• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.16
• /
• pp.6913-6917
• /
• 2015

Background: Due to the rapid progress of industrialization, the expansion of the nuclear family, and an increase in women's social activities, the burden of care of cancer patients has increased, so that all family members are now involved in care. We compared the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) between members of families of cancer patients (hereafter, cancer families) and members of cancer-free families (non-cancer families). Materials and Methods: The data were from the Community Health Survey (2012). The study population included respondents at least 30 years of age. Data were adjusted for the following covariates: sex, age, education, marital status, household income, economic activity, household type, chronic disease, and perceived health status. Frequency analysis, analyses of variance, and multiple linear regression analysis were performed. Results: Among 163,495 respondents, 3,406 (2.1%) were part of a cancer family and 160,089 (97.9%) were part of a non-cancer family. Cancer families had lower EQ-5D scores than non-cancer families. However, by subgroup, the scores had significant association between cancer and non-cancer families only for females and for those who worked. Conclusions: There was a significant relationship between HRQOL scores and being a family member of a cancer patient. This indicates that the responsibility for care has been extended to the entire family, not only the primary caregiver.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.16
• /
• pp.6597-6601
• /
• 2014

Background: Cancer is a non-communicable disease that is considered deadly in many cases. In recent years, the mortality rates from breast cancer have increased with increasing incidences. The present study was conducted to determine five year survival of women with breast cancer in Yazd, in the central region of Iran. Materials and Methods: In a prospective study, data were obtained from the patient's medical records with breast cancer that were referred to the Shahid Sadoughi hospital and radiotherapy center from 2002-2007 and followed up for 5 years. The data collected were analyzed by SPSS/16 and Kaplan-Meyer test and log-rank test and Cox proportional hazard model was used. Results: The mean age of breast cancer diagnosis was $48.3{\pm}11.7$ years. The 1-, 2-, 3-, 4- and 5-year cumulative survivals for breast cancer patients were 95%, 86%, 82%, 76% and 70%, respectively. There were significant differences with age distribution (p=0.006). A significant decrease in the 5-year survival in patients with involvement of lymph nodes was lso observed. Conclusions: Education for early diagnosis in women must be considered and these findings support the need for breast cancer screening programs.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.3
• /
• pp.1415-1418
• /
• 2014

The ABO blood group has been recently proposed to influence development of oral cancer. The aim ofthis study was to evaluate the association between the type of ABO blood group and oral cancer. In a case-control study, 104 patients with oral cancer were compared with 90 blood donors without cancer as controls. Data regarding the patient demographics, blood groups, Rh status, cancer characteristics and oral habits were also compared between two subgroups of squamous and non-squamous oral cancers. For statistical analysis, Chi-square test, t-student Test and Logistic Regression were used to analyze the relationship between ABO blood groups and oral cancer. The frequency of blood group B was significantly higher in oral cancer patients than controls (32% vs 13%) (p value=0.01), but Rh factor did not show significant difference between cases and controls. According to Logistic Regression, people with blood group B and those older than 50 had 3.5 and 19.4 times elevated risk of developing oral cancer, respectively. The frequency of squamous cell cancer was also significantly higher in men and people older than 50. On the other hand, females, people under 50, and those with blood group B were at 5.6, 2.9 and 4.3 times higher risk of developing non-squamous cell oral cancer,respectively. People with blood group B are at a greater risk of developing oral cancer, and female patients under 50 years of age with blood group B have the highest risk to develop non-squamous cell oral cancer.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.39 no.4
• /
• pp.171-176
• /
• 2018

Background: Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) tends to grow more rapidly and spread much faster than non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A concurrent combination of chemotherapy and thoracic radiotherapy is suggested as the standard conventional treatment, but it is more challenging for elderly patients having pulmonary and cardiovascular comorbidities. Case presentation: Here we present a case of an 80-year-old male, current smoker diagnosed with SCLC in limited stage T3N0M0 (36mm right upper lobe, satellite nodule) in Dec, 2015. The standard concurrent chemoradiotherapy was not available for his comorbidities, which included chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and angina pectoris. Furthermore, he and his family refused the recommended chemotherapy or radiotherapy exclusively. Alternatively, he received various non-conventional treatments including local radiofrequency hyperthermia, mistletoe, and Traditional Korean medicine including acupuncture, moxibustion and herbs since Jan. 2016. Despite the progression in primary tumor size, there have been no other distant relapse so far, and the patient has been in stable condition ever since. Conclusion: We suggest that a combination of various alternative treatments could be a candidate for elderly patients intolerable to conventional cytotoxic treatments.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• v.16 no.1
• /
• pp.28-33
• /
• 2016

Purpose: We evaluated the clinical outcomes of the non-operative management of post-gastrectomy duodenal stump leakage in patients with gastric cancer. Materials and Methods: A total of 1,230 patients underwent gastrectomy at our institution between 2010 and 2014. Duodenal stump leakage was diagnosed in 19 patients (1.5%), and these patients were included in this study. The management options varied with patient condition; patients were managed conservatively, with a pigtail catheter drain, or by tube duodenostomy via a Foley catheter. The patients' clinical outcomes were analyzed. Results: Duodenal stump leakage was diagnosed in all 19 patients within a median of 10 days (range, 1~20 days). The conservative group comprised of 5 patients (26.3%), the pigtail catheter group of 11 patients (57.9%), and the Foley catheter group of 3 patients (15.8%). All 3 management modalities were successful; none of the patients needed further operative intervention. The median hospital stay was 18, 33, and 42 days, respectively. Conclusions: Non-operative management of duodenal stump leakage for selected groups of patients with gastric cancer was effective for control of intra-abdominal sepsis. This management modality can help obviate the need for surgical intervention.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.41 no.6
• /
• pp.1255-1264
• /
• 2020

Objective: The purpose of this study was to report the effect of Korean medicine on a patient with non-small cell lung cancer with pleural metastasis who had been treated with afatinib. Method: A 61-year old female patient with non-small cell lung cancer with pleural metastasis was treated with acupuncture and herbal medicines, including Yijung-tang, Haengso-tang, Samchulkunbi-tang, Paeamju-bang (Feiai zhu fang), to control various symptoms caused by afatinib. The degree of pain was assessed by a numeric rating scale (NRS) and the quality of life was determined with the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire, Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) and the EORTC 13-item lung cancer-specific module (EORTC LC-13). Results: After receiving acupuncture and herbal medicines, the patient showed improvement in her back and chest pain, according to the NRS score. Similarly, the Korean medicinal treatments significantly relieved her nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hemoptysis, and alopecia. However, the EORTC QLQ-C30 assessment suggested that Korean medicinal treatments did not significantly improve the global health status of this patient. Conclusion: Korean medicine could be useful in relieving some of the symptoms occurring after conventional afatinib treatments.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.17 no.11
• /
• pp.5041-5045
• /
• 2016

Background: Patients with recurrent or progressive lung cancer experience a significant symptom burden, negatively affecting quality of life and reducing life expectancy. Thoracic re-irradiation can be used for palliative treatment to relieve symptoms or as a curative treatment. Methods: Using patient charts, we identified and reviewed 28 cases that had received palliative thoracic re-irradiation for recurrent lung cancer. Results: Before re-irradiation, 32% of patients had stage III non-small cell lung cancer and six had small cell lung cancer. The median interval between treatments was 18.7 months. Median follow-up was 31.2 months from the initial radiotherapy and 5 months after re-irradiation. A better performance status before re-irradiation (<80 vs >80, p=0.09) and a lower overlap 90% isodose (<70 vs >70, p=0.09) showed trends toward improved survival. Grade 1-2 toxicity from re-irradiation was recorded in 12/28 patients, and no grade 3 or 4 acute toxicity was encountered. Conclusion: The role of palliative treatment in survival is not clear but it can provide symptomatic relief in patients, with no high grade toxicity. Further studies with greater patient numbers and longer follow-up times should facilitate determination of the role of this treatment in toxicity and effects on survival.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• v.14 no.4
• /
• pp.266-270
• /
• 2014

Purpose: Palliative gastrectomy and chemotherapy are important options for peritoneal seeding of gastric cancer. The treatment stage IV gastric cancer patient who respond to induction chemotherapy, is converted to gastrectomy (conversion therapy or conversion surgery). This study explored the clinical outcomes of gastric cancer patients with peritoneal seeding who had undergone conversion therapy. Materials and Methods: Between 2003 and 2012, gastric cancer patients with peritoneal seeding, as determined by preoperative or intraoperative diagnosis were reviewed retrospectively. Clinicopathologic characteristics and clinical outcomes of patients with peritoneal seeding were analyzed. Results: Forty-three patients were enrolled. Eighteen patients had undergone conversion surgery and 25 patients continued conventional chemotherapy. Among the 18 conversion patients, 10 received clinically curative resection. The median follow-up period was 28.5 months (range 8 to 60 months) and the total 3-year survival rate was 16.3%. The median survival time of the patients who received clinically curative conversion therapy was 37 months, and the 3-year survival rate was 50%. The median follow-up for non-curative gastrectomy patients was 18 months. No patient treated using chemotherapy survived to 3 years; the median survival time was 8 months. The differences in survival time between the groups was statistically significant (P<0.001). Conclusions: In terms of survival benefits for gastric cancer patients with peritoneal seeding, clinically curative conversion therapy resulted in better clinical outcomes.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.14 no.7
• /
• pp.4455-4457
• /
• 2013

In the new millennium people are facing serious challenges in health care, especially with increasing non-communicable diseases (NCD). One of the most common NCDs is cancer which is the leading cause of death in developed countries and in developing countries is the second cause of death after heart diseases. Cancer registry can make possible the analysis, comparison and development of national and international cancer strategies and planning. Information technology has a vital role in quality improvement and facility of cancer registries. With the use of IT, in addition to gaining general benefits such as monitoring rates of cancer incidence and identifying planning priorities we can also gain specific advantages such as collecting information for a lifetime, creating tele medical records, possibility of access to information by patient, patient empowerment, and decreasing medical errors. In spite of the powerful role of IT, we confront various challenges such as general problems, like privacy of the patient, and specific problems, including possibility of violating patients rights through misrepresentation, omission of human relationships, and decrease in face to face communication between doctors and patients. By implementing appropriate strategies, such as identifying authentication levels, controlling approaches, coding data, and considering technical and content standards, we can optimize the use of IT. The aim of this paper is to emphasize the need for identifying positive and negative effects of modern IT on cancer registry in general and specific aspects as an approach to cancer care management.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.35 no.3
• /
• pp.366-372
• /
• 2014

Objectives: This is a report of a case of a stage IV non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patient whose malignant pleural effusion & respiratory symptoms have been relieved with Korean medicinal prescription, modified Yieum-jeon. Methods: A 56-year-old male diagnosed with stage IV NSCLC suffering malignant pleural effusion with complaints of cough, sputum, bilateral leg edema, dysphagia, post neck and left scapular pain was treated with modified Yieum-jeon and acupuncture during 16days. After treatment, blood lab and chest X-ray were used to follow the condition of malignant pleural effusion & pulmonary symptoms. Results: Malignant pleural effusion and pulmonary symptoms were improved with modified Yieum-jeon intake without any related adverse side effects. Conclusions: This study suggests Yieum-jeon may play a positive role in improving the malignant pleural effusion symptoms in advanced lung cancer cases.