• Title/Summary/Keyword: survivors

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Roles Traditional Healers Play in Cancer Treatment in Malaysia: Implications for Health Promotion and Education

  • Merriam, Sharan;Muhamad, Mazanah
    • Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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    • v.14 no.6
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    • pp.3593-3601
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    • 2013
  • Background: For a number of reasons from cultural compatibility, to accessibility, to cost, traditional healers are a major source of health care in developing countries. In Malaysia, it's been estimated that upwards of 80% of the population consult traditional healers even if simultaneously seeking treatment from the Western medical system. Partially as a result of the widespread practice of visiting traditional healers, cancer diagnosis and treatment in Malaysia is often delayed or interrupted resulting in late presentation, advanced stage diagnosis, and a higher mortality rate than in Western countries. However, there is very little research on the role of traditional healers in cancer treatment in Malaysia. Materials and Methods: This qualitative study was designed to identify the roles traditional healers play in cancer diagnosis and treatment, with an eye to alleviating the cancer burden through educational responses with four publics in mind-policy makers, Western medical personnel, traditional healers, and the general public. In-depth interviews were conducted with 14 Malay traditional healers, 13 cancer survivors who had seen both traditional healers and Western doctors, and 12 cancer medical specialists. Results: Analysis of the data from these 39 participants revealed four roles traditional healers play in cancer treatment-medicinal healer, emotional comforter, spiritual guide, and palliative caregiver. Conclusions: Three roles (emotional, spiritual, palliative) can be seen as complementary to the allopathic system. Emotional and spiritual roles may augment the effectiveness of biomedical treatment. Cancer awareness and education programs need to position traditional healers as complementary, rather than an alternative to Western medical treatment; Validating the roles Traditional Healers can play in cancer treatment in MY through health promotion and education will contribute to alleviating the nation's cancer burden.

Genetic radiation risks: a neglected topic in the low dose debate

  • Schmitz-Feuerhake, Inge;Busby, Christopher;Pflugbeil, Sebastian
    • Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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    • v.31
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    • pp.1.1-1.13
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    • 2016
  • Objectives To investigate the accuracy and scientific validity of the current very low risk factor for hereditary diseases in humans following exposures to ionizing radiation adopted by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation and the International Commission on Radiological Protection. The value is based on experiments on mice due to reportedly absent effects in the Japanese atomic bomb (A-bomb) survivors. Methods To review the published evidence for heritable effects after ionising radiation exposures particularly, but not restricted to, populations exposed to contamination from the Chernobyl accident and from atmospheric nuclear test fallout. To make a compilation of findings about early deaths, congenital malformations, Down's syndrome, cancer and other genetic effects observed in humans after the exposure of the parents. To also examine more closely the evidence from the Japanese A-bomb epidemiology and discuss its scientific validity. Results Nearly all types of hereditary defects were found at doses as low as one to 10 mSv. We discuss the clash between the current risk model and these observations on the basis of biological mechanism and assumptions about linear relationships between dose and effect in neonatal and foetal epidemiology. The evidence supports a dose response relationship which is non-linear and is either biphasic or supralinear (hogs-back) and largely either saturates or falls above 10 mSv. Conclusions We conclude that the current risk model for heritable effects of radiation is unsafe. The dose response relationship is non-linear with the greatest effects at the lowest doses. Using Chernobyl data we derive an excess relative risk for all malformations of 1.0 per 10 mSv cumulative dose. The safety of the Japanese A-bomb epidemiology is argued to be both scientifically and philosophically questionable owing to errors in the choice of control groups, omission of internal exposure effects and assumptions about linear dose response.

Experiences of Treatment-Related Side Effects and Supportive Care with Korean Medicine in Women with Breast Cancer - A Focus Group Study (유방암 환자의 항암 치료 부작용 및 한의학적 보완치료 경험에 관한 포커스 그룹 연구)

  • Han, Sola;Jang, Bo-Hyoung;Hwang, Deok-Sang;Suh, Hae Sun
    • The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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    • v.30 no.1
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    • pp.85-94
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    • 2017
  • Objectives: To explore experiences of treatment-related side effects and supportive care among Korean breast cancer survivors (BCS). Methods: Focus group interview was conducted with six Korean women with breast cancer. Participants were recruited through snow-balling. Interview was audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. NVivo-11 was used to code the data into themes. Results: Two major themes were identified: (1) experiences of Western medicine, including treatment, side effects, needs and costs; (2) experiences of supportive care with Korean medicine, including the same as above. All participants experienced Western medicine in treatment phase and reported impairment of physical, emotional, and social functioning during and after Western medicine treatment. Only three participants used Korean medicine after treatments end. The negative responses from Western medicine doctors were the most important factor keeping participants from accessing Korean medicine when treatment-related side effects occurred. For this reason, some participants used Korean medicine without disclosure. Participants usually acquired information about Korean medicine from online community or other BCS, which was another important factor because it raised concerns about side effects and credibility of Korean medicine. High cost was also reported as barrier in using Korean medicine. During the cancer treatment, participants tended to endure their treatment-related side effects. Conclusions: Korean BCS may be at high risk of physical or emotional distress during treatment period. Findings suggest that there is a high need for supportive care to relieve treatment-related side effects and improve patients' quality-of-life. Furthermore, developing a systematic guidance or credible information sources should be warranted to help patients find the best supportive care options including Korean medicine.

Fertility preservation for patients with breast cancer: The Korean Society for Fertility Preservation clinical guidelines

  • Kim, Hoon;Kim, Seul Ki;Lee, Jung Ryeol;Hwang, Kyung Joo;Suh, Chang Suk;Kim, Seok Hyun
    • Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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    • v.44 no.4
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    • pp.181-186
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    • 2017
  • With advances in the methods of cancer treatment used in modern medicine, the number of breast cancer survivors has been consistently rising. As the number of women who wish to become pregnant after being diagnosed with breast cancer increases, it is necessary to consider fertility preservation in these patients. However, medical doctors may be unaware of the importance of fertility preservation among cancer patients because most patients do not share their concerns about fertility with their doctors. Considering the time spent choosing and undergoing treatment, an early referral to a reproductive specialist is the best way to prevent a delay in cancer treatment. Since it is not easy to make decisions on matters related to cancer diagnosis and fertility, patients should be provided with enough time for decision-making, and to allow for this, an early referral will provide patients with sufficient time to choose an appropriate method of fertility preservation. The currently available options of fertility preservation for patients with breast cancer include cryopreservation of embryos, oocytes, and ovarian tissue and gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist treatment before and during chemotherapy. An appropriate method of fertility preservation must be selected through consultations between individual patients and health professionals and analyses of the pros and cons of different options.

MICRODONTIA IN A CHILD TREATED WITH CHEMOTHERAPEUTIC AGENT (항암 화학치료를 받은 아동의 치아발육이상 : 증례 보고)

  • Kye, Hi-Ran;Lee, Jae-Ho;Kim, Seong-Oh;Sohn, Heung-Kyu
    • Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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    • v.26 no.1
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    • pp.146-150
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    • 1999
  • With the improved cure rates for childhood malignant conditions in the past decade, late effects of cancer therapy must be recognized to minimize their impact on the quality of life in long-term survivors. Chemoradiation therapy is a major part of pediatric oncology treatment and is implicated in causing tooth agenesis, microdontia, root shortening, early apical closure, and coronal hypocalcification. Dental development may be affected by illness, trauma, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy at any point prior to complete maturation. Treatment given during the first 3.5 years of life was more likely to affect the dental lamina and crown formation and result in a small tooth. Dental treatment affected by chemoradiation damage to developing teeth includes orthodontic tooth movement, prosthetic abutment consideration, periodontal health, space maintenance, requirement for home fluoride regimens to protect hypomineralized teeth, and enodontic procedures. Dental abnormalities are common in patients treated for cancer, and these children require aggressive dental follow-up. Meticulous surveillance may facilitate detection of abnormalities, enabling the dental practitioner to intervene earlier in promoting a more aggressive regimen of oral care, thus reducing the morbidity associated with dental sequelae of oncotherapy, specifically periodontal disease and malocclusion. In this case, we report microdontia of all permanent second premolar and second molar in an 8 year old boy treated with chemotherapeutic agents during period of active dental development(14 months to 38 months of age).

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Human Activated Lymphocyte Treated with Anti-CD3, CD16, CD56 Monoclonal Antibody and IL-2 (Anti-CD3, CD16과 CD56 단일항체와 IL-2를 사용하여 활성화시킨 사람의 림프구)

  • Hong, Seon-Min;Lee, Dong-Wook;Kang, Jin-Gu;Kim, Han-Soo;Cho, Sung-Hoon
    • IMMUNE NETWORK
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    • v.5 no.1
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    • pp.11-15
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    • 2005
  • Background: Throughtout the last three decades, the therapy of leukemias and lymphoma has set the stage for curative cancer therapy in systemic malignant disease. This was the result of an integrated work of basic reaserch and clinical investigators leading to more aggressive albeit tolerable protocol of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. High dose therapy marks the most elaborated strategies in this field today. However, intensification of conventional therapeutic modalities as mentioned has to be based on new approaches and the exploration of new antineoplastic mechanisms. This insight has resulted in immune therapy of cancer. Among the cells of the immune system, natural killer (NK) cells and T cells are of major interest for the development of therapeutic strategies. Methods: Cytotoxicity to target cells was measured by LDH release method, Characterization of activated lymphocyte was measured by Flow cytometry analysis. Anti-CD3, 16, 56 monoclonal antibody and IL-2 were used for the activation of NK and T cell. The analysis of effect of activated lymphocyte, in vivo, were used by Balb/c nude mouse. Results and Conclusion: Cytotoxicity to K562 cells was significantly higher in the mixture group of NK and T cells than that of a group of activating T cells. The survivors and the rate of reduction of size of tumor craft of nude mouse group treatment with activated lymphocyte was higher than that of the group without treatment with activated lymphocyte. Therefore, this results are suggested that the activated lymphocytes by anti-CD3, CD16 and CD56 can reduce the malignancy effect of lymphoma.

Hormesis as a Confounding Factor in Epidemiological Studies of Radiation Carcinogenesis

  • Sanders Charles L.
    • Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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    • v.31 no.2
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    • pp.69-89
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    • 2006
  • Biological mechanisms for ionizing radiation effects are different at low doses than at high doses. Radiation hormesis involves low-dose-induced protection and high-dose-induced harm. The protective component is associated with a reduction in the incidence of cancer below the spontaneous frequency, brought about by activation of defensive and repair processes. The Linear No-Threshold (LNT) hypothesis advocated by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) and the Biological Effects of ionizing Radiation (BEIR) Report VII for cancer risk estimations Ignores hormesis and the presence of a threshold. Cancer incidences significantly less than expected have been found in a large number of epidemiological studies including, airline flight personnel, inhabitants of high radiation backgrounds, shipyard workers, nuclear site workers in scores of locations throughout the world, nuclear power utility workers, plutonium workers, military nuclear test site Participants, Japanese A-bomb survivors, residents contaminated by major nuclear accidents, residents of Taiwan living in $^{60}Co$ contaminated buildings, fluoroscopy and mammography patients, radium dial painters, and those exposed to indoor radon. Significantly increased cancer was not found at doses <200 $mSv^*$. Evidence for radiation hormesis was seen in both sexes for acute or chronic exposures, low or high LET radiations, external whole- or partial body exposures, and for internal radionuclides. The ubiquitous nature of the Healthy Worker Effect (HWE)-like responses in cellular, animal and epidemiological studies negates the HWE as an explanation for radiation hormesis. The LNT hypothesis is wrong and does not represent the true nature of the dose-response relationship, since low doses or dose-rates commonly result in thresholds and reduce cancer incidences below the spontaneous rate. Radiation protection organizations should seriously consider the cost and health implications of radiation hormesis.

A Study on the Degree of Self-care Activities of Stroke Patients, the Family Burden, and the Educational Needs of Primary Caregivers (뇌졸중 환자의 자가간호 수행과 가족 부담감 및 교육적 요구에 관한 연구)

  • Cho, Bok-Hee;Kim, Mi-Hyang;Seo, Nam-Sook;So, Hyang-Sook
    • The Korean Journal of Rehabilitation Nursing
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    • v.2 no.2
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    • pp.243-256
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    • 1999
  • The purpose of this study was to identify the degree of self-care activities of stroke patients, the family burden, and the educational needs of primary caregivers. A descriptive survey research was conducted in 97 stroke patients and their respective primary caregivers. Data were collected by the interviews using a structured questionnare from July 26th to August 5th, 1999. NIH stroke status was $12.15{\pm}8.40$, the degree of self-care activities of stroke patients was $26.85{\pm}9.39$. The score of objective burden of primary caregivers was $31.24{\pm}4.81$ and subjective burden was $24.30{\pm}6.99$. The score of the educational needs was $89.78{\pm}9.99$. We present several imformations about clients from these scores as follows: The patients were convalescent and their depentant level of self- care was middle range; The objective burden was higher than the subjective burden; And the educational needs of family caregivers were very high. The Elain Mattis Educational Wants of Family Caregivers of Disabled Adults Questionnaire was used to assess the educational needs of primary caregivers of stroke patients. The results of this research are offered to help nurses understand the feelings of uncertainty about the new and unexpected role that family caregivers face and to help nurses meet the needs of families preparing to care stroke survivors at home.

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Effect of Gluathione on the Histopathological Changes Caused by Oxidized Diets in the Carp, Cyprinus carpio (산화(酸化)된 사료(飼料)에 의(依)한 잉어의 병리조직학적(病理組織學的) 증상(症狀)과 glutathione 첨가효과(添加效果))

  • Min, Eung-Shik;Chun, Seh-Kyu
    • Journal of fish pathology
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    • v.3 no.2
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    • pp.81-91
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    • 1990
  • Nutritional ceroidosis accompanied with histopathological changes such as myopathy and visceral ceroidosis, was experimentally induced by feeding the oxidized feed with the peroxide value of 98meq/kg, to common carp resulting in some motalities of carp. To see the effect of treacetment survivors of the above fish were orally administered by feeding diets containing daily doses of 3mg and 6mg of glutathione per kg fish for 10 days or 20 days. While control and 3mg dosage group retained viscerral ceroidosis and showed evidence myopathy histo pathologically, the fish treated with 6mg of glutathione for 20days showed obvious reduction of macrophages of ceroid in the viscera.

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Retrospective analysis of intensity-modulated radiotherapy and three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy of postoperative treatment for biliary tract cancer

  • Lee, Hyo Chun;Lee, Jong Hoon;Lee, Sea-Won;Lee, Joo Hwan;Yu, Mina;Jang, Hong Seok;Kim, Sung Hwan
    • Radiation Oncology Journal
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    • v.37 no.4
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    • pp.279-285
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    • 2019
  • Purpose: This study was conducted to compare the outcome of three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) and intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for the postoperative treatment of biliary tract cancer. Materials and Methods: From February 2008 to June 2016, 57 patients of biliary tract cancer treated with curative surgery followed by postoperative 3D-CRT (n = 27) or IMRT (n = 30) were retrospectively enrolled. Results: Median follow-up time was 23.6 months (range, 5.2 to 97.6 months) for all patients and 38.4 months (range, 27.0 to 89.2 months) for survivors. Two-year recurrence-free survival is higher in IMRT arm than 3D-CRT arm with a marginal significance (25.9% vs. 47.4%; p = 0.088). Locoregional recurrence-free survival (64.3% vs. 81.7%; p = 0.122) and distant metastasis-free survival (40.3% vs. 55.8%; p = 0.234) at two years did not show any statistical difference between two radiation modalities. In the multivariate analysis, extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, poorly-differentiated histologic grade, and higher stage were significant poor prognostic factors for survival. Severe treatment-related toxicity was not significantly different between two arms. Conclusions: IMRT showed comparable results with 3D-CRT in terms of recurrence, and survival, and radiotherapy toxicity for the postoperative treatment of biliary tract cancer.