• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제13권1호
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• pp.367-370
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• 2012

Background: Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women worldwide In Iran, it ranks first among cancers diagnosed in women and is the fifth most common cause of death. The aim of this study was to present the mortality trends from breast cancer for Iranian women during a period of almost a decade, in order to provide update information regarding the likely future. Methods: We analyzed National death Statistic reported by the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education from 1995 to 2004 to generate annual mortality rates/100,000, overall, by age group (<15, 15-49 and ${\geq}50$ years of age) and age standardized rate (ASR). Results: The age standardized mortality rate of breast cancer increased dramatically during these years from 1.40 to 3.52 per 100,000 and its mortality was increasing 151.4% for Iranian women, although it seemed that the rate leveled off from 2002 to 2004. Moreover the increasing rate was higher for those aged between 15-49 compared to age >50 years old. Conclusion: There is an increasing trend for breast cancer mortality in Iran. Thus, health education programs to rectify the lack of women awareness about breast cancer signs and effective screening are urgently needed.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• 제13권2호
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• pp.134-140
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• 2019

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Excessive sugar consumption may increase the risk for development of several diseases. Although average dietary sugar intake of Koreans is within the recommended level, an increasing trend has been found in all age groups. This study aimed to evaluate the population attributable fractions (PAF) to dietary sugar for disease and death in Korea, and to estimate the socioeconomic effects of a reduction in dietary sugar. MATERIALS/METHODS: The prevalence of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) overconsumption (${\geq}20g$ of sugar from beverages) was analyzed using the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2015. Disease-specific relative risks of excessive SSB consumption were obtained through reviewing previous studies. Using the prevalence of SSB overconsumption and each relative risk, PAFs for morbidity and mortality were calculated. Socioeconomic costs of diseases and death attributable to SSB overconsumption were estimated by using representative data on national medical expenditures, health insurance statistics, employment information, and previous reports. RESULTS: Disease-specific PAF to SSB consumption ranged from 3.11% for stroke to 9.05% for obesity and dental caries, respectively. Costs from disease caused by SSB overconsumption was estimated at 594 billion won in 2015. About 39 billion won was estimated to be from SSB consumption-related deaths, and a total of 633 billion won was predicted to have been saved through preventing SSB overconsumption. CONCLUSIONS: Sugars overconsumption causes considerable public burdens, although the cost estimates do not include any informal expenditure. Information on these socioeconomic effects helps both health professionals and policy makers to create and to implement programs for reducing sugar consumption.

• 지역사회간호학회지
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• 제16권3호
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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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• 제14권8호
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• pp.4655-4660
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• 2013

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide due to its generally poor prognosis. Caregiver burden for liver cancer cases is higher than with other cancer and needs especial attention. Methods: To explore the experiences of families of patients with newly diagnosed advanced terminal stage hepatocellular cancer by interview. Results: Nine participants were recruited in this study. Content analysis of the interviews revealed four themes: blaming oneself, disrupting the pace of life, searching all possible regimens, and not letting go. Conclusions: This study provides new insight into the needs and support of family members especially when they are facing loved ones with newly diagnosed advanced terminal stage HCC. These results will inform future supportive care service development and intervention research aimed at providing assistance in reducing unmet supportive care needs and psychological distress of these family members.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권24호
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• pp.10787-10790
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• 2015

Background: Ovarian cancer is an important cause of mortality in women. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence and mortality rates and trends in the Iranian population and make predictions. Materials and Methods: National incidence from Iranian annual of National Cancer Registration report from 2003 to 2009 and National Death Statistics reported by the Ministry of Health and Medical Education from 1999 to 2004 were included in this study. A time series model (autoregressive) was used to predict the mortality for the years 2007, 2008, 2012 and 2013, with results expressed as annual mortality rates per 100,000. Results: The general mortality rate of ovarian cancer slightly increased during the years under study from 0.01 to 0.75 and reaching plateau according to the prediction model. Mortality was higher for older age. The incidence also increased during the period of the study. Conclusions: Our study indicated remarkable increasing trends in ovarian cancer mortality and incidence. Therefore, attention to high risk groups and setting awareness programs for women are needed to reduce the associated burden in the future.

• 지역사회간호학회지
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• 제15권3호
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• pp.385-396
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• 2004

Purpose: Hypertension has been a major cause of death in Korea since the 1970s, and has resulted in being a significant economic burden to the finances of national health care. The Ministry of Health and Welfare made several efforts. but hypertension control programs in Korea are still non standardized and ineffective. We wanted to investigate the current hypertension control program in public health centers systematically and suggest the direction for future programs. Method: The design of this study is a cross sectional investigation. From September to October in 2002, we sent a set of questionnaires to all PHCs, and 179 centers responded (response rate = 74.0%). The instrument was developed based on components of National health systems. Results: 1) Resources: The department responsible for hypertension control programs is the Department of Health Promotion. Health Education Center, Community Health Center, Citizen's Health Center, etc. The chief personnel of those departments are nurses. but 27.4% of PHCs have no full time nurse for hypertension management programs. PHCs had a lot of teaching materials (nine types per a PHC) and most of the recommended contents were included. But, periodical evaluation and revision were not being made, 2) Management: Nurses' (13.03 9.46 in 23 score) actions for hypertension control were not qualitative, but regular training and evaluation were seldom carried out. Need assessment (25.9%) and evaluation (about 10-20%) for the hypertension control program were indicated as low. 3) Programs: Programs focused on individuals rather than community or public, and 2nd prevention rather than 1st, 3rd prevention. Conclusion: The Ministry of Health and Welfare has to construct the infrastructure for hypertension control programs. Related scholars and committees should develop and declare standardized manuals for hypertension control and the management system, as well.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제81권2호
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• pp.116-122
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• 2018

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a serious chronic condition with a global impact. Symptoms of COPD include progressive dyspnea, breathlessness, cough, and sputum production, which have a considerable impact on the lives of patients. In addition to the human cost of living with COPD and the resulting death, COPD entails a huge economic burden on the Chinese population, with patients spending up to one-third of the average family income on COPD management in some regions is clinically beneficial to adopt preventable measures via prudent COPD care utilization, monetary costs, and hospitalizations. Methods: Toward this end, this study compared the relative effectiveness of six indices in predicting patient healthcare utilization, cost of care, and patient health outcome. The six assessment systems evaluated included the three multidimensional Body mass index, Obstruction, Dyspnea, Exercise capacity index, Dyspnea, Obstruction, Smoking, Exacerbation (DOSE) index, and COPD Assessment Test index, or the unidimensional measures that best predict the future of patient healthcare utilization, cost of care, and patient health outcome among Chinese COPD patients. Results: Multiple linear regression models were created for each healthcare utilization, cost, and outcome including a single COPD index and the same group of demographic variables for each of the outcomes. Conclusion: We conclude that the DOSE index facilitates the prediction of patient healthcare utilization, disease expenditure, and negative clinical outcomes. Our study indicates that the DOSE index has a potential role beyond clinical predictions.

• 보건행정학회지
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• 제30권4호
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• pp.433-437
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• 2020

Cancer is a disease which has the huge burden in worldwide, and cancer is the number one cause of death in Korea. At this point, the new framework for cancer monitoring index is required for regional cancer monitoring. Especially, cancer survivors are the important target which is rapidly increasing recently, also cancer survivor's quality of care should be considered in the cancer monitoring index framework. To develop the Multidimensional Cancer Monitoring Index considering cancer survivor's quality of care, we took into account cancer continuum which including prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment, survivorship, assessment of quality of care and monitoring cancer patient, and end-of life care for stage. For target, components of health care delivery system such as patient, family, provider, payer, and policy maker are included. Also, Donabedian model which is a framework for examining health services and evaluating quality of health care such as structure, process, and outcome is applied to contents. This new cancer monitoring framework which includes multidimensional components could help to develop regional cancer monitoring index, and to make national cancer management and prevention policy in the future.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• 제20권1호
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• pp.10.1-10.14
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• 2020

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have shown remarkable benefit in the treatment of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and have emerged as an effective treatment option even in the first-line setting. ICIs can block inhibitory pathways that restrain the immune response against cancer, restoring and sustaining antitumor immunity. Currently, there are 4 PD-1/PD-L1 blocking agents available in clinics, and immunotherapy-based regimen alone or in combination with chemotherapy is now preferred option. Combination trials assessing combination of ICIs with chemotherapy, targeted therapy and other immunotherapy are ongoing. Controversies remain regarding the use of ICIs in targetable oncogene-addicted subpopulations, but their initial treatment recommendations remained unchanged, with specific tyrosine kinase inhibitors as the choice. For the majority of patients without targetable driver oncogenes, deciding between therapeutic options can be difficult due to lack of direct cross-comparison studies. There are continuous efforts to find predictive biomarkers to find those who respond better to ICIs. PD-L1 protein expressions by immunohistochemistry and tumor mutational burden have emerged as most well-validated biomarkers in multiple clinical trials. However, there still is a need to improve patient selection, and to establish the most effective concurrent or sequential combination therapies in different NSCLC clinical settings. In this review, we will introduce currently used ICIs in NSCLC and analyze most recent trials, and finally discuss how, when and for whom ICIs can be used to provide promising avenues for lung cancer treatment.

• 대한임상독성학회지
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• 제21권2호
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• pp.69-80
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• 2023

Purpose: Suicide ranks among the top causes of death among youth in South Korea. This study aimed to identify the characteristics of suicidal individuals treated at emergency departments between 2011 and 2020. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted using data from January 2011 to December 2020 in the Injury Surveillance Cohort, a prospective registry. Patients' sex, age, mortality, methods of self-harm, and previous suicide attempts were analyzed. The methods of self-harm were categorized into falls, asphyxiation, blunt injuries, penetrating injuries, poisoning, and others. Sub-groups with and without poisoning were compared. Results: The proportion of self-harm/suicide attempts increased from 2.3% (2011) to 5.0% (2020). The mortality rate decreased from 10.8% (2011) to 6.3% (2020). Poisoning was the most common method (61.7%). Mortality rates ranged from 42.0% for asphyxiation to 0.2% for blunt injuries. Individuals in their 20s showed a marked increase in suicide/self-harm attempts, especially in the last three years. A large proportion of decedents in their 70s or older (52.6%) used poisoning as a method of suicide. The percentage of individuals with two or more previous attempts rose from 7.1% (2011) to 19.7% (2020). The death rates by poisoning decreased from 7.7% (2011) to 2.5% (2020). Conclusion: Our findings underscore the urgent need for targeted interventions and suicide prevention policies. Managing and reducing suicide and self-harm in emergency settings will require a focus on poisoning, the 10-29 age group, and the elderly. This paper will be valuable for future policies aiming to reduce the societal burden of suicide and self-harm.