• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.18
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• pp.7875-7878
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• 2014

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the awareness of breast cancer risk factors among female university students in 24 low, middle income and emerging economy countries. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 10,242 undergraduate university students (mean age 20.7, SD=2.9) from 25 universities in 24 countries across Asia, Africa and the Americas. Using anonymous questionnaires the awareness of links between breast cancer and heredity, diet, overweight, exercise, alcohol use, smoking and stress was assessed. Results indicated that 35.4% of the women were not aware that any of these risk factors could influence breast cancer, 43.8% were aware of a genetic link, and only 12.5%, 10.9% and 10.6% correctly identified alcohol use, overweight and physical inactivity, respectively, as factors causing breast cancer. Moreover, 13.3% rated dietary fat and 11.5% fibre as influencing breast cancer; both low-fat and high-fibre diets may be weakly protective against breast cancer, and smoking (19.4%) and stress (13.5%), the most commonly chosen breast cancer lifestyle risk factors, have less clear impact on breast cancer. There were marked country differences, e.g., in regards of being aware of genetic causes of breast cancer risk in female students from Ivory Coast, India, Madagascar, Nigeria and Laos below 30% and female students from Pakistan, Singapore, Turkey, Grenada and Philippines 60 or more percent. This study provides insight in the breast cancer risk perception of young women, which can be utilized in breast cancer awareness and prevention programmes.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.5823-5828
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• 2012

Background: Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most common cancer affecting women worldwide. Although a great deal of progress has been made in the health sciences, early diagnosis, and increasing community awareness, breast cancer remains a life-threatening illness. In order to reduce this threat, breast cancer screening needs to be implemented in all communities where possible. Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine health beliefs, attitudes and behaviors about breast cancer and breast self-examination of Turkish women. Methods: Data were collected from a sample of 656 women, using an adapted Turkish version of Champion's Health Belief Model Scale (CHBMS), between January and May 2011, in Ordu province of Turkey. Results: The results showed that 67.7% of women had knowledge about and 55.8% performed BSE, however 60.6% of those who indicated they practiced BSE reported they did so at irregular intervals. CHBMS subscales scores of women according to women's age, education level, occupation, family income and education level of the women's mothers, family history of breast cancer, friend and an acquaintance with breast cancer, knowledge about breast cancer, BSE and mammography were significantly different. Conclusion: Knowledge of women about the risks and benefits of early detection of breast cancer positively affect their health beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. Health care professionals can develop effective breast health programs and can help women to gain good health behavior and to maintain health.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.12
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• pp.4929-4932
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• 2014

Objective: To compare the mammogarphic appearance between breast cancer patients aged <40 and ${\geq}40$ years. Methods: Needle localization and biopsy of suspicious mammographic lesions identified 1,959 breast carcinomas in a single institution from Jun 2012 to Apr 2013. According to the age, we divided patients into two groups: <40 and ${\geq}40$ years old, and analyzed mammographic appearance separately. Results: Young patients had 44.2% foci with calcification, but old patients only had 39.4% (P<0.001). In younger group, the ratios of cases according to mass density were 41.8% or higher, 58.2% equivalent and lower. In older group, the ratios were 55.5 % and 44.5%, respectively. There were statistical differences between high density and others (P<0.05). The ratios of cases according to mass margin were 13.9% circumscribed and microlobulated, 86.1% indistinct and spiculated in the younger group, as compared to 6.5% and 93.5%, respectively, in the older group (P<0.05). Conclusions: Mammographic findings differ between young and old patients with breast cancer, for example regarding mass density, mass margin and microcalcification ratios.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.328-334
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• 2018

Because of the unsatisfactory treatment options for breast cancer (BC), there is a need to develop novel therapeutic approaches for this malignancy. One such strategy is chemotherapy using non-toxic dietary substances and botanical products. Studies have shown that Panduratin A (PA) possesses many health benefits, including anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant and anticancer activities. In the present study, we provide evidence that PA treatment of MCF-7 BC cells resulted in a time- and dose-dependent inhibition of cell growth with an $IC_{50}$ of $15{\mu}M$ and no to little effect on normal human MCF-10A breast cells. To define the mechanism of these anti-proliferative effects of PA, we determined its effect critical molecular events known to regulate the cell cycle and apoptotic machinery. Immunofluorescence and flow cytometric analysis of Annexin V-FITC staining provided evidence for the induction of apoptosis. PA treatment of BC cells resulted in increased activity/expression of mitochondrial cytochrome C, caspases 7, 8 and 9 with a significant increase in the Bax:Bcl-2 ratio, suggesting the involvement of a mitochondrial-dependent apoptotic pathway. Furthermore, cell cycle analysis using flow cytometry showed that PA treatment of cells resulted in G0/G1 arrest in a dose-dependent manner. Immunoblot analysis data revealed that, in MCF-7 cell lines, PA treatment resulted in the dose-dependent (i) induction of $p21^{WAF1/Cip1}$ and p27Kip1, (ii) downregulation of Cyclin dependent kinase (CDK) 4 and (iii) decrease in cyclin D1. These findings suggest that PA may be an effective therapeutic agent against BC.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.165-175
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• 2001

We performed case-control study to evaluate relationship between food intake and risk of breast cancer. We interviewed breast cancer cases(n=108) who were newly histologically identified and selected from Hanyang and Soonchunhyang University Hospital in Seoul. We used hospital-based control subjects(n=121), who were selected from the patients in the department of plastic surgery, general surgery and opthalmology of the same hospital by frequency matching. Matching variables were age($\pm$4 age) and menopausal status. We collected information on general characteristics of subjects, history of disease, family history of breast cancer, vitamin supplementation, alcohol intake, and food intake through individual interview. Dietary information was ascertained via a food frequency questionnaire method(total item=98). All analyses was conducted according to menopausal status. Especially, pepper and grape intake in premenopausal women, showed protective effect in breast cancer. Otherwise consumption of meat, pork, and fish was not associated with breast cancer risk in this study. At milk and dairy products, milk intake was associated with lower risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women and overall intake of soy products was associated with breast cancer risk, but not significant. These findings suggested that consumption of some fruit and vegetable intake was a protective factor on breast cancer and further study with more number of subjects should be need to evaluate the breast cancer risk. (Korean J Nutrition 34(2): 165~175, 2001)

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.851-856
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• 2016

Background: Breast cancer is a major health problem among women around the world. Recent developments in screening and treatment have greatly improved the prognosis of patients with breast cancer in developed countries. However, in developing countries breast cancer mortality remains high.Breast cancer awareness is a first and important step in reducing breast cancer mortality. The development of a validated instrument to measure breast cancer awareness is crucial for the understanding and implementation of suitable health education programs to facilitate early deletion and minimize mortality. Objective: The objective of this study was to develop an instrument for the assessment of breast cancer awareness in Thai women. Materials and Methods: This methodological study was conducted in two stages: (1) literature searches and semi-structured interviews were conducted to generate items of the breast cancer awareness scale (B-CAS) which were subsequently examined for content and face validity, and (2) an exploration of the factor structure of the resulting instrument and an examination of its reliability. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire in Thai women aged 20-64 in August, 2015. Results: A total of 219 women (response rate 97.4 %) participated in this validation study. The B-CAS contains five domains with 53 items on breast cancer awareness: 1) knowledge of risk factors, 2) knowledge of signs and symptoms, 3) attitude to breast cancer prevention, 4) barriers of breast screening, and 5) health behavior related to breast cancer awareness. Items with a content validity index < 0.80 were excluded, and factor structure for the remaining items reflected the hypothesized five factor model. The scales based on all retained items was shown to have strongly internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's ${\alpha}=0.86$). Conclusions: The B-CAS provides good psychometric properties to assess breast cancer awareness in women. It can be used to examine breast cancer awareness in Thai women and it could lead to the development and evaluation of suitable educational interventions for raising breast cancer awareness. Future research should focus on further validating the B-CAS including an assessment of construct and criterion-based validity.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.9
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• pp.4491-4499
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• 2012

Background: Breast cancer is the most frequent type of cancer among women in the world and the most common cause of deaths from cancer in females. In Turkey, breast cancer comes first in the list of the most frequent ten cancer types seen in women. As the incidence rate of breast cancer is high, many women having breast cancer in the family experience the breast cancer at secondhand. This study was carried out in an attempt to determine the information and support needs of women whose first-degree relatives have breast cancer and to what extent these needs are met. Methods: The research sample consisted of 156 women. Questionnaire Form and Information and Support Needs Questionnaires were used as the data collection tools. Results: Information need score averages ($x^-:3.72{\pm}0.19$) of women included in the research sampling were found to be higher than their score averages of support needs ($x^-:3.24{\pm}0.41$). Conclusion: Information needs which were indicated by women as very important were related to treatment, symptoms of breast cancer and breast self examination (BSE), while support needs which were indicated by women as very important were learning how to perform BSE, women's anxiety for themselves and their relatives regarding breast cancer and having their breasts examined by a health professional. It is recommended that nurses and other medical staff should give information to women whose first-degree relatives have breast cancer about the disease, its etiology, scanning, diagnosis, treatment options and protection as well as prevention.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.3689-3698
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• 2013

Breast cancer is the most common and leading cause of cancer mortality among Malaysian women. Despite good survival rates, the diagnosis of cancer still invokes the feeling of stress, fear and uncertainty. Because very little is known about the experiences of Malaysian women with breast cancer, a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews to explore the lived experience of newly diagnosed breast cancer. Using a purposive sampling method, 20 Malaysian women newly diagnosed with breast cancer, including Malays (n=10) and Chinese (n=10) were recruited in two main public hospitals in Kelantan. Similarities and divergence in women's experience were identified through thematic analysis of interview transcripts. Three themes emerged from the data: uncertainty experience of the illness, transition process and fatalistic view of breast cancer. In many ways, these findings were parallel with previous studies, suggesting that the experience of breast cancer is to a certain extent similar among women newly diagnosed with breast cancer. This study adds to the sparse literature concerning the experience of illness following breast cancer diagnosis among the Malays and Chinese. More importantly, this study addressed areas that were previously lacking, specifically in depth information on breast cancer experience from a developing country with a multi-ethnic population. The results of this investigation provide preliminary information to healthcare professionals on the impact of illness and cultural influence on survivorship to plan for appropriate education and supportive programme in order to meet the needs of breast cancer women more effectively.

• Journal of Korean Academic Society of Home Health Care Nursing
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.186-196
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• 2021

Purpose: Breast cancer is becoming increasingly prevalent among young Korean women. During pregnancy, women's concern regarding their breasts heightens. Thus, pregnancy provides a window of opportunity for breast cancer prevention and management along with antenatal care. This study developed and evaluated an integrated breast health program for pregnant women. Methods: This study employed a non-equivalent control group and non-synchronized design (22 experimental, 29 control). Women pregnant for over 28 weeks participated. The two-session integrated breast health program focused on breast management during breastfeeding and education about breast cancer prevention and early screening. Results: During the early postpartum period (within three months after the program), there were statistically significant differences in knowledge and attitude about breast cancer and breast self-examination before and after the program. There were also statistically significant differences in BSE at 6 and 12 months after the program and mammography at 12 months after the program. However, there were no statistically significant differences in clinical breast examination and breast ultrasonography at 6 and 12 months after the program. Conclusion: The integrated breast health management program was effective in increasing knowledge and improving attitudes regarding breast cancer, BSE, and early screening practices among pregnant women. Further studies should consider providing breast health programs differently for each phase of pregnancy and continuing the same after delivery.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.547-552
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• 2013

To investigate patient, cancer and treatment characteristics in females with breast cancer from more remote areas of Australia, to better understand reasons for their poorer outcomes, bi-variable and multivariable analyses were undertaken using the National Breast Cancer Audit database of the Society of Breast Surgeons of Australia and New Zealand. Results indicated that patients from more remote areas were more likely to be of lower socio-economic status and be treated in earlier diagnostic epochs and at inner regional and remote rather than major city centres. They were also more likely to be treated by low case load surgeons, although this finding was only of marginal statistical significance in multivariable analysis (p=0.074). Patients from more remote areas were less likely than those from major cities to be treated by breast conserving surgery, as opposed to mastectomy, and less likely to have adjuvant radiotherapy when having breast conserving surgery. They had a higher rate of adjuvant chemotherapy. Further monitoring will be important to determine whether breast conserving surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy utilization increase in rural patients following the introduction of regional cancer centres recently funded to improve service access in these areas.