• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.793-796
• /
• 2014

Background: This study aimed to examine possible effects of implementing a national query program on site-specific cancer mortality rates. Materials and Methods: A total of 2,874 query letters were sent out by the Department of Statistics, Ministry of Health and Welfare of Taiwan between January 2009 and December 2011 to medical certifiers who reported "neoplasm with uncertain nature" on the death certificate asking for more detailed information for coding. Results: Of the 2,571 responses, in 1,398 cases (54%) medical certifiers were still unable to determine the nature of the neoplasm. There were four neoplasm sites for which more than 50% of the responses changed the category to malignant, the gastrointestinal system (73%), urinary system (60%), stomach (55%) and rectum (53%). The liver was the cancer site that showed the largest absolute increase in the number of deaths after the query; however, the brain showed the largest relative increase, at 12%. Conclusions: Different neoplasm sites showed different magnitudes of change in nature after the query. Brain cancer mortality rates exhibited the largest increase.

• KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS)
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.1134-1147
• /
• 2017

With the rise in popularity of photographic and video cameras, an increasing number of fields are now using thermal imaging cameras. One such application is in the diagnosis of breast cancer, as thermal imaging provides a low-cost and noninvasive method. Thermal imaging is particularly safe for pregnant women, and those with large, dense, or sensitive breasts. In addition, excessive doses of radiation, which may be used in traditional methods of breast cancer detection, can increase the risk of cancer. This paper presents one method of breast cancer detection. Breast images were taken using a thermal camera, with preliminary experiments conducted on Cambodian women. Then the experimental results were analyzed and compared using Shannon entropy and logistic regression.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.9-19
• /
• 2012

Objectives: The aim of this study is to critically review the exposure surrogates and estimates used to associate health effects in wafer fabrication workers such as spontaneous abortion and cancer, as well as to identify the limitations of retrospective exposure assessment methods Methods: Epidemiologic and exposure-assessment studies of wafer fabrication operations in the semiconductor industry were collected. Retrospective exposure-assessment methods used in cancer risk and mortality and reproductive toxicity were reviewed. Results: Eight epidemiologic papers and two reports compared cancer risk among workers in wafer fabrication facilities in the semiconductor industry with the risk of the general population. Exposure surrogates used in those cancer studies were fabrication(vs. non-fabrication), employment duration, manufacturing eras, job title (operator vs. maintenance worker) and qualitative classifications of agents without assessing specific agent or job-specific exposure. In contrast, specific operation, job title and agents were used to classify the exposure of fabrication workers, contributing to finding a significant association with spontaneous abortion (SAB). Conclusion: Further epidemiologic studies of fabrication workers using more refined exposure assessment methods are warranted in order to examine the associations between fabrication work, environment, and specific agents with cancer risk or mortality as used in SAB epidemiologic studies.

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.397-413
• /
• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between the income level and the healthcare utilization by health insurance type in all cancer patients in year 2005. Methods: The target population was cancer patients with health insurance who used healthcare as a diagnosis code (C00-C97) from January 1 to December 31 of 2005. The Korea Central Cancer Registry Center's Cancer Patient Registry Data, the list of cancer patients of the National Health Insurance Corporation, and the claim data of the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service were used. The I was the wealthiest, followed by II, III, IV. The V was the poorest in this study. For the analysis, the $x^2$-test, ANOVA (and Kruskal-Wallis test), and regression were used. Results: Outpatient and hospitalization medical expenses, and outpatient visit days of cancer patients with self-employed health insurance were highest in I (p<.001, respectively), and the hospitalization days were the highest in II (p<.001, respectively). Outpatient and hospitalization medical expenses, and outpatient visit and hospitalization days of cancer patients with occupational health insurance were the highest in I (p<.001, respectively). Outpatient and hospitalization medical expenses, and outpatient visit and hospitalization days in cancer patients were higher in I compared to V, and higher in II and III, IV compared to V (p<.001, respectively). Conclusion: Supporting plan for cancer patients' outpatient healthcare utilization are necessary. Moreover, we should make specialized strategy for low income cancer patients with self-employed health insurance when we develop quality improvement policy for inpatient service.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.37 no.5
• /
• pp.582-585
• /
• 2004

To evaluate the potential association between the GSTP1 genotype and the development of breast cancer, a hospital based case-control study was conducted on Korean women. The study population consisted of 171 histologically confirmed incident breast cancer cases and 171 age-matched controls with no present or previous history of cancer. PCR-RFLP was used for the GSTP1 genotyping and statistical evaluations were performed using an unconditional logistic regression model. Postmenopausal women with the GSTP1 Val allele were found to have a reduced risk of breast cancer (OR = 0.3, 95% CI = 0.10 - 0.74). A significant interaction was observed between the GSTP1 genotype and alcohol consumption (p for interaction = 0.01); compared with never-drinking women with Ile/Ile genotype, ever-drinking women with the GSTP1 Val allele had almost a three-fold risk of breast cancer (OR = 2.9, 95% CI = 1.05-7.85), whereas never-drinking women with Val allele had half this risk (OR = 0.5, 95% CI = 0.27-0.93). Our findings suggest that the GSTP1 polymorphism influences individual susceptibility to breast cancer in the Korean women and this effect may be modified by alcohol consumption.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.9 no.3
• /
• pp.352-355
• /
• 2018

Hazardous work zones (i.e., hot, warm, and cold) are typically established by emergency response teams during hazardous materials (HAZMAT) calls but less consistently for fire responses to segment personnel and response activities in the immediate geographic area around the fire. Despite national guidelines, studies have documented the inconsistent use of respiratory protective equipment by firefighters at the fire scene. In this case-series report, we describe warm zone gas levels using multigas detectors across five independent fire incident responses all occurring in a large South Florida fire department. Multigas detector data collected at each fire response indicate the presence of sustained levels of volatile organic compounds in the "warm zone" of each fire event. These cases suggest that firefighters should not only implement strategies for multigas detector use within the warm zone but also include respiratory protection to provide adequate safety from toxic exposures in the warm zone.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.39 no.5
• /
• pp.438-446
• /
• 2006

Objectives: We developed the predictive model for the incidence of colon cancer by utilizing the health screening data of the National Health Insurance in Korea. We also explored the characteristics of the high risk group for colon cancer. Methods: The predictive model was used to determine those people who have a high risk for colon cancer within 2 years of their NHI health screening, and we excluded the people who had already been treated for cancer or who were cancer patient. The study population is the insured of the NHI, aged 40 or over and they had undergone health screening from the year 2000 to 2004, according to NHI health screening formula. We performed logistic regression analysis and used SAS Enterprise Miner 4.1. Results: This study shows that there exists a higher rate of colon cancer in males than females. Also, for the population in their 60s, the incidence rate of colon cancer is much higher by 5.36 times than that for those people in their 40s. Amongst the behavioral factors, heavy drinking is the most important determinant of the colon cancer incidence (7.39 times in males and 21.51 times in females). Conclusions: Our study confirms that the major influencing factors for the incidence of colon cancer are drinking, lack of exercise, a medical history of colon polypus and a family history of colon cancer. As a result, we can choose the group that is at a high risk for colon cancer and provide customized medical information and selective management services according to their characteristics.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.37-42
• /
• 1990

The paper is based on the record of researching the patients with cancer in the Chun-nam National University Hospital from September 1985 to December 1988. The results are the as follows ; 1. Among the total O.P.D. 921, 028, the patients of Therapeutic Radiology (Opening the Therapeutic Radiology in September) are classified into 27,159(2.95%), (186 in 1985, 2,388 in 1986, 10,511 in 1987, and 14,074 in 1988) 2. Among the 4,925 cancer patients, cervix and uterus cancer patients are 1,138(23.10%), stomach cancer patients are 592(12.02%), brain and thyroid cancer patients are 565(11.47%), liver cancer patients are 400 (8.12%), lung cancer patients are 355 (7.20%) and sexual ratio appeared 1 : 1.13. Therefore, female patients are a slightly more than the male patients. 3. The age distribution of cancer was that of $45{\sim}54$ ages are 1,244(25.26%), $55{\sim}64$ ages are 1,119(22.72%) and $35{\sim}44$ ages are 773(15.70%) and the half of all the cancer patients are $45{\sim}64$ ages. 4. Among the 2,519 cancer patients, 742(29.46%) are in the uterus system, 620(24.62%) are in the brain and thyroid part, 402 (15.96%) are in the lungs. Therefore, these three kinds of cancer consist of 70%. 5. The occupational distribution of 3,067 cancer patients ($87{\sim}88\;year$) house wives are 636 (20.73%), orderly farmers are 622 (20.28%) public service personnells are 193 (6.29%), salarymen are 162(5.28%) and businessmen are 159(5.18%).

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.155-165
• /
• 2000

This paper is based on the records of researching the patients with cancer in the Chunnam National University Hospital from January 1990 to December 1999 and referred to the Korea Cancer Center Hospital's annual report. The results are as the following : 1. Along the total O.P.D 5,680,284, the patients of therapeutic radiology are 201,367 in $3.55\%$ 2. Among the 12,404 cancer patients, stomach cancer patients are $2,048(16.51\%),\;liver\;cancer\;patients\;are\;1,490(12.01\%),\;lung\;cancer\;patients\;are\;1,418(11.43\%)\;cervix\;and\;uterus\;cancer\;patients\;are\;1,102(8.88\%)$ and sexual ratio of male to female appeared 1.38 : 1 Therefore, male cancer patients are more than female patients. 3. The age distribution of cancer was $2,791(22.50\%)\;by\;55{\sim}64\;age,\;2,582(20.82\%)\;by\;45{\sim}54\;age,\;and\;2,530(20.40\%)\;by\;65{\sim}74\;age.\;Therefore,\;the\;60\%\;of\;all\;cancer\;patients\;were\;45{\sim}75$ ages. 4. Among the 9,815 therapeutic radiology patients, $1,755(17.89\%)\;are\;in\;the\;uterus\;system,\;1,534(15.63\%)\;are\;in\;the\;head\;and\;neck,\;1,519(15.48\%)$ are in the lung. Therefore, the proportion of three kinds of therapeutic radiology patients is about $50\%$. 5. The occupational distributions of 12,404 cancer patients$(90{\sim}99\;year)\;are\;2,795(22.53\%)\;by\;orderly\;farmers,\;2,763(22.28\%)\;by\;house\;wives,\;586(4.71\%)\;by\;businessmen,\;and\;391(3.15\%)$ by public service personnel. Industrial, miners, forest men, soldiers didn't nearly appear. 6. The number of patients of cancer diagnosis was $9,431(76.03\%)\;by\;the\;biopsy\;of\;primary\;region,\;and\;2,201(17.74\%)$ by clinical examination Therefore, those two kinds of methods took a propertion of about $94\%.\;The\;number\;of\;deceases\;on\;departments\;was\;153(32.42\%)\;in\;PD,\;133(28.18\%)\;in\;GI,\;63(13.35\%)$ in GS. Therefore, those three kinds of deceases took a proportion of about $74\%$.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.11
• /
• pp.4429-4436
• /
• 2014

Background: Although the nutritional may exert effect on the breast cancer risk, it is not clear whether the role diet is the same in sedentary and physically active women. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between fruit, vegetable and carbohydrate intake and the risk of breast cancer among Polish women considering their physical activity level. Materials and Methods: A case-control study was conducted that included 858 women with histological confirmed breast cancer and 1,085 controls, free of any cancer diagnosis, aged 28-78 years. The study was based on a self-administered questionnaire to ascertain physical activity, dietary intake, sociodemographic characteristics, reproductive factors, family history of breast cancer, current weight and high, and other lifestyle factors. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated in unconditional logistic regression analyses including a broad range of potential confounders. Results: With comparison of the highest vs lowest quartile of intake, strong significant associations were observed for total vegetables (OR=0.37, 95%CI=0.20-0.69 P for trend <0.01 and OR=0.53, 95%CI=0.29-0.96, P for trend <0.02), and total fruits (OR=0.47, 95%CI=0.25-0.87, P for trend <0.05 and OR=0.47, 95%CI=0.24-0.90, P for trend <0.02) among women characterized by the lowest and the highest quartile of physical activity. No associations were observed for total carbohydrate intake. Additional analysis showed a positive association for sweets and desert intake among women in the lowest quartile of physical activity (OR=3.49, 95%CI=1.67-7.30, P for trend <0.009) for extreme quartiles of intake comparing to the referent group. Conclusions: The results suggest that a higher consumption of vegetable and fruit may be associated with a decreased risk of breast cancer, especially among women who were low or most physically active throughout their lifetimes. These findings do not support an association between diet high in carbohydrate and breast cancer. However, a higher intake of sweets and deserts may by associated with an increased risk of breast cancer among women who were less physically active.