%) was lower than DNA positivity (38/476, 7.9%). Conclusions: Our data present a wide distribution of HPV genotypes in the analyzed population. HPV genotypes 66, 16, 6, 31, 53 and 83 were the predominant types and most of them were potential carcinogenic types. Because of the differences between HPV E6/E7 mRNA and DNA positivity, further studies are required to test the role of mRNA testing in the triage of women with abnormal cervical cytology or follow up of HPV DNA positive and cytology negative. These epidemiological data will be important to determine the future impact of vaccination on HPV infected women in our region.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권2호
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• pp.671-676
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• 2014

Objective: The objective of this study was to establish a program model for use in wide-spread cervical cancer screening. :Methods: Cervical cancer screening was conducted in Zhongshan city in Guangdong province, China through a coordinated network of multiple institutes and hospitals. A total of 43,567 women, 35 to 59 years of age, were screened during regular gynecological examinations using the liquid-based ThinPrep cytology test (TCT). Patients who tested positive were recalled for further treatment. Results: The TCT-positive rate was 3.17%, and 63.4% of these patients returned for follow-up. Pathology results were positive for 30.5% of the recalled women. Women who were younger than 50 years of age, urban dwelling, low-income, had a history of cervical disease, began having sex before 20 years of age, or had sex during menstruation, were at elevated risk for a positive TCT test. The recall rate was lower in women older than 50 years of age, urban dwelling, poorly educated, and who began having sex early. Ahigher recall rate was found in women 35 years of age and younger, urban dwelling, women who first had sex after 24 years of age, and women who had sex during menstruation. The positive pathology rate was higher in urban women 50 years of age and younger and women who tested positive for human papillomavirus. Conclusion: An effective model for large-scale cervical cancer screening was successfully established. These results suggest that improvements are needed in basic education regarding cervical cancer screening for young and poorly educated women. Improved outreach for follow-up is also necessary to effectively control cervical cancer.