• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.185-194
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• 2018

Objectives: Vaginal Candidiasis with an approximate prevalence of 30% is the second cause of vaginal infections. Antifungal azole is the first treatment for Vaginal Candidiasis; however, some side effects have been reported for this chemical medicine. Based on the antifungal activity of Inner Stratum of Quercus Brantii (Q. Brantii), the aim of our study was to compare the effects of vaginal douche of Q. Brantii extract and clotrimazole on vaginal candidiasis symptoms before and after the treatments, in women. Methods: 89 non-pregnant women with positive KOH test which is capable of identifying the presence of hyphae and mycelium by adding KOH (10%), and a positive vaginal candidiasis culture were randomly divided into two experimental groups, using permuted block randomization method. One group received clotrimazole vaginal cream (1%) and the other group received vaginal douche of Q. Brantii extract. Groups were treated for 7 days and KOH tests and cultures were evaluated again. Data were analyzed via chi-square and independent t-test, using SPSS software. Results: According to the results, there were no significant differences between experimental groups for demographic characteristics like age (p=0.403), BMI (p=0.911), educational levels (p=0.862) and contraceptive methods (p=0.702). Moreover, significant differences were seen in vaginal discharge between the groups after the treatments (P=0.043). Conclusion: The results suggested that the therapeutic effect of vaginal douche of Q. Brantii extract was approximately similar to that of clotrimazole vaginal cream.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.1731-1738
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• 2014

The life of a mother undergoes a dramatic change after a child is diagnosed with cancer. The present study aimed to determine effects on the everyday life process and health status of mothers with children suffering from leukemia. This qualitative study was based on a grounded theory approach with sixteen mothers. The results indicate that after onset of disease in their children, they marginalized their own health and tied their identities to taking care of the child and keeping the child healthy by ignoring themselves, becoming imprisoned in a taking-care-of-the-child position, and trying very hard for seek balance and stability Enduring physical pressures on the one hand, and constantly attempting to achieve balance and stability in family processes on the other hand, gradually cause exhaustion. It seems that health care providers and nurses should pay much more attention to the health status of this group of mothers.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.16
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• pp.6935-6939
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• 2015

Background: Currently, a comprehensive program for screening and early detection of cervical cancer does not exist in Iran. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of abnormal Papanicolaou (Pap) smears and some related factors among women living in Zanjan, Iran. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2012 in Zanjan on 4274 married women aged 20-65 years. The study participants were selected through two-stage cluster sampling. After obtaining written consent, demographic and fertility questionnaires were completed. Samples from cervix were obtained through a standard method using the Rover Cervex- Brush. Evaluation and interpretation of the samples were reported using the Bethesda 2001 method. Data were statistically analyzed using chi-square and logistic regression models. Results: Most inflammatory changes in the samples were mild (37.4%). Abnormal atypical changes in the epithelial cells were found in 4.04%. The highest percentage of abnormal changes in the epithelial cells was atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) (1.9%). Abnormal results of Pap smear was significantly and independently associated with age, papillomavirus infection, and lack of awareness about Pap smear tests. Conclusions: Given the high prevalence of inflammatory and precancerous changes in this study, compared to other studies in Iran and other Muslim countries, and the effect of demographic variables and individual factors on abnormal results, increasing the awareness of women and their families regarding the risk factors for cervical cancer, preventive measures such as screening, and timely treatment seem necessary.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.16
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• pp.6941-6945
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• 2015

Background: Awareness and attitudes of nurses regarding end of life care are important factors in providing hospice care. In an extensive literature review, we found no related articles investigating Iranian nurses awareness and attitudes about providing such care. Objectives: The aims of this study were to investigate the awareness and attitudes of Iranian nurses in providing hospice care. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive-correlational study, 240 nurses employed in six educational centers were selected by non-randomized stratified sampling. The data collection instruments included an awareness test and attitudes regarding providing end of life care in hospice questionnaire. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and independent sample t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson correlation tests. Results: The nurses' awareness score was 14.3 out of 29 and 55.7% of them stated that they had not received any education in providing end of life care. Also, by obtaining the score of 91.7 out of 120 the attitudes of participants in providing end of life care in hospices were positive. In addition, the highest attitudes score of nurses were in the dimensions of benefits of implementation and health care team. Conclusions: Considering low awareness of nurses about end of life care in hospices, continuing education should be provided for them in this regard. Especially, by considering the positive attitude of nurses, providing such programs could help develop hospice care in Iran.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.1435-1440
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• 2014

Background: It has been found that support given to women with breast cancer has a positive effect upon their reactions to the illness and may even prolong their survival. Perceived support needs assessment in breast cancer women could be considered as a necessary part of nursing function. Aim: The purpose of this study was to translate and culturally adapt the self-assessed support needs (SASN) questionnaire into Persian language and to investigate its psychometric properties. Materials and Methods: After forward-backward translation of the questionnaire and making appropriate changes, we selected 160 women with breast cancer as our study sample. The psychometric properties of the SASN, including its internal consistency, test retest reliability, and construct validity were evaluated through the known-groups technique. Results: The calculated Kaiser Meyer Olkin was 0.756, indicating that the sample was sufficiently large to perform a satisfactory factor analysis. The six factors all together explained 50.7% of the variance; the first factor (diagnosing) explaining the biggest part of variance (10.9). Internal consistency reliability was 0.83 for the whole scale and the stability of test was 0.78. For the first factor, Cronbach's alpha was 0.90 and factor loadings of scale's items were found to deal with diagnosis subscale. The domains described patients' diagnosis, treatment, support, femininity and body image, family and friends and information. Conclusions: The reliability and validity of the adapted version of the SASN was shown to be satisfactory. Thus, it can be used to investigate self-assessed support needs of Iranian women suffering from breast cancer since the SASN is a multi-domain scale.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.22
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• pp.9767-9771
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• 2014

Background: Social support is an important factor in psycho-social well-being of cancer survivors. There is little information about level of social support and its predictors among cancer survivors in Iran or other Middle Eastern countries. The aims of present study were to determine the social support and its prediction factors among Iranian cancer survivors. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive-correlational study 187 cancer patients in one educational center and one private oncology office in northwest of Iran participated using a convenient sampling method. The data collection tool consisted of a researcher-prepared checklist and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support Assessment (MSPSS). Data analysis was performed using SPSS statistical software with descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression analysis. Results: The total score of MSPSS was 68 from a possible score between 7 and 84. Participants believed that they received a high level of support from their family members and significant others. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that single and depressed cancer survivors and participants with lower levels of physical activity believed that they received lower levels of social support. Conclusions: Iranian cancer survivors receive high levels of social support and family members are the most important source of this support. In planning any supportive care program for Iranian cancer survivors this strength should be considered. Especially, single and depressed and patients with lower levels of physical activity need more attention.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.8
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• pp.3849-3854
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• 2016

Background: Breast cancer is the most prevalent malignancy in women worldwide; lack of awareness of symptoms and delay on diagnosis of breast cancer are the main causes of mortality among women. This study was conducted with the purpose of assessing the effect of educational consulting for breast self-examination (BSE) based on the health belief model (HBM) on the knowledge and performance of women over 40 years attending health care centers in Hamadan, Iran. Materials and Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, eligible women admitted to health centers in Hamadan city in 2015 were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups (n=75 in each group). The intervention group received 4 weekly sessions of breast cancer screening consulting based on the HBM. Control group received only routine care. Knowledge, HBM constructs, and BSE practice were compared between the groups before, immediately after and three months after the consultation. Results: Before the intervention, no significant differences were observed in knowledge, health belief and practice between two groups. However, after the intervention a significant difference was observed between two groups in mean scores of perceived benefits, perceived barriers, self-efficacy and the health motivations (p <0.05). Significant differences were also observed in terms of knowledge and BSE practice (p <0.01). Conclusions: The results indicate the importance of consultation on knowledge and beliefs to improve BSE performance and prevention of breast cancer in Iranian women.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.21
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• pp.9427-9432
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• 2014

Background: Delayed presentation of symptomatic breast cancer is a public health issue in Iran, making a major contribution to low survival. Despite the importance of this problem, current knowledge is insufficient to inform interventions to shorten patient delay. The aim of this study was to explore factors influencing patient delay in Iranian women with self-discovered breast cancer symptom. Materials and Methods: This qualitative study was conducted during 2012-2013. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit 20 Iranian women with self-discovered symptoms of breast cancer who attended the Cancer Institute of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth audiotaped interviews, which were transcribed and analyzed using conventional content analysis with MAXqda software version 10. Findings: Content analysis of the data revealed four main themes related to the delay in seeking medical help including: 1) attributing symptoms to the benign conditions; 2) conditional health behavior; 3) inhibiting emotional expression; and 4) barriers to access to health care systems. Conclusions: These results suggest that patient delay is influenced by complex and multiple factors. Effective intervention to reduce patient delay for breast cancer should be developed by focusing on improvement of women's medical knowledge, managing patients' emotional expression and reform of the referral system.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.17
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• pp.7759-7763
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• 2015

Background: Leukemia accounts for 8% of total cancer cases and involves all age groups with different prevalence and incidence rates in Iran and the entire world and causes a significant death toll and heavy expenses for diagnosis and treatment processes. This study was done to evaluate epidemiology and morphology of blood cancer during 2003-2008. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out based on re-analysis of the Cancer Registry Center report of the Health Deputy in Iran during a 6-year period (2003 - 2008). Statistical analysis for incidence time trends and morphology change percentage was performed with joinpoint regression analysis using the software Joinpoint Regression Program. Results: During the studied years a total of 18,353 hematopoietic and reticuloendothelial system cancers were recorded. Chi square test showed significant difference between sex and morphological types of blood cancer (P-value<0.001). Joinpoint analysis showed a significant increasing trend for the adjusted standard incidence rate (ASIR) for both sexes (P-value<0.05). Annual percent changes (APC) for women and men were 18.7 and 19.9, respectively. The most common morphological blood cancers were ALL, ALM, MM and CLL which accounted for 60% of total hematopoietic system cancers. Joinpoint analyze showed a significant decreasing trend for ALM in both sexes (P-value<0.05). Conclusions: Hematopoietic system cancers in Iran demonstrate an increasing trend for incidence rate and decreasing trend for ALL, ALM and CLL morphology.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.1621-1625
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• 2015

Background: Financial distress due to the cost of cancer treatments is prevalent among cancer patients. Identifying the level of financial distress and its affecting factors has an important role in providing supportive services. Accordingly, the aims of this study were to determine these parameters among Iranian cancer patients. Materials and Methods: This descriptive-correlational study was undertaken among 262 cancer patients admitted to both private and public hospitals in East Azerbaijan province, Iran. The financial distress/financial well being scale was used to determine financial distress. The data were analyzed using SPSS software using descriptive and inferential statistics (multiple linear regression). Results: Among the 262 cancer patients, 57.3% were male and their mean age was 47.0 years. The mean score for financial distress was 4.12 (2.01). The final regression model demonstrated that the independent variables (predictors) of income less than living expenses, income equal to living expenses, having an employed spouse in governmental job and living with parents, with regression coefficients of -1.029, -0.515, 0.198, and 0.096, respectively, were predictors of financial distress among cancer patients. These variables accounted for 50% of changes in variance of financial distress. Conclusions: Iranian cancer patients have moderate to high levels of financial distress. Considering policies for managing direct and indirect costs of cancer treatments must be followed.