• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.41-50
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• 2019

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate cancer patients' utilization of tertiary hospitals in Seoul before and after the benefit expansion policy implemented in 2013. Methods: This was a before-and-after study using claims data of the Korean National Health Insurance Service from 2011 to 2016. The unit of analysis was inpatient episodes, and inpatient episodes involving a malignant neoplasm (International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes: C00-C97) were included in this study. The total sample (n=5 565 076) was divided into incident cases and prevalent cases according to medical use due to cancer in prior years. The tertiary hospitals in Seoul were divided into two groups (the five largest hospitals and the other tertiary hospitals in Seoul). Results: The proportions of the incident and prevalent episodes occurring in tertiary hospitals in Seoul were 34.9% and 37.2%, respectively, of which more than 70% occurred in the five largest hospitals in Seoul. Utilization of tertiary hospitals in Seoul was higher for inpatient episodes involving cancer surgery, patients with a higher income, patients living in areas close to Seoul, and patients living in areas without a metropolitan city. The utilization of the five largest hospitals increased by 2 percentage points after the policy went into effect. Conclusions: The utilization of tertiary hospitals in Seoul was concentrated among the five largest hospitals. Future research is necessary to identify the consequences of this utilization pattern.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.39-55
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• 2021

Objective : To investigate specific prescriptions, herbal medicines and treatment strategy, this study systematically reviewed case studies on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment for childhood cancer. Method : Literature searches were performed on database of China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). Studies published before December 2020 were categorized and analyzed according to the treatment strategy and we also investigated Chinese herbs used in the prescriptions. Results : Twenty-five studies including 17 case series and 8 single case reports were included in our review. Of the total 439 patients, 379 (85.7%) had leukemia and other myeloplastic disease. Conventional western medicine (CWM) treatment was also used with TCM based on the syndrome identification. Most studies reported favorable effect of combination treatment with CWM and TCM. Among 266 herbs in the studies, reinforcing herbs were more frequently used than anti-cancer herbs. Conclusion : Traditional herbal treatment for childhood cancer should be performed considering the syndrome identification as well as stage of CWM. Reinforcing herbs should be more focused because of the fragility and growth of the childhood.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.144-161
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• 2011

Objectives: Oriental Medicine has thousands years of history. But this era, every medical decision should be based on scientific evidence, that is evidence-based medicine (EBM). This study is to suggest quantitative case report form for dysmenorrhea that can be easily used in clinics. Methods: First, to search published papers in Korea and overseas, OASIS, KISS and NCBI(pubmed) database. Second, to search clinical trials in clinical trial register website, ISRCTN and clinicaltrials.gov. Result: Visual Analogue Scale(VAS) is the most commonly used scale. Conclusion: The main scales for dysmenorrhea are Visual Analogue Scale(VAS), Multidimensional verbal Rating scale(MVRS), pain-killer intake amount and restriction of daily life activities. To measure the effect of herbal medicine, more than 2 menstrual cycle is recommended.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.293-302
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• 2000

The relationship between sodium intake and stomach cancer risk has been studied much in Japan but a great portions still remain controversial. There has been few studies on relationship between sodium intake and stomach cancer in Korea. The goal of this nested case-control study is to investigate the association between sodium intake and stomach cancer risk in a rural county of Korea We estimated sodium intake indirectly by the threshold of salt-water taste of patients. This study was based on both of the data from 'Kangwha Cohort Study' which had been conducted from March 1985 and 'Kangwha Community Cancer Registry' which had been launched on July in 1982 by the College of Medicine, Department of Preventive Medicine. Yonsei University. A total of 145 patients who developed stomach cancer in Kangwha County were initially recruited as the case group. We tried to get two community-controls per stomach cancer case by matching age and gender. Finally we got information from 90 cases and 146 controls about the threshold of the salt taste and preference of salty food and so on. Some 79% of the information about ease group came from proxy respondents and 56% among controls. Risk ratios of developing stomach cancer adjusted for smoking, body mass index and self-stated health level were estimated. No statistically significant association between the threshold of salt taste and stomach cancer risk found in this study. We recommend some further studies utilizing urinary salt excretion, diet record method for better estimating of salt intake with a paticular emphasis on interaction effect between salty and spicy food in hospital-based case-control study designs.

• Journal of Korean Traditional Oncology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.111-117
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• 2010

Background & Objectives: Colorectal Cancer is 10% of all cancer incidence and the motality from colorectal cancer is nearly 450,000 a year. Since chemopreventive agents from Herbal medicine is hot issue recently, to prove antitumor effecicacy of Rhus vernifciflua STOKES decoction (Chijong-dan), clinical study was carried out. Here we report one patient with colorectal cancer of stage IV. The patient had a colorectal cancer (Stage IV, T4N2M1), lymph node metastases and underwent chemotherapy. Methods: The patient visited Hana oriental medicine Clinic in 2009 and was treated using Chijong-dan for 1 year at Hana Oriental Clinic. Results: Chijongdan showed no side effect during its treatment and tumor size was retarded based on CT scanning. Overall, this case report suggests that Rhus vernifciflua STOKES decoction can be a potent cancer preventive agents for colorectal cancer but it is still required to verify the scientific and clinical evidences for Rhus vernifciflua STOKES decoction (Chijong-dan).

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.22
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• pp.9579-9586
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• 2014

There is growing scientific evidence linking excess body weight to breast cancer risk. However, there is no common consensus on this relation due partly to methodologies used, populations studied and the cancer subtype. We report here a summary of the present state of knowledge on the role of overweight and obesity in pathogenesis of breast cancer and possible mechanisms through which excess body weight might influence the risk, focusing on the role of oxidative stress in breast cancer etiology. The findings demonstrate duality of excess body weight action in dependence on menopausal status: a statistically significant increased risk in postmenopausal overweight/ obese women and non-significant preventive effect among premenopausal women. Due to several gaps in the literature on this topic, additional studies are needed. Future research should address factors influencing the excess body weight - breast cancer relationship, such as race/ethnicity, tumor subtype, receptor status, the most appropriate measure of adiposity, reproductive characteristics, and lifestyle components.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.3-10
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• 2014

The Japan National Committee for the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) and UICC-Asia Regional Office (ARO) organized an international session as part of the official program of the 72nd Annual Meeting of the Japanese Cancer Association to discuss the topic "What is cost-effectiveness in cancer treatment?" Healthcare economics are an international concern and a key issue for the UICC. The presenters and participants discussed the question of how limited medical resources can be best used to support life, which is a question that applies to both developing and industrialized countries, given that cancer treatment is putting medical systems under increasing strain. The emergence of advanced yet hugely expensive drugs has prompted discussion on methodologies for Health Technology Assessment (HTA) that seek to quantify cost and effect. The session benefited from the participation of various stakeholders, including representatives of industry, government and academia and three speakers from the Republic of Korea, an Asian country where discussion on HTA methodologies is already advanced. In addition, the session was joined by a representative of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) of the United Kingdom, which has pioneered the concept of cost-effectiveness in a medical context. The aim of the session was to advance and deepen understanding of the issue of cost-effectiveness as viewed from medical care systems in different regions.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.7165-7169
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• 2013

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate any association of GSTM1 and GSTT1 null genotypes with the risk of lung cancer in a South Korean population. Methods: We conducted a large-scale, population-based case-control study including 3,933 lung cancer cases and 1,699 controls. Genotypes of GSTM1 and GSTT1 were determined using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: In logistic regression analysis adjusted for age and smoking, we did not find any association between GSTM1 or GSTT1 and LC risk in women. However, in men, the GSTM1 and GSTTI null genotypes were borderline associated with risk (OR=1.18, 95% CI=0.99-1.41 for GSTM1, OR=1.18, 95% CI=0.99-1.41 for GSTT1), and combined GSTM1 and GSTT1 null genotypes conferred an increased risk for LC in men (OR=1.39, 95% CI=1.08-1.78). The OR for the GSTT1 null genotype was greater in subjects aged 55 years old or younger (OR=1.45, 95% CI=1.09-1.92 for men; OR=1.36, 95% CI=0.97-1.90 for women), than in those over age 55 (OR=1.03, 95% CI=0.83-1.27 for men; OR=0.86, 95% CI=0.66-1.12 for women) in both genders (p for interaction <0.05). Conclusions: In the Korean population, the GSTM1 and GSTT1 null genotypes are risk factors for LC in men; the GSTT1 null genotype has a more prominent effect on LC risk in younger people (age 55 years and under) than in older individuals.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.1412-1423
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• 1999

This review contains a discussion of the physiological activity of the components of Allium vegetables. Organosulfur compounds in Allium vegetables, such as ajoene, diallyl sulfides and S allylcysteine, have cancer preventive activity in chemically induced animal cancer models. They also have inhibitory effects on proliferation of cancer cells in vitro. Allium vegetables have lipid and cholesterol lowering effect, and platelet aggregation inhibitory activity that help the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Sulfur con taining compounds, especially allicin and ajoene, have antimicrobial activities against gram negative, positive bacteria and fungi. Moreover, Allium organosulfur compounds such as S allylcysteine showed reducing effects on the senescence related symptoms including cognition. Allium organosulfur compounds have significant importance in food industry as both biologically active ingredients and savory.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.347-356
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• 2006

It is reported that a fermented soybean food, Doenjang, has srong antimutagenic and cytotoxic effect on cancer cells. This study investigated the effect of Chungkookjang, another traditional popular Korean soybean fermented food, on growth of cancer cells: HL-60, SNU-638 and MCF-7, and also its in vivo antitumorigenic effect in DMBA-induced mammary tumor rat model. For the in vitro study, Chungkookjang and steamed soybeans were extracted with ethanol and sequentially fractioned with 5 kinds of solvents differing in grades of polarity such as hexane, dichloromethane, ethylacetate, butanol and water. Almost all Chungkookjang extracts significantly inhibited the growth of HL-60 (human leukemic cancer cell), SNU-638 (human gastric cancer cell) and MCF-7 (human breast cancer cell) when compared to steamed soybean extracts. Butanol fraction of Chungkookjang extract especially showed a remarkable inhibitory effect in all the three kinds of cancer cells. To induce a mammary gland tumor, DMBA (50 mg/BW) was administered to 50 day-old female rats and followed by Chungkookjang or steamed soybean supplemented diets. Freezedried Chungkookjang powder (20% of diet in wet weight) was added to AIN-93G based diet for the Chungkookjang group of rats. Likewise, steamed soybean powder containing equal protein content to that of Chungkookjang powder was supplemented to soybean group of rats. At 13 weeks later, the mammary tumor incidence, average tumor number and tumor weight a rat were lower in Chungkookjang group compared to the control or soybean group. In conclusion, Chungkookjang showed a strong inhibitory effect on cancer cell growth in vitro, as well as a more preventive effect against chemically induced mammary tumorigenesis in vivo, while steamed soybeans did not. Therefore, these results suggest that Chungkookjang acquire its anticancer activity through the fermentation process.