• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.221-235
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• 2021

Purpose: The Korean Gastric Cancer Association (KGCA) has been conducting nationwide surveys on patients with surgically treated gastric cancer, every 5 years, since 1995. This study details the results of the survey conducted in 2019. Materials and Methods: This survey was conducted from March to December 2020 using a standardized case report form, which was sent to every member of the KGCA via e-mail. We collected data on 54 items, including patient demographics, tumor characteristics, surgical procedures, and surgical outcomes. We compared the results of the 2019 survey with previous surveys. Results: Data of 14,076 cases were collected from 68 institutions. The mean patient age was 62.9 years and the proportion of patients who were aged ≥71 years increased from 9.1% in 1995 to 28.8% in 2019. The proportion of upper-third tumors steadily increased from 11.2% in 1995 to 20.9% in 2019 and that of early gastric cancer increased from 57.7% in 2009 to 63.6% in 2019. Regarding operative procedures, a total laparoscopic approach was used in more than half of the cases (55.1%) in 2019. The most common anastomotic method was the Billroth II procedure (45.0%) after distal gastrectomy and double tract reconstruction (81.2%) after proximal gastrectomy in 2019. The postoperative mortality rate was 1.0%, and the overall postoperative complication rate was 14.5%. Conclusions: The results of the 2019 nationwide survey demonstrate the current status of gastric cancer treatment in Korea. This information will provide a basis for gastric cancer research in the future.

• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.1-15
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• 2011

Objectives: We describe the development of a smoking and drinking prevention program for adolescents, using intervention mapping. Methods: The study sample consisted of 1,000 high school second-grade students from 6 high schools in Seoul. The PRECEDE model was applied for the needs assessment. We carried out a social diagnosis by assessing the factors such as the quality of life, happiness level, and satisfaction with school life; an epidemiological diagnosis on the perceived health status, stress levels, and priority of health issues; a behavioral diagnosis on the smoking and drinking rate and the intention to smoke and drink; and an educational diagnosis on knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, self-efficacy, outcome expectations, social norms and life skills. Results: The development process included a needs assessment, identifying factors that influence smoking and drinking among adolescents. Intention, knowledge, perceived norms, perceived benefit, perceived cost, perceived susceptibility, self-efficacy, and life skills were identified as determinants. Three performance objectives were formulated to describe what an individual needs to do in order to avoid smoking and drinking. Subsequently, we constructed an intervention matrix by crossing the performance objectives with the selected determinants. Each cell describes the learning objectives of the smoking and drinking prevention program. The program used methods from the transtheoretical model, such as consciousness raising, outcome expectations, self-reevaluation, self-liberation, counterconditioning, environmental reevaluation, and stimulus control. The program deals with the effects of smoking and drinking, self-improvement, decision making, understanding advertisements, communication skills, social relationships, and assertiveness. Conclusions: By using the process of intervention mapping, the program developer was able to ensure a systematical incorporation of empirical and new data and theories to guide the intervention design. Programs targeting other health-related behavior and other methods or strategies can also be developed using this intervention mapping process.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.10
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• pp.6189-6193
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• 2013

In December 2011, the Cancer Research Centre of the Cancer Institute of Iran sponsored a 3-day workshop on "Cancer Registration Principle and Challenges in Iran", which convened cancer registry experts. The objectives of the workshop were: to introduce standard cancer registration, to review the policy and procedure of cancer registration in Iran, and to review the best practices in the cancer registries in Iran. Challenges to cancer registration were discussed and recommendations were developed. The workshop was evaluated by participants for better organization of subsequent workshops. The objective of publication of this report is that based on Cancer in 5 Continents, many low- or middle-income countries do not meet the criteria for a standard population-based cancer registry (PBCR); on the other hand cancer is the most important cause of mortality and the essential part of any cancer control program is the cancer registry. Therefore this report focuses on problems and challenges of PBCR and provides recommendations which might help other developing countries to decrease their PBCR defects.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.2459-2464
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• 2016

Background: Cancer treatments can have long-term physical, psychological, financial, sexual and cognitive effects that may influence the quality of life. These can vary from urban to rural areas, survival period and according to the type of cancer. We here aimed to describe demographics and psychosocial analysis of cancer survivors three to five years post-treatment in rural Australia and also assess relationships with financial stress and quality of life domains. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 65 participants visiting the outpatient oncology clinic were given a self-administered questionnaire. The inclusion criteria included three to five years post-treatment. Three domains were investigated using standardised and validated tools such as the Standard Quality of Life in Adult Cancer Survivors Scale (QLACS) and the Personal and Household Finances (HILDA) survey. Included were demographic parameters, quality of life, treatment information and well-being. Results: There was no evidence of associations between any demographic variable and either financial stress or cancer-specific quality of life domains. Financial stress was however significantly associated with the cancer-specific quality of life domains of appearance-related concerns, family related distress, and distress related to recurrence. Conclusions: This unique study effectively points to psychosocial aspects of cancer survivors in rural regions of Australia. Although the majority of demographic characteristics were not been found to be associated with financial stress, this latter itself is significantly associated with distress related to family and cancer recurrence. This finding may be of assistance in future studies and also considering plans to fulfil unmet needs.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.9
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• pp.4961-4964
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• 2013

Greater use of mobile phone devices seems inevitable because the health industry and cancer care are facing challenges such as resource constraints, rising care costs, the need for immediate access to healthcare data of types such as audio video texts for early detection and treatment of patients and increasing remote aids in telemedicine. Physicians, in order to study the causes of cancer, detect cancer earlier, act in prevention measures, determine the effectiveness of treatment and specify the reasons for the treatment ineffectiveness, need to access accurate, comprehensive and timely cancer data. Mobile devices provide opportunities and can play an important role in consulting, diagnosis, treatment, and quick access to health information. There easy carriage make them perfect tools for healthcare providers in cancer care management. Key factors in cancer care management systems through a mobile phone health approach must be considered such as human resources, confidentiality and privacy, legal and ethical issues, appropriate ICT and provider infrastructure and costs in general aspects and interoperability, human relationships, types of mobile devices and telecommunication related points in specific aspects. The successful implementation of mobile-based systems in cancer care management will constantly face many challenges. Hence, in applying mobile cancer care, involvement of users and considering their needs in all phases of project, providing adequate bandwidth, preparation of standard tools that provide maximum mobility and flexibility for users, decreasing obstacles to interrupt network communications, and using suitable communication protocols are essential. It is obvious that identifying and reducing barriers and strengthening the positive points will have a significant role in appropriate planning and promoting the achievements of mobile cancer care systems. The aim of this article is to explain key points which should be considered in designing appropriate mobile health systems in cancer care as an approach for improving cancer care management.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.2267-2272
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• 2014

Background: Cancer is one of the most common causes of death in Turkey. Nurses are essential providers of preventive care for patients, especially breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening as part of routine preventive practice. The aim of this study was to assess knowledge of these cancers among nurses in Karabuk State Hospital. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional and descriptive study was performed from April 1 to July 30, 2013. The study sample consisted of 226 nurses working in Karabuk State Hospital. Results: Mean age of the nurses was $32.07{\pm}8.39$. 62.4% of nurses practiced breast self examination when they remembered it, while 39.8% of them did not take a Pap smear test since they did not think it was necessary. 64.2% of nurses would like to receive information about cancer and screening tests. Majority of them had given true answers to questions on breast, cervical and colorectal cancer. There were significant relationships between cancer knowledge scores and marital status, working experience, and level of education. Conclusions: Nurses possess adequate knowledge about breast cancer but they need more information on cancer risk estimation. Awareness may be raised in nurses by establishing continuing education programs regarding the risk factors, symptoms, protection methods, early diagnosis, and scanning of breast, cervix and colon cancers.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.2751-2755
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• 2016

Background: Melanoma, the most life-threatening type of skin cancer, is a malignant tumor initiating in melanocytes that rapidly metastasizes and causes death. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study, samples were selected from patients' information files in our Cancer Institute in Tehran with a designed checklist. A total of 322 files were found from 2003 until 2012. Then the raw data were transferred to Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 16 and additional analysis was performed by Students t-test. The important variables were considered according to the available information from history of pathology including age, gender, occupation, stage and location of tumor. Results: Our data showed that incidence of melanoma has been different in the studied 10-year period according to age. Also, incidence of melanoma was higher in men than women. It was more common in lower limbs. More commonly housewives among women and farmers among men were affected by melanoma. Conclusions: Taken together the descriptive data clarified general aspects of this disease for further screening and interventions.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.17-23
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to develop a cancer rehabilitation program for cancer survivors in the form of a smartphone application and to confirm the effectiveness through Pilot study. The contents of the application consisted of health records, lab-test records, and health information, and the information recorded by the patient was graphically checked for changes over time on my page. 7 subjects who ended acute treatment and were undergoing follow-up were asked to use the application for 4 weeks, and then changes in variables (uncertainty, e-health literacy, self-efficacy, and cancer rehabilitation) were confirmed. It was confirmed that e-health literacy and self-efficiency increased significantly over time after using the application. In addition, the level of cancer rehabilitation was found to increase significantly over time. The application for cancer rehabilitation developed in this study needs to be expanded to improve the quality of life of cancer survivors.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.2883-2888
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• 2016

Background: Breast cancer (BC) is a serious lifestyle disease. There are several prognostic biomarkers like nuclear receptors whose over-expression is associated with BC characteristics. These biomarkers can be blocked by compounds with anti-cancer potential but selection must be made on the basis of no adverse side effects. This study is focused on finding of compounds from a plant source garlic. Materials and Methods: Twenty compounds from garlic and five targets considered involved in BC were retrieved from Pubchem database and Protein Data Bank respectively. They were docked using Accelrys Discovery Studio (DS) 4.0. The compounds which showed interaction were checked for drug likeliness. Results: Docking studies and ADMET evaluation revealed twelve compounds to be active against the targets. All the compounds displayed highly negative dock scores which indicated good interactions. Conclusions: The results of this study should help researchers and scientists in the pharmaceutical field to identify drugs based on garlic.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.1557-1561
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• 2014

Background: Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women and estimating its relative risks and trends of incidence at the area-level is helpful for health policy makers. However, traditional methods of estimation which do not take spatial heterogeneity into account suffer from drawbacks and their results may be misleading, as the estimated maps of incidence vary dramatically in neighboring areas. Spatial methods have been proposed to overcome drawbacks of traditional methods by including spatial sources of variation in the model to produce smoother maps. Materials and Methods: In this study we analyzed the breast cancer data in Iran during 2004-2008. We used a method proposed to cover spatial and temporal effects simultaneously and their interactions to study trends of breast cancer incidence in Iran. Results: The results agree with previous studies but provide new information about two main issues regarding the trend of breast cancer in provinces of Iran. First, this model discovered provinces with high relative risks of breast cancer during the 5 years of the study. Second, new information was provided with respect to overall trend trends o. East-Azerbaijan, Golestan, North-Khorasan, and Khorasan-Razavi had the highest increases in rates of breast cancer incidence whilst Tehran, Isfahan, and Yazd had the highest incidence rates during 2004-2008. Conclusions: Using spatial methods can provide more accurate and detailed information about the incidence or prevalence of a disease. These models can specify provinces with different health priorities in terms of needs for therapy and drugs or demands for efficient education, screening, and preventive policy into action.