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Purpose This study aims to evaluate the impact of chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA) distress on body image, psychosocial well-being, and depression among breast cancer patients. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted at the breast cancer advocacy events held at 16 hospitals in Korea. Alopecia distress was assessed using the 'Chemotherapy-Induced Alopecia Distress Scale', body image and psychosocial well-being were measured by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 and breast specific module (BR23), and depression was measured using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale. Means of outcomes were compared between low and high CIA distress groups. Univariable and multivariable linear regression models were used to analyze the relationship between the CIA distress and body image, psychosocial well-being, and depression. Results One hundred sixty-eight breast cancer patients participated in the study; the mean age was 48.4 (SD = 8.4) years, and 55.3% of the patients experienced higher distress from alopecia. In fully adjusted models, the high distress group was more likely to have a poorer body image than the low distress group (35.2 vs. 62.0; p < 0.001). Distressed patients were also more likely to report lower emotional (55.3 vs. 76.9; p < 0.001), role (58.6 vs. 72.0; p < 0.001), and social functioning (51.3 vs. 70.9; p < 0.001). The high distress group was also more likely to have depression compared with the low distress group (19.6 vs. 14.8; p < 0.001). Conclusions Chemotherapy-induced alopecia distress was negatively associated with body image, psychosocial well-being, and depression in women with breast cancer. It is necessary to develop specific interventions to minimize distress due to alopecia for women with breast cancer. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Regardless of improved survival rate, negative images and myths about cancer still abound. Cancer stigma may reduce patients' life opportunities resulting in social isolation, decreased level of emotional well-being, and poor health outcomes. This study was aimed to evaluate public attitudes toward cancer and cancer patients and people's willingness to disclose cancer diagnosis in South Korea. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted in August and September 2009. A nationally representative sample of 1011 men and women with no history of cancer was recruited. A set of 12 questions grouped into three domains (impossibility of recovery, cancer stereotypes, and discrimination) was used to assess public attitudes toward cancer. Results It was found 58.5% of study participants agreed that it is impossible to treat cancer regardless of highly developed medical science, 71.8% agreed that cancer patients would not be able to make contributions to society, and 23.5% agreed that they would avoid working with persons who have cancer. The proportions of people who said that that they would not disclose a cancer diagnosis to family, friends or neighbors, or coworkers were 30.2%, 47.0%, and 50.7%, respectively. Negative attitudes toward cancer were strongly associated with lower willingness to disclose a cancer diagnosis. Conclusions Negative attitudes, stereotypes, and discriminating attitudes toward cancer and people affected by the disease were very common in spite of clinical progress and improved survivorship. Impact Our findings emphasize the need for health policy and social changes to provide a more supportive environment for cancer survivors. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Little is known about patient satisfaction with single-port access ( SPA) surgery for gynaecologic disease related to body image and cosmesis. Aims This study aimed to determine cosmetic satisfaction with SPA surgery. Methods Postal questionnaires, including the Body Image Questionnaire, were sent to 159 women who had undergone SPA surgery between May 2008 and April 2010. Results Hundred and forty-six women participated in this study. Most of the women reported a relatively high body image and cosmetic score. The mean scores were 19.6 ± 1.1 and 21.9 ± 2.5, respectively. More than 67% of the women ( N = 98) reported that the scar was invisible, and 97.3% of the women said that they would recommend SPA surgery to others. Conclusion Single-port access surgery is a good option for the management of gynaecologic disease with respect to patient satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Several studies examining the association between G72/G30 polymorphisms and schizophrenia in cohorts of various ethnic origins have recently been reported. The aim of the current study was to examine the genetic influence of the G72/G30 polymorphisms in the Korean population. Nine G72/G30 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped in 388 patients with schizophrenia and 367 normal controls from the Korean population. Based on statistical analyses, the positive associations of previous studies of other populations were not replicated in the present study. However, 2 of the 9 tested SNPs, rs778294 and rs947267, were found to be associated with the risk of schizophrenia after correction for multiple testing (P cor =0.03 and P cor =0.04, respectively). The rs778294 SNP, taken singly, had not been found to be associated with schizophrenia in previous studies, and the second SNP, rs947267, showed an opposite direction of genetic effect on schizophrenia risk here than in a previous study. Our association results were not consistent with those found in other populations, and, thus could be chance findings. Therefore, further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm a risk allele for this gene if it exists. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A small coastal village of Muan-gun, Chollanam-do, was surveyed for intestinal fluke infections, especially heterophyids such as Heterophyes nocens and Pygidiopsis summa by fecal examination on 108 inhabitants. The egg positive rate of heterophyids was very high, 75.0%, and that of other parasites was comparatively low, 0.9-3.7% by parasite species. After treatment of 20 patients showing high E.P.G. with praziquantel and purging with MgSO4, total 3,864 specimens of H. nocens were collected from the diarrheic stools of all the patients treated (3-1,338 individually) and total 703 P. summa were harvested from 18 patients (1-170 individually), together with several other species of flukes. Other flukes included Stictodora fuscata (164 specimens from 4 patients), Heterophyopsis continua (2 from 2 patients), and Gymnophalloides seoi (4 from 3 patients). From this study, the surveyed coastal area of Muan-gun, Chollanam-do was proven to be a new endemic focus of H. nocens and P. summa. The occurrence of a few infected cases suggests that this area should also be a low-grade endemic area of S. fuscata, H. continua, and G. seoi.