Breast Clinic of Haedong Hospital was established on January 1992, we have been running the Breast Clinic. Authors analyzed 5653 cases managed at Breast Clinic of Haedong Hospital from January 1992 to December 1996. This analysis revealed the following: 1) The most common abnormal finding was breast mass(26.0%, 1472/5653), followed by tenderness or pain, abnormal radiologic finding. 2) Cytopathologic examination rate was 30.8%(17410/5653), the most common lesion was fibrocystic disease (16.5%, 935/5653), followed by fibroadenoma, mastitis, cancer. 3) Cancer detection rates were 21.41/1000 over all, 46.90/1000 of out-patient group, 1.87/1000 of screening group. 4) Cancer detection rate of nonpalpable lesion with needle localization biopsy was 17.6%(12/68). 5) Of breast cancer patients, pathologic stages were 4.7% of stage 0, 12.3% of stage I, 63.9% of stage II, 17.9% if stage III, 0.9% if stage IV over all. The rates of stage 0, I were 13.9%(14/101) of out-patient group, 80.0%(4/5) of screening group.
Biopsy ; Breast Neoplasms ; Breast* ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Fibroadenoma ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Mastitis ; Needles ; Outpatients ; Running

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between the degree of support from the spouse and the degree of health promoting behavior among the patients with a mastectomy or both mastectomies. METHODS: This study used a descriptive research design. The Participants with a mastectomy or both mastectomies were 224 patients. Data were collected though a structured questionnaire from June to October, 2013. The utilized measurements were Support of Spouse and The Health Promoting Life Profile II. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson's correlation coefficients. RESULTS: The mean scores in support of spouse (3.69+/-0.91) and health promoting behavior (2.89+/-0.48) by perception of patients with mastectomy were moderate. The degree of support from the spouse was positively related to five health promoting behaviors; spiritual growth (r=.54, p<.001), stress management (r=.47, p<.001), health responsibility (r=.31, p<.001), interpersonal relations (r=.32, p<.001), nutrition (r=.16, p=.017), except physical activity (r=.09 p=.184). CONCLUSION: It is necessary to educate patients and their spouses about health management after mastectomy to overcome long-term treatment and to improve the quality of life for the patient and spouse.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Interpersonal Relations ; Mastectomy* ; Motor Activity ; Quality of Life ; Research Design ; Spouses*

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to investigate the distribution patterns and exposure concentrations of bioaerosols in industries suspected to have high levels of bioaerosol exposure. METHODS: We selected 11 plants including 3 livestock feed plants (LF industry), 3 metal working fluids handling plants (MWFs industry), and 5 sawmills and measured total airborne bacteria, fungi, endotoxins, as well as dust. Airborne bacteria and fungi were measured with one stage impactor, six stage cascade impactor, and gelatin filters. Endotoxins were measured with polycarbonate filters. RESULTS: The geometric means (GM) of the airborne concentrations of bacteria, fungi, and endotoxins were 1,864, 2,252 CFU/m3, and 31.5 EU/m3, respectively at the sawmills, followed by the LF industry (535, 585 CFU/m3, and 22.0 EU/m3) and MWFs industry (258, 331 CFU/m3, and 8.7 EU/m3). These concentrations by industry type were significantly statistically different (p < 0.01). The ratio of indoor to outdoor concentration was 6.2, 1.9, 3.2, and 3.2 for bacteria, fungi, endotoxins, and dust in the LF industry, 5.0, 0.9, 2.3, and 12.5 in the MWFs industry, and 3.7, 4.1, 3.3, and 9.7 in sawmills. The respiratory fractions of bioaerosols were differentiated by bioaerosol types and industry types: the respiratory fraction of bacteria in the LF industry, MWF industry, and sawmills was 59.4%, 72.0%, and 57.7%, respectively, and that of fungi was 77.3%, 89.5%, and 83.7% in the same order. CONCLUSION: We found that bioaerosol concentration was the highest in sawmills, followed by LF industry facilities and MWFs industry facilities. The indoor/outdoor ratio of microorganisms was larger than 1 and respiratory fraction of microorganisms was more than 50% of the total microorganism concentrations which might penetrate respiratory tract easily. All these findings suggest that bioaerosol in the surveyed industries should be controlled to prevent worker respiratory diseases.
Bacteria ; Biological Agents ; Dust ; Endotoxins ; Fungi ; Gelatin ; Handling (Psychology) ; Livestock ; Polycarboxylate Cement ; Respiratory System

BACKGROUND: Thyroid cancer is a common disease and its prevalence is increasing. Recent reports have shown that an elevated thyrotropin (thyroid stimulating hormone, TSH) level is associated with thyroid cancer risk. However, the association between TSH level and thyroid cancer risk is not yet known for euthyroid patients diagnosed with papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC). METHODS: Our study included 425 patients who underwent thyroid surgery and were diagnosed with PTMC between 2008 and 2009. Control group patients were diagnosed with benign nodules < or = 1 cm in size by US-guided fine needle aspiration. Nodules with one or more suspected malignant-ultrasonographic feature(s) were excluded from this study. Patients who were not euthyroid or who took thyroid medication were also excluded. RESULTS: The mean age of all patients was 48.5 +/- 11.0 years and 88.8% were women. The mean age of those with PTMC was significantly lower than that of the control group. The mean TSH level was 1.78 +/- 0.93 mIU/L, and the mean free T4 level was 15.96 +/- 2.32 pmol/L. There was no difference in TSH level between the PTMC and control groups (1.77 +/- 0.93 mIU/L vs. 1.79 +/- 0.91 mIU/L, P = 0.829). After adjusting for age, TSH level was not correlated with tumor size (r = 0.02, P = 0.678) in the PTMC group. Moreover, the TSH level did not differ between patients with stage I and stage III-IV carcinoma (stage I, 1.77 +/- 0.95 mIU/L; stage III-IV, 1.79 +/- 0.87 mIU/L; P = 0.856). CONCLUSION: TSH levels are not elevated in euthyroid PTMC patients. Thus, further evaluation is needed before serum TSH can be used as a tumor marker for small nodules < or = 1 cm in size in euthyroid patients.
Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Carcinoma ; Carcinoma, Papillary ; Female ; Humans ; Prevalence ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; Thyroid Nodule ; Thyrotropin

PURPOSE: To estimate annual health care and productivity loss costs attributable to overweight or obesity in working asthmatic patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was conducted using the 2003–2013 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) in the United States. Patients aged 18 to 64 years with asthma were identified via self-reported diagnosis, a Clinical Classification Code of 128, or a ICD-9-CM code of 493.xx. All-cause health care costs were estimated using a generalized linear model with a log function and a gamma distribution. Productivity loss costs were estimated in relation to hourly wages and missed work days, and a two-part model was used to adjust for patients with zero costs. To estimate the costs attributable to overweight or obesity in asthma patients, costs were estimated by the recycled prediction method. RESULTS: Among 11670 working patients with a diagnosis of asthma, 4428 (35.2%) were obese and 3761 (33.0%) were overweight. The health care costs attributable to obesity and overweight in working asthma patients were estimated to be $878 [95% confidence interval (CI): $861–$895] and $257 (95% CI: $251–$262) per person per year, respectively, from 2003 to 2013. The productivity loss costs attributable to obesity and overweight among working asthma patients were $256 (95% CI: $253–$260) and $26 (95% CI: $26–$27) per person per year, respectively. CONCLUSION: Health care and productivity loss costs attributable to overweight and obesity in asthma patients are substantial. This study's results highlight the importance of effective public health and educational initiatives targeted at reducing overweight and obesity among patients with asthma, which may help lower the economic burden of asthma.
Adult ; Asthma/*economics/epidemiology/therapy ; *Cost of Illness ; *Efficiency ; *Employment ; Female ; *Health Care Costs ; Health Expenditures ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Obesity/*economics/epidemiology/therapy ; Overweight/economics/epidemiology/therapy ; United States/epidemiology ; Young Adult