• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.12
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• pp.5063-5069
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• 2016

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in most countries of the world. It is ranked first in females in Morocco (accounting for 33.4% of the total cancer burden) and more than 60% of cases are diagnosed at stage III or IV. During the last decade, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) has become an important aspect of breast cancer treatment. The objective of this study was to describe self-reported HRQOL in patients with breast cancer and to investigate its associations with sociodemographic and clinical variables. Methods: A prospective study was carried out in the main oncology centers in Morocco. Quality of life was measured using the Moroccan Arabic versions of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire C 30 (EORTC QLQ C30) and the Breast Cancer-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-BR23). Statistical analyses were performed using descriptive statistics and multivariate analyses. Results: A total of 1463 subjects were included in the study, with a mean age of 55.6 (SD. 11.2) years, 70% being married. The majority had stage II (45.9%) and a few cases stage IV (12.9%) lesions. The participants' global health mean score was 68.5 and in "functional scales", social functioning scored the highest (Mean 86.2 (SD=22.7)). The most distressing symptom on the symptom scale was financial difficulties (Mean 63.2 (SD=38.2)). Using the disease specific tool, it was found that future perspective scored the lowest (Mean 40.5 (SD=37.3)). On the symptom scale, arm symptoms scored the highest (Mean 23.6 (SD=21.6)). Significant mean differences were noted for many functional and symptom scales. Conclusion: Our results emphasized that the general HRQOL for our study population is lower than for corresponding populations in other countries. This study provided baseline information on the quality of life for a large sample of Moroccan women diagnosed with breast cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.5915-5916
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• 2012

Human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER) 2 overexpression, observed in 20-25 percent of invasive breast cancers, is well known to be associated with a more aggressive phenotype and poor prognosis, with resistance to certain chemotherapeutic agents. The majority of patients with metastatic breast cancer who initially respond to trastuzumab, demonstrate disease progression within 1 year of treatment initiation. Furthermore, lack of response in some patients and relapse during the course of therapy, continue to challenge researchers and clinicians. A better understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of trastuzumab action is required so that new therapies directed at HER2 can be developed. We present here findings for mechanisms, both of Trastuzumab action and clinical resistance or escape.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.8
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• pp.3159-3162
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• 2015

Purpose: This systematic analysis was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of nedaplatin based salvage chemotherapy for treatment of patients with advanced cervical cancer. Methods: Clinical studies evaluating the efficacy and safety of nedaplatin based regimens on response and safety for patients with cervical cancer were identified using a predefined search strategy. Pooled response rates (RRs) were calculated. Results: For nedaplatin based regimens, 5 clinical studies including 264 patients with advanced cervical cancer were considered eligible for inclusion. The analysis showed that, in all patients, pooled RR was 74.6% (197/264). Major adverse effects were leukopenia, thrombocytopenia and nausea/vomiting. No treatment related death occurred with nedaplatin based treatment. Conclusion: This systematic analysis suggests that nedaplatin based regimens are associated with good activity with acceptable tolerability in treating patients with advanced cervical cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.2405-2408
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• 2012

This descriptive study was performed to determine levels of the death anxiety levels of relatives of patients who being treated in a public hospital located in the Asian side of Istanbul and influencing factors. The sample was 106 patient relatives of patients from oncology or chemotherapy units of the hospital. Data were collected between May-June 2011 with the 15-item Death Anxiety Scale developed by Templer (1970) and adapted to Turkish by Senol (1989) and evaluated by number-percentage calculations, the Kruskal Wallis, Anova and t tests. Some 36.8% of the included group were aged 45 years and over, 57.5% were female and 65.1% were married. A statistically significant difference was found between the age groups, genders of the patient relatives, the period of cancer treatment regarding the death anxiety levels (p<0.05). The death anxiety levels of the patient relatives who were in the 17-39 age group, female and had a patient who was under treatment for less than 6 months were found to high as compared to others.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.4
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• pp.84-101
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• 1995

The periodic health examination have been shown the important role on early detection, early treatment and prevention of disease. Until now, there have been many studies that showed the effectiveness of the periodic health examination on the early detection and early treatment of disease to some extent. But there are few studies about primary prevention before health problem arise. In this case-control study, 29 newly detected hypertensive cases, 31 liver disease cases and 65 controls which are all available for 6-year data in the periodic health examination of a occupational field were compared to investigate the significant increase trend of health status between the groups. The results will be used for the occupational health nurses to provide appropriate primary prevention to the employees. The hypertensive and liver disease cases were divided observation-needed group and treatment-needed group. The data on systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, Body Mass Index and Broca Index in hypertensive cases and SGOT, SGPT, Body Mass Index and Broca Index in liver disease cases were analyzed by t-test and ANOVA. The specific findings are summarized as follows. 1. In the comparison between the hypertensive cases and controls, SBP and DBP of the observation-needed group and the treatment-needed group were significantly higher than the data of the controls for past 6 years. It was 2-3 years ago showing increase over 140/90mmHg of blood pressure in the hypertensive cases before they are categorized as hypertensive cases. In the observation-needed group and the treatment-needed group, the trend of the blood pressure for 6 years were significantly higher than the one of the controls. 2. In the comparison between the liver disease cases and controls, SGOT and SGPT of the observation-needed group and the treatment-needed group were significantly higher than the data of the controls for past 6 years. It was 2 years ago showing increase within upper normal limit of SGOT and 5 years ago of SGPT in the liver disease cases before they are categorized as liver disease cases. In the observation-needed group and the treatment-needed group, the trend of the liver enzyme for 6 years were significantly higher than the one of the controls. With these results, the author proposed that intervention for the primary prevention such as continuous follow-up, health education and weight control to the population who has over 140/90mmHg of blood pressure and upper normal limit of AST and ALT.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.8
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• pp.4113-4116
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• 2016

Background: Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) increases the psychological flexibility of people afflicted with cancer, and consequently improves their adaptability. The present research was conducted with the aim of determining the effectiveness of ACT for people afflicted with cancer. Materials and Methods: The present research was of semi-pilot type with a pre-test and post-test plan for the proof group. The demographics of the community were composed of all the women with cancer who were under treatment in Tehran's Dehshpour therapeutic center in 2015. The sample was composed of 24 people who were selected as available and chosen randomly in two groups of test and proof. All the participants responded to Snyder questionnaire in two pre-test and post-test stages, and the test group participated in treatment sessions after conducting the pre-test. Results: After collecting the information, data analysis was conducted in two description and inferential levels. The test results of covariance analysis showed that the two groups' hope was meaningfully different. Hope in the test group, compared to the proof group, increased meaningfully. Conclusions: The results show that the ACT is effective in increasing hope of patients with cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.13
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• pp.5143-5147
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• 2015

Cancer treatment remains a serious problem worldwide. Analysis of the relationship between cancer cells and normal cells reveals that these two share characteristics in contradiction, thus could be analyzed by using contradictory principles. Under the theory of contradictory principles, induction of a dormant state or reversal of cancer cells is an important treatment strategy beyond traditional cytotoxic therapy. Normal cells are also the targets and under the influence of anti-cancer treatments and should be considered during therapy. Findings based on crosstalk between these two cell types may offer opportunities for the development of new biomarkers and therapies.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.609-617
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• 2013

Renal cell carcinomas make up 3% of all cancers and one in four patients is metastatic at time of diagnosis. This cancer is one of the most resistant to cytotoxic chemotherapy. Studies have shown that the efficiency of interferon-alpha and/or interleukin-2 based immune therapies is limited in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma but latest advances in molecular biology and genetic science have resulted in better understanding of its biology. Tumor angiogenesis, tumor proliferation and metastasis develop by the activation of signal message pathways playing a role in the development of renal cell carcinomas. Better definition of these pathways has caused an increase in preclinic and clinical studies into target directed treatment of renal cell carcinoma. Many recent studies have shown that numerous anti-angiogenic agents have marked clinical activity. In this article, the focus is on general characteristics of molecular pathways playing a major role in renal cell carcinoma, reviewing clinical information onagents used in the target directed treatment of metastatic lesions.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.145-152
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• 1987

The problem addressed by this study was to reveal what people of Korean rural villages think about the cause, treatment and prevention of illness. The purpose was to contribute to the building of a concept of health toward the development of Korean Nursing Theory. Subjects were residents of five districts among four counties in a farming area of Chonbuk province recommended by health workers as appropriate informants. They were interviewed in their homes, using ethnoscientific methods developed in anthropology. The research tool consisted of open questions developed through the literature and preliminary exploratory interviews. Data were analyzed by classifying each concepts of cause, treatment and prevention of illness or illness symptoms collated by frequency and percentage. The causes of illness are conceived as primarily concrete physical and natural, for examples, overeating, lack of energy, changes in the season and extreme temperatures. Compared to others studies, few supernatural causes related to traditional view of illness were identified. Concepts of the treatment of illness included formal treatments used by modern western or oriental physicians and traditional therapists. But folk medicine used by traditional healers or by the family in the home was most prevalent. The concept of illness prevention originated in the concept of the cause of illness, thus primarily physical and natural, for examples, nutritious food, limiting the amount of food, avoiding becoming cold. When the concept of illness of rural Korean is researched from a sociocultural aspect, the traditional views of an evil cause of ill health and treatment by supernatural methods is not found to be prevalent but folk medicine still occupies a large place in treatment which si often a complex mixture from many mysterious sources. The significance of this study lies in the fact that ethnonursing research can contribute basic data toward the development of Korean nursing theories. Modern western medical concepts have not been accepted unconditionally: traditional concepts are alive and dynamic in Korea and must be recognized in Korean nursing.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.5-14
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• 2003

The purpose of this study was to identify key educational and counseling needs of breast cancer patients in Korea. The data were collected from 102 breast cancer survivors. The instrument consisted of 66 items and the items were divided into five treatment stages: pre-admission, admission, discharge, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. The subjects' mean age was 50 years and most of them were housewives. All had a mastectomy and among them 69 had chemotherapy and 42 had radiation therapy. Average post-surgical period was 47 months. The mean score of the subjects' needs was 2.99 out of 4 points. The highest educational need was to know about the method of recurrence prevention. In terms of the treatment stages, mean score for pre-admission was 3.09, admission 3.06, chemotherapy 3.03, after discharge 2.95, and radiation therapy 2.80. In the pre-admission period, etiology, diagnostic tests, treatment and prevention of the breast cancer were needed the most. During the admission period, symptom management after the operation had the highest score. After discharge, prevention of recurrence had the highest score. The results of this research will help in developing educational and counseling programs by understanding the specific needs of breast cancer patients based on the treatment stages.