OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the predictive factors for survival of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and investigated the overall and disease-specific survival (DSS) outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 67 consecutive patients who underwent surgery for OSCC from January 2006 to November 2014 were included in this study. Patients were classified according to age, sex, pTNM stages, primary sites, smoking and alcohol drinking habits, depth of invasion, perineural and lymphovascular invasion, cell differentiation and postoperative radiotherapy. Kaplan-Meier methods were used to estimate the survival categorized by patient groups. Cox regression methods were used to investigate the main independent predictors of survival. RESULTS: Nineteen patients died of OSCC during follow-up periods. Another five patients died of other diseases including lung adenocarcinoma (n=1), cerebral infarction (n=1), general weakness (n=2), and pneumonia (n=1). The tongue (n=16) was the most common site for primary origin, followed by buccal mucosa (n=15), mandibular gingiva (n=15), maxillary gingiva (n=9), floor of mouth (n=9), retromolar trigone (n=2), and palate (n=1). Eleven patients had pTNM stage I disease, followed by stage II (n=22) and stage IV (n=34). No patients had pTNM stage III disease in this study. The overall survival of all patients was 64.2% and the DSS was 71.6%. DSS of patients with stage I and II disease was 100%. Stepwise Cox regression showed the two predictors for DSS were pTNM stage (P<0.0001, odds ratio=19.633) and presence of metastatic lymph nodes (P=0.0004, odds ratio=0.1039). CONCLUSION: OSCC has been associated with poor prognosis; however, there were improved survival outcomes compared with past studies. Advanced-stage disease and presence of metastatic lymph nodes were associated with poorer survival compared with early-stage OSCC and absence of neck node metastasis. Stage I and II OSCC were associated with excellent survival results in this study.
Adenocarcinoma ; Alcohol Drinking ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Cell Differentiation ; Cerebral Infarction ; Epithelial Cells ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gingiva ; Humans ; Lung ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Mouth Floor ; Mouth Mucosa ; Neck ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasm Staging ; Palate ; Pneumonia ; Prognosis ; Radiotherapy ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Tongue

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the predictive factors for survival of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and investigated the overall and disease-specific survival (DSS) outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 67 consecutive patients who underwent surgery for OSCC from January 2006 to November 2014 were included in this study. Patients were classified according to age, sex, pTNM stages, primary sites, smoking and alcohol drinking habits, depth of invasion, perineural and lymphovascular invasion, cell differentiation and postoperative radiotherapy. Kaplan-Meier methods were used to estimate the survival categorized by patient groups. Cox regression methods were used to investigate the main independent predictors of survival. RESULTS: Nineteen patients died of OSCC during follow-up periods. Another five patients died of other diseases including lung adenocarcinoma (n=1), cerebral infarction (n=1), general weakness (n=2), and pneumonia (n=1). The tongue (n=16) was the most common site for primary origin, followed by buccal mucosa (n=15), mandibular gingiva (n=15), maxillary gingiva (n=9), floor of mouth (n=9), retromolar trigone (n=2), and palate (n=1). Eleven patients had pTNM stage I disease, followed by stage II (n=22) and stage IV (n=34). No patients had pTNM stage III disease in this study. The overall survival of all patients was 64.2% and the DSS was 71.6%. DSS of patients with stage I and II disease was 100%. Stepwise Cox regression showed the two predictors for DSS were pTNM stage (P<0.0001, odds ratio=19.633) and presence of metastatic lymph nodes (P=0.0004, odds ratio=0.1039). CONCLUSION OSCC has been associated with poor prognosis; however, there were improved survival outcomes compared with past studies. Advanced-stage disease and presence of metastatic lymph nodes were associated with poorer survival compared with early-stage OSCC and absence of neck node metastasis. Stage I and II OSCC were associated with excellent survival results in this study.

Background: Although the concepts of a family physician and regular doctor are interchangeably used in the general population, they differ in various aspects of healthcare services. We investigated the prevalence of having a family physician/regular doctor and its association with healthcare utilization behaviors among community-dwelling adults. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among students and employees at a university from October 2018 to February 2019. Information was collected on the presence of a family physician/regular doctor, healthcare facilities most frequently visited, annual healthcare visit frequencies, and out-of-pocket medical expenses. Associated factors with having a family physician/regular doctor were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression adjusting for demographic characteristics, health-related variables, and healthcare utilization behaviors. Results: A total of 5,890 individuals were included, of which 15% had family physicians/regular doctors (students 12.6%, employees 21.3%). Factors significantly associated with having a family physician/regular doctor were older age, higher income level, and managing chronic diseases.Individuals having a family physician/regular doctor were more likely to use large/tertiary hospitals rather than primary care clinics, use healthcare services more frequently, and have higher medical expenditures. Conclusion The prevalence of having a regular doctor was low in community-dwelling adults, with a higher prevalence among high-income groups and a tendency to visit large/tertiary hospital specialists for a regular doctor. Our results indicate that many community-dwelling individuals lack proper awareness of the roles of family physicians in providing comprehensive and continuous healthcare, emphasizing urgent needs to enhance public awareness of the concept of family physicians based on primary care.

Background: Although the concepts of a family physician and regular doctor are interchangeably used in the general population, they differ in various aspects of healthcare services. We investigated the prevalence of having a family physician/regular doctor and its association with healthcare utilization behaviors among community-dwelling adults. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among students and employees at a university from October 2018 to February 2019. Information was collected on the presence of a family physician/regular doctor, healthcare facilities most frequently visited, annual healthcare visit frequencies, and out-of-pocket medical expenses. Associated factors with having a family physician/regular doctor were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression adjusting for demographic characteristics, health-related variables, and healthcare utilization behaviors. Results: A total of 5,890 individuals were included, of which 15% had family physicians/regular doctors (students 12.6%, employees 21.3%). Factors significantly associated with having a family physician/regular doctor were older age, higher income level, and managing chronic diseases.Individuals having a family physician/regular doctor were more likely to use large/tertiary hospitals rather than primary care clinics, use healthcare services more frequently, and have higher medical expenditures. Conclusion The prevalence of having a regular doctor was low in community-dwelling adults, with a higher prevalence among high-income groups and a tendency to visit large/tertiary hospital specialists for a regular doctor. Our results indicate that many community-dwelling individuals lack proper awareness of the roles of family physicians in providing comprehensive and continuous healthcare, emphasizing urgent needs to enhance public awareness of the concept of family physicians based on primary care.

Background: Although the concepts of a family physician and regular doctor are interchangeably used in the general population, they differ in various aspects of healthcare services. We investigated the prevalence of having a family physician/regular doctor and its association with healthcare utilization behaviors among community-dwelling adults. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among students and employees at a university from October 2018 to February 2019. Information was collected on the presence of a family physician/regular doctor, healthcare facilities most frequently visited, annual healthcare visit frequencies, and out-of-pocket medical expenses. Associated factors with having a family physician/regular doctor were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression adjusting for demographic characteristics, health-related variables, and healthcare utilization behaviors. Results: A total of 5,890 individuals were included, of which 15% had family physicians/regular doctors (students 12.6%, employees 21.3%). Factors significantly associated with having a family physician/regular doctor were older age, higher income level, and managing chronic diseases.Individuals having a family physician/regular doctor were more likely to use large/tertiary hospitals rather than primary care clinics, use healthcare services more frequently, and have higher medical expenditures. Conclusion The prevalence of having a regular doctor was low in community-dwelling adults, with a higher prevalence among high-income groups and a tendency to visit large/tertiary hospital specialists for a regular doctor. Our results indicate that many community-dwelling individuals lack proper awareness of the roles of family physicians in providing comprehensive and continuous healthcare, emphasizing urgent needs to enhance public awareness of the concept of family physicians based on primary care.

Background: Although the concepts of a family physician and regular doctor are interchangeably used in the general population, they differ in various aspects of healthcare services. We investigated the prevalence of having a family physician/regular doctor and its association with healthcare utilization behaviors among community-dwelling adults. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among students and employees at a university from October 2018 to February 2019. Information was collected on the presence of a family physician/regular doctor, healthcare facilities most frequently visited, annual healthcare visit frequencies, and out-of-pocket medical expenses. Associated factors with having a family physician/regular doctor were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression adjusting for demographic characteristics, health-related variables, and healthcare utilization behaviors. Results: A total of 5,890 individuals were included, of which 15% had family physicians/regular doctors (students 12.6%, employees 21.3%). Factors significantly associated with having a family physician/regular doctor were older age, higher income level, and managing chronic diseases.Individuals having a family physician/regular doctor were more likely to use large/tertiary hospitals rather than primary care clinics, use healthcare services more frequently, and have higher medical expenditures. Conclusion The prevalence of having a regular doctor was low in community-dwelling adults, with a higher prevalence among high-income groups and a tendency to visit large/tertiary hospital specialists for a regular doctor. Our results indicate that many community-dwelling individuals lack proper awareness of the roles of family physicians in providing comprehensive and continuous healthcare, emphasizing urgent needs to enhance public awareness of the concept of family physicians based on primary care.

Lespedeza cuneata (LC) is a perennial plant used in herbal medicine to treat numerous diseases, including prostatic hyperplasia, diabetes, early atherosclerosis, and hematuria. Reference collections of bioactive compounds of LC are crucial for the determination of their pharmacological properties. However, little is known regarding its anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects in alveolar macrophage (MH-S) cells. This study examined whether LC can inhibit reactive oxygen species and Coal fly ash (CFA) induced inflammation in MH-S cells. The anti-oxidative effects of LC were evaluated using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) assays, anti-inflammatory effects were examined using nitric oxide (NO) assay, and cytotoxicity was analyzed using methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assay. The expression of inflammatory cytokine genes was assessed through a reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. Our results revealed that LC exhibited high radical scavenging activity and a dose-dependent (7.8–1,000 μg/mL) inhibition of oxidation as compared to ascorbic acid and Trolox. It also inhibited CFA-induced NO production in MH-S cells. Moreover, it suppressed the CFA exposure-mediated expression of pro-inflammatory mediators and cytokines, including inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α. These results suggest that LC is a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent that can be useful as a nutraceutical product.