• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.9
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• pp.5157-5163
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• 2013

The aim of the study was to evaluate of the knowledge, behavior and health beliefs of individuals over 50 regarding colorectal cancer screening, with a descriptive and cross-sectional design at Karabuk Life and Health Center in Turkey. A total of 160 people meeting set criteria were included in the study. The questionnaire consisted of two parts. The first part was composed of questions on characteristics of participants and the second part of questions derived from the Champion's Health Belief Model Scale. Only 15.0% of participants (n=24) had undergone a fecal occult blood test (FOBT), 11.3% (n=18) had had colonoscopy and 4.4% (n=7) had had sigmoidoscopy. Some 90.6% of the participants had low levels of risk awareness about the colorectal cancer. It was found that the average point of severity subscale of participants over 65 is higher than that of participants under 65 (p<0.05). In conclusion, because of the many barriers and health beliefs for the colorectal cancer screening program, the rate of participation in screening programs is not sufficient. Healthcare providers have important responsibilities for increasing rate of attendance in colorectal cancer screening programs.

• Journal of Korean Traditional Oncology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.49-59
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• 2021

Objective: Insomnia is a very common symptom of cancer and has a substantial effect on the patients' quality of life. This study aimed to identify the effects of foot reflexology on insomnia in cancer patients. Methods: The study employed a before-after test design on a single group of 13 cancer patients with insomnia, selected by convenience sampling in Daegu. The foot reflexology treatment comprised 30-min sessions twice a week over four weeks. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) were measured at the baseline, at 2 and 4 weeks, and after 4 weeks post treatment completion. Brief Fatigue Inventory-Korean (BFI-K), Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G), and Heart Rate Variability (HRV) were measured at baseline, post-treatment, and 4 weeks after completing treatments. Results: Thirteen patients (mean age 44.77 ± 6.70 years), with thyroid, breast or cervical cancer, were included in the study. Post-treatment, PSQI (from 12.33 ± 3.17 to 8.54 ± 3.43, p<0.001), ISI (from 20.33 ± 3.88 to 13.38 ± 4.23, p<0.001), FACT-G (from 49.6 ± 13.27 to 61.35 ± 14.45, p<0.001), and BFI (from 6.46 ± 0.91 to 5.00 ± 2.02, p<0.001) scores improved significantly over those at the baseline. Conclusion: Foot reflexology can be a good alternative treatment to improve insomnia, fatigue, and quality of life in cancer patients

• Journal of Korean Traditional Oncology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.37-48
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• 2022

Objective: Insomnia is a very common symptom and has a great effect on the quality of life in cancer patients. This study was conducted to identify the effects of the aroma therapy on insomnia in cancer patients. Methods: The study was performed with one group in before-after test design. The subjects were 15 cancer patients with insomnia selected by convenience sampling in Daegu. The aroma therapy consists of 10-minute sessions twice a week over 6 weeks. The PSQI (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), ISI (Insomnia Severity Index) were measured at baseline and at 3 and 6 weeks, after 6 weeks after finishing treatment. STAI (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory), FACT-G (Functional Assessment Cancer Therapy-General), HRV (Heart Rate Variability) were measured at baseline, post-treatment and after 6 weeks after finishing treatments. Results: Fifteen patients (mean age 50.93 ± 7.29 years), with breast, ovarian or gastric cancer, participated this study. At post-treatment, PSQI (from 14.18 ± 2.64 to 6.18 ± 3.03), ISI (from 19.00 ± 3.19 to 8.18 ± 5.14), FACT-G (from 55.65 ± 11.20 to 66.91 ± 12.33), and STAI (from 40.36 ± 8.10 to 34.73 ± 9.81, from 45.64 ± 6.07 to 39.73 ± 9.37) scores improved significantly over baseline(p<0.001). Conclusion: Aroma therapy improved insomnia, anxiety and quality of life on cancer patients.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.13-23
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• 2002

Objectives : To investigate the therapeutic compliance and its related factors in lung cancer patients. Methods : The subjects of this study comprised 277 patients first diagnosed with lung cancer at Kyungpook National University Hospital between Jan 1999 and Sept 1999. Of these, 141(50.9%) participated in the study by properly replying to structured questionnaires. The data was analyzed using a simplified Health Decision Model. This model includes categories of variables covering therapeutic compliance, health beliefs, patient preferences, knowledge and experience, social interaction, sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Results : The therapeutic compliance rate of the 141 study subjects was 78.0%. An analysis of health beliefs and patient preferences revealed health concern (p<0.05), dependency on medicine (p<0.05), perceived susceptibility and severity (p<0.05) as well as preferred treatment (p<0.01) as factors related to therapeutic compliance. Factors from the sociodemographic characteristics and clinical factors that were related to therapeutic compliance were age (p<0.01), monthly income (p<0.05), histological type (p<0.05) and clinical stage (p<0.05) of cancer. Conclusions : In order to improve therapeutic compliance in lung cancer patients it is necessary to educate the aged, low-income patients, or patients who have small cell lung cancer or lune cancer of an advanced stage for which surgery is not indicated. Additionally, it is essential for medical personnel to have a deep concern about patients who have poor lifestyles, a low dependency on medicine, or a high perceived susceptibility and severity. Practically, early diagnosis of lung cancer and thoughtful considerations of low-income patients are important. By means of population-based education in a community, we may promote attention to health and enhance the early diagnosis of lung cancer.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.1278-1287
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• 2019

Objective: The aim of this study was to report the effects of herbal medicine Jayeumganghwa-tang on reducing the major side effects of doxorubicin and carboplatin in the treatment of ovarian cancer. Methods: The clinical outcomes for a 61-year-old patient treated with Jayeumganghwa-tang for the side effects of doxorubicin and carboplatin combination were recorded by self-evaluation. Results: In the treatment of adverse events caused by chemotherapy, the administration of Jayeumganghwa-tang showed a tendency to reduce their incidence and severity. Conclusions: This study suggests that Jayeumganghwa-tang may be a promising treatment for reducing the side effects of chemotherapy in patients with ovarian cancer.

• The Journal of the Society of Stroke on Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2022

Persistent hiccups persist for more than 48 hours. Those can often occur in cancer patients after chemotherapy or high dose of corticosteroids. A 52-year-old male patient undergoing Non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC), recently suffered presistent hiccups and dyspnea. He was treated with herbal medicine for 56days and acupuncture for 9days. No side effects were observed during treatment. The severity of hiccups was measured in every hospital visit and psychometric symptoms were evaluated periodically through the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System(ESAS). The severity of hiccups and psychometric symptoms were alleviated and the effect persisted during the treatment. The patient took no other nervous system drugs in the end of the treatment. In conclusion, Korean medicine like Hyeongbangjihwang-tang and Jeongcheonhwadamgangki-tang can be effective for patients with persistent hiccups and dyspnea who cannot use alternative drugs or treatment because of other complications.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.14
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• pp.5793-5800
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• 2015

Background: Outcome-expectation beliefs and knowledge may ultimately influence behavior for cancer prevention. The aims of this study were to measure changes in knowledge and beliefs about cancer prevention before and after viewing a television advertisement and identify the factors affecting receptivity to its messages. Materials and Methods: A one-group pretest-posttest design was used in this study of 1,000 individuals aged 20 to 65 years who were recruited online in November 2014. The outcome variables included cancer prevention beliefs based on the Health Belief Model (five items) and knowledge about risk factors for cancer (seven items). Results: Perceived susceptibility, perceived benefits, and self-efficacy increased significantly and their perceived severity and perceived barriers decreased significantly, after participants viewed the television advertisement. Correct responses to questions about risk factors also increased significantly, except for smoking. The main factors affecting changes in the outcome variables were age, interest in cancer prevention, social network, satisfaction with the ad, and pretest scores. Conclusions: Television advertisements with positive frameworks can be an efficient channel of improving beliefs and knowledge about cancer prevention in a short period. The continuous development of intervention materials that consider the demographics, needs, and satisfaction of the target group will be necessary for future studies.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.21
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• pp.9375-9378
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• 2014

Background: A piezoelectric immunosensor for early cervical cancer detection was developed involving short analyis time and less invasive technique for $p16^{INK4a}$, a protein that has been linked to cervical cancer. Materials and Methods: $5{\mu}L$ of 5.0 mg/mL $p16^{INK4a}$ antibody and then supernatant from different clinical samples from West China Second University Hospital (Sichuan, China) were dripped on the center of the AT-cut crystal through a micro-injector. Absorption of the $p16^{INK4a}$ by antibody caused a shift in the resonant frequency of the immunosensor, and the resonant frequency was correlated to the amount of the $p16^{INK4a}$ in the supernatant. Results: The greater severity of lesion grading, the greater the expression level of $p16^{INK4a}$. Conclusion: Degree of cervical cancer lesion development could be determined by detected amount of $p16^{INK4a}$ in different clinical samples.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.603-613
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• 2007

Purpose: The purpose of this study were to investigate the self-reported quality of life and family burden and to examine the factors associated with the quality of life in patients with cancer. Methods: 216 patients participated in the cross-sectional study. The European Group of Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) and the Family Burden Scale were sent by mail to 2,000 cancer patients. Two hundred and sixteen patients answered the questionnaire. The stepwise multiple regression was conducted to analyze predictors of overall quality of life. Results: All subscales of EORTC QLQ-C30 were significantly correlated with family burden. The regression analysis of patients with cancer revealed some variables as significant predictors; performance, perceived severity, family burden, time since diagnosis, and sex. Conclusion: The results offer a number of recommendations for future research and nursing practice focused on primary care for patients with cancer and their family for improving quality of life.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.91-99
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• 2021

Background: The Korean government introduced National Cancer Control Program and strengthening national health insurance coverage for cancer patients. Although many positive effects have been observed, there are also many concerns about cancer management such as patient concentration or time-to-treatment. Thus, we investigated the association between the time-to-treatment and survival of cancer patients, and compared regional differences by time trend. Methods: The data used in this study were national health insurance claims data that included patients diagnosed with lung cancer and received surgical treatment between 2005 and 2015. We conducted survival analysis with Cox proportional hazard model for the association between time-to-treatment and survival in lung cancer. Additionally, we compared the regional differences for time-to-treatment by time trend. Results: A total of 842 lung cancer patients were included, and 52.3% of lung cancer patients received surgical treatment within 30 days. Patients who received surgical treatment after 31 days had higher 5-year or 1-year mortality compared to treatment within 30 days (5-year: hazard ratio [HR], 1.566; 1-year: HR, 1.555; p<0.05). There were some regional differences for time-to-treatment, but it was generally reduced after 2010. Conclusion: Delayed surgical treatment after diagnosis can negatively affect patient outcomes in cancer treatment. To improve cancer control strategies, there are needed to analyze the healthcare delivery system for cancer care considering the severity and types of cancer.