• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.977-980
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• 2013

Background: Endometrial cancer is common in western women, and the rates are very high; however in India, the rates are as low as 4.3 per 100,000 (Delhi). Objective: To estimate the survival of endometrial cancer patients based on age, education, family history, tobacco habit, number of pregnancies, clinical extent of disease and treatment received. Materials and Methods: The present retrospective study was carried out at the Tata Memorial Hospital (TMH), Mumbai, India, between 1999-2002. 310 cases treated in TMH were considered as eligible entrants for the study. Five-year survival rates were estimated using actuarial and loss-adjusted (LAR) methods. Results: The proportions of patients dying above 50 years of age, non-residents and illiterates was higher than their counterparts. 54.8% of patients had some form of treatment before attending TMH. There were only 4.2% tobacco-chewers and only 6.1% had a family history of cancer. There were 25.8% who had 3-5 pregnancies (not living children) and 38.1% did not remember the pregnancy history. The 5-year overall survival rate was 92%. The five-year rates indicated better prognosis for those aged less than 50 years (97%), non-tobacco-chewers (94%), with no family history of cancer (93%), with localized disease (93%) and those treated with surgery either alone or as a combination treatment (95%). Conclusions: The present study showed that endometrial cancer patients with localized disease at diagnosis have a good outcome in India. A detailed study will help in understanding the prognostic indicators for survival especially with the newer treatment technologies now available.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.22
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• pp.10021-10025
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• 2014

Background: The study aimed to describe the age distribution of breast cancer diagnosis among Chinese females for comparison with the United States and the European Union, and provide evidence for the screening target population in China. Materials and Methods: Median age was estimated from hospital databases from 7 tertiary hospitals in China. Population-based data in China, United States and European Union was extracted from the National Central Cancer Registry, SEER program and GLOBOCAN 2008, respectively. Age-standardized distribution of breast cancer at diagnosis in the 3 areas was estimated based on the World Standard Population 2000. Results: The median age of breast cancer at diagnosis was around 50 in China, nearly 10 years earlier than United States and European Union. The diagnosis age in China did not vary between subgroups of calendar year, region and pathological characteristics. With adjustment for population structure, median age of breast cancer at diagnosis was 50~54 in China, but 55~59 in United States and European Union. Conclusions: The median diagnosis age of female breast cancer is much earlier in China than in the United States and the European Union pointing to racial differences in genetics and lifestyle. Screening programs should start at an earlier age for Chinese women and age disparities between Chinese and Western women warrant further studies.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.11
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• pp.4723-4726
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• 2015

Background: The survival of patients with hypopharyngeal cancer is low amongst head and neck cancer cases. The incidence rates of hypopharyngeal cancers in our population are amongst the highest in the world and there are limited data available on the literature on varied responses to first course of treatment with radiotherapy (RT) and concurrent chemo-radiotherapy (CRT) in our population. Materials and Methods: Clinical characteristics and initial responses to treatment in patients who had received radiotherapy and chemo-radiotherapy in a regional cancer center from January 2010 to December 2013 were evaluated. The data were obtained from the hospital cancer registry, and analysis was carried using descriptive statistics. Pearson's chi-square was used to test for differences in the variables and p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 554 patients were included in the analysis, 411 (74.2%) receiving RT and 143 (25.8%) being given CRT. There was significantly lower number of patients above 70 years with a higher proportion of patients below 50 years who had received CRT (p<0.05). Some 79.3% and 84.6% of patients in the RT and CRT groups respectively presented with a favorable performance status, and in the RT group 240 (58.4%) showed complete response (CR), and in the CRT group 103 (72.0%) showed CR at the first follow-up (p<0.05). Conclusions: Concurrent chemo-radiotherapy gives better short term response to treatment in locally advanced hypopharyngeal cancers.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.1141-1145
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• 2013

Delay in seeking treatment for breast cancer is a barrier to the early diagnosis and management of the disease, resulting in a poorer prognosis. We here estimated the prevalence of delayed presentation for breast cancer and identified possible influential sociodemographic factors in a cross-sectional study of 250 patients diagnosed with primary breast cancer at the Radiotherapy and Oncology Clinic in Kuala Lumpur Hospital. Data were collected by face-to-face interview using a structured questionnaire and from medical records. We examined associations between delayed presentation (presenting to a physician more than 3 months after self-discovery of a symptom) and sociodemographic characteristics, practice of breast self examination (BSE), history of benign breast disease, family history of breast cancer and type of symptom, symptom disclosure and advice from others to seek treatment using multiple logistic regression. Time from self-discovery of symptom to presentation ranged from tghe same day to 5 years. Prevalence of delayed presentation was 33.1% (95%CI: 27.4, 39.3). A significantly higher proportion of delayers presented with late stages (stage III/IV) (58.3% vs. 26.9%, p<0.001). Divorced or widowed women (OR: 2.23, 95% CI: 1.11, 4.47) had a higher risk of delayed presentation than married women and women who never performed breast self examination were more likely to delay presentation compared to those who regularly performed BSE (OR: 2.74, 95% CI: 1.33, 5.64). Our findings indicate that delayed presentation for breast cancer symptoms among Malaysian women is high and that marital status and breast self examination play major roles in treatment-seeking for breast cancer symptoms.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.269-278
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• 2022

Background: PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD) had a great impact on health care workers during the COVID-19 (Corona Virus Disease 2019, COVID-19). Better knowledge of the prevalence of PTSD and its risk factors is a major public health problem. This study was conducted to assess the prevalence and important risk factors of PTSD among medical staff during the COVID-19. Methods: The databases were searched for studies published during the COVID-19, and a PRISMA (preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis) compliant systematic review (PROSPERO-CRD 42021278970) was carried out to identify articles from multiple databases reporting the prevalence of PTSD outcomes among medical staff. Proportion random effect analysis, I² statistic, quality assessment, subgroup analysis, and sensitivity analysis were carried out. Results: A total of 28 cross-sectional studies and the PTSD results of doctors and nurses were summarized from 14 and 27 studies: the prevalences were 31% (95% CI [confidence interval, CI]: 21%-40%) and 38% (95% CI: 30%-45%) in doctors and nurses, respectively. The results also showed seven risks (p < 0.05): long working hours, isolation wards, COVID-19 symptoms, nurses, women, fear of infection, and pre-existing mental illness. Two factors were of borderline significance: higher professional titles and married. Conclusion: Health care workers have a higher prevalence of PTSD during COVID-19. Health departments should provide targeted preventive measures for medical staff away from PTSD.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.64 no.5
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• pp.208-222
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• 2021

The publication of genetic epidemiology meta-analyses has increased rapidly, but it has been suggested that many of the statistically significant results are false positive. In addition, most such meta-analyses have been redundant, duplicate, and erroneous, leading to research waste. In addition, since most claimed candidate gene associations were false-positives, correctly interpreting the published results is important. In this review, we emphasize the importance of interpreting the results of genetic epidemiology meta-analyses using Bayesian statistics and gene network analysis, which could be applied in other diseases.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.57 no.6
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• pp.390-395
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• 2015

There have been a few studies reporting the epidemiology of moyamoya disease in Korea. Previous studies revealed relatively high prevalence and incidence of moyamoya disease in Korea and Japan. This study was designed to provide the latest epidemiologic information of moyamoya disease in Korea. We analyzed a database comprising of 50 million people covered in Korea by the National Health Insurance Service to calculate the prevalence. The incidence was estimated by eliminating the duplicated records of previous 3 years. We summarized the prevalence and incidence according to age, sex, and local distribution. In addition, the chronological changes were demonstrated with direct standardization using the 2010 population structure information. The standardized prevalence was 6.5 per 100000 persons in 2005, which was increased to 18.1 in 2013. In the same period, standardized incidence was increased from 2.7 to 4.3 per 100000 persons. The prevalence for men was 4.9 and 8.3 for women in 2005. In 2013, the prevalence had increased for men and women to 13.8 and 25.3, respectively. The incidence for men and women was 2.2 and 3.2, respectively, in 2005. It had increased to 3.5 and 5.7, respectively. The mean age of patients was 33.5 in 2005 and increased to 42.5 in 2013. The peak prevalent age group had shifted slightly to the older age groups, with chronologically consistent female predominance. The prevalence was highest in Jeollabuk province and lowest in Ulsan city.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2015

Suicide, the fourth leading cause of death in Korea, is a serious national problem. The Korea National Suicide Survey (KNSS) is the result of the first legislation to address this issue, "Article 11 of THE ACT FOR THE PREVENTION OF SUICIDE AND THE CREATION OF A CULTURE OF RESPECT FOR LIFE" (the "Act for the Prevention of Suicide"). To overcome the limitations of previous studies, the KNSS was designed by collaborators from a variety of fields : psychology, epidemiology, social welfare, and psychiatry. The KNSS was composed of four substudies that addressed the multifaceted process involved in suicide-related behavior over time, exploring general attitudes toward suicide and suicidal ideation, suicide planning, suicide attempts, and completed suicides. Study 1 examined the risk factors for suicide based on data regarding completed suicides ; Study 2 adopted the approach of a psychological autopsy ; Study 3 focused on suicide attempters ; and Study 4 explored attitudes toward suicide in the general population. The KNSS was designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of suicide from a longitudinal, multifaceted perspective to serve as a basis for policies aimed at suicide prevention.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.10
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• pp.4983-4988
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• 2012

The xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group C gene (XPC) has been identified as important for repairing UV-related DNA damage. Some subtle changes in this gene may impair repair efficiency and influence susceptibility to human cancers, including skin cancer. Two polymorphisms in XPC, 939A>C (rs2228001) and 499C>T (rs2228000), are considered to have possible associations with the risk of skin cancer, but the reported results have been inconsistent. Here we performed a meta-analysis of the available evidence regarding the relationship between these two polymorphisms and the risk of skin cancer. All relevant studies were searched using PubMed, Embase and Web of Science before February 2012. A total of 8 case-control studies were included in this analysis, and no convincing associations between the two polymorphisms and risk of skin cancer were observed in any of the genetic models. Stratified analyses by skin cancer type also did not detect significant associations in any subgroup. This meta-analysis suggested that the XPC 939A>C and 499C>T polymorphisms may have little involvement in susceptibility to skin cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.2157-2162
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• 2012

Objective: The PI3K/PTEN/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway has been implicated in resistance to cisplatin. In the current study, we determined whether common genetic variations in this pathway are associated with platinum-based chemotherapy response and clinical outcome in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Methods: Seven common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in core genes of this pathway were genotyped in 199 patients and analyzed for associations with chemotherapy response, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Results: Logistic regression analysis revealed an association between AKT1 rs2494752 and response to treatment. Patients carrying heterozygous AG had an increased risk of disease progression after two cycles of platinum-based chemotherapy compared to those with AA genotype (Adjusted odds ratio (OR)=2.18, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.00-4.77, which remained significant in the stratified analyses). However, log-rank test and cox regression detected no association between these polymorphisms in the PI3K pathway genes and survival in advanced NSCLC patients. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that genetic variants in the PI3K/PTEN/AKT/mTOR pathway may predict platinum-based chemotherapy response in advanced NSCLC patients in a Chinese population.