• Journal of the Korean Data and Information Science Society
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.1193-1201
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• 2016

In epidemiology or etiology, we are often interested in identifying areas of elevated risk, so called, hot spot or cluster. Many existing clustering methods only tend to a result if there exists any clustering pattern in study area. Recently, however, lots of newly introduced clustering methods can identify the location, size, and shape of clusters and test if the clusters are statistically significant as well. In this paper, one of most commonly used clustering methods, scan statistic, and its implementation SaTScan software, which is freely available, will be introduced. To exemplify the usage of SaTScan software, we used cancer data from the SEER program of National Cancer Institute of U.S.A.We aimed to help researchers and practitioners, who are interested in spatial cluster detection, using female lung cancer mortality data of the SEER program.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.237-246
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• 2022

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the 5-year survival rate, socioeconomic status, and SEER (Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results) stage of stomach, colorectal, breast and cervical cancer patients. Methods: A total of 11,770 cases of four target cancers, which were diagnosed during 2005-2007, were extracted from the database of Gwangju-Jeonnam Regional Cancer Registry. The subjects of the study were 11,770 including stomach (n=5,479), colorectal (n=3,565), breast (n=1,516) and cervical cancers (n=710). Cox's proportional hazards model was used to obtain the hazards ratio (HR) according to the SEER stage and socioeconomic status. Results: Stomach cancer had a significantly higher HR in the medical aid recipients (HR=1.39), and the group below 20% (HR=1.20) compared to the group with the highest income level. Colorectal cancer had a significantly higher HR in the medical aid recipients (HR=1.26) than in the group with the highest income level. In addition, stomach, colorectal, breast and cervical cancers had a significantly higher HR according to the SEER stage in regional direct (stomach=4.10, colorectal=1.76, breast=12.90, cervical=3.10), regional lymph only(stomach=2.58, colorectal=2.33, breast=4.32, cervical=4.43), regional both (stomach=6.74 colorectal=3.04, breast=15.57 cervical=6.50), and regional NOS (Not Otherwise Specified)/distant (stomach=17.53, colorectal=11.53, breast=25.34, cervical=26.51) than in situ and localized only. Conclusion: In order to increase the cancer survival rate, a support system for early detection and early treatment of cancer should be established for groups with low individual income levels, and regular health checkups and management measures should be actively implemented through the National Cancer Screening Program.

• Advances in Computational Design
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.211-223
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• 2017

This research presented a numerical and experimental study on the seismic performance of first-generation base-isolated and fixed-base nuclear power plants (NPP). Three types of the base isolation system were applied to rehabilitate the first-generation nuclear power plants: frictional pendulum (FP), high-damping rubber (HDR) and lead-rubber (LR) base isolation. Also, an Excel program was proposed for the design of the abovementioned base isolators in accordance with UBC 97 and the Japan Society of Base Isolation Regulation. The seismic assessment was performed using the pushover and nonlinear time history analysis methods in accordance with the FEMA 356 regulation. To validate the adequacy of the proposed design procedure, two small-scale NPPs were constructed at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia's structural laboratory and subjected to a pushover test for two different base conditions, fixed and HDR-isolated base. The results showed that base-isolated structures achieved adequate seismic performance compared with the fixed-base one, and all three isolators led to a significant reduction in the containment's tension, overturning moment and base shear.

• Annals of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.235-243
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• 2022

Backgrounds/Aims: Historically, the incidence and prognosis of patients diagnosed with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) have been inadequately understood. Survival analysis in ICC has yet to be investigated in a population-based study. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) 18 Registry. Risk ratios were estimated via Poisson regression. Hazard ratios for 5-year survival were estimated using hierarchical Cox regression models. Results: Males show a higher rate of age-adjusted ICC incidence. Blacks carried a decreased risk of ICC diagnosis than Whites, while Asians revealed a higher risk of ICC diagnosis when compared with Whites. The observed survival rates at 12, 36, and 60 months were 36.3%, 12.8%, and 8.1%, respectively. Compared with Whites, Blacks showed an increased risk of death (p < 0.01). Lymph node resection during surgery was associated with a 64.1% reduced risk of mortality (p < 0.01). A higher T stage at diagnosis was associated with poor survival (p < 0.01). Surgery combined with chemoradiotherapy, radiotherapy, or chemotherapy was associated with a reduced risk of mortality compared with nonsurgical interventions (p < 0.01). Conclusions: ICC incidence has been increasing since 2000, especially in White males. The risk of ICC rises with age. Lymph node removal is associated with better survival. In recent years, survival had worsened, and surgical intervention improved survival compared with nonsurgical management.

• The Korean Journal of Applied Statistics
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.255-266
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of treatment on stage III stomach cancer data obtained from the SEER program of the National Cancer Institute and to identify the significant risk factors for the survival rates of stage III stomach cancer. Since the proportional hazards assumption was violated for treatment, we used the restricted mean survival time as an alternative to the proportional hazards model. The restricted mean survival time was estimated using pseudo-observations, and the effects of treatment were compared using a test statistic based on the estimated restricted mean survival times. We conducted the regression analysis using a generalized linear model to investigate the significant predictors for the restricted mean survival time of patients with stage III stomach cancer. We found that there was a significant difference between the restricted mean survival times of treatment groups. Age at diagnosis, race, substage, grade, tumor size, surgery, and treatment were significant predictors for the restricted mean survival time of patients with stage III stomach cancer. Surgery was the most significant predictor for increasing the restricted mean survival time of patients with stage III stomach cancer.

• Perspectives in Nursing Science
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2007

Aim: The purpose of this paper is to present the importance of multidisciplinary strategies in cancer prevention and control, especially comprehensive breast cancer care. Background: Worldwide, breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed among women and is the leading cause of cancer deaths. Although the incidence of breast cancer in Asian countries is still lower than in Western countries, the rate of increase for the last two decades is striking. Methods: Data on cancer mortality, incidence, and risk factors were summarized by using the most recent data available from population-based cancer registries affiliated with the International Union Against Cancer, the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program and the CDC's National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR). Results: Global differences in breast cancer incidence and fluctuations in rates within a country still exist. The incidence of breast cancer in Asian countries was lower than in Western countries. Breast cancer incidence in the United States decreased each year during 1999-2003. On the other hand, morbidity and mortality related to breast cancer in Asia has increased significantly. Conclusion: Multidisciplinary strategies to reduce breast cancer mortality and promote breast cancer awareness are addressed. Lessons learned from multidisciplinary approaches to cancer treatment and control will be valuable in implementing future breast cancer research in the fields of basic, clinical, and population research in Asia.

• Journal of the Korean Data and Information Science Society
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.349-359
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• 2017

In this paper, we conducted survival analyses by fitting the Cox proportional hazards model to stage III proximal colon cancer data obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program of the National Cancer Institute. We investigated the effect of covariates on the hazard function for death from proximal colon cancer in stage III with surgery performed and estimated the survival probability for a patient with specific covariates. We showed that the proportional hazards assumption is satisfied for covariates that were used to analyses, using a test based on the Schoenfeld residuals and plots of the Schoenfeld residuals and $log[-log\{{\hat{S}}(t)\}]$. We evaluated the model calibration and discriminatory accuracy by calibration plot and time-dependent area under the ROC curve, which were calculated using 10-fold cross validation.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.393-407
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• 2019

Purpose: To identify the potential therapeutic role of postoperative radiotherapy (RT) in patients with locally advanced (stage II and stage III) gastric signet ring cell carcinoma (SRC). Materials and methods: Patients with locally advanced gastric SRC from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program database between 2004 and 2012 were included in our study. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional models were performed, and survival curves were generated to evaluate the prognostic effect of postoperative RT and surgery alone on SRC patients. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to avoid selection bias among the study cohorts. Results: We found that patients with postoperative RT had better probability of survival compared with those who did not receive RT (overall survival [OS], P<0.001; cancer-specific survival [CSS], P<0.001). After PSM, analysis of both overall and CSS showed that patients who underwent postoperative RT had better prognosis than those receiving surgery alone in the matched cohort (OS, P=0.00079; CSS, P=0.0036). Multivariate Cox proportional model indicated that postoperative RT had better effect on prognosis compared with surgery alone with respect to both overall (hazard ratio [HR], 0.716; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.590-0.87; P=0.001) and CSS (HR, 0.713; 95% CI, 0.570-0.890; P=0.003). Conclusions: Postoperative RT had better prognosis compared with surgery alone for both overall and CSS for patients with locally advanced gastric SRC.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.35-45
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• 2021

Background: As a descriptive study targeting 2,068 cancer patients as men of national merit in 2013, this study aims to provide the basic data for systematizing the early diagnosis and treatment of cancer by comparatively analyzing the 5-year survival rate. Methods: This study researched the survival of cancer patients through Electronic Medical Record and Patriots-Veterans Qualification Program, targeting 2,068 newly-diagnosed cancer patients verified in five veterans hospitals and consigned management system. This study verified differences between general characteristics of cancer patients as men of national merit and analyzed their survival rate. Results: The cancer patients as men of national merit were super-aged as their average age was 72.5. In the analysis of general characteristics of five major prevalent cancers, there were statistically significant differences according to age, region, cancer diagnostic path, differentiation, diagnostic method, treatment method, SEER stage, and survival period, except for the types of the man of national merit (p<0.001). The whole survival rate of cancer patients as men of national merit was 50%. The 5-year survival rates of predisposing cancers were shown as prostate cancer (79%), colorectal cancer (64%), gastric cancer (57%), liver cancer (32%), and lung cancer (12%). In the cancer diagnostic path, all the predisposing cancers showed the highest survival rate in medical examination. In the treatment method, the surgery showed the highest survival rate. The cancer patients as men of national merit showed a lower survival rate than the general cancer patients of Korea. Conclusion: It would be needed to guarantee the honorable and happy life through health recovery as special treatment of contribution and sacrifice of super-aged men of national merit by increasing the cancer survival rates through regular checkup, early diagnosis, and high-quality treatment system that could have important effects on the survival rate according to the occurrence of cancers.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.22
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• pp.10021-10025
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• 2014

Background: The study aimed to describe the age distribution of breast cancer diagnosis among Chinese females for comparison with the United States and the European Union, and provide evidence for the screening target population in China. Materials and Methods: Median age was estimated from hospital databases from 7 tertiary hospitals in China. Population-based data in China, United States and European Union was extracted from the National Central Cancer Registry, SEER program and GLOBOCAN 2008, respectively. Age-standardized distribution of breast cancer at diagnosis in the 3 areas was estimated based on the World Standard Population 2000. Results: The median age of breast cancer at diagnosis was around 50 in China, nearly 10 years earlier than United States and European Union. The diagnosis age in China did not vary between subgroups of calendar year, region and pathological characteristics. With adjustment for population structure, median age of breast cancer at diagnosis was 50~54 in China, but 55~59 in United States and European Union. Conclusions: The median diagnosis age of female breast cancer is much earlier in China than in the United States and the European Union pointing to racial differences in genetics and lifestyle. Screening programs should start at an earlier age for Chinese women and age disparities between Chinese and Western women warrant further studies.