BACKGROUND: Women with family history of breast cancer are more likely to be worried about having cancer and participate in breast cancer screening. However, few studies have examined relationship between family history, cancer worries, and participating in breast cancer screening in Korea. This study is to identify relationship between family history, cancer worries, and participating in breast cancer screening among women with and without family history of cancer. METHODS: Respondents were 2,364 women who based on the 2013 Korean National Cancer Screening Survey which is done by National Cancer Center in Korea. Chi-square tests were performed to determine differences of cancer worries, undergoing of breast cancer screening and methods such as mammogram and ultrasonogram with and without cancer family history. Univariate and multiple logistic regression were performed to identify if family history and cancer worries are related factors on participating in breast cancer screening and methods. Stratified analysis was performed to confirm the effect of ultrasonogram on the dense breast by age. RESULTS: Women with cancer family history frequently checked condition for conscious of having cancer (p=0.0299) and had highly perception of risk about having cancer in the future (p≤0.0001). Women aged 30–49 did not perform significantly more ultrasonogram than women aged over 50 years old. Checking condition (moderate odds ratio [OR], 1.38; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.20–2.08; frequently OR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.08–1.76) and perception of risk (moderate OR, 3.12; 95% CI, 1.06–7.06; high OR, 2.74; 95% CI, 1.20–8.08) were related to participate in mammogram and ultrasonogram. A positive family history was related to 1.35 higher odds of performing only breast ultrasonogram (95% CI, 1.04–1.75). CONCLUSION: This study requires national education and publicity to reduce the unnecessary cost of screening, to be possible cost effective screening and to encourage women to receive more mammogram, especially women aged over 50 years old and with socioeconomic factors related to opportunistic screening.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Early Detection of Cancer ; Education ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Mass Screening* ; Odds Ratio ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Ultrasonography

No abstract available.
Epidemiology

Thyroid cancer is the most common malignancy in Korea; in 2012, about 44,000 new cases (19.6% of all malignancies) were registered and the estimated age-standardized incidence rate of thyroid cancer was 73.6 per 100,000 (17.3 and 88.6 per 100,000 in men and women, respectively). Despite the steep increase in its incidence, the age-standardized mortality rate of thyroid cancer has remained stable and 10-year relative survival rate is 99.2%. Increased detection using high-resolution ultrasonography may have contributed to the increased incidence of thyroid cancer if not all. However, the effectiveness of thyroid cancer screening using ultrasonography has not been fully evaluated as to whether screening and early diagnosis could decrease the morbidity or mortality of thyroid cancer. A multidisciplinary expert committee for developing a guideline for thyroid cancer screening was organized and established a recommendation for thyroid cancer screening using ultrasonography in Korea based on scientific evidence for the first time. In conclusion, the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of the thyroid cancer screening by ultrasonography and the recommendation is that thyroid ultrasonography is not routinely recommended for healthy subjects.
Early Detection of Cancer ; Early Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Male ; Mass Screening* ; Mortality ; Survival Rate ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroid Neoplasms* ; Ultrasonography

The National Cancer Screening Program (NCSP) was established to provide cancer screening services for low-income Medicaid recipients in 1999. Since then, the NCSP has expanded its target population to include National Health Insurance beneficiaries. Currently, the program targets the five most common types of cancer in Korea: stomach, liver, colorectal, breast, and cervical cancer. The National Cancer Center has been involved in developing and revising the practice guidelines for the NCSP in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Welfare and related academic societies. The main methodological principles of development were determined as follows: an evidence-based approach to the development of recommendations on cancer screening was used, that the recommendation could be drawn by an adaptation process if evidence-based current reliable clinical practice guidelines were available, and that the level of evidence was assessed by methodologies. The process of recommendation development was divided into planning, development, and finalization steps. Planning tasks consisted of selection of clinical practice guideline topics, organization of a clinical practice guideline development group, reviewing the existing clinical practice guidelines, establishment of development plans, and definition of key questions. Development tasks consisted of steps including searching the literature evidence base, assessment of the quality of evidence, integration of evidence, and formulation of recommendations and deciding on the recommendation grade. The finalization tasks included external review, up-dating of the plan, and publication of the clinical practice guidelines.
Breast ; Cooperative Behavior ; Early Detection of Cancer* ; Evidence-Based Medicine ; Health Services Needs and Demand ; Korea ; Liver ; Medicaid ; Methods* ; National Health Programs ; Practice Guidelines as Topic ; Publications ; Social Change ; Social Planning ; Stomach ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

BACKGROUND: The present study was undertaken to examine the immunological effects of pentabrominated diphenyl ether (penta-BDE) and decabrominated diphenyl ether (deca-BDE) on the immune system of the dams and the developmental immune system of the offsprings. METHODS: In this study, mated female C57BL/6J mice were orally administered penta-BDE, deca-BDE or corn oil for 5 weeks, from gestational day 6 to lactational day 21. RESULTS: The body weight of PND21 exposed to penta-BDE was significantly decreased relative to control mice, but that of post-natal day 63 (PND63) were recovered. Orally dosed dams with penta-BDE had significantly smaller absolute and relative spleen masses than control mice. Absolute and relative spleen and thymus masses of PND21 exposed to penta-BDE were significantly decreased over control. The exposure of dams and PND21 with penta-BDE reduced the number of splenocytes and thymocytes. As results of hematologic analysis, percentage WBC and percentage neutrophils increased in dams with deca-BDE. Splenic T cell proliferation in dams and PND21 exposed to penta-BDE was increased, and there were no significant difference in splenic B cell proliferation in all treatment groups. As results of flow cytometric analysis of splenocyte, percentage total T cell, Th cell and Tc cell in PND21 exposed to penta-BDE was slightly increased, and percentage macrophage in dams and PND21 exposed to deca-BDE was decreased. The ELISA results of antibody production show no significant difference in all treatment groups relative to controls. CONCLUSION: These results imply that PBDEs given to the dam were transferred to the offspring during gestation and lactation, and PBDEs transferred from the dam affect immune system of offspring.
Animals ; Antibody Formation ; Biphenyl Compounds ; Body Weight ; Cell Proliferation ; Corn Oil ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Ether, Ethyl ; Female ; Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers ; Humans ; Immune System ; Lactation ; Macrophages ; Mice ; Neutrophils ; Phenyl Ethers ; Pregnancy ; Spleen ; Thymocytes ; Thymus Gland

Reproductive toxicology is relatively new to the field of gene therapy, and is a very important issue for the safety. An important safety concern of gene therapy products is the distribution of vector beyond target organs. This is particularly important if vector distributes to gonads, raising the possibility of inadvertent germ-line transmission. In addition, for indications such as prostate cancer and ovarian cancer, the proximity of the point of viral administration to organs of the reproductive system raises concerns regarding inadvertent germ-line transmission of genes carried by the virus. To evaluate the reproductive toxicity of in vivo E1-deleted replication-incompetent adenoviral vector encoding p53 or lacZ, we studied the biodistribution and potential germ-line transmission of the vector. Both male and female Balb/c mice were injected with 1x10(8) pfu of Ad-CMV-LacZ or Ad-CMV-p53. DNA and RNA extracted from major organs including gonadal tissues were analyzed for vector sequences and expression. The PCR analysis showed that there were detectable vector sequences in liver, kidney, spleen, seminal vesicle, epididymis, prostate, ovary, and uterus. The RT-PCR analysis showed that Ad-CMV-LacZ or Ad-CMV-p53 viral RNA were present in spleen, prostate and ovary. Vectoradministered female and male mice were mated and their offspring were evaluated for germ-line transmission of the adenoviral vector. The PCR analysis showed no evidence of germ-line transmission, although vector sequences were detected in DNA extracted from gonadal tissues. Together, we conclude that the risk of the inadvertent germ-line transmission of vector sequences following intraperitoneal injection of adenovirus is extremely low, although vector distributed to gonadal tissues.
Adenoviridae* ; Animals ; DNA ; Epididymis ; Female ; Genetic Therapy ; Gonads ; Humans ; Injections, Intraperitoneal ; Kidney ; Liver ; Male ; Mice* ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; Ovary ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prostate ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; RNA ; RNA, Viral ; Seminal Vesicles ; Spleen ; Toxicology ; Uterus

BACKGROUND: Statin (HMG-coA-reductase inhibitor) has been known to protect vessels from atherothrombosis through various mechanisms. In this study, we evaluated the effects of statin on reducing the platelet expressions of CD63 and CD40 ligand (CD40L) in subjects with atherosclerotic ischemic stroke. METHODS: Twenty-one patients (17 men, 4 women; mean age 59.0 +/- 10.2 years) with atherosclerotic ischemic stroke were recruited. They took simvastatin 20 mg per day for 90 days and discontinued for another 90 days. We studied the changes of platelet expressions of CD63 and CD40L in all the patients after the use and discontinuance of simvastatin using whole blood flow cytometry. RESULTS: After taking simvastatin 20mg for 90 days, the serum concentrations of LDL cholesterol decreased significantly (96.4 +/- 31.4 mg/dL, p<0.001) compared with those at the baseline (158.8 +/- 25.0 mg/dL). The platelet CD63 and C40L expressions were also significantly reduced by treatment of simvastatin 20 mg for 12 weeks (p<0.05). However, the effects of statin on CD63 and CD40L expressions disappeared after 12 weeks of cessation. Furthermore, changes of expressions of CD63 and CD40L by statin did not correlate with its cholesterol lowering effect (r=-0.311, p=0.386). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that the use of statin may be a helpful strategy to regulate the platelet activation in patients with atherosclerotic ischemic stroke.
Blood Platelets* ; CD40 Ligand* ; Cholesterol ; Cholesterol, LDL ; Female ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors* ; Hyperlipidemias* ; Inflammation ; Male ; Platelet Activation ; Simvastatin ; Stroke*

Visual display terminal(VDT) is popular in majority of office in modern countries. Musculoskeletal pain due to repetitive work with VDT is a serious industrial accident at present. In recent studies, shoulder pain in VDT users is the most common problem in Korea. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the effect of exercises on shoulder dysfunction in VDT-related female office workers. Of the l19 patients with shoulder dysfunction, 32 patients entered into the study. 16 patients(Group I) were not prescribed exercises, other 16 patients (Group II) performed throughout the specific shoulder exercises such as pendular exercises(forward, backward and circumduction) and sidelying external rotation exercises with weights. After 3 months of exercises, the two groups were compared in term of the pain rating scale, disability questionnaire score and range of motion score. The results were summarized as follows ; l. The pain rating scale in Group I before and after 3 months were not differenced significantly(p value=0.784) and in Group II, the scale before and after exercises were differenced significantly(p value=0.0005). 2. The disability, questionnaire scores in Group I before and after 3 months were not differenced significantly(p value=0.437) and in Group II, the scores before and after exercises were differenced significantly(p value=0.0002). 3. The ROM scores of the affected shoulder in Group I before and after 3 months were not differenced significantly(p value=0.876) and in Group II, the scores before and after exercises were differenced significantly(p value=0.0017). In conclusion, that the specific shoulder exercises on shoulder dysfunction in VDT-related female office workers are encouraged.
Accidents, Occupational ; Exercise* ; Female* ; Humans ; Korea ; Musculoskeletal Pain ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Shoulder Pain ; Shoulder* ; Weights and Measures

The methods for the early diagnoses of breast cancer are mammography, physical examination, breast self-examination(BSE). This study was conducted to investigate the knowledge and practice of BSE by structured questionnaire which included questions on general characteristics, performance of mammography, physical examination of breast, knowledge and practice of BSE. The subjects in this study were 412 females between 20 and 69 years old who visit to the Health Care Center of College of medicine of Inje University from December 1997 to February 1998. The results were as follows: 1. Women who have gotten the regular mammography are 8.19% of these subjects and women who have gotten the regular physical examination by doctors are 4.19% of these subjects. 2. Regarding BSE, 77.4% of these subjects said that they knew BSE and 3.88% of these subjects said that they practiced BSE regularly. It was that women who knew BSE were more younger, better-educated and higher economic status(p=0.001) and lived a normal life with her husband(p=0.033). And women who practiced BSE regularly were more younger, and married(p=0.001). 3. The most common barrier to doing BSE is 'Do not see the needs/Worry unnecessarily', and the most common reasons for doing BSE is 'Early detection'. 4. The overall frequency and percentage distribution of recommended BSE step in Korea is lower than U.S.A.
Aged ; Breast Neoplasms ; Breast Self-Examination* ; Breast* ; Delivery of Health Care ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Mammography ; Physical Examination ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Irritable bowel syndrome(IBS) is one of the common health problem that has been considered as stress-induced. This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between life style and the level of stress and IBS by structured questionnaire which included questions on life style, the self-esteemed gastrointestinal symptoms, and Psychosocial Well-being Index(PWI). Subjects were 1,498 male white collars who get the regular health check and participated in survey at Inje University Health Promotion Center from January to December, 1996. The overall prevalence of IBS was 37.5%(561 cases), and the level of stress by PWI score was higher in IBS group(41.8+/-14.2) than symptom-free group(34.6+/-12.6). As the result of comparison between the two groups, heavier smoking (adjusted OR=2.48, 95% CI 1.81-3.41), longer daily working time (adjusted OR=5.19, 95% CI 3.59-7.56), stimulatory food materials-mainly hot or salty (adjusted OR=1.87, 95% CI 1.44-2.45), higher body mass index (adjusted OR=1.80, 95% CI 1.27-2.57), and higher level of stress (adjusted OR=2.81, 95% CI 1.80-4.43) were estimated as risk factors of IBS. On the contrary, 6-8 hours sleeping per day (adjusted OR=0.38 95% CI 0.21-0.70), 3-4 times exercise per week (adjusted OR=0.57 95% CI 0.39-0.83), and tenure more than 20 years (adjusted OR=0.25 95% CI 0.16-0.35) were considered as protective factors to IBS. In summary, the assessment of the stress level might be placed in the first priority to control IBS, at least by some degree, which suggested that IBS could be controlled by avoiding such risk factors and by encouraging such protective factors.
Body Mass Index ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Irritable Bowel Syndrome* ; Life Style* ; Male* ; Prevalence ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking