• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.229-236
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• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the sensation changes in upper extremity and the quality of life for post-operative mastectomy patients. Methods: This study used a descriptive study design. The participants were 132 women who had mastectomies after being diagnosed with breast cancer and were participating in breast cancer self-help groups. The sensation changes in the arm of the surgery site was measured by the arm symptoms which were subjective uncomfortable feelings of the affected arm, and the quality of life was measured by Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36. Collected data were analyzed by ANOVA, t-test, ${\chi}^2$-test and multiple regression with SPSS WIN 12.0 program. Results: Patients with stage IV breast cancer had severe changes in sensation of the arm. Participants with lymphedema had statistically significant changes in sensation compared to participants without lymphedema, but the quality of life was not different between the two groups. Pain by the SF 36 was statistically different between the two groups, with- and without-lymphedema. The factors in upper extremity's sensation changes which influence on quality of life were pain and heaviness. Conclusion: Nursing intervention for relieving pain and heaviness of the affected arm needs to be developed in order to improve QOL of the breast cancer survivors.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.559-563
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• 2013

Background One of the reasons women with macromastia chose to undergo a breast reduction is to relieve their complaints of back, neck, and shoulder pain. We hypothesized that changes in posture after surgery may be the reason for the pain relief and that patient posture may correlate with symptomatic macromastia and may serve as an objective measure for complaints. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the effect of reduction mammaplasty on the posture of women with macromastia. Methods A prospective controlled study at a university medical center. Forty-two patients that underwent breast reduction were studied before surgery and an average of 4.3 years following surgery. Thirty-seven healthy women served as controls. Standardized lateral photos were taken. The inclination angle of the back was measured. Regression analysis was performed for the inclination angle. Results Preoperatively, the mean inclination angle was 1.61 degrees ventrally; this diminished postoperatively to 0.72 degrees ventrally. This change was not significant (P-value=0.104). In the control group that angle was 0.28 degrees dorsally. Univariate regression analysis revealed that the inclination was dependent on body mass index (BMI) and having symptomatic macromastia; on multiple regression it was only dependent on BMI. Conclusions The inclination angle of the back in breast reduction candidates is significantly different from that of controls; however, this difference is small and probably does not account for the symptoms associated with macromastia. Back inclination should not be used as a surrogate "objective" measure for symptomatic macromastia.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.131-139
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• 2019

Introduction: Mastalgia is the most common benign breast disorder during the fertility period of women. So far a wide range of natural or complementary medicines is used to cure mastalgia. Sanitary organizations need complete and suitable details to help women, for making the proper decision for alternative treatment based on the evidence. The aim of the present study is to introduce medicinal plant-based treatments about mastalgia and summarizes clinical trials about this disorder. Method: The articles were provided using mixture of keywords including cyclic pain, breast, treatment, therapeutics, therapy, clinical trial, herbal, drug, mastalgia and all the probable terms, in national and international databases SID, Iran Medex, Magiran, PubMed, Scopus, Medline, Science direct and Cochrane library, in both Persian and English languages. All cross-sectional and review articles about herbal treatment of mastalgia until 2018 November were studied. Results: Nineteen articles from all of the available articles (45 cases) and a sample size about of (1987 cases) were included in our study. The articles were clinical trials. The results revealed that mastalgia could be healed by Nigella sativa, Vitex agnus-castus, curcumin, Hypericum perforatum, Citrus sinensis, wheat germ, and Ginkgo biloba. Conclusion: Most of the evaluated medicinal plants possessing antioxidant compounds with anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties, exhibited healing effects in the treatment of mastalgia. Thus, medicinal plants can be considered in the treatment of mastalgia; however, further investigations are needed to obtain more details about their probable side effects.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.38
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• pp.6.1-6.8
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• 2016

Background: Intravenous bisphosphonates have been used in metastatic breast cancer patients to reduce pathologic bone fracture and bone pain. However, necrosis of the jaw has been reported in those who received intravenous bisphosphonates. Bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) is caused by dental extraction, dental implant surgery, and denture wearing; however, it occurs spontaneously. The purpose of this study was to report BRONJ in metastatic breast cancer patients. Methods: Consecutive 25 female patients were referred from the Department of Oncology from 2008 to 2014 for jaw bone discomfort. Staging of breast cancer, history of bisphosphonate infusion, etiology of BRONJ, and treatment results were reviewed. Average age of the patients was 55.4 years old (38-74). Twelve maxillae and 16 mandibles were involved. Conservative treatments such as irrigation, antibiotic medication, analgesics, and oral gargle were applied for all patients for the initial treatment. Patients who had sequestrum underwent debridement and primary closure. Results: The etiologies of BRONJ were dental extraction (19 cases), dental implant (2 cases), and endodontic treatment (1 case). However, three patients did not have any risk factors to cause BRONJ. Three patients died of progression of metastasis during follow-up periods. Surgical debridement was performed in 21 patients with success in 18 patients. Three patients showed recurred bone exposure and infection after operation. Conclusions: Prevention of the BRONJ is critical in metastatic breast cancer patients. Conservative treatment to reduce pain, discomfort, and infection is recommended for the initial therapy. However, if there is a sequestrum, surgical debridement and primary closure is the key to treat the BRONJ.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.413-421
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• 2017

Mammography, the basic test for finding and treating increased breast cancer, gives the anxiety of cancer and radiation exposure to most women. In addition, it gave very severe compression pain, so we studied the degree of pain and tried to reduce the pain. The purpose of this study is to compare and analyze the modified imaging technique and the basic imaging technique based on clinical experience, respectively. The subjects of this study were 160 women from 30 to 60 years old who visited to Seoul Boramae Hospital operated by Seoul National University Hospital from February to March 2017 for breast screening. Modified 80 persons and 80 persons were divided into two groups, and each group was asked to fill out questionnaires sequentially without knowing the subjects. The first method is a modified method in which an automatic pedal is divided into four or more presses, a manual pressure is used together, and an attitude is described in detail. Secondly, we used only the automatic pedal compression method and press it within 1-3 times. In the mean of the pain distribution, the experimental group (modified method) was 2.49 and the control group (basic method) had an average of 4.86, which showed 48.8% less pain. In this modified method, the pain scores of the experimental group were lower than those of the control group, and the degree of the pain was statistically significant.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.257-265
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• 1995

Patient-Controlled Analgesia (PCA) has been widely used for postoperative pain relief. Meperidine is useful for PCA and has efficient analgesia, rapid onset, and low incidence of adverse effect. To compare the analgesic effect, total dose and hourly dose, side effect and neonatal status of breast feeding with meperidine via intravenous or epidural PCA for 48 hours after Cesarean Section, 40 parturient women undergoing elective Cesarean Section were randomly divided into two groups. Each respective group of 20 parturient women received meperidine via one of the intravenous PCA after general anesthesia with enflurane (IVPCA group) and the epidural PCA after general anesthesia with enflurane (IVPCA group) and the epidural PCA after epidural block with 2% lidocaine 20ml combined with general anesthesia with only $N_2O$ and $O_2$ (EpiPCA group) when they first complained of pain in recovery room. Following the administration of analgesic initial dose, parturient women of IVPCA group were allowed intravenous meperidine 10 mg every 8 minutes when they felt pain. The EpiPCA group received additional bolus dose of meperidine 2 mg and bupivacaine 0.7 mg were administered every 8 minutes as requested the patients with hourly continuous infusion of meperidine 4 mg and bupivacaine 1.4 mg. Data was collected during the 48 hours observation period including visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores, total meperidine dose, hourly dose during 48 hours and each time interval, incidence of adverse effect, satisfaction, and neonatal status with breast feeding. VAS pain scores of analgesic effect in EpiPCA group was significantly lower than in IVPCA group at 2 hours after the initial pain after Cesarean Section. Total dose and hourly dose of meperidine significantly reduced in EpiPCA group. Hourly dose of meperidine at each time interval significantly reduced during first 6 hours and from 12 hours to 24 hours in EpiPCA group. The side effects in IVPCA group were mainly sedation, nausea, and local irritation of skin. And EpiPCA group experienced numbness and itching. The degree of satisfaction of parturient women was 88.2 % in IVPCA group and 85.7 % in EpiPCA group. We did not observe any sedation, abnormal behavior, or seizure like activity in any neonates of breast feeding. From the above results we conclude that epidural PCA was more efficiently analgesic, less sedative, and consumptional, and safer for neonate than intravenous PCA, and could be an alternative method to intravenous PCA.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.78-82
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• 2021

Pancreatic metastasis from malignant phyllodes tumor (PT) of the breast is rare, and only a few cases have been reported in the literature. Here, we report a case of pancreatic metastasis from malignant PT of the breast in a 48-year-old woman. She had had three episodes of recurrence of malignant PT in her right breast. She presented with epigastric pain for 2 months. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a 6 cm-sized, well-defined, heterogeneous mass with peripheral enhancement in the body of the pancreas. Endoscopic ultrasonography-guided fine-needle aspiration was performed, and the pathologic report suggested spindle cell mesenchymal neoplasm. Subsequently, surgical excision was performed, and the mass was confirmed as a metastatic malignant PT. The imaging findings are discussed and the literature is briefly reviewed in this report.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.145-154
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• 2003

Purpose: The study was to furnish basic raw materials that evaluate the efficacy of meatal care according to the form and the relative importance of symptom distress which most of cancer sufferers have been experienced. For that, an investigation of five diverse major cancer symptom distress made a comparison between symptom distress and degree of suffering. Method: Study subjects were 138 inpatients with stomach cancer, lung cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC), large intestine cancer and breast cancer, except those in the terminal-stage, in 'H' university hospital in Seoul and 'K' center in Ilsan gathered from November 20, 2002 to February 20, 2003. To measure the correlation between feeling of discomfort and agony caused by cancer, 5 point scale (from zero to four), stood on the basis of Symptom Distress Scale (SDS, Rodes & Watson, 1987), was used for this study and the Cronbach's coefficient alpha was 0.95. Accumulated data was analyzed with SPSS 10.0 for window, also used by ANOVA and Duncan's Multiple Range Test. Pearson's Correlation Analysis. Results: 1. Symptom distress of cancer patients was noted and defined in their severity-fatigue, anorexia, pain, depression, dyspepsia, changing appearance and nausea. The degree of symptom distress was fatigue, dyspepsia, depression, anorexia, pain, changing appearance and the degree of suffering was nausea, pain, anorexia, dyspepsia, vomiting, breathing difficulty, changing appearance and fatigue. 2. Examining the difference of degree of symptom distress in each cancer cases, it takes the precedence of them. First, in case of stomach cancer, depression, pain, vomiting and nausea were shown in sequence. In case of lung cancer depression, pain, sleeping problem, anxiety, changing appearance, inattentiveness and vomiting were showed in sequence, depression, changing appearance, sleeping problem, pain in case of HCC, depression, pain in case of large intestine cancer and lastly in case of breast cancer changing appearance, depression, pain and anxiety were shown in sequence. The category of the degree of symptom distress that has a signifiant difference was anorexia, activity discomfort, fatigue, constipation or diarrhea, breathing difficulty, dyspepsia, caughing, fever or chillness, scotoma and urinary disorder. Verifying the highest degree of symptom distress in each cancer cases, anorexia was 1.94(F=4.00, p<.01) in stomach cancer, activity discomfort was 0.97(F=3.08, p<.01) in lung cancer and HCC, fatigue was 2.32(F=4.64, p<.01) in HCC, constipation or diarrhea was 1.83(F=22.31, p<.001) in large intestine cancer, breathing difficulty was 1.83(F=4.00, p<.01) in lung cancer, dyspepsia was 2.69(F=9.98, p<.001) in stomach cancer, coughing was 1.53(F=20.49, p<.001) in lung cancer, fever or chillness was 1.23(F=6.88, p<.001) in lung cancer, scotoma was 1.20(F=3.02, p<.05) in lung cancer and urinary disorder was 1.54(F=11.56, p<.001) in HCC. 3. Examining the difference degree of suffering on cancer cases, the result was as follows; depression of lung cancer was 1.17(F=3.76, p<.01), anorexia of stomach cancer was 1.61(F=3.89, p<.01), constipation or diarrhea of large intestine cancer was 1.42(F=10.43, p<.001), changing appearance of breast cancer was 1.65(F=5.43, p<.001), breathing difficulty of lung cancer was 2.27(F=18.57, p<.001), dyspepsia of stomach cancer was 1.97(F=13.56, p<.001), coughing of lung cancer was 1.70(F=22.07, p<.001), fever or chillness of lung cancer was 1.13(F=4.41, p<.01), scotoma of lung cancer was 0.87(F=3.34, p<.05), anxiety of lung cancer was 0.87(F=4.50, p<.001) and urinary disorder of HCC was 1.43(F=16.71, p<.001). 4. In consequence, comparing between symptom distress and degree of suffering on cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, lung cancer patients showed the highest feeling of discomfort following stomach cancer, HCC, breast cancer and large intestine cancer(F=2.88, p<.05). On those undergoing radiotherapy, lung cancer, HCC, breast cancer, large intestine cancer was in sequence(F=3.78, p<.05) and those resisting radiotherapy, lung cancer, HCC, stomach cancer, large intestine cancer and breast cancer was in sequence(F=2.72, p<.05). 5. Correlation between symptom distress and degree of suffering on cancer patients was generally significant. Conclusion: this study not only defines a significant correlation between symptom distress and degree of suffering but also proffers basic data to evaluate the efficient meatal care depending upon diverse spectrums of symptom distress and degree of suffering.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.11
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• pp.4723-4726
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• 2014

Background: Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in the world and by far the most frequent cancer among women. Objective: The present study was undertaken to assess the awareness of breast cancer warning signs and screening methods among the women of Pokhara valley, Nepal. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was carried out in a community setting with the female population. The questionnaire was administered in face-to-face interviews by trained research assistants. Results: Nepalese women demonstrated poor awareness of warning signs like a breast lump, lump under the armpit, bleeding or discharge from the nipple, pulling of the nipple, changes in the position of the nipple, nipple rash, redness of the breast skin, changes in the size of the breast or nipple, changes in the shape of the breast or nipple, pain in the breast or armpit, and dimpling of the breast skin. While 100% of nurses were aware about breast self-examination(BSE), mammography and warning signs of breast cancer. Levels of knowledge were significantly poorer in women with other occupations. Graduates were more aware about BSE, mammogram and warning signs of breast cancer compared to those with other educational levels. Conclusions: The findings indicated that the level of awareness of breast cancer, including knowledge of warning signs and BSE, is sub-optimal among Nepalese women.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.53-56
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• 2016

Sacroiliac (SI) joint pain can result from degeneration, infection, malignancy, and trauma. Patients with metastatic bone pain who do not respond to conventional treatment may need more aggressive neuroinvasive approaches. Recently, pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) neuromodulation has emerged as a promising treatment alternative for refractory cases of SI joint pain. Nevertheless, there is no report on the treatment of pain arising from SI joint metastases with PRF. We are reporting about a 63-year-old woman suffering from buttock pain due to breast cancer metastases in the SI joint. We treated this patient with PRF neuromodulation of the L4-S3 primary dorsal rami and lateral branches using a rotating curved needle technique. The patient tolerated the procedures well, without any complications. She experienced about 70% reduction in pain, and pain relief was sustained for 10 months. This result suggests that PRF neuromodulation is a safe, effective treatment for pain from SI joint metastases.