• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.3779-3784
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• 2013

Aims: To determine the clinical, pathological and prognostic features associated with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Methods: Clinical and histologic data of 21,749 breast cancer patients who were treated at Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital between July 2002 and December 2011 were collected. Patients were divided into two groups: those with TNBC and those with other types of breast cancer. Patients and tumor characteristics were compared between the two groups using the Chi-square test. The prognostic results of 9,823 patients in the study population were also analyzed to determine long-term survival rates in the two groups of breast cancer patients. Results: Among the breast cancer patients treated in our hospital between 2003 and 2011, 10.4%-13.5% of them had triple-negative breast cancers. Data analyses revealed significant differences in disease onset age, family history of breast cancer, tumor size, tumor histologic grade, lymph note positivity and metastatic status between TNBC and non-TNBC patients. There were also significant differences in 5-year, 7-year and 9-year disease-free and 7-year and 9-year overall survival probability between the groups. Conclusions:TNBC are associated with younger disease onset age, larger tumor size, higher rate of axillary lymph node positivity, and higher tumor histologic grade. TNBC is also related to family history of breast cancer, increased metastatic risk and poor prognosis.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.1675-1682
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• 2012

Aim: The study aim was to determine the frequency with which women decline clinicians' treatment recommendations and variations in this frequency by age, cancer and service descriptors. Design: The study included 36,775 women diagnosed with early invasive breast cancer in 1998-2005 and attending Australian and New Zealand breast surgeons. Rate ratios for declining treatment were examined by descriptor, using bilateral and multiple logistic regression analyses. Proportional hazards regression was used in exploratory analyses of associations with breast cancer death. Results: 3.4% of women declined a recommended treatment of some type, ranging from 2.6% for women under 40 years to 5.8% for those aged 80 years or more, and with parallel increases by age presenting for declining radiotherapy (p<0.001) and axillary surgery (p=0.006). Multiple regression confirmed that common predictors of declining various treatments included low surgeon case load, treatment outside major city centres, and older age. Histological features suggesting a favourable prognosis were often predictive of declining various treatments, although reverse findings also applied with women with positive nodal status being more likely to decline a mastectomy and those with larger tumours more likely to decline chemotherapy. While survival analyses lacked statistical power due to small numbers, higher risks of breast cancer death were suggested, after adjusting for age and conventional clinical risk factors, (1) for women not receiving breast surgery for unstated reasons (RR=2.29; p<0.001); and (2) although not approaching statistical significance $p{\geq}0.200$), for women declining radiotherapy (RR=1.22), a systemic therapy (RR1.11), and more specifically, chemotherapy (RR=1.41). Conclusions: Women have the right to choose their treatments but reasons for declining recommendations require further study to ensure that choices are well informed and clinical outcomes are optimized.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.3143-3149
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• 2013

Background: Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women in Turkey and around the world. Treatment adversely affects women's physical, psychological, and social conditions. The purpose of this study was to identify the experiences of Turkish women with breast cancer and the facilitating coping factors when they receive chemotherapy. Methods: A phenomenological approach was used to explain the experiences and facilitating factors of breast cancer patients during the treatment period. Data were collected through individual semi-structured interviews. The sample comprised 11 women with breast cancer receiving treatment. Results: At the end of the interviews conducted with women with breast cancer, two main themes were identified: adjustment and facilitating coping factors. The adjustment main theme had two sub-themes: strains and coping. Women with breast cancer suffer physical and psychological strains as well as stress related to social and health systems. While coping with these situations, they receive social support, turn to spirituality and make new senses of their lives. The facilitating coping factors main theme had four sub-themes: social support, disease-related factors, treatment-related factors and relationships with nurses. It has been determined that women receiving good social support, having undergone preventive breast surgery and/or getting attention and affection from nurses can cope with breast cancer more easily. Conclusions: Women with breast cancer have difficulty in all areas of their lives in the course of the disease and during the treatment process. Therefore, nurses should provide holistic care, teaching patients how to cope with the new situation and supporting them spiritually. Since family support is very important in Turkish culture, patients' relatives should be informed and supported at every stage of the treatment.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.328-334
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• 2018

Because of the unsatisfactory treatment options for breast cancer (BC), there is a need to develop novel therapeutic approaches for this malignancy. One such strategy is chemotherapy using non-toxic dietary substances and botanical products. Studies have shown that Panduratin A (PA) possesses many health benefits, including anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant and anticancer activities. In the present study, we provide evidence that PA treatment of MCF-7 BC cells resulted in a time- and dose-dependent inhibition of cell growth with an $IC_{50}$ of $15{\mu}M$ and no to little effect on normal human MCF-10A breast cells. To define the mechanism of these anti-proliferative effects of PA, we determined its effect critical molecular events known to regulate the cell cycle and apoptotic machinery. Immunofluorescence and flow cytometric analysis of Annexin V-FITC staining provided evidence for the induction of apoptosis. PA treatment of BC cells resulted in increased activity/expression of mitochondrial cytochrome C, caspases 7, 8 and 9 with a significant increase in the Bax:Bcl-2 ratio, suggesting the involvement of a mitochondrial-dependent apoptotic pathway. Furthermore, cell cycle analysis using flow cytometry showed that PA treatment of cells resulted in G0/G1 arrest in a dose-dependent manner. Immunoblot analysis data revealed that, in MCF-7 cell lines, PA treatment resulted in the dose-dependent (i) induction of $p21^{WAF1/Cip1}$ and p27Kip1, (ii) downregulation of Cyclin dependent kinase (CDK) 4 and (iii) decrease in cyclin D1. These findings suggest that PA may be an effective therapeutic agent against BC.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.7133-7136
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• 2013

Background: We studied Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) breast cancer data of Georgia USA to analyze the impact of socio-economic factors on the disparity of breast cancer treatment outcome. Materials and Methods: This study explored socio-economic, staging and treatment factors that were available in the SEER database for breast cancer from Georgia registry diagnosed in 2004-2009. An area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was computed for each predictor to measure its discriminatory power. The best biological predictors were selected to be analyzed with socio-economic factors. Survival analysis, Kolmogorov-Smirnov 2-sample tests and Cox proportional hazard modeling were used for univariate and multivariate analyses of time to breast cancer specific survival data. Results: There were 34,671 patients included in this study, 99.3% being females with breast cancer. This study identified race and education attainment of county of residence as predictors of poor outcome. On multivariate analysis, these socio-economic factors remained independently prognostic. Overall, race and education status of the place of residence predicted up to 10% decrease in cause specific survival at 5 years. Conclusions: Socio-economic factors are important determinants of breast cancer outcome and ensuring access to breast cancer treatment may eliminate disparities.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.2989-2993
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• 2016

The commonest cancer in Egyptian females occurs in the breast cfDNA is a non-invasive marker for tumor detetion and prognostic assessment in many types of cancer including breast cancer. This study aimed to assess the role of cfDNA and its fragmentation pattern in breast cancer prognosis and treatment response. Forty female patients with malignant breast tumors and a comparable group of healthy blood donors were enrolled prospectively. cfDNA levels and fragmentation patterns were investigated after cfDNA extraction, gel electrophoresis and gel analysis. The percentage of breast cancer patients positive for cfDNA (92.5%) was significantly higher than that of controls (55%). Also, mean concentration of cfDNA was significantly higher than in the control group (P<0.05). Most Her-2 positive patients had long cfDNA fragments, this being significant as compared to Her-2 negative patients (P<0.05). Metastasis was also positively linked to significantly higher cfDNA (P<0.05) and the mean cfDNA integrity index was significantly higher in non-responders compared to treatment responders (P<0.05). In conclusion, both qualitative and quantitative aspects of cfDNA and its different fragments in breast cancer patients could be related to prognosis, metastasis and treatment response. Long cfDNA fragments could be particularly useful for prediction purposes.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.45-53
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• 2021

PURPOSE: This study examined women's attitudes toward the use of physical therapy in the treatment process after breast cancer surgery and the degree of interest in this application. Path analysis was conducted to discover the approaches to improve awareness of the necessity of physical therapy intervention after breast cancer surgery. METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional survey of 230 women aged 20 years and over with no history of breast cancer. The measurement tool used in this study was a structured questionnaire, composed of 17 items in five fields: five items on the demographic characteristics, four items related to health checkups, four items involving the viewpoints on breast cancer, one item related to the interest in breast cancer, and four items related to physical therapy after surgery. RESULTS: Women's attitudes toward regular health checkups were major factors in the prevention and treatment of breast cancer. In addition, those with higher levels of interest in breast cancer showed stronger interest in using physical therapy after breast cancer surgery. CONCLUSION: Women believe that breast cancer can be prevented through the health checkups implemented by the government. Therefore, there is a need to utilize public relations to promote methods for the self-diagnosis of breast cancer in the health checkup system and the use of physical therapy after breast cancer surgery.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.503-510
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• 2016

Background: Diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer is a crisis situation which effects women's lives physically, socially and spiritually. Investigating women's perceptions of this disease is crucially important for treatment decisions. We therefore determined social perceptions and interpretations of women diagnosed with breast cancer during therapy and in the post-treatment period. Materials and Methods: In the study, focus group and in-depth interviews were made with women still undergoing or having completed breast cancer treatment. Some 25 women were included in the research. Content analysis was used in the analysis of the qualitative data obtained after the focus group and in-depth interviews. Results: Some of the women demonstrated positive perceptions towards accepting the disease, whereas others had emotions such as rebellion and anger. The loss of a breast is important with different interpretations. Conclusions: Women's acceptance or rebellion against the disease varies within their social interpretations after the treatment, as at the stage of diagnosis/treatment. All stages of breast cancer negatively affect the social life of the affected individual as much as her body. Nurses assume crucial roles in coping with these negative effects. Thus, it is necessary to know, and sociologically interpret, what is indicated by the information on what the negative effects concerning the disease are and how they are interpreted.

• Journal of Korean Traditional Oncology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.67-73
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• 2007

Breast cancer is common in West and Incidence of breast cancer has increased in Korea. According as conventional western medical treatment, breast cancer patient received MRM(modified radical mastectomy) and anti cancer chemotherapy. In this case report, We introduce a case of breast cancer patient who showed lung metastasis(metastatec adenocarcinoma) after MRM(modified radical mastectomy) 4 years before the diagnosis of relapse. After lung metastasis of breast cancer, the patient received 4th chemotherapy and refused to get more conventional western medical treatment including chemotherapy. After 24 month of traditional oriental medical treatment using allegen removed Rhus Verniciflua Stokes(ARV), however, the size of cancer mass decreased and the patient showed improved condition. Further case study will be needed in order to determine the effect of ARV on breast cancer patient.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.220-228
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• 2020

Breast cancer incidence continues to increase, and survival rates are also increasing compared to the past. An increase in breast cancer survivors means an increase in the number of women who return to their life after treatment. These patients feared cancer recurrence, which makes it an important aspect to be studied among breast cancer survivors. Therefore, this study was aimed at analyzing the concept of breast cancer survivors' fear of recurrence. The procedure of concept analysis developed by Walker and Avant (2011) was used to clarify and describe the concept. Studies published from 2007 to 2017 were searched through domestic and foreign electronic databases. Finally, 15 studies were selected and included in analysis. Through concept analysis, the scope of use of the fear of recurrence among breast cancer survivors was confirmed, and concept analysis was performed to confirm the antecedent, consequences, attributes and empirical criteria. Based on the analysis, the attributes of the fear of recurrence among breast cancer survivors included 1) worry about health status, 2) ineffective coping, and 3) possibility of changes. The antecedents of the fear of recurrence among breast cancer survivors were 1) healthcare-related activity, 2) perception of cancer, and 3) perceived severity; the consequences were 1) increase in distress, 2) difficulty in role function, and 3) decrease in the quality of life. This study provides a clear definition of the fear of recurrence among breast cancer survivors, and the results can be applied to improve the understanding of breast cancer survivors who have finished treatment and to help them return to daily life.