PURPOSE: To examine the relationship between body fat percentage (BFP) and N-K cell activity (NKCA) in Korean breast and rectal cancer patients just after diagnosis. METHODS: With 35 subjects enrolled between November 2002 and May 2003, Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis was used to estimate BFP. FACS Analysis was used to measure N-K cell activity. The relationships between BFP and NKCA were identified by using curve estimation, simple regression, and multiple regression. RESULTS: The mean BFPs of the subjects and all the sub-groups were higher than acceptable BFPs. Both the mean NKCAs of male and female subjects were lower than that of healthy women. NKCA was explained by BFP with a 14.9% variance in the total subjects (p<.05). There were significant negative relationships between BFP and NKCA after controlling age, type of cancer, and stage of cancer while no significant relationship was found after controlling for gender. The relationships between BFP and NKCA in the sub-groups of female, breast cancer, and stage I, and II were significant. The relationships between male, rectal cancer, and the stage III, and VI sub-groups were not identified, but they revealed a mild to moderate steep in curve estimation. CONCLUSION: Weight reduction could prevent the risk and advancement of breast and rectal cancer in Koreans.
Adult ; Aged ; Body Fat Distribution ; Breast Neoplasms/*diagnosis/psychology ; Cytotoxicity, Immunologic ; Data Interpretation, Statistical ; Female ; Humans ; Killer Cells, Natural/*immunology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Rectal Neoplasms/*diagnosis/psychology

We analysed 101 patients with voiding symptoms of suggestive prostatism to evaluate the diagnostic values of digital rectal examination (DRE), serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) and transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) in the detection of prostate cancer. Final diagnoses confirmed histopathologically by TRUS-guided needle biopsy resulted in 31 prostate cancers. The prostate cancer detection rates by DRE, PSA (>2.5 ng/ml) and TRUS were 47.5%, 34.1% and 48.1%, respectively. Sensitivity and specificity of DRE, TRUS and serum PSA were 90%, 40%, 81%, 42.9% and 100%, 14.3% respectively. Especially PSA had too low specificity in discrimination of malignant diseases from the benign. Three out of 31 patients with prostate cancer showed only one abnormal findings from three items. Patients with abnormal findings in DRE-PSA, TRUS-PSA and DRE-TRUS showed the detection` rates of cancer 57.1%, 54.3% and 62.5% respectively. The detection rate was highest as 73.5% when patients showed abnormal findings in all three items. Our results suggest that the combination of DRE, TRUS and serum PSA increased the detection rate of cancer but several points such as cost-effectiveness and efforts to increase specificity methodologically should be taken into consideration before we apply those diagnostic modalities to screening of prostate cancers as routine procedures.
Biopsy, Needle ; Diagnosis ; Digital Rectal Examination* ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Prostate* ; Prostate-Specific Antigen* ; Prostatic Neoplasms* ; Prostatism ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Ultrasonography*

Prostate cancer (CaP) is the most common cancer diagnosed among men in the United States and the fifth most common cancer among men in Korea. Unfortunately, the early stages of CaP may have no symptoms. Thus, early detection is very important and physicians managing voiding dysfunction must have awareness about CaP. The traditional tests used for early detection of CaP are the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test and digital rectal examination. However, a high PSA level is not specific for CaP. Benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostatitis, urinary tract infection, and urinary retention can all cause a high PSA level. Thus, no test shows sufficient accuracy to truly be useful for screening men for CaP. A prostate biopsy is the only method that yields a definitive diagnosis of CaP; however, this test is invasive and uncomfortable. Recently, new biomarkers for CaP detection have been proposed to improve the accuracy of the PSA test. In this review, we summarize our knowledge of various new biomarkers, including PSA-associated biomarkers (the prostate health index and 4Kscore), molecular biomarkers (PCA3, TMPRSS2: ERG fusion gene, and various miRNAs), and proteomics-associated biomarkers, and the ways in which they may improve the detection rate of CaP. Accordingly, this review can raise awareness about CaP to physicians managing voiding dysfunction and be a good reference for them.
Biomarkers ; Biopsy ; Diagnosis ; Digital Rectal Examination ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Early Detection of Cancer ; Hematologic Tests ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Methods ; Prostate ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Prostatitis ; United States ; Urinary Retention ; Urinary Tract Infections