• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.14
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• pp.5733-5739
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• 2015

The primary objective of this study was to assess the knowledge of medical students and determine variation between different cultural groups. A secondary aim was to find out the willingness to pay for cervical cancer vaccination and the relationships between knowledge and attitudes towards Human Papillomavirus vaccination. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in a private medical university between June 2014 and November 2014 using a convenient sampling method. A total of 305 respondents were recruited and interviewed with standard questionnaires for assessment of knowledge, attitudes and practice towards human papilloma virus and their willingness to pay for HPV vaccination. Knowledge regarding human papilloma virus, human papilloma virus vaccination, cervical cancer screening and cervical cancer risk factors was good. Across the sample, a majority (90%) of the pupils demonstrated a high degree of knowledge about cervical cancer and its vaccination. There were no significant differences between ethnicity and the participants' overall knowledge of HPV infection, Pap smear and cervical cancer vaccination. Some 88% of participants answered that HPV vaccine can prevent cervical cancer, while 81.5% of medical students said they would recommend HPV vaccination to the public although fewer expressed an intention to receive vaccination for themselves.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.14
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• pp.5627-5631
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• 2014

Background: Oral cancer presents with high mortality rates, and the likelihood of survival is remarkably superior when detected early. Dental professionals have an important role and responsibility in prevention and early detection of oral cancer. Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, practices and opinions regarding oral cancer among dentists in Yemen. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire involving private and public dental practitioners, working in different governorates in Yemen. Results: Of the 800 dentists surveyed, a total of 221 questionnaires were completed and returned (response rate 27.6%). A vast majority of dentists (96.38%) identified tobacco as the major risk factor for oral cancer, and 82.8% knew that squamous cell carcinoma is the most common form. While 47.1% of the dentists agreed that they were adequately trained in oral cancer screening, the majority (86%) believed that they need further training in oral cancer screening. Conclusions: These results suggest that additional training and continuing educational programs on prevention and early detection of oral cancer for dentists are to be highly recommended.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.449-458
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• 2015

Purpose: The aims of this study were to identify the reported attitudes of older patients with cancer toward advance directives (ADs) and the factors associated with their attitudes toward ADs. Methods: The design was a cross-sectional survey. The age mean of the 130 participants were 70.8, and 66.2% of the participants were male. The data were collected at one university hospital in Seoul, South Korea during the period from October $1^{st}$ to December $5^{th}$ in 2013. The data collecting instruments were the Advance Directives Attitude Survey (ADAS) and questionnaires including socio-demographic and disease-related characteristics, family function. Results: 30.0% of the participants were aware of ADs, only 9% of them had been informed by healthcare providers. Most participants (93.1%) intended to complete ADs. The mean score of ADAS was 48.29. The stepwise linear regression analysis indicated that family function, perceived health status, period of education, and age accounted for a significant percentage (52.0%, p<.001) of the variance in participants' ADAS. The variable with the greatest effect was family function. Conclusion: The findings suggest that family function and attitude of older cancer patients need to be considered for adapting ADs to Korean health care systems. Healthcare providers should include family members in advanced care planning discussions.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.177-184
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• 2020

Background & objective: The Korean government has expanded its benefit coverage to enhance patients' access to orphan drugs and cancer medicines. However, the number of new drugs whose indications were not applied to reimbursement in health insurance was increased. This study aimed to understand the perspectives of experts and various stakeholders on the introduction of a new funding program for cancer treatment and orphan drugs. Methods: We conducted email surveys comprising 19 questions, from September 9 to 26, 2016. We distributed questionnaires to members of the Pharmaceutical Benefit Appraisal Committee and Cancer Assessment Committee. We also conducted a qualitative study through group interviews with stakeholders, including pharmaceutical companies and some patient groups for diseases. Results: A total of 35 survey respondents recommended the introduction of a funding program for orphan drugs, whereas 66% recommended the launch of funding for anticancer drugs. In addition, most pharmaceutical companies and patient groups recommended the introduction of new funding programs targeting patients with cancer and rare diseases. However, some participants asserted that it would be more appropriate to modify the existing reimbursement scheme than launch new funding. Conclusion: This study concluded that introducing new funding needs a social consensus to relieve financial hardships at the patient level.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.1709-1710
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• 2012

Cancer is a major public health problem in Indonesia, becoming the 7th largest cause of death based on a national survey in 2007, accounting for 5.7 of all mortality. A cancer registry was started in 1970, but it was partial and was stopped mainly because no government body was responsible. Realizing the above situation, the Indonesian government established the Sub Directorate of Cancer Control within the Ministry of Health, with responsibility for developing a national cancer control program, including a cancer registry. A sustainable cancer registry was then started in 2007 within Jakarta Province, first hospital-based but then expanded to be population-based. Steps of cancer registration in Jakarta are data collection, data verification, data validation, data management and analysis, and data publication. Data collection is conducted by health facilities (hospitals, laboratories, primary health centers) at the district/municipal level, with reports to the provincial level. Data are collected passively by holding meetings every three months in the district/municipality. Verification of data is the responsibility of the medical doctor or pathologist in each data source. Data validation is conducted by a team in the cancer registry, consisting of district/municipal/province health officers, pathologists, and registrars. Data management and analyses are conducted by a cancer registry team at the provincial level, assisted by the national team. We use software named Indonesian Cancer Registry System (SRIKANDI) which is adopted from CanReg4 IARC. Data from the population-based cancer registry in Jakarta Province showed the leading cancers among females in 2005-2007 to be breast cancer, cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, colorectal cancer and among males are bronchus and lung cancer, colorectal cancer, liver cancer, pharyngeal cancer, and prostate cancer. The leading childhood cancers are leukaemia and retinoblastoma.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.14
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• pp.5773-5779
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• 2014

Background: Since cervical cancer can be prevented and controlled through human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, it is important to train health care providers and provide them with appropriate knowledge. This study aimed to understand the level of HPV related knowledge among medical students and correlates in Southwest China in order to address any potential gap in their knowledge base. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey among medical students in six selected universities across Southwest China based on a pretested questionnaire regarding HPV infection, cervical cancer, and HPV vaccines. Results: We successfully surveyed 1, 878 medical students, of whom 32.1% were males and 67.9% were females. Their mean age was 20.8 (standard deviation: 1.3) years. 91.8% of them were ethnic Han Chinese, and 43.8% were students in clinical medicine. While 76.5% had heard of HPV only 48.8% knew that the prevention of cervical cancer was possible through HPV vaccination. Only 42.9% of the male and 49.2% of the female students correctly answered over 10 out of 22 questions on HPV related knowledge. Female students appeared to know more about HPV and HPV vaccination (OR: 1.39; 95% CI: 1.11-1.75). In addition, the student knowledge improved with the grade (p<0.001). University courses were the most selected source of knowledge about HPV vaccination (66.4%). 83.6% of males and 91.4% of females were willing to have more HPV related education by experts (p<0.001). Only 10.1% of the students acknowledged that people had asked for their advice regarding HPV vaccination. Conclusions: Our survey indicates that medical students from Southwest China have poor knowledge of HPV and HPV vaccination, but are willing to receive more relevant information. Targeted education should be incorporated into school courses to inform these future health care providers and ensure success of programs for cervical cancer control and prevention.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.61-76
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• 2011

Limited research has investigated the satisfaction of patients with cancer. This study was performed to explore patients' satisfaction and the related factors. The data were collected by telephone survey for the participants who were beneficiaries on the national financial aid program for cancer patients between January and October in 2009. Student's t-tests and analysis of variance were performed first to determine if the mean satisfaction score differed by the characteristics of study objects, followed by stepwise multiple regression analyses to examine the factors affecting satisfaction. When comparing the relating factors with patients' satisfaction according to the sociodemographic characteristics, the male, old-aged, higher educated, lower cancer stage, lung cancer group showed a significantly higher level of recognition for satisfaction. A public health center, better public relations, recognized more helpful, don't have expectation, put a person to expense, and don't feel pressured for medical cost groups were showed a higher level of recognition for satisfaction. The result of the multiple regression analysis, short waiting time, well known program policy, recognized helping of policy and had the financial burden had significantly influence on the satisfaction of patients with cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.1081-1083
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• 2014

Malignancy-associated mortality, decreased productivity, and spiritual, social and physical burden in cancer patients and their families impose heavy costs on communities. Therefore cancer prevention, early detection, rapid diagnosis and timely treatment are very important. Use of modern methods based on information technology in cancer can improve patient survival and increase patient and health care provider satisfaction. Robot technology is used in different areas of health care and applications in surgery have emerged affecting the cancer treatment domain. Computerized and robotic devices can offer enhanced dexterity by tremor abolition, motion scaling, high quality 3D vision for surgeons and decreased blood loss, significant reduction in narcotic use, and reduced hospital stay for patients. However, there are many challenges like lack of surgical community support, large size, high costs and absence of tactile and haptic feedback. A comprehensive view to identify all factors in different aspects such as technical, legal and ethical items that prevent robotic surgery adoption is thus very necessary. Also evidence must be presented to surgeons to achieve appropriate support from physicians. The aim of this review article is to survey applications, opportunities and barriers to this advanced technology in patients and surgeons as an approach to improve cancer care.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.10
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• pp.4307-4309
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• 2014

Purpose: To calculate the probability of one person's life-time death caused by a malignant tumor and provide theoretical basis for cancer prevention. Materials and Methods: The probability of one person's death caused by a tumor was calculated by a probability additive formula and based on an abridged life table. All data for age-specific mortality were from the third retrospective investigation of death cause in China. Results: The probability of one person's death caused by malignant tumor was 18.7% calculated by the probability additive formula. On the same way, the life-time death probability caused by lung cancer, gastric cancer, liver cancer, esophageal cancer, colorectal and anal cancer were 4.47%, 3.62%, 3.25%, 2.25%, 1.11%, respectively. Conclusions: Malignant tumor is still the main cause of death in one's life time and the most common causes of cancer death were lung, gastric, liver, esophageal, colorectal and anal cancers. Targeted forms of cancer prevention and treatment strategies should be worked out to improve people's health and prolong life in China. The probability additive formula is a more scientific and objective method to calculate the probability of one person's life-time death than cumulative death probability.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.17
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• pp.7175-7180
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• 2014

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in Malaysia, about one in 19 women being at risk. This study aimed to investigate knowledge and practice of breast self-examination (BSE), as well as knowledge of risk factors for breast cancer amongst female adolescents in Malaysia. Subsequently, relationships between demographic characteristics and knowledge level of BSE, risk factors for breast cancer and BSE practice were assessed. Materials and Methods: A descriptive, cross sectional survey was conducted using a sample of 500 Malaysian adolescents from the age of 15 to 19 years. A self-administered questionnaire was used to gather socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge of BSE, knowledge of risk factors for breast cancer and BSE practices. Results: The findings of this study indicated that female adolescents in Malaysia demonstrated an inadequate knowledge level of BSE and risk factors for breast cancer. Only 27.8% of female adolescents performed BSE regularly. BSE practice, knowledge of BSE and knowledge of risk factors for breast cancer showed significant positive relationships. Conclusions: The study highlighted the importance of planning and implementing breast health education programs for female students in secondary schools in Malaysia. It will also provide the health care providers an avenue to stress on the importance of imparting breast health education to adolescents.