• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.11
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• pp.4921-4927
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• 2016

Background: Cervical cancer is a major preventable cancers. The, current study aimed to assess relevant knowledge and attitude of female students and hospital staff in Iran. Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Medical and Nursing faculties and hospitals of East-Azerbaijan Province of Iran. Participants were medical and paramedical female students and female staff in hospitals selected by stratified random sampling techniques. Tools for data collection were questionnaires for which validity and reliability had been verified (${\alpha}=0.8$). Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze data with SPSS.16. Result: Response rates were 71 % (426 from 600) and 63.5% (254 from 400) for students and staff, respectively. Some 29.1% admitted that they had no information about cervical cancer, only 70 (10.3%) thinking their knowledge as high, 360 (52.9%) as intermediate, and 237 (34.9%) as low. While 93% of participants considered cervical cancer as a severe health problem, the only statistically significant relationships with knowledge were for education (p<.001) and occupation (p<.001) variables. Conclusion: Given the importance of the roles of medical students and personnel as information sources and leaders in health and preventive behavior, increasing and improving their scientific understanding seems vital. Comprehensive and appropriate education of all people and especially students and personnel of medical sciences and improving attitudes towards cervical cancer and its monitoring are to be recommended.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.17
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• pp.7061-7064
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• 2014

Background: To assess the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy of intraoperative gross examination (IGE) of uterine specimens in determining deep myometrial invasion and cervical invasion compared to final histology. Materials and Methods: The clinical, surgical and histological data of all FIGO stage I-II endometrial cancer (EC) patients who had primary surgery were reviewed. Results of the IGE for myometrial invasion and cervical invasion were compared to the final histology. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy of the IGE in determining deep myometrial invasion and cervical invasion were calculated. Association between clinico-pathological factors and discrepancy between IGE and final histology in the determination of myometrial invasion was also assessed. A p-value of <0.05 was considered significant. Results: From January 2007 to December 2012, 179 patients diagnosed with clinical stage I-II endometrial cancer underwent surgical staging. The sensitivity and specificity of IGE in detecting deep myometrial invasion were 42.4% and 90.0%, respectively, and the PPV and NPV were 67.6% and 76.1%. The overall accuracy of IGE was 74.3%. The sensitivity and specificity of IGE in identifying cervical invasion were 28.6% and 97.5%, respectively, while the PPV and NPV were 60.0% and 91.1%. The overall accuracy of IGE was 89.4%. Conclusions: The sensitivity of IGE for detecting deep myometrial invasion and cervical invasion in early-stage EC is too low to be used alone. Alternative methods including intraoperative frozen section analysis, preoperative three dimensional ultrasound, and preoperative magnetic resonance imaging should be strongly considered.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.13
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• pp.5237-5242
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• 2015

Background: Socioeconomic factors are associated with screening in terms of reducing the risk of cervical cancer. This study aimed to clearly establish the effect of screening on variation in socio-economic factor-specific survival estimates. Materials and Methods: Survival estimates were calculated using the life table method for 165 women from the routine care control arm and 67 from the visual inspection with acetic acid screening arm diagnosed with cervical cancer during 2000-2006 in rural south India. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were plotted to compare the variation in survival by socioeconomic factors. Results: Whereas there was a significant variation in survival estimates of the different categories of age at diagnosis among the screen-detected cancers with women aged<50 years having an improved survival, no significant variation was noted among women diagnosed with cervical cancer from the control arm. Compared to the variation among the cancer cases detected in the unscreened control group, screening widened the variation in survival estimates by age and type of house, and reduced the variation by education. The direction of the magnitude of the survival estimates was reversed within the different categories of occupation, marital status and household income in the screen-detected cancer cases compared to control group cancer cases. Also, women diagnosed with stage 1 disease had a very good survival. Conclusions: Screening changed the pattern of survival by socio-economic factors. We found improved survival rates in screened women aged <50 years, with no formal education, manual workers and married women.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.39-47
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• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze clinical outcomes from cervical cancer and stratify patients into risk groups for prognostic factors for early-stage disease. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients with stage IB or IIA cervical cancer treated with adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) or concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) following primary surgery at Samsung Medical Center from 2001 to 2011. Adjuvant RT was added for patients with intermediate-risk factors, and adjuvant CCRT was performed on high-risk patients after surgery. Results: We reviewed 247 patients-149 in the high-risk group and 98 in intermediate-risk group. The median follow-up was 62 months. Loco-regional failure (LRF) alone occurred in 7 patients (2.8%), distant metastasis alone in 37 patients (15.0%) and LRF with DM in 4 patients (1.6%). The 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) rates for both groups were 79.7% and 87.6%, respectively. In the high-risk group, the 5-year DFS and OS probabilities were 72.5% and 81.9%, respectively. Histologic type, pathologic tumor size, and the number of pelvic lymph node (PLN) metastasis were significant prognostic factors for DFS and OS. We suggest a scoring system (0-3) using these prognostic factors to predict poor prognosis in high-risk patients. Using this system, patients with higher scores have higher recurrence and lower survival rates. Conclusion: In the high-risk cervical-cancer group who received primary surgery and adjuvant CCRT, non-squamous type, large tumor size and the number of PLN metastasis were significant prognostic factors, and the number of these factors was associated with survival rates.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.375-393
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• 2021

Percutaneous osteoplasty (POP) is defined as the injection of bone cement into various painful bony lesions, refractory to conventional therapy, as an extended technique of percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP). POP can be applied to benign osteochondral lesions and malignant metastatic lesions throughout the whole skeleton, whereas PVP is restricted to the vertebral body. Common spinal metastases occur in the thoracic (70%), lumbosacral (20%), and cervical (10%) vertebrae, in order of frequency. Extraspinal metastases into the ribs, scapulae, sternum, and humeral head commonly originate from lung and breast cancers; extraspinal metastases into the pelvis and femoral head come from prostate, urinary bladder, colon, and uterine cervical cancers. Pain is aggravated in the dependent (or weight bearing) position, or during movement (or respiration). The tenderness and imaging diagnosis should match. The supposed mechanism of pain relief in POP is the augmentation of damaged bones, thermal and chemical ablation of the nociceptive nerves, and local inhibition of tumor invasion. Adjacent (facet) joint injections may be needed prior to POP (PVP). The length and thickness of the applied needle should be chosen according to the targeted bone. Bone cement is also selected by its osteoconduction, osteoinduction, and osteogenesis. Needle route should be chosen as a shortcut to reach the target bony lesions, without damage to the nerves and vessels. POP is a promising minimally invasive procedure for immediate pain relief. This review provides a technical survey for POPs in painful bony lesions.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.88-95
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• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to estimate the clinical utilization of radiation therapy (RT) in Korea between 2009 and 2013. Materials and Methods: We analyzed open claims data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. The subjects were patients who had diagnostic codes C00-C97 or D00-D48 according to the 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases, with procedure codes indicating RT treatment. Results: The total number of patients who received RT in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 were 45,571, 49,593, 54,671, 59,172, and 61,485, respectively. Among them, the total numbers of male and female patients were 20,780/24,791 in 2009, 22,711/26,882 in 2010, 24,872/29,799 in 2011, 27,101/32,071 in 2012, and 27,941/33,544 in 2013. The five cancers that were most frequently treated with RT between 2009 and 2012 were breast, lung, colorectal, liver, and uterine cervical cancers. However, the fifth most common cancer treated with RT that replaced uterine cervical cancer in 2013 was prostate cancer. The three leading types of cancer among the male patients were lung, colorectal, and liver cancers, whereas in female patients, they were breast, uterine cervical, and lung cancers. The type of cancer most commonly treated by RT was cancer of the central nervous system in patients aged 20 years or less, breast cancer in patients aged 30-50 years, and lung cancer in patients aged 60 years or more. Conclusion: Data from this study provided the clinical utilization of RT in Korea between 2009 and 2013.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.16
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• pp.6935-6939
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• 2015

Background: Currently, a comprehensive program for screening and early detection of cervical cancer does not exist in Iran. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of abnormal Papanicolaou (Pap) smears and some related factors among women living in Zanjan, Iran. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2012 in Zanjan on 4274 married women aged 20-65 years. The study participants were selected through two-stage cluster sampling. After obtaining written consent, demographic and fertility questionnaires were completed. Samples from cervix were obtained through a standard method using the Rover Cervex- Brush. Evaluation and interpretation of the samples were reported using the Bethesda 2001 method. Data were statistically analyzed using chi-square and logistic regression models. Results: Most inflammatory changes in the samples were mild (37.4%). Abnormal atypical changes in the epithelial cells were found in 4.04%. The highest percentage of abnormal changes in the epithelial cells was atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) (1.9%). Abnormal results of Pap smear was significantly and independently associated with age, papillomavirus infection, and lack of awareness about Pap smear tests. Conclusions: Given the high prevalence of inflammatory and precancerous changes in this study, compared to other studies in Iran and other Muslim countries, and the effect of demographic variables and individual factors on abnormal results, increasing the awareness of women and their families regarding the risk factors for cervical cancer, preventive measures such as screening, and timely treatment seem necessary.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.115-123
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• 2019

Background: This study aimed to assess the in-field lymph node (LN) failure rate according to LN size and to investigate effect of LN size on the survival outcome of patients with locally advanced cervical carcinoma treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). Methods: A total of 310 patients with locally advanced cervical carcinoma treated with CCRT were enrolled in retrospective study. LN status was evaluated by magnetic resonance imaging. All patients received conventional external beam irradiation and high-dose rate brachytherapy, and concurrent cisplatin-based chemotherapy. In-field LN failure rate according to LN size was analyzed. Results: The median follow-up period was 83 months (range, 3-201 months). In-field LN failure rate in patients with pelvic LN size more than 10 mm was significantly higher than that in patients with pelvic LN size less than 10 mm (p<0.001). A similar finding was observed in the infield para-aortic LN (PALN) failure rate (p=0.024). The pelvic and PALN size (${\geq}10mm$) was a significant prognostic factor of overall-survival (OS) and disease-free survival rate in univariate and multivariate analyses. The OS rate was significantly different between groups according to LN size (<10 mm vs. ${\geq}10mm$). Conclusion: A LN of less than 10 mm in size in an imaging study is controlled by CCRT. On the other hand, in LN of more than 10 mm in size, the in-field LN failure rate increase and the prognosis deteriorate. Therefore, a more aggressive treatment strategy is needed.

• Journal of Gynecologic Oncology
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.91.1-91.12
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• 2018

Objective: To examine the association between tumor grade and survival for women with squamous cervical cancer. Methods: This retrospective observational study utilized the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result program data between 1983 and 2013 to examine women with squamous cervical cancer with known tumor differentiation grade. Multivariable analyses were performed to assess independent associations between tumor differentiation grade and survival. Results: A total of 31,536 women were identified including 15,175 (48.1%) with grade 3 tumors, 14,084 (44.7%) with grade 2 neoplasms and 2,277 (7.2%) with grade 1 tumors. Higher tumor grade was significantly associated with older age, higher stage disease, larger tumor size, and lymph node metastasis (all, p<0.001). In a multivariable analysis, grade 2 tumors (adjusted-hazard ratio [HR]=1.21; p<0.001) and grade 3 tumors (adjusted-HR=1.45; p<0.001) were independently associated with decreased cause-specific survival (CSS) compared to grade 1 tumors. Among the 7,429 women with stage II-III disease who received radiotherapy without surgical treatment, grade 3 tumors were independently associated with decreased CSS compared to grade 2 tumors (adjusted-HR=1.16; p<0.001). Among 4,045 women with node-negative stage I disease and tumor size ${\leq}4cm$ who underwent surgical treatment without radiotherapy, grade 2 tumors (adjusted-HR=2.54; p=0.028) and grade 3 tumors (adjusted-HR=4.48; p<0.001) were independently associated with decreased CSS compared to grade 1 tumors. Conclusion: Our study suggests that tumor differentiation grade may be a prognostic factor in women with squamous cervical cancer, particularly in early-stage disease. Higher tumor grade was associated with poorer survival.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.186-192
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• 2011

Purpose: The primary prevention for cervical cancer, the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination, has been available in South Korea and its importance has been emphasized publicly. The purpose of this study was to investigate the knowledge regarding HPV vaccination and identify the factors associated with HPV vaccination in female university students. Methods: A sample of 200 women among university students in Seoul was asked to answer a questionnaire on HPV-related knowledge and attitude, and influencing factors on HPV vaccination. Results: Among the respondents, 12.0% were HPV vaccinated. Overall HPV-related knowledge was low, and knowledge was not different between the vaccinated and unvaccinated groups. The vaccinated group demonstrated a higher score on the knowledge about the place where people could receive HPV vaccination and the cost of the vaccination than that of the unvaccinated group. The major influencing factor on vaccination was the parent's recommendation and the major barrier for vaccination was the cost of the vaccination. Conclusion: A broadened public campaign is recommended to increase the knowledge and positive attitude towards HPV vaccination for university female students as well as their parents.