• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• 제16권4호
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• pp.271-276
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• 2016

Pregnancy-associated gastric cancer is extremely rare. In many cases, it is diagnosed at an advanced stage because the symptoms during pregnancy are generally overlooked. We report three cases of gastric cancer during pregnancy with various outcomes. The first case included a patient with stage IV gastric cancer who received palliative chemotherapy. This patient had a preterm birth and died 7 months after diagnosis. The second case received neoadjuvant chemotherapy during pregnancy and a total gastrectomy was performed after delivery. She then received adjuvant chemoradiotherapy. This patient developed pulmonary metastasis and died of recurrence 41 months after surgery. In the third case, a distal subtotal gastrectomy was performed at week 14 of pregnancy, with no complications. The patient received adjuvant chemoradiotherapy. She is currently without recurrence 14 months after surgery. In patients with pregnancy-associated gastric cancer, treatment decisions are predominantly influenced by clinical stage and gestational age at diagnosis.

• Perspectives in Nursing Science
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• 제12권2호
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• pp.115-123
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• 2015

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the quality of patient-centered nursing care (PCNC) among women with breast cancer at a cancer center in Seoul, Korea. Methods: In a cross-sectional survey design, 223 women with breast cancer were recruited from the oncology surgery unit. The Korean version of the oncology patients' perceptions of the quality of nursing care scale, which is conceptualized in four sub-dimensions (individualization, proficiency, responsiveness, and coordination) was used for measurement. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and ANOVA. Results: The participants were all women, with a mean age of 51.3 years. The mean score of PCNC was high and significantly different from each other according to age group. Breast cancer women, who had mastectomy, were satisfied highly in terms of proficiency and responsiveness care, but less satisfied with individualization and coordination care than those of other women. Conclusion: The findings of this study show the quality of cancer nursing care, especially focusing on patient-centeredness, can be measured from the patients'perspective. The individualized and coordinated nursing care is considered to be the core of quality cancer care implying patient-centeredness. Based on the findings of this study, more research is necessary to explore the patients' view of quality cancer care and to test the effects of PCNC within the context of comparative effectiveness.

• 대한암한의학회지
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• 제23권2호
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• pp.1-9
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• 2018

Objectives: This study was aimed to report a patient with metastatic pancreatic cancer treated with modified Bangam-tang and Gunchil-dan in conjunction with gemcitabine. There were better survival-related outcomes compared to gemcitabine alone. Methods: The patient with metastatic pancreatic cancer received gemcitabine as palliative chemotherapy since June 2016 concurrent with modified Bangam-tang and Gunchil-dan since October 2016 to October 2017. To evaluate the effect of treatment, tumor markers (carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)), Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) version 1.1, and overall survival were checked. Adverse events were evaluated according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 5.0. Results: After 12 months with the combination treatment, levels of CA19-9 were decreased from 8747 to 265.7 ng/ml and CEA from 42.2 to 6.5 U/ml. Clinical partial response state was shown until May 2, 2017 and stable disease state was maintained from August 4, 2017. In March 2018, the patient got an operation including pancreatectomy and diagnosed with no evidence of disease state in September, 2018. In conclusion, it showed the overall survival of 29 months from June, 2016 to November, 2018. Serious adverse events were not identified. Conclusions: This study suggested that combined treatment with modified Bangam-tang and Gunchil-dan may show better outcome in patient with metastatic pancreatic cancer than gemcitabine alone.

• 대한암한의학회지
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• 제23권2호
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• pp.27-33
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• 2018

Objective: The purpose of this study is to report the therapeutic possibility of a primary peritoneal carcinoma (PPC) patient with Traditional Korean Medicine (TKM). Methods: A 37 years old female patient diagnosed with PPC suffered from operation site pain, neck pain, nausea, headache and fatigue after undergoing operation and chemotherapy (Paclitaxel/Carboplain). The patient was treated with acupuncture, pharmacoacupuncture, moxibution and herbal medicine. Laboratory study and National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (NCI-CTCAE), version 5.0 were used to evaluate the safety and adverse events of treatments. The performance status was measured by Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) scale. Results: After treatments, cancer did not show any progression. Related symptoms such as postoperative pain, nausea, fatigue and quality of life have improved. Conclusion: This case study implies that TKM may have therapeutic possibility in treating PPC patient.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제16권15호
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• pp.6237-6241
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• 2015

Usage of traditional, complementary and alternative medicine (TCAM) has gained popularity over the past few years. However, very little is known about TCAM use among Malaysian cancer patients. This study aimed to identify the determinants of TCAM usage among cancer patients with determination of relationships between demographic factors, patient satisfaction with conventional treatment, knowledge on TCAM and healthcare professional influence. Patient's perceptions towards TCAM were also determined. A simple random convenient sampling method was used to recruit 354 patients from Hospital Kuala Lumpur between February to April 2013. All were directly interviewed with a structured questionnaire. In this study, 172 respondents were TCAM users. There was no significant differences between demographic background of respondents in the usage of TCAM. Minimal correlation was found between patient satisfaction with the conventional treatment and usage of TCAM (r=0.091). A poor correlation was found between healthcare professional's influence and TCAM usage (r=-0.213) but the results suggested that increase in influence would decrease TCAM usage. Patient TCAM knowledge correlated negatively with the TCAM usage (r=-0.555) indicated that cancer patients are less likely to use TCAM when they have more TCAM knowledge. Healthcare professionals should be fully equipped with the necessary TCAM knowledge while maintaining patient satisfaction with the conventional treatment. They should also intervene on patient TCAM usage where a potential drug interaction or a harmful adverse event can occur.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권2호
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• pp.725-729
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• 2014

Background: Having been known as a virulent disease in 1970s, cancer is now onsidered a chronic disease and 64% of cancer patients live for five years after diagnosis. Home care has gradually gained more importance and it is a great burden on the shoulders of caregivers. Caregivers have to undertake the responsibility of the cancer patient's home management, and organize care and arrange health care services according to the ever-changing condition of patients. Caregivers should be prepared for home care so they can provide accurate and complete care to patients. This descriptive study aims to investigate challenges that caregivers encounter in the home care of patients and the reasons for these challenges. Materials and Methods: The research group consisted of caregivers of outpatients in a daily treatment center in a university hospital. The research sampling consisted of 137 voluntary caregivers of patients who attended the Daily Treatment Center for control, chemotherapy or other supportive cares services between January-June, 2011. Data were collected with face-to-face interviews in the Daily Treatment Center. Ethics Committee approval was taken university hospital; caregivers and their patients were informed about the research and their approval was taken as well. Results: It was found that 54.01% of caregivers help patient's nutrition, 50.36% help medicine use, 26.28% help oral hygiene, 26.28% help to meet urinary needs and 51.82% help to change clothes, 69.34% of caregivers help to change bed sheets, 38.69% help the patient to communicate with their environment and 71.53% help to bring the patient to hospital or outside. Conclusions: This study, it was found that caregivers experience challenges due to following factors: patient nutrition, medicine use, oral and body hygiene, colostomy maintenance and stomach tube feeding, concern of dropping the patient, feeling incompetency in body temperature and fever control, fatigue, and lack of personal time.

• 사상체질의학회지
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• 제27권3호
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• pp.326-332
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• 2015

Objectives The quality of life in cancer patients is important. The aim of this study is to report a case which showed symptoms improvement after treatment with modified Galgeunhaegi-tang. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the medical records. The patient's body weight and the circumference of lower extremity were measured and the subjective symptoms such as chest pain were evaluated by the NRS(Numeric Rating Scale). And the frequency of defecation was checked daily. Results The patient had received chemotherapy from March to November 2014 for 8th times. During the chemotherapy, the patient developed symptoms such as weight gain, edema of lower extremity, chest pain, headache, low back pain, and constipation. But additional evaluation and management with western medicine couldn't solve the problem. So he started to take Korean medicine. And he was transferred to our cancer center to keep continuing the treatment. After the treatment, the body weight, the lower extremity circumference and the subjective severity of chest pain, headache, low back pain were all decreased. During hospitalization at our center, the patient didn't suffer from constipation. Conclusions An elderly non-small cell lung cancer patient showed the improvement of symptoms that were continued during chemotherapy. As we can see in this case, Korean medicine can be a solution of the symptoms induced by chemotherapy, if there is no symptom improvement with western medicine.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• 제16권2호
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• pp.111-114
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• 2016

Herein, we report a 39-year-old female patient presenting with gastric cancer and tuberculous peritonitis. The differential diagnosis between advanced gastric cancer with peritoneal carcinomatosis and early gastric cancer with peritoneal tuberculosis (TB), and the treatment of these two diseases, were challenging in this case. Physicians should have a high index of suspicion for peritoneal TB if the patient has a history of this disease, especially in areas with a high incidence of TB, such as South Korea. An early diagnosis is critical for patient management and prognosis. A surgical approach including tissue biopsy or laparoscopic exploration is recommended to confirm the diagnosis.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제14권5호
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• pp.3011-3015
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• 2013

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the expression of B7-H4 in human thyroid cancer and determine any association with patient clinicopathological parameters and survival. Methods: B7-H4 expression in 64 clinical thyroid cancer specimens was assessed with immunohistochemistry. Moreover, B7-H4 mRNA expression in 10 fresh resected specimens were evaluated by the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Immunohistochemical staining of CD3 was performed to assess the number of tumor infiltrating T lymphocytes (TILs) in thyroid cancers. Results: Positive B7-H4 immunohistochemical staining was observed in 61 out of 64 (95.3%) specimens of thyroid cancer tissues. Significantly more B7-H4 mRNA copies were found in thyroid cancer tissue than that adjacent normal tissue. Moreover, B7-H4 expression in human thyroid cancer tissues was significantly correlated with patient TNM stages and extrathyroidal extension (P<0.05), being inversely correlated with the number of TILs (P<0.05). The overall survival rate of the patients with higher B7-H4 expression was significantly worse than that of the patients with lower B7-H4 expression. Conclusions: This present study suggests that high B7-H4 expression is associated with cancer progression, reduced tumor immunosurveillance and worse patient outcomes in human thyroid cancer.

• 사상체질의학회지
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• 제25권1호
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• pp.62-70
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• 2013

Objectives This study reports a case of rectal cancer patient treated with Dokhwaljihwang-tang. Methods The patient's subjective symptoms such as pain, sleeping difficulty, frequent defecation and dysuria were observed and the change of the quality of life(QOL) was evaluated using Functional Assessment of Cancer-Colon (FACT-C). Results After the treatment, symptoms such as pain, sleep disorder, defecation, and urination difficulty ameliorated and the score of the FACT-C improved. Conclusions A rectal cancer patient suffering from adverse consequences from the low anterior resection and the pain induced by the metastases showed the improvement of general condition and the quality of life after treated with Dokhwaljihwang-tang.