• Journal of Digestive Cancer Research
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.5-7
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• 2019

Pancreatic cancer is a lethal disease since curative resection is available in only 20% of patients at the initial diagnosis. Even after radical resection of the cancer, most patients experience recurrence. Therefore, many clinical trials have been attempted to prevent recurrence of pancreatic cancer. The key clinical studies about adjuvant therapy of pancreatic cancer and currently available regimens in Korea will be reviewed concisely according to the chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or both.

• The Journal of the Korean bone and joint tumor society
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.47-53
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• 2014

Purpose: We analyzed the diagnosis and the treatment outcomes of patients with central low grade osteosarcoma. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 16 patients with central low grade osteosarcoma were treated at out institution between 1994 and 2011. Results: There were 4 men and 12 women with mean age of 26 years. Eleven patients were correctly diagnosed but 5 patients were misdiagnosed as osteoid osteoma, non ossifying fibroma, aneurysmal bone cyst, desmoplastic fibroma. 15 patients finally received wide margin en bloc excision and one of them treated under neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Final survival status was continuous disease free in 14 and 1 patient died of renal cell cancer. Remaining 1 with multifocal lesions is alive with disease for 7 years only treated radiation therapy on residual tumors. Nine (56%) of 16 tumors showed extra-osseous extension of tumor (56%) and 1 of them showed extra-compartmental tumors. Conclusion: The diagnosis of central low grade osteosarcoma is challenging, however, considering of the clinical suspicion, the typical findings of radiologic and pathologic features, proper diagnosis is needed. This tumor should be treated with wide excision, even after an intralesional excision, to avoid local recurrence or transformation to higher histologic grade.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.147-155
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• 2012

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people comprise about 2.5% of the Australian population. Cancer registry data indicate that their breast cancer survivals are lower than for other women but the completeness and accuracy of Indigenous descriptors on registries are uncertain. We followed women receiving mammography screening in BreastScreen to determine differences in screening experiences and survivals from breast cancer by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status, as recorded by BreastScreen. This status is self-reported and used in BreastScreen accreditation, and is considered to be more accurate. The study included breast cancers diagnosed during the period of screening and after leaving the screening program. Design: Least square regression models were used to compare screening experiences and outcomes adjusted for age, geographic remoteness, socio-economic disadvantage, screening period and round during 1996-2005. Survival of breast cancer patients from all causes and from breast cancer specifically was compared for the 1991-2006 diagnostic period using linked cancer-registry data. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to adjust for socio-demographic differences, screening period, and where available, tumour size, nodal status and proximity of diagnosis to time of screen. Results: After adjustment for socio-demographic differences and screening period, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women participated less frequently than other women in screening and re-screening although this difference appeared to be diminishing; were less likely to attend post-screening assessment within the recommended 28 days if recalled for assessment; had an elevated ductal carcinoma in situ but not invasive cancer detection rate; had larger breast cancers; and were more likely than other women to be treated by mastectomy than complete local excision. Linked cancer registry data indicated that five-year year survivals of breast cancer cases from all causes of death were 81% for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, compared with 90% for other women, and that the former had larger breast cancers that were more likely to have nodal spread at diagnosis. After adjusting for socio-demographic factors, tumour size, nodal spread and time from last screen to diagnosis, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women had approximately twice the risk of death from breast cancer as other women. Conclusions: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have less favourable screening experiences and those diagnosed with breast cancer (either during the screening period or after leaving the screening program) have lower survivals that persist after adjustment for socio-demographic differences, tumour size and nodal status.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.218-221
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• 2015

Gastric metastasis from ovarian carcinoma is extremely rare and the prognosis for patients is poor. We report a case of multimodal treatment improving the survival time of a patient with gastric metastasis from ovarian cancer. A 73-year-old woman with known serous ovarian cancer was admitted to the hospital due to epigastric pain and dyspepsia. On esophagogastroduodenoscopy, a protruding mass was noted at the gastric antrum. She underwent distal gastrectomy with Billroth I anastomosis and lymph node dissection, including the para-aortic lymph nodes. The final pathology revealed gastric metastasis from ovarian serous adenocarcinoma. In this case, after cytoreductive surgery, chemotherapy was performed each time a recurrence was diagnosed, and remission was accomplished. She survived for 108 months after the first diagnosis of the metastatic tumor in the stomach. Multimodal treatment of metastatic lesions since the first diagnosis allowed the patient to survive longer than those in previous reports.

• 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.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.34-38
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• 2002

Positron emission tomography(PET) is an imaging method that employs radionuclide and tomography techniques. Since 1995, we applied PET not only to the diagnosis of breast cancer but also to the detection of abnormalities in the augmented breast and to the detection of metastasis. Until 2001, we evaluated 242 breast cases by PET at PET center of Seoul National University Hospital. Our group has reported serially at the international journals. In the first report, PET showed high sensitivity for detecting breast cancer, both the primary and axillary node metastasis. A total of 27 patients underwent breast operations based on PET results at Seoul National University Hospital from 1995 to 1996. The diagnostic accuracy of PET were 97% for the primary tumor mass and 96% for axillary lymph node metastasis. In case of the breast augmented, PET also showed excellent diagnostic results for primary breast cancer and axillary lymph node metastasis where mammography and ultrasound could not diagnose properly. PET also had outstanding results in the detection of recurrent or metastatic breast cancer(sensitivity 94%, specificity 80%, accuracy 89%). In addition, our study gave some evidence that PET could be applied further to evaluate the growth rate of tumors by measuring SUV, and finally to prognosticated the disease. PET could also be applied to evaluate the response after chemotherapy to measure its metabolic rate and size. In conclsion, PET is a highly sensitive, accurate diagnostic tool for breast cancer of primary lesion in various conditions including metastasis.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.1579-1582
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• 2012

Objective: To assess differences in serum proteins in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients. Methods: 144 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients and 50 healthy volunteers were included in this study, with surface-enhanced laser desorption-ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry and weak cation exchange magnetic beads. Follow-up allowed the relations between serum proteins and prognosis to be analyzed. Results: A total of 93 protein peaks were detected (molecular weight range: 1500-30000), 10 demonstrating statistically significant differences. There were no differences in protein peaks between 92 patients with a survival more than 2 years and 52 patients with survival less than 2 years. There were two significantly different protein peaks between 45 stage II patients with a survival more than 2 years and 14 stage II patients with survival less than 2 years. There was one significantly different protein peak between 22 stage III patients with a survival more than 2 years and 29 stage III patients with survival less than 2 years. Conclusion: Differences of serum proteins in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma are related to prognosis of patients. The protein fingerprint can be helpful for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.119-127
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• 2005

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe the degree of perceived health status, depression and quality of life(QOL) and to examine the relationships among these factors in breast cancer survivors. Methods: The subjects were 105 women with mastectomy after breast cancer diagnosis who were in the out-patient department of surgery at SNUH in Seoul. Data was collected using self-report instruments. The instruments included 1-item for perceived health status, Chae and Choe's QOL scale for Korean breast cancer survivors, and Beck Depression Inventory(BDI) as well as socio-demographic and medical information. Data were analyzed with SPSS WIN 10.0 program. Results: The levels of perceived health status and QOL were moderate. Mild depression was found on the BDI. QOL and depression showed a negative correlation(r= -.598), whereas QOL and perceived health status was correlated positively(r=.370). Depression, perceived health status, and time since diagnosis accounted for 47.4% of variance of the QOL. Depression was the most significant predictor of QOL in breast cancer survivors. Conclusion: Breast cancer survivors may experience depression and alteration in QOL. Future nursing research should be directed toward the implementation and evaluation of interventions that promote QOL and decrease depression in breast cancer survivors.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.8
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• pp.4723-4725
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• 2013

Background: Bladder cancer is a major health problem, especially among men. Opium addiction can be an important risk factor. One important question is whether it can affect the age of onset of bladder cancer. We performed this study to evaluate this question. Materials and Methods: In a cross-section study, records of patients diagnosed with bladder carcinoma in Shahid Labbafinejad Medical Center, within 1999-2008 were included. Data were extracted from records regarding age at onset, gender, smoking status, and opioid addiction and analyzed with SPSS 13. Results: Within 10 years, 920 cases were diagnosed with bladder cancer of which 97 percent were transitional cell carcinoma. In 698 cases, opium addiction status was recorded in 21.3% (n=149). Age at diagnosis was $59.7{\pm}11.51$ (median: 60) among opioid addicts which was significantly lower than nonaddicts ($63.1{\pm}13.65$, Median: 65) (P<0.001). Conclusions: Opium addiction can decrease the age of onset of bladder cancer.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.3-13
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• 2007

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship of fatigue and functional status in patients with cancer. Method: The data were collected from August, 15 to October, 10, 2005. The subjects were recruited from three university hospitals and two general hospitals in B, U, and S cities in Korea. Fatigue was measured using the Fatigue Scale for Cancer Patients, and Functional Status was measured using the Karnofsky Performance Status Index. Result: 1) The mean score of fatigue was $79.72{\pm}21.25$(range: 26-130), and the mean score of functional status was $79.33{\pm}13.02$. 2) There were significant differences in the scores of fatigue by sex, age, marital status, employment, major care-giver, pain, and period after diagnosis. 3) There were significant differences in the scores of functional status by employment, major care-giver, pain, stage of cancer, period after diagnosis, and type of cancer. 4) There was a significant negative correlation between fatigue and functional status (r= -.472, p= .000). Conclusion: Increase in fatigue was associated with decrease in functional status in patients with cancer. Nurses must assess fatigue and functional status when caring for the cancer patients, and provide nursing intervention to relieve fatigue and to improve functional status.