• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.14
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• pp.5729-5732
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• 2014

Background: Cervical cancer is the third most common gynecological cancer and a widespread malignancy in women, accounting for a large proportion of the cancer burden in developing countries. We compared accuracy of MRI staging with clinical staging and also concordance between the two methods for newly diagnosed patients with cervical cancer, using clinical staging as the reference. Materials and Methods: This prospective study was conducted on 27 newly diagnosed patients with cervical cancer from Imam Khomeini hospital from June 2012 to Feb 2014. New cases of cervical cancer with positive PAP test were staged separately with a clinical exam based on the FIGO system by a gynecologist, oncologist and also with MRI by an expert radiologist. Then we compared the predicted stage for each patient with the two methods. Results: Based on clinical staging 9 patients (33%) were observed at stage 1. MRI staging was in coordination with clinical staging in eight of them and for one patient MRI accorded stage 2B (88% concordance). Conclusions: MRI is a reliable noninvasive method with high accuracy for cervical cancer staging. Also presently it is easily obtainable, so we recommend using this technique along with clinical examination for staging cervical cancer patients. We also recommend to radiologists and residents of radiology to get experience with this method of staging.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.32-41
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• 2004

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the process of life adaptation in women with cervical cancer. Method: A grounded theory method with guided data collection and analysis was used. Fifteen women with cervical cancer who had some kind of treatment at the hospital were asked open-ended and descriptive questions with a guideline. All interviews were tape-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Result: The core category that emerged from the comparative analysis was "overcoming cancer" named as a process of life adaptation in the participants. The process of overcoming cancer evolved three stages - "admitting reality", "attempting health-care" and "continuing health-care". Depending on the paradigm model, the central phenomena of the experiences was "powerlessness". The internal factors motivating women to overcome cancer were "denial of cancer" and "desire for life". Strategies of overcoming cancer included "living as a cancer patient," "selective food eating," "steady exercising," "getting rid of stress," and "preparing for death". The intervening conditions, "supportive system," "forms of life," and "burden on family," influenced overcoming cancer. Conclusion: The results of this study could help clinical nurses to understand life adaptation in cervical cancer patients and establish efficient coping strategies in dealing with the problems they face.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.163-172
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• 2019

Objectives: With the rapidly increasing incidence of cancer worldwide, it has become important for health care professionals to both provide care for cancer patients and to address the challenges faced by family caregivers of cancer patients. This study aims to identify the factors affecting depression among cancer patients' family caregivers. The results of this study suggest the need to propose programs for family caregivers as well as cancer patients. Methods: Participants were 219 caregivers who were informed of the study purpose and agreed to participate. Data were analyzed using t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Scheffe's test, Pearson correlation coefficients, and multiple stepwise regression with the SPSS/WIN 25.0 program. Results: The mean score for depression among cancer patients' family caregivers was $1.57{\pm}.40$ (range: 0-3). Depression was significantly different based on age, relationship with the patient, education, occupation, cancer recurrence, care days per week, financial burden, site of cancer, and health status. Analysis using multiple regression showed that model 1 showed 16% of the factors predicting depression among cancer patients' family caregivers (F=6.16, p<.001) including occupation, recurrence, and health status of the caregiver. Model 3, which included additional burnout, showed 37% of the factors predicting depression (F=12.36, p<.001). Conclusions: These results suggest that it is necessary to develop programs for prevention and management of depression among cancer patients' family caregivers.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.226-234
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• 2021

Purpose: The accessibility of medical facilities for cancer patients affects both their comfort and survival. Patients in rural areas have a higher socioeconomic burden and are more vulnerable to emergency situations than urban dwellers. This study examined the feasibility and effectiveness of a cancer care model integrating a regional cancer center (RCC) and public health center (PHC). Methods: This study analyzed the construction of a safety care network for cancer patients that integrated an RCC and PHC. Two public health institutions (an RCC in Gyeongnam and a PHC in Geochang County) collaborated on the development of the community care model. The study lasted 13 months beginning in February 2019 to February 2020. Results: The RCC developed the protocol for evaluating and measuring 27 cancer-related symptoms, conducted education for PHC nurses, and administered case counseling. The staff at the PHC registered, evaluated, and routinely monitored patients through home visits. A smartphone application and regular video conferences were incorporated to facilitate mutual communication. In total, 177 patients (mean age: 70.9 years; men: 59%) were enrolled from February 2019 to February 2020. Patients' greatest unmet need was the presence of a nearby cancer treatment hospital (83%). In total, 28 (33%) and 44 (52%) participants answered that the care model was very helpful or helpful, respectively. Conclusion: We confirmed that a combined RCC-PHC program for cancer patients in rural areas is feasible and can bring satisfaction to patients as a safety care network. This program could mitigate health inequalities caused by accessibility issues.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.46 no.10
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• pp.579-588
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• 2023

Sarcomas are rare and heterogeneous mesenchymal neoplasms originating from the bone or soft tissues, which pose significant treatment challenges. The current standard treatment for sarcomas consists of surgical resection, often combined with chemo- and radiotherapy; however, local recurrence and metastasis remain significant concerns. Although immunotherapy has demonstrated promise in improving long-term survival rates for certain cancers, sarcomas are generally considered to be relatively less immunogenic than other tumors, presenting substantial challenges for effective immunotherapy. In this review, we examine the possible opportunities for sarcoma immunotherapy, noting cancer testis antigens expressed in sarcomas. We then cover the current status of immunotherapies in sarcomas, including progress in cancer vaccines, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and adoptive cellular therapy and their potential in combating these tumors. Furthermore, we discuss the limitations of immunotherapies in sarcomas, including a low tumor mutation burden and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, and explore potential strategies to tackle the immunosuppressive barriers in therapeutic interventions, shedding light on the development of effective and personalized treatments for sarcomas. Overall, this review provides a comprehensive overview of the current status and potential of immunotherapies in sarcoma treatment, highlighting the challenges and opportunities for developing effective therapies to improve the outcomes of patients with these rare malignancies.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.2201-2205
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• 2013

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers in many parts of the world. Its development is a multi-step process involving three distinct stages, initiation that alters the molecular message of a normal cell, followed by promotion and progression that ultimately generates a phenotypically altered transformed malignant cell. Reports have suggested an association of the phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway with colon tumorigenesis. Activation of Akt signaling and impaired expression of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) (a negative regulator of Akt) has been reported in 60-70% of human colon cancers and inhibitors of PI3K/Akt signaling have been suggested as potential therapeutic agents. Around 80% of human colon tumors possess mutations in the APC gene and half of the remainder feature ${\beta}$-catenin gene mutations which affect downstream signaling of the PI3K/Akt pathway. In recent years, there has been a great focus in targeting these signaling pathways, with natural and synthetic drugs reducing the tumor burden in different experiment models. In this review we survey the role of PI3K/Akt/mTOR and Wnt signaling in CRC.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.270-281
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• 2005

Purpose: The objective of this study was to understand the caring experience of families with terminal cancer patients. Method: This was designed to be an inductive and descriptive study. Forty-seven families with terminal cancer patients were interviewed in depth and collected data were examined through content analysis. Result: The main categories of difficulties found in this study were 'suffering of patient', 'emotional suffering of family', 'bereavement of patient', 'difficulties in coping', 'problems in treatment', 'incurable situation', 'family problems', 'relationship with other people', 'economic problems', 'spiritual problems', 'problems in the future', 'informing patients of their condition', 'preparing death', 'emotional unstability', 'meaninglessness', 'unkindness of medical teams', 'poor environment for treatment', 'difficulties in hospital environment' and 'economic burden'. Conclusion: The main point found from this result was that families taking care of terminal cancer patients are suffering emotionally from watching the patients' pains and had difficulties in coping with the patients' situation and treatment. In addition, they had negative experiences in medical teams' attitude and hospital environment. This result can be used as an important guide for nurses to assess families' needs in the terminal care setting.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.16
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• pp.6969-6972
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• 2014

Cancer is a major health problem facing the entire world, and Kazakhstan is not the exception. The aim of this study was to present an epidemiological assessment of leukemia in the population of Kazakhstan during 2003-2012. This descriptive and retrospective study was based on data obtained from all oncological organizations of the whole country. Age standardized incidence rates per 100,000 population for leukemia were calculated. Totally, 6,741 new cases of leukemia were registered in Kazakhstan during the 10 year period. The mean age of patients with leukemia was 48.5. The ASRs for leukemia among men and women were 5.3 and 3.6, respectively (p<0.001). In conclusion, our results showed a high incidence rate of leukemia in Kazakhstan, especially in the north of the country. The incidence of leukemia was significantly higher in males and increased with age. Determining and controlling important risk factors of leukemia may lead to decrease in its burden.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.7
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• pp.3265-3270
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• 2012

Clinically, elevated cancer antigen 125 (CA-125) in blood predicts tumor burden in a woman's body, especially in the ovary, but cannot differentiate between malignant or benign. We here used intensive modern proteomic approaches to identify predictive proteins in the serum of women with elevated CA-125 to differentiate malignant from benign ovarian tumors. We identified differentially expressed proteins in serum samples of ovarian cancer (OC) patients, benign ovarian tumor (BT) patients, and healthy control women using mass spectrometry-based quantitative proteomics. Both the OC and BT patients had elevated CA-125. Quantitation was achieved using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation. We obtained 124 quantified differential serum proteins in OC compared with BT. Two proteins, apolipoprotein A-4 (APOA4) and natural resistance-associated macrophage 1, were verified using Western blotting. Proteome profiling applied to OC cases identified several differential serum proteins in the serum of women with elevated CA-125. A novel protein, APOA4, has the potential to be a marker for malignant tumor differentiation in the serum of women with elevated CA-125.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.129-136
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• 2010

Purpose: This study was conducted to examine the relationship between stress and quality of life of family caregivers of patients with lung cancer. Methods: From April 18 to May 4, 2009, data were collected using self-report questionnaires with 95 family caregivers of lung cancer patients in G cancer center. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA and pearson's correlation coefficient with SPSS 14.0. Results: The mean score of the stress level was 27.5 (SD=14.77). The mean score of the QOL was 73.0 (SD=17.86). The stress level of family caregiver showed significant difference according to gender (psychological stress p=.011, total level of stress p=.042) and availableness of second caregiver (physical stress p=.023, psychological stress p=.035, total level of stress p=.001). The QOL of family caregivers showed significant difference according to daily caring (positive adaptation p=.045) and financial burden on treatment expense (positive adaptation p=.004, total quality of life p=.043). The negative correlation was found between stress and QOL of family caregivers (r=-.67, p=.032). Conclusion: These results indicate a need to develop nursing intervention programs for family caregivers to reduce stress and improve QOL.