• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.545-552
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• 2012

This study evaluated the validity and reliability of applying a newly developed dish-based, semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for Korean diet and cancer research. The subjects in the present study were 288 Korean adults over 30 years of age who had completed two FFQs and four 3-day diet records (DRs) from May 2008 to February 2009. Student's t-tests, Chi-square tests, and Spearman's rank correlation coefficients were used to estimate and compare intakes from different dietary assessment tools. Agreement in quintiles was calculated to validate agreement between the results of the second FFQ (FFQ-2) conducted in February 2009 and the DRs. Median Spearman's correlation coefficients between the intake of nutrients and foods assessed by the FFQ-1 and FFQ-2 were 0.59 and 0.57, respectively, and the coefficients between the intake of nutrients and foods assessed by the FFQ-2 and the DRs were 0.31 and 0.29, respectively. The quintile classifications of same or adjacent quintile for intake of nutrients and foods were 64% and 65%, respectively. Misclassification into opposite quintiles occurred in less than 5% for all dietary factors. Thus this newly-developed, Korean dish-based FFQ demonstrated moderate correspondence with the four 3-day DRs. Its reliability and validity are comparable to those reported in other studies.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.15
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• pp.6059-6064
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• 2014

Background: Colorectal cancer is the second most frequent cancer in Malaysia. Nevertheless, there is little information on treatment and outcomes nationally. We aimed to determine the demographic, clinical and treatment characteristics of colorectal cancer patients treated at the University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) as part of a larger project on survival and quality of life outcomes. Materials and Methods: Medical records of 1,212 patients undergoing treatment in UMMC between January 2001 and December 2010 were reviewed. A retrospective-prospective cohort study design was used. Research tools included the National Cancer Patient Registration form. Statistical analysis included means, standard deviations (SD), proportions, chi square, t-test/ANOVA. P-value significance was set at 0.05. Results: The male: female ratio was 1.2:1. The mean age was 62.1 (SD12.4) years. Patients were predominantly Chinese (67%), then Malays (18%), Indians (13%) and others (2%). Malays were younger than Chinese and Indians (mean age 57 versus 62 versus 62 years, p<0.001). More females (56%) had colon cancers compared to males (44%) (p=0.022). Malays (57%) had more rectal cancer compared to Chinese (45%) and Indians (49%) (p=0.004). Dukes' stage data weres available in 67%, with Dukes' C and D accounting for 64%. Stage was not affected by age, gender, ethnicity or tumor site. Treatment modalities included surgery alone (40%), surgery and chemo/radiotherapy 32%, chemo and radiotherapy (8%) and others (20%). Conclusions: Significant ethnic differences in age and site distribution, if verified in population-based settings, would support implementation of preventive measures targeting those with the greatest need, at the right age.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.3265-3269
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• 2016

Background: Around half of input data in the global burden of disease cancer collaboration (GBD-CC) and GLOBOCAN projects come from low quality sources, mainly from developing countries. This may lead to loss of precision in estimates. Our question was: Are the absolute values and trends of the GBD-CC and GLOBOCAN estimates for lung cancer (LC) in Iran consistent with available statistics?. Materials and Methods: Incidence and mortality statistics were extracted from national reports (N.IRs & N.MRs) and GBD-CC (GBD-incidence & mortality) and GLOBOCAN databases for 1990-2013 where available. Trends were analyzed and absolute values and annual percentage changes (APCs) were estimated and compared. Incompleteness of case ascertainment at the Iranian national cancer registry and Iranian national civil registration was assessed for better understanding. Results: Trends of N.IRs were significantly rising for males (APC: 19.4; 95% CI: 12.5-26.7) and females (23.2; 16.0-30.8). Trends of GBD-incidence were stable for males (-0.2; -1.5-1.1) and females (-1.0; -2.3-0.4). Absolute N.IRs were less than GBD-incidence steadily except for 2009. Trend of N.MRs was increasing up to 2004, but stable thereafter. Trends of GBD-mortality were also stable. Absolute N.MRs were less than GBD-mortality for years up to 2003 and more than GBD-mortality since 2005. The estimates of GLOBOCAN were more than N.IRs and N.MRs. Conclusions: The GBD-CC and GLOBOCAN values for LC in Iran are underestimates. Generation of data quality indices to present along with country specific estimates is highly recommended.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.2695-2698
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• 2012

Introduction: Design and implementation of screening programs in each country must be based on epidemiological data. Despite the relatively high incidence of CRC, there is no nationwide comprehensive program for screening in Iran. This study was designed to investigate national CRC data and help to determine guidelines for screening. Methods: Incidence data used in this study were obtained from Iranian annual of National Cancer Registration report. Age standardized rates (ASR)were calculated using world standard population and were categorized by age, sex, anatomic subsite and morphology of tumor. Data were analyzed using SPSS.V.13 and Open Source Epidemiologic Statistics for Public Health software (OpenEpi v.2.3.1). Results: A quarter of cases were less than 50 years of age. The majority of tumors were detected in the colon. The overall ASR in the four years period was 38.0 per 100000 and was higher for men compared women (P<0.05). Incidence rate of colorectal cancer increased with age. Conclusion: Results of present study indicated that incidence of colorectal cancer is relatively high in Iran. Incidence of CRC in people under 50 years and in rectum were reported higher than other countries that related etiologic factors should be investigate in further studies. According to the increasing of ASR after age 50 years, it seems that onset of screening at age 50 would be appropriate.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.15
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• pp.6327-6332
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• 2014

National cancer registration reports provide a huge potential for identifying patterns and trends of important policy, research, prevention and treatment significance. As summary reports written on an annual basis, the China Cancer Registry Annual Reports (CCRARs) fall short from fully addressing their potential. This paper attempts to explore part of the patterns and trends hidden behind published CCRARs. It extracted data for cancer incidence rates (IRs) and mortality rates (MRs) for 2004, 2006 and 2009 from relevant CCRARs and portrayed 4 kinds of indicators in line graphs. The study showed that: a) all of the line graphs of age-specific IRs and MRs characterized typical "growth curves or histogram"; b) graphs of IRs and MRs for males and urban areas had higher peaks than that for females and rural regions; c) most of the line graphs of IR/MR ratios comprised a starting peak, a secondary peak and a decreasing tail and the secondary peaks for females and urban areas were higher than those for males and rural areas; d) most of the urban versus rural IR ratios valued above one, but most the urban versus rural MR ratios, below one; e) the accumulative IRs and MRs showed a stable increasing trend from 2004 to 2009 for urban areas, but mixed for rural regions.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.8
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• pp.4591-4594
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• 2013

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among Malaysian women. Other than hospital-based results, there are no documented population-based survival rates of Malaysian women for breast cancers. This populationbased retrospective cohort study was therefore conducted. Data were obtained from Health Informatics Centre, Ministry of Health Malaysia, National Cancer Registry and National Registration Department for the period from $1^{st}$ January 2000 to $31^{st}$ December 2005. Cases were captured by ICD-10 and linked to death certificates to identify the status. Only complete data were analysed. Survival time was calculated from the estimated date of diagnosis to the date of death or date of loss to follow-up. Observed survival rates were estimated by Kaplan-Meier method using SPSS Statistical Software version 17. A total of 10,230 complete data sets were analysed. The mean age at diagnosis was 50.6 years old. The overall 5-year survival rate was 49% with median survival time of 68.1 months. Indian women had a higher survival rate of 54% compared to Chinese women (49%) and Malays (45%). The overall 5-year survival rate of breast cancer patient among Malaysian women was still low for the cohort of 2000 to 2005 as compared to survival rates in developed nations. Therefore, it is necessary to enhance the strategies for early detection and intervention.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.19
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• pp.8455-8460
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• 2014

Background: The National Central Cancer Registry of China (NCCR) affiliated to the Bureau of Disease Control, National Health and Family Planning Commission of China is responsible for cancer surveillance in the entire country. Cancer registration data from each local registry located in each province are collected by NCCR annually to be analyzed and published to provide useful information for policy makers and cancer researchers. Materials and Methods: Until 1st June, 2013, 219 population-based cancer registries submitted data of 2010 to the National Central Cancer Registry of China covering about 207,229,403 population, and 145 cancer registries were selected after quality evaluation for this study. Colorectal cancer cases were selected from the database according to ICD-10 coded as "C18-C20". We calculated the crude incidence and mortality rates by sex, age groups and location (urban/rural). The China population in 2000 and Segi's population were used as standardized populations for the calculation of age-standardized rates. The 6th National Population Census data of China was used to combined with the cancer registries' data to estimate the colorectal cancer burden in China in 2010. Results: Colorectal cancer was the sixth most common cancer in China. It was estimated that there were 274,841 new cases diagnosed in 2010 (157,355 in males and 117,486 in females), with the crude incidence rate of 20.1/100,000, highest in males in urban areas. Age-standardized rates by China standard population of 2000 (ASRcn) and World standard population (Segi's population, ASRwld) for incidence were 16.1/100,000 and 15.9/100,000 respectively. There were 132,110 cases estimated to have died from colorectal cancer in China in 2010 (76,646 men and 55,464 women) with the crude mortality rate of 10.1/100,000. The ASRcn and ASRwld for mortality were 7.55/100,000 and 7.44/100,000 respectively, higher in males and urban areas than in females and rural areas. The incidence and mortality rates increased with age, reaching peaksin the 80-84 year old, and oldest age groups, respectively. Conclusions: Colorectal cancer is one of the most common incident cancers and cause of cancer death in China. Primary and secondary prevention, with attention to a health lifestyle, physical activity and screening should be enhanced in the general population.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.81-87
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• 2012

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to assess the association between the pre-operative plasma fibrinogen level and the adjacent organ involvement in advanced gastric cancer. Materials and Methods: A total of 923 pre-operative plasma samples were obtained from 923 patients diagnosed clinically as having advanced gastric cancer, and fibrinogen levels were measured by immunoassay. Associations between fibrinogen levels and clinicopathologic findings (depth of tumor, adjacent organ involvement, and lymph node metastasis), along with survival were examined by univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: Tumor size, tumor depth, and the presence of lymph node metastasis were found to be positively correlated with the preoperative plasma fibrinogen levels (P<0.001). Fifty (5.4%) patients had adjacent organ involvement. Lymphatic invasion (P<0.001), tumor size (P<0.001), clinical T (depth of invasion) stage (P<0.001), and clinical nodal stage (P=0.018) were found to be associated with adjacent organ involvement. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses showed that a preoperatively elevated plasma fibrinogen level was associated with adjacent organ involvement (P<0.001, 0.028), and Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that it was associated with poorer survival (P<0.001). Conclusions: Plasma fibrinogen was found to be a clinically useful marker of adjacent organ involvement and overall survival. When a high fibrinogen level is encountered, preoperatively, adjacent organ involvement should be suspected in clinically advanced gastric cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.16
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• pp.7295-7302
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• 2015

Background: Lung cancer has been a major health problem in developed countries for several decades, and has emerged recently as the leading cause of cancer death in many developing countries. The incidence of lung cancer appears to be increasing more rapidly in rural than in urban areas of China. This paper presents the trends of lung cancer incidence and survival derived from a 40-year population-based cancer monitoring program in a rural area, Qidong, China. Materials and Methods: The Qidong cancer registration data of 1972-2011 were used to calculate the crude rate, age-standardized rate by Chinese population (CASR) and by world population (WASR), birth cohort rates, and other descriptive features. Active and passive methods were used to construct the data set, with a deadline of the latest follow-up of April 30, 2012. Results: The total number of lung cancer cases was 15,340, accounting for 16.5% of all sites combined. The crude incidence rate, CASR and WASR of this cancer were 34.1, 15.7 and 25.4 per 100,000, respectively. Males had higher crude rates than females (49.7 vs 19.0). Rapidly increasing trends were found in annual percent change resulting in lung cancer being a number one cancer site after year 2010 in Qidong. Birth cohort analysis showed incidence rates have increased for all age groups over 24 years old. The 5 year observed survival rates were 3.55% in 1973-1977, 3.92 in 1983-1987, 3.69% in 1993-1997, and 6.32% in 2003-2007. Males experienced poorer survival than did females. Conclusions: Lung cancer has become a major cancer-related health problem in this rural area. The rapid increases in incidence likely result from an increased cigarette smoking rate and evolving environmental risk factors. Lung cancer survival, while showing some improvement in prognosis, still remains well below that observed in the developed areas of the world.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.15
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• pp.6795-6798
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• 2015

Breast cancer incidence and mortality in Kazakhstan are considered to be increasing but exact statistics have hitherto been lacking. The present study was therefore undertaken to retrospectively assess data for the whole country, accessed from the central registration office, for the period 1999-2013. Age standardized data for incidence and mortality were generated and compared across age groups. It was determined that during the studied period 45,891 new cases of breast cancer were registered and 20,122 women died of this pathology. Average breast cancer incidence and mortality were $37.9{\pm}1.10/10^5$ and $16.7{\pm}0.20/10^5$ respectively, and the overall ratio of mortality/incidence (M/I) was 0.44. Incidence tended to increase (T = + 2.3%), and mortality to decrease (T of =-0.3%). Peaks of incidence and mortality were noted in those aged 60-74 years and 75-84, respectively. Particularly high incidences were established in large cities of Kazakhstan, Astana ($46.8{\pm}1.80/10^5$) and Almaty ($49.7{\pm}1.30/10^5$), and high mortality was observed in the Pavlodar region ($17.9{\pm}0.60/10^5$) and Almaty city ($20.1{\pm}0.40/10^5$). Considerable variation in the mortality/incidence ratio was noted, suggesting the need for more stress on access to screening and clinical care in some regions of the country.