• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.333-342
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• 1999

Objectives: Most descriptive studies of cancer have focused either or cancer incidence or mortality. Cancer prevalence has rarely been estimated. Cancer prevalence data can be used as a measure of the economic and social burden of cancer and are also useful for health care planning. This study attempts to estimate cancer prevalence in Kangwha county. Methods: This investigation is based on data of Kangwha cancer registry. The data include all cases of cancer diagnosed from 1983 through 1992. We define 'prevalent cases' as cancer patients who is alive as of January 1, 1993. For each five-year age group, the number of 'known prevalent cases' is added to the number of 'estimated prevalent cases'. Prevalence is calculated by dividing these sums by the populations of Kangwha County on December 31, 1992(derived from Kangwha Statistics Annual). Results: Crude prevalence of cancel among males and females are 536.7 and 601.1 per 100,000 respectively. Gastric cancer is the most common malignant neoplasm(213.2 per 100,000, crude prevalence) among males. It is followed by lung cancer(45.1 per 100,000), liver cancer(32.8 per 100,000), rectal cancer(25.4 per 100,000) and colon cancer(25.4 per 100,000). Cervical cancer is the most common cancer(201.9 per 100,000, crude prevalence) and is fellowed by gastric cancer(91.5 per 100,000), thyroid cancer(64.8 per 100,000), breast cancer(57.2 per 100,000) and rectal cancer(32.7 per 100,000) among females. Conclusions: We tried to estimate cancer prevalence based on the Kangwha cancer registry for the first time in Korea. The estimation of cancer prevalence based on a population-based cancer registry will be more correct and useful as the data accumulate. We will make another estimation in the near future.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.31-40
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• 2010

Purpose : To compare the relative values of various fast breath-hold imaging sequences for superparamagnetic iron-oxide (SPIO)-enhanced hepatic MRI for the assessment of solid focal lesions with a 3T MRI unit. Materials and Methods : 102 consecutive patients with one or more solid malignant hepatic lesions were evaluated by spoiled gradient echo (GRE) sequences with three different echo times (2.4 msec [GRE_2.4], 5.8 msec [GRE_5.8], and 10 msec [GRE_10]) for $T2^*$-weighted imaging in addition to T2-weighted turbo spin echo (TSE) sequence following intravenous SPIO injection. Image qualities of the hepatic contour, vascular landmarks and artifacts were rated by two independent readers using a four-point scale. For quantitative analysis, contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) was measured in 170 solid focal lesions larger than 1 cm (107 hepatocellular carcinomas, nine cholangiocarcinomas and 54 metastases). Results : GRE_5.8 showed the highest mean points for hepatic contour, vascular anatomy and imaging artifact presence among all of the subjected sequences (p<0.001) and was comparable (p=0.414) with GRE_10 with regard to lesion conspicuity. The mean CNRs were significantly higher (p<0.001) in the following order: GRE_10 ($24.4{\pm}14.5$), GRE_5.8 ($14.8{\pm}9.4$), TSE ($9.7{\pm}6.3$), and GRE_2.4 ($7.9{\pm}6.4$). The mean CNRs of CCCs and metastases were higher than those of HCCs for all imaging sequences (p<0.05). Conclusion : Regarding overall performances, GRE using a moderate echo time of 5.8 msec can provide the most reliable data among the various fast breath-hold SPIO-enhanced hepatic MRI sequences at 3T unit despite the lower CNR of GRE_5.8 compared to that of GRE_10.