No abstract available.

Hepatitis B Virus(t-IBV) infection is one of the major health problems in Korea and HBsAg positive rate was known to be as 6-10% in general population. This study was carried out to determine HBV infection rate of workers who worked in one company and to assess the conversion rate of HBV markers(HBsAg: by RPHA method, Anti-HBs: PHA method) from 1990 to 1992. A total number of study subject was 1,972 male workers who were interviewed during health check up at 1992. Healthy workers were defined those who have none of the past histories of transfusion, hepatitis, abnormal liver function. The results were as follows: 1. HBsAg positive rate among healthy workers in 1990 was 2.7% and it was highest in age group thirties as 3.0% with no statistically significance by age group. 2. HBsAg positive conversion rate was 3.0% and negative conversion rate was 7.7% from 1990 to 1992. 3. The rate of Anti-HBs formation was 32.5% after 3 doeses hepatitis B vaccination.
Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Korea ; Liver ; Male ; Vaccination*

The objective of cancer screening is to reduce the risk of death, i.e., mortality from cancer among individuals subjected to screening. For cervical and colorectal cancer, the screening test is aimed at detection of preinvasive lesions. Therefore, reduction in the incidence of invasive disease also results from screening. In a national cancer control program, the programs should be orgainzed to ensure that a large proportion of the target group is screened and that those individuals in whom abnormalities are abserved receive appropriate diagnosis and therapy. Agreement should be reached on guidelines to be applied in the national cancer control program. When establishing appropriate cancer screening recommendations several factors should be considered. ① For establishing the starting age, age-specific incidence and mortality rate, life lost person-years, and cost-effectiveness can be considered. ② For frequency of screening, it is necessary to understand the natural history of disease. ③ For choosing the best test tool, sensitivity and specificity, compliance, cost, and adverse effects can be considered. It seems that doctors' willingness to participate is essential for a successful cancer screening program. They should understand the rationale of cancer secreening, its effectiveness, and the risk.
Colorectal Neoplasms ; Compliance ; Diagnosis ; Early Detection of Cancer* ; Incidence ; Korea* ; Mass Screening ; Mortality ; Natural History ; Sensitivity and Specificity

OBJECTIVES: To investigate possible seasonal patterns of pre-term birth in Korea. METHODS: A total number of 2,669,357 single live births reported to the National Statistical Office from 1995 to 1998 were analyzed. Composite monthly cohorts of ongoing pregnancies were constructed for each month of the year and the probability of pre-term birth was estimated. RESULTS: Increases in the probability of a pre-term birth occurred during winter for the birth of first child and during summer for the birth of second or later child. This seasonal variation was similar among groups divided by sex, residency, age of mother, and education of mother. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggests that some environmental factors related to season may partially explain the incidence of premature births.
Child ; Cohort Studies ; Education ; Humans ; Incidence ; Internship and Residency ; Korea* ; Live Birth ; Mothers ; Parturition* ; Pregnancy ; Premature Birth ; Seasons*

For the purpose of determination the normal values of some parameters relevant to lead exposure, a study was carried out from April to June 30, 1986 on 258 healthy Korean adults who have had no apparent lead exposure. The lead indices subjected to this study were as follows; blood lead (PbB), hemoglobin (Hb), zinc protopprphyrin in blood (ZPP), delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) activity in blood, coproporphyrin in urine (CPU), delta-aminolevulinic acid in urine (ALAU). 1) The mean value of PbB was 17.17+/-7.87 microgram/100ml, and there was no statistically significant difference by age & sex. The distribution of PbB fitted to the log-normal distribution (chi-square=7.38, p>0.1). 2) The mean value of Hb in male (15.17+/-1.56g/100ml) was higher than in female (13.22+/-1.51 g/100ml)(p<0.01). The distribution of Hb fitted to the normal distribution (chi-square=9.40, p>0.1). 3) The mean value of ZPP was 32.61+/-8.78 microgram/100ml, and there was no statistically significant difference by age & sex. The distribution of ZPP fitted to the normal distribution (chi-square=13.93, p>0.05). The correlation of ZPP & ALAD (r=-0.229), CPU (r=0.183) was statistically significant respectively. 4) The mean value of ALAD was 30.20+/-10.96 mol ALA/min/L of R.B.C., and there was no statistically significant difference by age & sex. The distribution of ALAD activity did not fit to the normal distribution. The correlation between ALAD & PbB (r=-0.219) was statistically significant. 5) The mean value of CPU was 36.10+/-24.54 microgram/L, and there was no statistically significant difference by age & sex. The distribution of CPU did not fit to the normal distribution. The correlation between CPU & PbB (r=0.185), ZPP (r=0.183) was statistically significant respectively. 6) The meant value of ALAU was 1.94+/-0.96 ml/L, and there was no statistically significant difference by age & sex. The distribution of ALAU fitted to the normal distribution (chi-square=9.76, p>0.1).
Adult ; Aminolevulinic Acid ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Porphobilinogen Synthase ; Reference Values* ; Zinc

Cancer is one of the main cause of death worldwide. There are about 10 million new cases every year, and more than 6 million persons will die of the disease in a year. Many factors are responsible for the recent increase in cancer. Changing lifestyles, in particular as regards tobacco smoking, alcohol drinking and diet, also play a crucial part. Several different types of scientific studies contribute to identifying the causes of human cancer. IARC's prestigious series of Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans publishes authoritative reports on the risks posed by potentially carcinogenic agents and exposures. Most cancers are thought to be caused by factors related to lifestyle and environment. In particular, tobacco, chronic infections and diet are involved in a substantial number of new cancers. Tobacco is responsible for about 15% of all cancers throughout the world. Chronic infections with viruses, bacteria and parasites are responsible for 16% of all cancers. It has been hypothesized that 30% of all cancers could be prevented by appropriate diet and physical activity. Other known causes of cancer, such as occupational, genetic, and reproductive factors, plays a lesser role in the global burden of cancer. Many types of cancer seem to be cluster in families, occurring more often in close relatives of affected individuals. The risks that a person inheriting a defect in a person inheriting a defect in a cancer susceptibility gene will develop a certain type of cancer must be estimated, and the role of environmental factors in modifying these risks must be ascertains. Researches into the causes of cancer has revealed how many of the most common cancers can be prevented. Detection of many forms of the disease at an early stage can greatly improve the prospects for effective treatment, reducing deaths and enhancing quality of life.
Alcohol Drinking ; Bacteria ; Cause of Death ; Diet ; Epidemiology* ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Humans ; Life Style ; Motor Activity ; Parasites ; Quality of Life ; Risk Factors ; Smoking ; Tobacco

No abstract available.
Hepatitis B e Antigens* ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens* ; Hepatitis B virus* ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis*

PURPOSE: The incidence of childhood cancer in the Korea was studied to compare incidence rates between countries and between different regions in Korea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A tatal of 2,891 cases, registered in the Natinal Cancer Registy from 1993 to 1995, were analysied. Death Certificate Only(DCO) cases were not included. DCO % was estimated about 22%. We calculated the incidence rates according to the International Classification of Childhood Cancer. The age-standardized rates by diagnostic group was compared with those of other countries. The total incidence of childhood cancer were compared among 34 cities in Korea with the rates in the rest of the nation. RESULTS: The crude incidence of all childhood cancer was 94.1 per million. The cumulative incidence to age 15 was 0.137% and the age-standardized rate, calculated using the world standard population, was 96.1 per million. In the incidence rates by diagnostic group, we observed many similarities with other countries in East Asia. The age-standardized rates of E, F and AL cities were significantly higher(p<0.05). In the 0-4 age group, F, AL and BB cities showed higher rates(p<0.05). In 5~9 years and 10~14 years, F city only had higher rates(p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Further study will be needed in order to investigate possible environmental factors which may account for the regional variations.
Classification ; Death Certificates ; Far East ; Humans ; Incidence* ; Korea

To investigate a population-based survey of the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in South Korea, we performed Papanicolaou smears and tests for HPV DNA and anti-HPV antibody detection in 909 sexually active general women (age range; 20-74 years, median 44 years) who were randomly selected residents from S district of Busan City. The presence of DNA of 36 different HPV types was detected by means of a GP 5+/6+ primer-mediated PCR enzyme immunoassay in cervical exfoliated cells, and IgG antibodies against L1 virus-like particles (anti-VLPs) of 5 HPV types 16, 18, 31, 33, and 58 were tested by means of enzyme linked immunoassay. The incidence of cytologic abnormality was 5.2% in Pap smear. The positive rate of HPV DNA was 10.4%, high in young women younger than 35 years old and proportionally increased according to the cytologic grades. The most often found HPV type was HPV 70, followed by HPV 16 and 33, and high-risk HPV types were more frequent in women younger than 35 years old. The most common HPV type in abnormal cytologic smears was HPV 16, followed by HPV 58 and 66. Anti-VLPs was positive in 19.7% and the frequent anti-VLPs type was against HPV 18, followed by HPV 31 and 16. The concordance between the markers for each specific HPV type was noted in 10 women and HPV 16 was the most frequent one. The incidence of multiple HPV infection was 18.9% and that of multiple anti-VLPs antibodies was 31%. Among 103 self-reported virgins, 4.9% had anti-VLP antibodies.
Adult ; Antibodies ; Busan* ; DNA* ; Female ; Human papillomavirus 16 ; Human papillomavirus 18 ; Humans* ; Immunoassay ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Immunoglobulin G ; Incidence* ; Korea* ; Papanicolaou Test ; Papillomavirus Infections* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence*

Patient survival is one of the most important measures for the evaluation of progress in cancer patient care across the wide spectrum from diagnosis to treatment. The optimal monitoring method for cancer patient survival is to estimate survival based on representative data from cancer patients in the population, which is only achievable through using population-based cancer registration data. Relative survival is used to compare the survival experience in a study cohort that expected to result from background population mortality rates. This technique is useful when the cause of death is not accurate or not available, since it provides a measure of excess mortality in a group of patients with a certain disease. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the procedures for estimating relative survival using the statistical software Stata. For this survival analysis to show the procedure, the example data set was randomly selected from the National Cancer Incidence Database, which was used in a recent article reporting the overall relative survival of cancer patients diagnosed during 1993-2002 in Korea.
Cause of Death ; Cohort Studies ; Dataset ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Mortality ; Patient Care ; Survival Analysis*