• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.20
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• pp.8607-8612
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• 2014

Background: Breast cancer patients experience a variety of altered appearance - such as loss or disfigurement of breasts, discolored skin, and hair loss - which result in psychological distress that affect their quality of life. This study aims to evaluate the impact of socioeconomic status on the altered appearance distress, body image, and quality of life among Korean breast cancer patients. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted at advocacy events held at 16 different hospitals in Korea. Subjects were eligible to participate if they were 18 years of age or older, had a histologically confirmed diagnosis of breast cancer, had no evidence of recurrence or metastasis, and had no psychological problems at the time of the survey. Employment status, marital status, education, and income were assessed for patient socioeconomic status. Altered appearance distress was measured using the NCI's cancer treatment side effects scale; body image and quality of life were measured by the EORTC QLC-C30 and BR23. Means and standard deviations of each outcome were compared by socioeconomic status and multivariate linear regression models for evaluating the association between socioeconomic status and altered appearance distress, body image, and quality of life. Results: A total of 126 breast cancer patients participated in the study; the mean age of participants was 47.7 (SD=8.4). Of the total, 83.2% were married, 85.6% received more than high school education, 35.2% were employed, and 41% had more than $3000 in monthly household income. About 46% had mastectomy, and over 30% were receiving either chemotherapy or radiation therapy at the time of the survey. With fully adjusted models, the employed patients had significantly higher altered appearance distress (1.80 vs 1.48; p<0.05) and poorer body image (36.63 vs 51.69; p<0.05) compared to the patients who were unemployed. Higher education (10.58, standard error (SE)=7.63) and family income (12.88, SE=5.08) was positively associated with better body image after adjusting for age, disease stage at diagnosis, current treatment status, and breast surgery type. Similarly, patients who were married and who had higher education had better quality of life were statistically significant in the multivariate models. Conclusions: Socioeconomic status is significantly associated with altered appearance distress, body image, and quality of life in Korean women with breast cancer. Patients who suffer from altered appearance distress or lower body image are much more likely to experience psychosocial, physical, and functional problems than women who do not, therefore health care providers should be aware of the changes and distresses that these breast cancer patients go through and provide specific information and psychosocial support to socioeconomically more vulnerable patients.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.243-250
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• 1996

Extravasation of toxic chemotherapeutic agents cause severe skin ulceration and necrosis which often need secondary surgical intervention. Still, there were not established antidote agent in case of extravasation with mitomycin-c. Dimethyl sulfoxide is known as an effective chemical scavenger of toxic hydroxyl free radical and sodium thiosulfate also was demonstrated significant protector from mitomycin-c induced ulceration by a few experimental studies. Author investigated necrotic area of mitomycin-c injected site and compare to the effectiveness of topical treatment with dimethyl sulfoxide and intradermal injection of sodium thiosulfate according to starting times, forty five mice were divided into 3 groups. Control group(n=5) had no treatment after subcutaneous injection of mitomycin-c. Experimental group I and II were 20 mice treated dimethyl sulfoxide and sodium thiosulfate, respectively. Depending on the starting time of treatment, group I and II were subdivided into 1, 2, 3 and 4 as immediate, 6 hours, 12 hours and 24 hours after mitomycin-c injection. Histologic studies of the necrotic area and survival area after treatment were performed using hematoxylin-eosin staining. The mean necrotic area of group I was significantly decreased depending on the starting time of treatment compared with control group(p<0.01). The results means there was no necrosis area which was treated with topical sodium thiosulfate within 6 hours, and it showed also significant decrease of necrosis area within 24 hours. There was also no necrosis area in group II-1 and significant decrease of necrosis area II-2 and III-3. But, effctiveness of intradermal injection of sodium thiosulfate was not found in group II-4 which was started after 24 hours. Hisotolgic findings showed a bland coagulative necrosis without inflammatory changes and no granulation tissue. The significant difference that cytoplasmic loss of subcutaneous fat and decrease number of hair follicles between two groups resulted from the methods of treatment by topical application and intradermal injection. In conclusion, immediate treatments with topical dimethyl sulfoxide or intradermal injection of sodium thiosulfate signifcantly prevents necrosis by extravasation of mitomycin-c.