• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.16
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• pp.6929-6934
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• 2014

Background: To analyze the mortality distribution of esophageal cancer in China from 1991 to 2012, to forecast the mortality in the future five years, and to provide evidence for prevention and treatment of esophageal cancer. Materials and Methods: Mortality data for esophageal cancer in China from 1991 to 2012 were used to describe its epidemiological characteristics, such as the change of the standardized mortality rate, urban-rural differences, sex and age differences. Trend-surface analysis was used to study the geographical distribution of the mortality. Curve estimation, time series, gray modeling, and joinpoint regression were used to predict the mortality for the next five years in the future. Results: In China, the incidence rate of esophageal cancer from 2007 and the mortality rate of esophageal cancer from 2008 increased yearly, with males at $8.72/10^5$ being higher than females, and the countryside at $15.5/10^5$ being higher than in the city. The mortality rate increased from age 45. Geographical analysis showed the mortality rate increased from southern to eastern China, and from northeast to central China. Conclusions: The incidence rate and the standardized mortality rate of esophageal cancer are rising. The regional disease control for esophageal cancer should be focused on eastern, central and northern regions China, and the key targets for prevention and treatment are rural men more than 45 years old. The mortality of esophageal cancer will rise in the next five years.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.8
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• pp.3325-3331
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• 2015

Pim kinase-3(Pim-3), a member of serine/threonine protein kinases, has been implicated in multiple human cancers and involved in Myc-induced tumorigenesis. However, little is known regarding its expression and biological function in human ovarian cancer. In this study we showed that the clinical significance and biological functions of Pim-3 in ovarian cancer and found that higher Pim-3 mRNA level are detected in ovarian cancer tissues than those in normal ovarian tissues. There are significant correlations between higher Pim-3 expression levels with the FIGO stage, histopathological subtypes, and distant metastasis in ovarian cancer patients. Lentivirus-mediated gene overexpression of Pim-3 significantly promotes the proliferation and migration of SKOV3 cell lines. Furthermore, MACC1 and Pim-3 expression were significantly correlated in human ovarian cancer cells, and overexpression of Pim-3 in ovary cancer cells increased MACC1 mRNA and protein expression. The data indicate that Pim-3 acts as a putative oncogene in ovary cancer and could be a viable diagnostic and therapeutic target for ovarian cancer.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.285-299
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• 2020

Purpose: This systematic review aims to identify factors associated with risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO), including the uptake rate and decision timing, among women at high risk for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC). Methods: We found 4,935 relevant studies using MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and PsycINFO on July 6, 2020. Two authors screened the articles and extracted data. Twenty-four studies met the inclusion criteria. Quality assessment of articles was conducted using the Risk of Bias for Nonrandomized Studies tool. Results: Five types of factors were identified (demographic factors, clinical factors, family history of cancer, psychological factors, and objective cancer risk). The specific significant factors were older age, having child(ren), being a BRCA1/2 carrier, mastectomy history, perceived risk for ovarian cancer, and perceived advantages of RRSO, whereas objective cancer risk was not significant. The uptake rate of RRSO was 23.4% to 87.2% (mean, 45.2%) among high-risk women for HBOC. The mean time to decide whether to undergo RRSO after BRCA testing was 4 to 34 months. Conclusion: RRSO decisions are affected by demographic, clinical, and psychological factors, rather than objective cancer risk. Nonetheless, women seeking RRSO should be offered information about objective cancer risk. Even though decision-making for RRSO is a complex and multifaceted process, the psychosocial factors that may influence decisions have not been comprehensively examined, including family attitudes toward RRSO, cultural norms, social values, and health care providers' attitudes.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.20
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• pp.8905-8910
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• 2014

Background: Coverage of cervical pap smear test in Nepal is below general global values. One of the reasons may be that cervical cancer prevention policy of Nepal has 'Visual Inspection of Cervix with Acetic Acid' as the only screening tool. The focus of present study was to find out association of demographic factors, knowledge and attitude regarding cervical Pap smear test with its practice by women in Nepal. Materials and Methods: This cross sectional analytical observational study was conducted between February 1, 2013 and April 30, 2013. Participants were interviewed with the help of a structured questionnaire. Chi square and multivariate logistic regression tests were used to detect associations of variables with pap smear practice. Results: Chi square test showed that practice was significantly associated with knowledge about pap smear test and cervical cancer, having favourable attitude towards the test, urban residency and 36-50 years age-group. Pap smear utilization was not associated with age-at-marriage, parity and age-at-first-child-birth. Multivariate logistic regression showed favorable attitude towards pap smear test as the only variable which significantly influenced pap smear practice (p= 0.006, OR: 2.4). Conclusions: Pap smear coverage has been found to be 15.7% which is lower than global average and that for developing countries. Health education programs which are effective not only in increasing knowledge about cervical cancer and pap smear test but also effective in positively changing attitude towards the test should be organized to increase pap smear coverage.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.405-434
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• 2005

This study has been performed to analyze the experience of parents who had led a parents-group of children with cancer. For this study, fifteen participants were selected for an in-depth interview and the personal experiences of each participant had been interviewed in person until data were saturated. This study employed the grounded theory approach of Strauss and Corbin(1998). With the qualitative constant comparative analysis, ninty four concepts, twenty six subcategories, and seventeen categories were generated. In the axial coding, a paradigm model was proposed as follows: The central phenomenon of the leaders' experiences was that they had been 'Pushed Back' to lead the groups. The causal conditions were 'A Sense of Solidarity', 'Regaining Self-possession', and 'Feeling a Necessity of Parents Group'. The contextual conditions were 'Want to Help', 'A Sense of Mission', and 'Discontent with the Cure Environment'. The intervening conditions were 'Self-reflection of Leadership', 'Reaction of Their Own Family', 'Hope to Have an Expanded Group'. The action/interaction strategies were 'Assuming All Field Work', 'Accumulation of Experiences', 'Recognition of a Role Scope'. The consequences were 'Being Comforted', 'Positive Self-awareness', 'a Sense of Worthiness', and 'Desire to Quit'. In the selective coding, the core category was 'Pushed to Lead a Group'. Based on the core category, four types and five stages in the leaders' experiences were identified. The types include 'a Devoted Family Type', 'a Volunteer Type', 'a Role Model Type', and 'a Activist Type': the stages consist of 'Stage of Maintain Identity as a parent of a child with cancer', 'Stage of Questioning', 'Stage of Active Participation', 'Stage of Experience Accumulation', and 'Stage of Progressive Change'. The result of this study presents some implications and suggestions for social work services and theories with respect to the self-help group of pediatric cancer by attempting to understand more about the experiences of leaders' in such groups.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.49-57
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• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how adolescent survivors of childhood cancer grieve the death of cancer peers. Methods: Data were obtained from Korean adolescents with cancer between the ages of 13 and 18 (N=12) through semi-structured interviews (face-to-face, telephone, and Internet chatting), observations of the social dynamics of participants in self-help groups, and retrieval of personal Web journals. Based on the grounded theory methodology, data collection and analysis were conducted simultaneously, and constant comparative methods were used. Clarke's situational analysis was adopted, and this paper focused on presenting "how to" and "what we can learn" from this analytic strategy. Results: Mapping examples were visualized using of three modes of maps. Adolescent cancer survivors coped with reminders of the "darkness" that ultimately featured their overall grief. Additionally, adolescents' encounters and avoidance of grief were triggered by introspection and interactions with family and friends. Conclusion: Situational analysis provided an efficient way to analyze the experiences of adolescent survivors of childhood cancer by systematizing possible information within the relational social contexts of the research phenomenon.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.10
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• pp.5299-5302
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• 2012

Purpose: To investigate the diet of patients with cervical cancer and precancerosis in the Wufeng area, a high-incidence region in China. Methods: In the case group, 104 patients diagnosed with cervical cancer or cervical intraepithelial neoplasias (CINII/III) were recruited from the Wufeng area. Nine hundred thirty-six healthy women were selected from the same area as the matched controls. A questionnaire, which included questions about general lifestyle conditions, smoking and alcohol status, source of drinking water, green tea intake, and diet in the past year, was presented to all participants. Results: Green tea intake (P=0.022, OR=0.551, 95% CI=0.330-0.919) and vegetable intake (P=0.035, OR=0.896, 95% CI=0.809-0.993) were identified as protective factors against cervical cancer or CINII/III. There was no indication of any associations of other lifestyle factors (smoking status, alcohol status, source of drinking water) or diet (intake of fruit, meat/egg/milk, soybean food, onion/garlic, staple food and pickled food) with cervical cancer. Conclusions: The results suggest that eating more fresh vegetables and drinking more green tea may help to reduce the risk of cervical cancer or CINII/III in people of the Wufeng area.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.492-499
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• 2017

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the association of dietary patterns with overweight risk and all-cause mortality in pediatric cancer patients. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Prospective cohort study was undertaken; 83 cancer patients admitted to the pediatric cancer ward at a university hospital in Seoul were included and followed for obesity and death over 24 months. Food consumption data were collected from patients using validated meal order sheets for breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the pediatric cancer ward over 3 days. Using principal component analysis, three dietary patterns were derived from 29 food groups. RESULTS: Eighteen deaths occurred among the patient cohort during the follow-up period. The "spicy & fried meat and fish" dietary pattern was positively associated with overweight risk at both baseline [odds ratio (OR) = 4.396, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.111-17.385, P for trend = 0.023] and after 6 months (OR = 4.088, 95% CI = 1.122-14.896, P for trend = 0.025) as well as all-cause mortality (hazard ratios = 5.124, 95% CI = 1.080-24.320, P for trend = 0.042), when comparing the highest and lowest tertiles after adjusting for covariates. The "fish, egg, meat, and fruits & vegetables" dietary pattern was associated with lower overweight risk after 24 months (OR = 0.157, 95% CI = 0.046-0.982, P for trend = 0.084). CONCLUSION: The results imply that dietary patterns might be associated with weight gain and premature death among pediatric cancer patients.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.18
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• pp.7665-7671
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• 2014

Objectives: The association between body mass index (BMI) and ovarian cancer risk is unclear and requires further investigation. The present meta-analysis was conducted to assess the effect of overweight and obesity on ovarian cancer risk in the premenopausal and postmenopausal periods. Data sources: Major electronic databases were searched until February 2014 including Medline and Scopus. Reference lists and relevant conference databases were searched and the authors were contacted for additional unpublished references. Review Methods: All cohort and case-control studies addressing the effect of BMI on ovarian cancer were included, irrespective of publication date and language. The effect measure of choice was risk ratio (RR) for cohort studies and odds ratio (OR) for case-control studies. The results were reported using a random effects model with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: Of 3,776 retrieved studies, 19 were ultimately analyzed including 10 cohort studies involving 29,237,219 person-years and 9 case-control studies involving 96,965 people. The results of both cohort and case-control studies showed being overweight and obesity increased the risk of ovarian cancer compared to women with normal weight during both premenopausal and postmenopausal periods: RR=1.08 (95%CI: 0.97, 1.19) and OR=1.26 (95%CI: 0.97, 1.63) for overweight and RR=1.27 (95%CI: 1.16, 1.38) and OR=1.26 (95%CI: 1.06, 1.50) for obesity. Conclusions: There is sufficient evidence that an increase in BMI can increase the risk of ovarian cancer regardless of the menopausal status, mimicking a dose-response relationship although the association is not very strong.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.941-944
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• 2012

Objective: The aim of current study was to evaluate the changes of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and its clinical, demographic and socioeconomic determinants during chemotherapy and 4 months follow-up in women with breast cancer using a repeated measures framework. Methods and Materials: A double blind cohort study was performed in 100 breast cancer patients given fluorouracil, doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (FAC) or docetaxel, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide (TAC) in south of Iran. HRQoL was assessed at baseline, end of chemotherapy and four months thereafter using the QLQ-C30 questionnaire from European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC). Generalized estimating equations (GEE) was applied for statistical analysis. Results: The mean of age at baseline was $48.5{\pm}10.6$. 70% and 14% of patients were married and smokers, respectively, and 20% suffered from another disease besides breast cancer. The results of GEE showed that after control for baseline scores, the HRQoL significantly improved over time. Although, the patients in FAC group had higher scores than the TAC group, the differences also diminished over time. Smoking, marital status and having child affected some scales of HRQoL. None of other variables were significantly related to HRQoL. Conclusion: Although patients in TAC groups had lower level of HRQoL over 8 months follow up, they experienced faster improvement than the FAC group. This implies that in long-term, improvements in TAC group are higher than FAC. Having children was positively correlated with HRQoL. Generally, there were no demographic and socio-economic differences in HRQoL in these patients between the chemotherapeutic regimens.