• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.7
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• pp.3163-3167
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• 2014

Background: Breast-conserving surgery (BCS) plus radiotherapy is equivalent to modified radical mastectomy (MRM) in terms of outcome. However there is wide variation in mastectomy rates dependent both on tumour and patient characteristics. Objective: This study aimed to assess the determinants of surgery choice in Asian patients with early breast cancer in a middle-income country. Materials and Methods: 184 patients with early breast cancer treated between Jan 2008 and Dec 2010 were recruited to complete a questionnaire. Chi-square test was used to analyze the association between surgery choice and demographic and tumour factors, surgeon recommendation, family member and partner opinions, fear of recurrence, avoidance of second surgery, fear of disfigurement, interference with sex life, fear of radiation and loss of femininity. Results: 85 (46%) had BCS while 99 (54%) had mastectomy. Age >60, Chinese ethnicity, lower education level, and larger tumour size were significantly associated with mastectomy. Surgeon recommendation was important in surgery choice. Although both groups did not place much importance on interference with sex life, 14.1% of the BCS group felt it was very important compared to 5.1% in the mastectomy group and this was statistically significant. There was no statistical difference between the two groups in terms of the other factors. When analyzed by ethnicity, significantly more Malay and Indian women considered partner and family member opinions very important and were more concerned about loss of femininity compared to Chinese women. There were no statistical differences between the three ethnic groups in terms of the other factors. Conclusions: When counseling on surgical options, the surgeon has to take into account the ethnicity, social background and education level, age and reliance on partner and family members. Decision-making is usually a collective effort rather than just between the patient and surgeon, and involving the whole family into the process early is important.

• American Studies
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.131-158
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• 2021

This paper examines how nation-specific history of Asian war brides affects different representations of war brides in Velina Hasu Houston's Tea (1984) and Julia Cho's The Architecture of Loss (2003). While war brides had long been excluded from American history, Japanese war brides were brought to public attention in the 1980s. Korean war brides, on the other hand, were kept out of sight until the 2000s. Focusing on how this time gap is related to ethnic difference, this paper analyzes dramaturgical differences between the two plays such as the presence/absence of war bride on stage or ethnic solidarity/familial reconciliation as the main device of war bride memorialization. Such differences, the paper suggests, stem from ethnic/historical differences between Korean and Japanese war brides. Through historical interpretations of the plays, this paper argues that America's military relationships with Korea and Japan were reproduced within the Asian-American families of each drama in ways that raise questions about pan-Asian identity.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.2465-2472
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• 2015

Background: The Quality Audit (BQA) program of the Breast Surgeons of Australia and New Zealand (NZ) collects data on early female breast cancer and its treatment. BQA data covered approximately half all early breast cancers diagnosed in NZ during roll-out of the BQA program in 1998-2010. Coverage increased progressively to about 80% by 2008. This is the biggest NZ breast cancer database outside the NZ Cancer Registry and it includes cancer and clinical management data not collected by the Registry. We used these BQA data to compare socio-demographic and cancer characteristics and survivals by ethnicity. Materials and Methods: BQA data for 1998-2010 diagnoses were linked to NZ death records using the National Health Index (NHI) for linking. Live cases were followed up to December $31^{st}$ 2010. Socio-demographic and invasive cancer characteristics and disease-specific survivals were compared by ethnicity. Results: Five-year survivals were 87% for Maori, 84% for Pacific, 91% for other NZ cases and 90% overall. This compared with the 86% survival reported for all female breast cases covered by the NZ Cancer Registry which also included more advanced stages. Patterns of survival by clinical risk factors accorded with patterns expected from the scientific literature. Compared with Other cases, Maori and Pacific women were younger, came from more deprived areas, and had larger cancers with more ductal and fewer lobular histology types. Their cancers were also less likely to have a triple negative phenotype. More of the Pacific women had vascular invasion. Maori women were more likely to reside in areas more remote from regional cancer centres, whereas Pacific women generally lived closer to these centres than Other NZ cases. Conclusions: NZ BQA data indicate previously unreported differences in breast cancer biology by ethnicity. Maori and Pacific women had reduced breast cancer survival compared with Other NZ women, after adjusting for socio-demographic and cancer characteristics. The potential contributions to survival differences of variations in service access, timeliness and quality of care, need to be examined, along with effects of comorbidity and biological factors.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.17
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• pp.7713-7720
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• 2015

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers. This study aimed to compare the uptake of CRC testing in the general public and in ethnic minorities in Hong Kong. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional survey covered 2,327 South Asian and Chinese adults aged over 50, recruited from two separate studies. A structured questionnaires were administered by research staff over the telephone or in faceto-face interviews. Results: The uptake rate of CRC testing among South Asians was significantly lower than that of the general population in Hong Kong. Factors associated with the uptake rate were health professional's recommendation, perception of regular visits to doctor, use of complementary therapy, ethnicity, perceived susceptibility to cancer, presence of chronic illness, and education level. In addition, a significant interaction (p<0.05) between ethnicity and health professionals' recommendations was found, after adjustment for the main independent factors identified. Conclusions: Older people with lower educational attainment, without chronic illness and those have lower perceived susceptibility to cancer may be targeted for CRC testing promotion in the society. In addition, health professionals can play a highly influential role in promoting such testing, particularly among ethnic minorities.

• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.369-387
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• 2006

The study mainly aims to explore and compare the cultural value orientations of Southeast Asian countries with concrete index of variable factors, and ultimately seeks for directions for Korea better role as a leading country in Southeast Asian economic region. The research limits the scope of the study only to three countries of the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand. It is due to the significant differences of geography, language, and above all unique religion in Southeast Asia region, The Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand are very much similar in many aspects of diverse ethnicity, diverse religion, especially in the aspect of culture. However, it is no doubt, among countries surveyed, that the research show the differences in continuum level in terms of value orientations. Generally it might be due to the history, religion and language differences.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.8
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• pp.4461-4484
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• 2013

Cancer registration provides a firm basis for cancer control efforts and research into changing patterns of incidence, mortality, survival and prevalence is of obvious importance. Most of the countries of Asia have already published relevant data although the level of coverage and accuracy do vary a great deal both between and within countries. The present review concerns the relevant literature for the period 2008-2013, focusing on the types of research conducted and the conclusions that can be drawn with regard to what should be done in the future to translate the information available into effective intervention efforts to reduce the burden of disease. A major emphasis has been on determining variation in incidence and mortality/survival on the basis of ethnicity and socioeconomic as well as geographical background, as well as trends over time, either for cancer in general or specific organ sites. In addition a small number of papers focused on methodological, quality and cancer control issues, very pertinent to the future development of cancer registry based research.

• International Journal of Costume and Fashion
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.31-51
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• 2013

Hawaiian textile art has inspired artists and fashion designers worldwide and accounts for the high value of vintage Hawaiian apparel as collectibles. Other than tropical designs, a large portion of the textile art showcased the ethnic diversity of Hawai'i. In the 1800s, Hawai'i attracted immigrants from all over Asia, and the majority of Hawaii's residents today claim Asian ethnicity. This ethnic mix was made visible in textiles, a trend championed by Alfred Shaheen, an apparel manufacturer who loved Asian designs. He was committed to the celebration of cultural diversity at a time when Hawai'i was rapidly westernizing. The team of Asian textile artists he led created textile designs based on motifs and imagery from Asia. Shaheen's passionate vision led to the unique textiles produced in the 'golden age' of Hawaiian textiles, from 1940 through the 1960s. Alfred Shaheen has been called "Hawaii's Master Printer" and has been credited for turning Hawaiian textiles into art. The author's interviews with Mr. Shaheen were conducted over a decade, and form the basis for this paper in which Shaheen's own words are used to discuss his use of textile art in the transformation of the Hawaiian textiles and garment industry.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.7 no.10
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• pp.1057-1070
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• 2020

This paper investigates the determinants of students' success in Vietnam through conducting online interviews and surveys with 2,500 Vietnamese students at eight famous universities in Vietnam. By applying both SPSS 22 and STATA software, the study is to evaluate the impact of four driver factors, which affect GPA, language efficacy, and personal achievement. These factors are psychological perspective, home environmental, student demographic, and school environmental. The research results emphasize a positive effect of psychological and home-environmental determinants, but the negative effect of school environmental factors on the students' success. Besides, the relationship between demographics and student success was tested and indicated that male students have a better language learning ability, but a low level of academic achievement than female students. The results also point out the impact of religious affiliation and ethnicity on personal achievement. Non-religious students are better achievers than those having a religion or those in minority ethnicity. Moreover, accumulated schooling years are negatively associated with students' success. The more working experience students accrued, the higher possibility they are successful. Finally, the finding provides an insight into students' success that might be useful to government authorities and other universities in designing policies for enhancing the quality of education.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.2583-2589
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• 2013

Purpose: Studies have indicated that diabetes mellitus (DM) is a risk factor for bladder cancer; however, not all evidence supports this conclusion. The aim of this meta-analysis was to collate and evaluate all primary observational studies investigating the risk of bladder cancer associated with DM. Methods: The PubMed and Google Scholar databases were searched to identify studies that estimated the association of DM and bladder cancer. Summary effect estimates were derived using a random-effects meta-analysis model. Results: A total of 23 studies (8 case-control studies, 15 cohort studies) including 643,683 DM and 4,819,656 non-DM cases were identified. Analysis of all studies showed that DM was associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer compared with non-DM overall (OR=1.68, 95% CI 1.32-2.13). Analysis of subgroups demonstrated this to be the case in both case-control studies (OR=1.59, 95% CI 1.28-1.97, $I^2$=58%) and cohort studies (RR=1.70, 95% CI 1.23-2.33, $I^2$=96%). There was no gender difference in DM-associated bladder cancer risk. Bladder cancer risk was increased in Asia and the North America region, but not in Europe. Furthermore, DM-associated bladder cancer risk was obviously higher in Asia than North America and Europe or in those with Caucasian ethnicity. With extension of follow-up time, the bladder cancer risk was not increased for the patients with DM. Conclusions: This meta-analysis provided further evidence supporting theDM association with a significantly higher risk of bladder cancer obtained from observational studies.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.16
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• pp.7249-7254
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• 2015

Background: Previous studies evaluated associations between the CYP1A2 rs762551 polymorphism and bladder cancer risk. However, the results were inconsistent. We therefore performed a meta-analysis of the published case-control studies to assess in detail the association between CYP1A2 rs762551 polymorphism and bladder cancer risk. Materials and Methods: PubMed, Embase and Web of Science were searched to identify relevant studies and the pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95 % confidence interval (95%CI) were calculated. Results: A total of seven articles including 3,013 cases and 2,771 controls were finally included. Overall, a significant association was found between the CYP1A2 rs762551 polymorphism and bladder cancer susceptibility for CC vs AA (OR=0.82, 95% CI=0.69~0.99), but no significant associations were found for the other three models (AC vs AA: OR=0.91, 95% CI=0.81~1.02; the dominant model: OR=0.90, 95% CI=0.80~1.00; the recessive model: OR=0.84, 95% CI =0.72~1.00). In the subgroup analysis by ethnicity, we detected significant associations between the CYP1A2 rs762551 polymorphism and bladder cancer susceptibility for GA vs GG (OR = 0.78, 95% CI =0.64~0.96) and for the recessive model (OR=0.80, 95% CI=0.66~0.96) in Caucasians, but not for Asians. Conclusions: The results from the meta-analysis suggested that the CYP1A2 rs762551 polymorphism is a protective factor for bladder cancer, especially in Caucasians.