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Objectives: This study was conducted to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Korean version of the Quality of Life questionnaire cervical cancer module (QLQ-CX24), developed by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC). Methods: The EORTC QLQ-CX24 and the core questionnaire (the EORTC QLQ-C30) were administered to 860 Korean disease-free survivors of cervical cancer and 494 female control subjects from the general Korean population. The construct reliability and validity of the EORTC QLQ-CX24 questionnaire were assessed via factor analysis, multitrait scaling analyses and known group comparisons. Results: Factor structure of the Korean version of the EORTC QLQ-CX24 questionnaire agreed with the originally hypothesized scale structure. Scale reliability was confirmed by Cronbach’s α coefficients for internal consistency, which ranged from 0.78 to 0.87. Convergent and discriminant validity was confirmed by multitrait scaling analysis, which revealed scaling errors of 0.9. The clinical validity of the Korean version of the EORTC QLQ-CX24 was demonstrated by the ability to discriminate among controls and patient subgroups of different stages, treatments and overall health status. Conclusions: The Korean version of the EORTC QLQ-CX24 was found to be a reliable and a valid measure of quality of life among survivors of cervical cancer when administered in a large survey setting.

PurposeSmoking, obesity, and insulin resistance are well-known risk factors for cancer, yet few epidemiology studies evaluate their role as risk factors for a second primary cancer (SPC).Patients and MethodsWe identified 14,181 men with a first cancer from the National Health Insurance Corporation Study cohort. We obtained data on fasting glucose level, body mass index (BMI), and smoking history from an enrollment interview (1996). We obtained SPC incidence data for 1996 through 2002 from the Korean Central Cancer Registry. We used the standard Poisson regression model to estimate the age- and multivariate-adjusted relative risk (RR) for SPCs in relation to smoking history, BMI, and insulin resistance before diagnosis.ResultsWe observed 204 patients with SPC. The overall age-standardized incidence rate of SPC was 603.2 occurrences per 100,000 person-years, which was about 2.3 times higher than that of first cancer in the general male population. Multivariate regression revealed that lung (RR, 3.69; 95% CI, 1.35 to 10.09) and smoking-related (RR, 2.02; 95% CI, 1.02 to 4.03) SPCs were significantly associated with smoking. Obese patients (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2) had significantly elevated RRs for colorectal (RR, 3.45; 95% CI, 1.50 to 7.93) and genitourinary (RR, 3.61; 95% CI, 1.36 to 9.54) SPCs. Patients with a fasting serum glucose concentration ≥ 126 mg/dL had a higher RR for hepatopancreatobiliary (RR, 3.33; 95% CI, 1.33 to 8.37) and smoking-related (1.93; 95% CI, 1.01 to 3.68) SPCs.ConclusionPrediagnosis smoking history, obesity, and insulin resistance were risk factors for several SPCs. These findings suggest that more thorough surveillance and screening for SPCs is needed for the cancer survivors with these risk factors.

In this paper we propose a direction-of-arrival based smart antenna algorithm that is efficient for cellular mobile systems. The proposed algorithm efficiently suppresses interferences without main beam shift by using a structured interference covariance matrix. We compare the performance of the proposed algorithm with those of the well-known LCMV and reference signal-based algorithms in scattering scenarios that typically arise in mobile environments.

Objectives: We investigated the frequency of chemotherapy use and its associated factors in patients in all age groups in the last year of life. Methods: We identified cancer patients who died in 2004 in any of 17 hospitals. We used demographic and treatment characteristics by computerized hospital information systems and by linking the identification numbers to the 2004 death registry. Results: 48.7% of patients in the last 6 months of life, 43.9% in the last 3 months, and 30.9% in the last month of life received chemotherapy. The frequency of chemotherapy use was lower for older patients. In those ≧65 years old, there was no difference between women and men in the proportion that received chemotherapy. For patients Conclusions: Despite the fact that most cancer patients are resistant to chemotherapy at the end of life, it was administered often to all age groups.

We performed this study to examine the prevalence and correlates of fatigue and depression, and their relevance to health-related quality of life in disease-free breast cancer survivors. A total of 1,933 breast cancer survivors recruited from five large hospitals in Korea completed a mailed survey, which included the Brief Fatigue Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30, and QLQ-BR23. With a framework that included sociodemographic, clinical, and symptom characteristics, multivariate logistic regression models were used to identify factors associated with fatigue and depression. Among breast cancer survivors, 66.1% reported moderate to severe fatigue and 24.9% reported moderate to severe depression. Risk factors common to both fatigue and depression were lower income, dyspnea, insomnia, appetite loss, constipation, and arm symptoms. Risk factors for fatigue only included younger age, employment, presence of gastrointestinal disease, and pain. Having a musculoskeletal disease was identified as a risk factor for depression only. Both fatigue and depression were influenced by sociodemographic factors, comorbidity and symptom characteristics rather than cancer or treatment-related factors. Both fatigue and depression were negatively associated with survivors' health-related quality of life. However, the patterns of differences in health-related quality of life according to severity of fatigue or depression were similar. This concurrent examination of risk factors for fatigue and depression may be helpful in the development of clinical management strategies in disease-free breast cancer survivors.

We aimed to clarify the association of breast cancer patients’ clinical experiences with patient-reported outcomes (PRO) of satisfaction with care, choice of the same type of surgery again, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). There were 2,403 (25.9%) of 9,283 eligible women who had undergone primary curative surgery for breast cancer in one of five selected hospitals between 1993 and 2002 who responded to a survey questionnaire including information about care experiences, satisfaction with care, and HRQOL. Treatment satisfaction was independently associated with cancer recurrence, problems obtaining surgery, receiving adjuvant hormonal therapy, being involved in treatment decisions, having opinions reflected in treatment decisions, experiencing treatment toxicity, or being hospitalized for treatment toxicity (P

Purpose Although many studies have demonstrated that smoking, alcohol, obesity, and insulin resistance are risk factors for cancer, the role of those factors on cancer survival has been less studied. Patients and Methods The study participants were 14,578 men with a first cancer derived from a cohort of 901,979 male government employees and teachers who participated in a national health examination program in 1996. We obtained mortality data for those years from the Korean Statistical Office. We used a standard Poisson regression model to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) for survival in relation to smoking, alcohol, obesity, and insulin resistance before diagnosis. Results Poor survival of all cancer combined (HR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.16 to 1.33), cancer of the lung (HR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.15 to 1.82), and cancer of the liver (HR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.21 to 1.53) were significantly associated with smoking. Compared with the nondrinker, heavy drinkers had worse outcomes for head and neck (HR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.23 to 2.79) and liver (HR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.11 to 1.41) cancer, with dose-dependent relationships. Patients with a fasting serum glucose level above 126 mg/dL had a higher mortality rate for stomach (HR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.25 to 1.84) and lung (HR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.18 to 1.87) cancer. Higher body mass index was significantly associated with longer survival in head and neck (HR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.39 to 0.74) and esophagus (HR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.28 to 0.68) cancer. Conclusion Prediagnosis risk factors for cancer development (smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity, and insulin resistance) had a statistically significant effect on survival among male cancer patients.

Objectives: To evaluate the contribution of type of illness, socio-demographic factors, and area of residence to the place of death in a country with increasing hospital deaths. Design: Descriptive study of hospital deaths using a 10-year death registration database from the Korean National Statistical Office. Setting and participants: Through the National Vital Statistics System, 2 402 259 deaths were registered in Korea from 1992 to 2001. Measurement and main results: There was a significant trend toward an increase in the proportion of hospital deaths, from 16.6% in 1992 to 39.9% in 2001. The proportion of deaths at home decreased over that period, from 72.9 to 49.2%. The risk of hospital death versus home death was lower for those aged 75 years and over (adjusted odds ratio: 0.212; 95% confidence interval: 0.210-0.214) compared with those B / 55 years, and for people who were highly educated (2.04; 2.02-2.06), had white-collar jobs (1.55; 1.54-1.57), and resided in areas with more available hospital beds (2.46; 2.42-2.51). Compared with other causes of death, the risk of dying in hospital was higher for patients with ischaemic heart disease (1.83; 1.79-1.86), cancer (1.25; 1.23-1.26) and chronic lower respiratory disease (1.21; 1.18-1.23). Conclusions: Trends in place of death are influenced by available hospital beds, socio-demographic factors and the nature of the terminal disease, in a country with increasing hospital deaths. These associations should be viewed within the context of culture and local health care systems.

The purpose was to determine the effects of recurrent breast cancer on health-related quality of life (HRQOL).We administered the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30 and QLQ-BR23, McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire (MQOL), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI) to 152 women experiencing recurrence 1 year after being diagnosed with stage I to III breast cancer. We classified recurrent women as post-, ongoing-, and non-treatment group and performed multivariate-adjusted analyses in HRQOL comparisons with data available from disease-free survivors and general population.Groups not completing treatment were more symptomatic and had poorer functioning in HRQOL than the post-treatment group. Compared to the general population, the post-treatment group showed worse scores concerning role, cognitive, and social functioning, fatigue, and financial difficulties. The post-treatment group showed identical scores to disease-free survivors in most HRQOL domains; however, they reported less fatigue and depression than the disease-free group. Higher overall QOL was related to absence of comorbidity, completing treatment, being involved in decision making, no problems before surgery, and good overall medical care.Treatment completed, most degraded aspects of HRQOL in recurrent breast cancer women can return to levels observed in disease-free survivors.

Information disclosure is a key factor in the support for cancer patients. The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Group has developed a questionnaire to evaluate the level of information received by cancer patients at different stages of their disease and treatment: the EORTC QLQ-INFO26. It can be used in clinical practice and research, including clinical trials. The questionnaire was developed following EORTC Quality of Life Group guidelines. The paper presents the data on 133 patients from eight countries. The resulting EORTC QLQ-INFO26 questionnaire includes four sub-scales on information regarding their cancer, medical tests, treatment and other services and several single items.

We examined the factors associated with the disparity in aggressive care preferences between patients with terminal cancer and their family members. Two hundred forty-four consecutive pairs recruited from three university hospitals participated in this study. Each pair completed questionnaires that measured two major aggressive care preferences—admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) and the use of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Sixty-eight percent of patients and their family members were in agreement regarding admission to the ICU and 71% agreed regarding CPR. Regarding admission to the ICU, younger, unmarried patients and patients who preferred to die in an institution were more likely to have a different preference from their family caregivers. Regarding CPR, younger patients and patients from severely dysfunctional families were more likely to have a different preference from their family caregivers. Elucidation of the factors associated with such disparities should help reduce them.

Previous studies about the quality of life (QOL) in stomach cancer survivors focused on selected clinical parameters and did not consider the broader implications for overall health and QOL. We evaluated the impact of demographic and treatment-related factors on the QOL of stomach cancer survivors. We asked 391 stage I-III stomach cancer survivors who had been disease-free for at least 1 year after surgery to complete a demographic questionnaire, the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 questionnaire, and its stomach module, QLQ-STO22.Survivors undergoing total gastrectomy reported greater eating restrictions than those undergoing subtotal gastrectomy. Receiving chemotherapy or radiotherapy did not significantly affect any QLQ-C30 or QLQ-STO22 scores. Role and emotional functioning improved with increasing age, and stomach-specific symptoms (pain, eating restrictions, and anxiety) lessened. Compared with female survivors, male survivors had better physical and role functioning. Smoking status was also a significant negative predictor of physical functioning and anxiety. Comorbidities and selected demographic characteristics had a greater effect than type of treatment on the QOL of post-operative stomach cancer patients.

This study aimed to evaluate the Korean version of the M. D. Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI-K) as a tool for assessing multiple symptoms in Korean cancer patients. Participants (178 cancer patients and 178 age and sex-matched community-dwelling adults) completed the MDASI-K and the Korean version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30. The MDASI-K exhibited substantial reliability and validity. Cronbach α coefficients were 0.91 and 0.93 in the cancer patients, and 0.96 and 0.96 in the normal group for both symptom and interference, respectively. MDASI-K summary scores correlated significantly with those of the EORTC QLQ-C30. Discriminant validity of the MDASI-K was demonstrated by its ability to clearly distinguish significant differences within different Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance statuses and those between the patient and normal groups in the mean scores of both symptom and interference. The MDASI-K is a valid and reliable measure for assessing multiple symptoms in Korean cancer patients.

Objective: The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate the internal consistency and construct validity of a Korean version of the Caregiver Quality of Life Index - Cancer (CQOLC-K). Methods: The CQOLC-K was administered to 270 caregivers, along with the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (SF-36) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Results: Internal consistency of the CQOLC-K (0.90) and all inter-scale correlations were significant in the expected direction (p < 0.001). Convergent validity was supported with moderate to strong correlations between the CQOLC-K and the mental component scores of the SF-36 (r = 0.39-0.58), and between the CQOLC-K and the two BDI scores (r = 0.50 and 0.60). Divergent validity was supported by weaker or negligible correlations between the CQOLC-K and the physical component scores of the SF-36 (r = 0.16-0.30). Contrasting groups validity showed that the CQOLC-K was able to distinguish clearly between patients differing in treatment history (p < 0.005), performance status (p < 0.005), care area (p < 0.005), and length of time after diagnosis (p < 0.005). Conclusion: These findings support the internal consistency reliability and construct validity of the Korean version of the CQOLC-K. The instrument can be used to measure quality of life in caregivers of cancer patients in clinical and epidemiological research.

Although the EuroQol (EQ-5D) is widely used for economic evaluation, it remains unclear whether it can be combined with medical data to predict survival in patients with terminal cancer.We carried out this prospective study on 142 terminal cancer patients in four hospice-palliative care units. Association was sought between survival time and a range of variables such as cancer site, performance, previous treatment, age, sex, pain, and EuroQol. The EQ-5D was transformed into the corresponding EQ-5D utility. For univariate analysis, we estimated differences in survival with the Gehan generalized Wilcoxon test. For those variables that were significant, we performed multivariate analysis using the Cox proportional hazard model.Univariate analysis showed that sex, age, performance, previous use of chemotherapy, and the EQ-5D utility provided statistically significant prognostic survival information. The median survival time was 13.0 days for the group with an EQ-5D utility score lower than -0.5 and 21.0 days for the group with an EQ-5D utility score above -0.5. In multivariate analysis with the Cox proportional hazard model, an EQ-5D utility scoreor = 0.5 (RR 1.57, 95% confidence interval 1.06-2.33) was an independent negative predictor of survival.The EQ-5D quality-of-life assessment tool might be useful for predicting survival time for terminal cancer patients.

This study examined cancer patient and family member preferences-and the reasons for the preferences-regarding place of terminal care and of death.We constructed a questionnaire that included demographic, clinical, and support network data for 371 patients who were treated at any of the seven university hospitals or the National Cancer Center in Korea and 281 of their family members.About half of the interviewed patients and half of the family members expressed a preference for the patient being cared for and dying at home. The preference reflected a wish for patients to live out their lives in privacy and to be with their family when their life ended. Those who expressed a preference to be cared for or to die in a hospital wanted to get medical treatment during the last days of life and to relieve their families of the burden of caring for them. Of the variables examined, support network factors and some sociodemographic factors (sex, family members' age, and place of residence) were strongly predictive of preferences.A majority of cancer patients preferred to receive terminal care at home. Cancer patients and family members with strong support groups were more likely to prefer the home as the place of terminal care and dying. Hence, improving support networks might increase the proportion of patients receiving home care and dying at home.

Few studies have investigated the association between age at smoking initiation and Fagerström test for nicotine dependence (FTND) in adulthood. The goal of this study was to develop the Korean version of FTND (FTND-K) and to examine the relationship between age at smoking initiation and nicotine dependence.This investigation used data from 268 current smokers who visited the Center for Cancer Prevention and Early Detection in the National Cancer Center, Korea. The internal consistency of the FTND-K was assessed by Cronbach's coefficient alpha. Pearson's correlation coefficients were used to assess the relationships between the FTND-K sum scores and urinary cotinine levels. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and t-tests were used to assess differences in the FTND-K sum score between groups. Factor associated with nicotine dependence were identified through stepwise multiple logistic regression analysis.The standardized Cronbach's alpha of FTND-K was 0.72. A significant positive correlation was seen between the FTND-K sum score and urinary cotinine level (correlation coefficient = 0.49, P0.05). Age at smoking initiation had a significant association with the FTND-K sum score in univariate analysis. In multivariate analysis, nicotine dependence was higher in smokers that started smoking cigarettes at 19 years or earlier than in those that started at 25 years or later (OR = 11.25, 95% CIs, 1.46-97.10).The FTND-K is a valid assessment tool of nicotine dependence with acceptable levels of internal consistency and close correlation to urinary cotinine level. The finding that those who initiate smoking at an early age tend to be more nicotine dependent underscores and reinforces the public health significance of delaying smoking onset.

Objective: The aim of this study was to validate the Korean version of the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI-K), a pain assessment tool that has been validated in several languages. Methods: The sample consisted of 132 patients in Seoul who had recurrent or metastatic cancer and who expressed pain. The Korean version of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-K), the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status score, the Pain Management Index (PMI), and the PMI-Revised (PMI-R) were used to further validate the BPI-K. Results: Cronbach alphas, computed for the pain interference and pain severity item, were 0.93 and 0.85, respectively. Confirmatory factor analysis of the BPI-K items showed a two-common-factor solution for the BPI-K, consistently demonstrated in other language versions of the BPI. The mean pain interference score was more correlated with the BDI-K scale (r = 0.44) and ECOG (r = 0.39) than the mean pain severity score. Seventy-four percent of the patients in the Seoul sample had inadequate analgesia using the PMI. Conclusion: The BPI-K is a valid and useful instrument for assessing cancer pain and pain impact in Korea.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence, severity, and management of pain in Korean patients with advanced cancer, and to identify the predictors of inadequate management of cancer pain in Korea. From 8 university hospitals, 655 patients with advanced cancer were surveyed. Information concerning analgesics prescribed was acquired from the medical records by the investigator. Physicians, nurses and caregivers were asked to estimate patients' pain. The Korean Brief Pain Inventory and the Barrier Questionnaire were completed by the patients. The Pain Management Index was estimated. Among all patients, 70.8% (464 of 655) reported pain. Among those who had pain, 63.6% (295 of 464) reported pain rated 5 or higher on a 0-10 scale. Thirty-nine percent of the patients had not received any analgesics and 53.2% were not receiving optimal pain management. Although there was a correlation between patients' pain ratings and those of doctors, nurses, and caregivers, there was no significant correlation between patients' ratings and health care providers' ratings at pain levels above moderate intensity. Cancer pain was more poorly managed in advanced cancer than terminal cancer patients (OR:3.20, 95%C.I, 1.83-5.60), in patients with better performance(OR:3.17, 95%C.I, 1.64-6.11), and in those patients whose pain was underestimated by the doctor (OR:2.58, 95%C.I. 1.42-4.69). Despite the high prevalence and severity of pain in cancer patients, the assessment and management of cancer pain were found to be inadequate in Korea.

e17521 Background: Web-based tailored health management program can have a significant health impact to cancer survivors. Three parts – health information provision, personal experience with medica...

Cancer patients, families, clinicians, and health-policy administrators need accurate information about the prognosis of survival of terminally ill cancer patients. The aim of this study was to compare survival times and prognostic factors, and develop a new prognostic index for terminally ill cancer patients. This prospective study was performed on 91 patients with solid tumor, and therefore, no longer subjects of anti-cancer therapy. Association was sought between survival times and a range of clinical characteristics. The median survival time of 91 terminal cancer patients was 54.0 days. Univariate analysis showed that 11 factors provide statistically significant prognostic survival information. Multivariate analysis adjusted for the primary tumor site demonstrated that severe anorexia (aRR 1.95, 95% C.I. 1.24-3.05), severe diarrhea (aRR 3.49, 95% C.I. 1.10-11.05), and mild confusion (aRR 1.94, 95% C.I. 1.15-3.27) are independent negative predictors of survival. The Terminal Cancer Prognostic score (TCP score), which was based on three predictors proved to be a significant predictor. The TCP score might be a useful index for predicting survival.

Objective To investigate differences in the understanding of terminal cancer and determine the relationship between this understanding and attitudes toward end-of-life issues. Design A questionnaire survey was performed between 2008 and 2009. Participants: A total of 1242 cancer patients, 1289 family caregivers, 303 physicians from 17 university hospitals, and 1006 participants from the general population responded (response rates: 90.1%, 95.1%, 81.0%, and 75.9%, respectively). Main outcome measures Individual understanding of terminal cancer and its relationship with preference for disclosure of terminal prognosis and critical end-of-life interventions. Results A “six-month life expectancy” was the most common understanding of terminal cancer (45.6%), followed by “treatment refractoriness” (21.1%), “metastatic/recurred disease” (19.4%), “survival of a few days/weeks” (11.4%), and “locally advanced disease” (2.5%). The combined proportion of “treatment refractoriness” and “six-month life expectancy” differed significantly between physicians and the other groups combined (76.0% vs 65.9%, P = 0.0003). Multivariate analyses showed that patients and caregivers who understood terminal cancer as “survival of a few days/weeks” showed more negative attitudes toward disclosure of terminal status compared with participants who chose “treatment refractoriness” (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.39, 95% CI 1.26 to 4.54 for patients; aOR 2.94, 95% CI 1.58 to 5.47 for caregivers). Caregivers who understood terminal cancer as “metastatic/recurred” or “six-month survival” tended to disagree with withdrawing futile life-sustaining treatments (aOR 2.57, 95% CI 1.39 to 4.75 for “metastatic/recurred,” aOR 1.86, 95% CI 1.06 to 3.28 for “six-month survival”) and active pain control (aOR 2.29, 95% CI 1.13 to 4.64 for “metastatic/recurred”, aOR 1.86, 95% CI 0.97 to 3.54 for “six-month survival”), compared with caregivers who selected “treatment refractoriness.” Conclusion The understanding of terminal cancer varies among the four participant groups. It was associated with different preferences regarding end-of-life issues. Standardizing this terminology is needed to better understand end-of-life care. Disclosure All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

9066 Background: Few have examined the effect of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use on survival and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in cancer patients. Methods: From July 2005 to October 2006, we conducted a prospective cohort study of 481 terminally ill cancer patients at 11 university hospitals and the National Cancer Center in Korea. We assessed how the use of CAM affected HRQOL and survival. Results: In a follow-up of 481 patients and 163.8 person-years, we identified 466 deceased cases. On multivariate analyses, CAM users did not have better survival than nonusers (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR), 0.91; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.74-1.10). Among biologically based therapies, dietary supplements (aHR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.48–1.01) and ginseng (aHR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.52–1.04) did not show significantly better survival. Among mind-body interventions, prayer showed significantly worse survival (aHR,1.56; 95% CI, 1.00–2.43). Clinically, CAM users reported significantly worse cognitive functioning (-11.6 v -1.3; p < 0.05) and fatigue (9.9 v -1.0; p < 0.05) than non-users. Compared with non-users in subgroup analysis, users of alternative medical treatments, prayer, vitamin supplements, mushrooms, or rice and cereal reported clinically significant worse changes in some HRQOL subscales. Conclusions: While CAM did not provide any definite survival benefit, CAM users reported clinically significant worse HRQOLs.

Purpose: To examine the levels of physical activity (PA) and diet quality, socio-demographic and clinical correlates, and identify associations with health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among breast cancer survivors. Methods: The study used a cross-sectional study design. A total of 74 breast cancer survivors who had completed their primary cancer therapy were recruited from a comprehensive cancer center in Korea. Measurements used included the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, the Diet Quality Index, and the EORTC QLQ-C30. Results: Only twenty-six women (35.1%) met the American Cancer Society criteria of weekly PA, while most participants (93.2%) displayed good or excellent diet quality. Those less likely to meet the PA criteria were older women, women who had a lower economic level, and women not receiving anti-hormone therapy. However, there was no significant factor associated with diet quality. Women who met the criteria for PA displayed significantly better global QOL than women who did not meet the criteria. No significant differences were found in HRQOL between women who did and did not meet the diet quality criteria. Conclusion: Nurses should be aware of breast cancer survivors who are older and who have a low economic status when assessing and screening the level of PA to improve HRQOL.

Charactersitics and issues of guideline to withdrawal of a life-sustaining therapy Younsuck Koh, MD·Dae-Seog Heo, MD·Young Ho Yun, MD·Jeong-Lim Moon, MD·Hyoung Wook Park, MD·Ji Tae Choung, MD·Hyo Sung Jung, MD·Bark Jang Byun, MD·Yoon-Seong Lee, MD Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Cancer Management Branch, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Department of Rehabilitation, the Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Department of Medical Ethics, Dankook University College of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Gwangju Bukgu Public Health Center, Gwangju, Health Insurance Review and Assessament Service, Department of Forensic Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Results: Of 500 physicians, males were 73.4%, and 82.0% were middle-aged 30-49. Family physicians had more interest than oncologists about CAM (79.5% and 57.5%, respectively). In addition to, family physicians preferred introducing CAM to their patients than oncologists (34.1% and 18.4%, respectively). Almost 85% of the oncologists and family physicians thought that it was necessary to introduce CAM to their patients. However, 60.2% of them had hesitated their practice because 70.3% of them did not have suffi cient knowledge in CAM. Both specialty physicians responded that usefulness of CAM information when regarding practice, should contain evidence-based evaluation (59.2%) and consensus guideline (37.0%). Conclusion: The results of this study showed that most physicians did not have sufficient information regarding CAM (87.2%). The result implies that evidence based information on complementaryand alternative medicine should be offered in the national level to improve communication between physicians and patients.

e20644 Background: Cervical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer related deaths among women in Korea. However, few studies have been conducted to elucidate the psychological distress of this population. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of anxiety and depression among cervical cancer survivors, and to identify factors associated with such caseness. Methods: A total of 832 cervical cancer survivors recruited from six large hospitals in Korea completed a mailed survey, which included the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30, and QLQ-CX24. Anxiety and depression were defined by a score of ≥ 8 on the HADS subscales. With a framework that included socio-demographic, clinical, and symptom characteristics, multivariate logistic regression models were used to identify factors associated with anxiety and depression. Results: Among cervical cancer survivors, 34.3% reported HADS-defined anxiety and 39.7% reported HADS-defined depression. Anxiety was associated with having a lower income (OR=1.95, p=.021), smoking (OR=2.42, p=.002), poor body image (OR=3.26, p No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Background The effects of vegetable preference and leisure-time physical activity (LPA) on cancer have been inconsistent. We examined the effects of dietary preference and physical activity, as well as their combined effect on cancer risk. Methods This prospective cohort study included 444,963 men, older than 40 years, who participated in a national health examination program begun in 1996. Based on the answer to the question "What kind of dietary preference do you have?" we categorized dietary preference as (1) vegetables, (2) mixture of vegetables and meat, and (3) meats. We categorized LPA as low (< 4 times/wk, < 30 min/session), moderate (2–4 times/wk, ≥ 30 min/session or ≥ 5 times/wk, < 30 min/session), or high (≥ 5 times/wk, ≥ 30 min/session). We obtained cancer incidence data for 1996 through 2002 from the Korean Central Cancer Registry. We used a standard Poisson regression model with a log link function and person-time offset to estimate incidence and relative risk.. Results During the 6-year follow-up period, we identified 14,109 cancer cases. Multivariate analysis revealed that a preference for vegetables or a mixture of vegetables and meat as opposed to a preference for meat played a significant protective role against lung cancer incidence (aRR, 0.81; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.68–0.98). Compared with the low LPA group, subjects with moderate-high LPA had a significantly lower risk for stomach (aRR, 0.91; 95%CI, 0.86–0.98), lung (aRR, 0.83; 95%CI, 0.75–0.92), and liver (aRR, 0.88; 95%CI, 0.81–0.95) cancer. Among current smokers, the combined moderate-high LPA and vegetable or mixture of vegetables and meat preference group showed a 40% reduced risk of lung cancer (aRR, 0.60; 95%CI, 0.47–0.76) compared with the combined low LPA and meat preference group. Among never/former smokers, subjects with moderate-high LPA and a preference for vegetables or a mixture of vegetables and meat showed reduced stomach cancer risk (aRR, 0.72; 95%CI, 0.54–0.95). Conclusion Our findings add to the evidence of the beneficial effects of vegetable preference on lung cancer risk and of physical activity on lung, stomach, and liver cancer risk. Additionally, vegetable preference combined with LPA might significantly reduce lung and stomach cancer risk.

Purpose : Remarkable improvements in survival of children with cancer have resulted in a growing population of Korean childhood cancer survivors. However, long-term survivors are at risk for developing a broad spectrum of adverse outcomes. Therefore increasing emphasis is now being placed on health-related quality of life (HRQL) of Korean childhood cancer survivors. The Minneapolis-Manchester Quality of Life Instrument (MMQL) is a standardized patient self-report instrument designed to assess HRQL in childhood cancer survivors. In order to create an appropriate scale for the HRQL assessment of Korean childhood cancer survivors, the Korean version of MMQL-Youth Form (YF) (8 to 12 years) and MMQL-Adolescent Form (AF) (13 to 20 years) were cross-culturally adapted into Korean and its reliability and validity were evaluated. Patients and Methods : The translation procedure followed the standard Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT) translation methodology. The patients who were given the diagnosis of cancer participated in this study. The subjects consist of 4 groups, which are 8–12 and 13–20 aged patients undergoing treatment after the diagnosis of cancer, and 8–12 and 13–20 aged patients who were more than 1 year after terminating treatment. Factor analysis uses the pattern of inter-item correlations to produce clusters of items that have substantial correlations with one another. The stability was tested by readministering the MMQL to a subset of participants of each group after a 2-week interval. Cronbach’s coefficient alpha was used to assess the internal consistency. Discriminate validity was determined by comparing children undergoing treatment with children off therapy. Construct validity was conducted by comparing the patient responses of MMQL with their mothers responses of Child Health Questionnaire Parent version (CHQ-PF50). Results : The MMQL-YF were administered to 63 children undergoing treatment and their mothers and 66 off-therapy cancer survivors and their mothers. The MMQL-AF were administered to 60 children undergoing treatment and their mothers and 85 off-therapy cancer survivors and their mothers. Test-retest reliability of MMQL-YF (Cronbach’s a=0.76) and MMQL-AF (Cronbach’s a=0.82) demonstrated that both instruments were stable in all questionnaires. For internal consistency reliability, overall Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.86 for the Korean version of MMQL–YF and 0.90 for the Korean version of AF. These results indicate that the items constituting the MMQL-YF and MMQL-AF were consistent internally. The MMQL-YF and MMQL-AF were able to discriminate between children undergoing treatment and off-therapy cancer survivors. The scales of MMQL-YF and MMQL-AF were highly correlated with similar CHQ-PF50 domains. Conclusion : This study provides evidence for the reliability and validity of the Korean version of MMQL-YF and MMQL-AF as a comprehensive, multidimensional self-report instrument for measuring HRQL among Korean childhood cancer survivors.

19534 Background: Although the use of complementary and alternative medicine(CAM) is widespread among patients with chronic diseases including cancer, little is known about CAM use in terminal cancer patients. Methods: This study included 4,042 families of cancer patients who died at 17 hospitals in Korea between January and December 2004. We conducted with telephone survey to decedents’ families. The response rate was 41.1%. The questionnaire included whether cancer patients had used CAM during last one year before death, type of modality, motivation for use, attitudes to CAM, and consultation with doctors. Results: CAM use of cancer patients was reported by 36.3% (604 of 1,662) and the average rate of CAM cost was 32% of total medical costs during one year before patient’s death. CAM use was more likely to death at hospitals (adjusted Odds Ratio: 1.35, 95% Confidential Interval: 1.15–1.58), residence in rural (aOR:1.26, 95%CI:1.08–1.47), need consultations about care (aOR:1.65, 95%CI:1.30–2.09) and religious support (aOR:1.3, 95% CI:1.11–1.53), diagnosis except liver/gallbladder cancer (aOR:0.67, 95%CI:0.55–0.81), and longer disease period (aOR:1.85, 95% CI:1.5–2.2). Use was greatest for mushrooms (41.6%), vegetable juice (25.6%), ginseng (21.8%) and Chinese medicine (16.4%). The motivation for CAM use was the recommendations from family members or friends (83.5%) and internet or advertisement (16.1%) but physicians’ recommendation or education (1.4%) was rare. The 37.4% of families of CAM-used patients were satisfied with CAM because of but feeling better or comfortable (79.3%), not cure (5.4%). And otherwise, the 62.1% of them were unsatisfied with CAM because of no effect (87.3%). Only 41.7% CAM users consulted with their physician. Conclusions: This study revealed a high prevalence of CAM use among terminal cancer patients without recommendation from doctors. Medical staffs should evaluate patients’ CAM use and inform accurately about CAM to terminal cancer patients and family for quality of care improvement. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

16073 Background: Accessing appropriate facts is important in enabling cancer patients cope with the disease. This study focused on the utilization and preferences of cancer information sources by cervical cancer patients in terms of ease in receiving and searching the available data. Methods: The study included 830 women over the age of 18 years treated for cervical cancer at six hospitals in South Korea between 1983 and 2004. All the participants provided written informed consent, and the Institutional Review Board of the National Cancer Center approved the protocol. A questionnaire addressed the patients’ use of and preferences for sources and forms of cancer information. Data were collected by mail. Results: Television and/or the radio were the the most frequently cited sources of cancer information by the middle and oldest age groups: 45–64 years (52.0%), =65 years (47.3%), while patients in the youngest age group ( No significant financial relationships to disclose.

683 Background: Fatigue and depression may persist for months or even years after completion of breast cancer treatment. We investigated the prevalence and correlates of fatigue and depression in disease-free breast cancer survivors. Methods: 1,933 breast cancer survivors recruited from five large hospitals in Korea completed standardized questionnaires as part of a survey study, including the patient demographics, Brief Fatigue Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30, and QLQ-BR23. Women were eligible to participate if they had a past diagnosis of breast cancer (stage 0, I, II, or III) and were currently free of the disease more than one year. Eligible patients were contacted by telephone, and those who agreed to participate were sent the questionnaire with consent forms and a postage-paid return envelope. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to identify factors associated with fatigue and depression. Results: Sixty six percent of the breast cancer survivors reported moderate to severe fatigue, which was defined as a “fatigue worst” rating of 4 or greater, 24.9% reported clinical moderate to severe depression, which was defined as a rating of 19 or greater. Fatigue and depression were highly correlated (Pearson r=.593). Fatigue was associated with significantly employment status (OR=1.58), low income (OR=1.29), having gastrointestinal disease (OR=1.94), dyspnea (OR=2.15), appetite loss (OR=3.02), insomnia (OR=2.72), breast symptoms (OR=1.82), and hair loss (OR=1.75). Depression was strongly related to low income (OR=2.50), fatigue (OR=4.52), insomnia (OR=1.98), appetite loss (OR=2.24), constipation (OR=2.12), and financial difficulties (OR=1.89), systemic therapy side effect (OR=3.12). Fatigue and depression were negatively associated to QOL. Conclusion: There were subgroups of survivors who report more severe and persistent fatigue and depression. This information may be helpful in elucidating the mechanisms underlying fatigue and depression in this population, as well as directing intervention efforts. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Recently, advances and complexity in the treatment of gynecologic cancer cause not only improvement of tumor response and survival but also increase of interest in quality of life (QOL). However, there were relatively few research studies that reported data on QOL in gynecologic cancer patients and the impact of various treatments on QOL in the patients. Considering high morbidity and severe risk of QOL in gynecologic cancer patients, more focus and researches have to be done in issues of QOL. Especially, comprehensive-physical, emotional, social, spiritual- assessments with valid QOL assessment tool should be taken into account in multi-center clinical trials and development of intervention programs for gynecologic cancer patients.

AIM: While colorectal cancer (CRC) is an ideal target for population screening, physician and patient attitudes contribute to low levels of screening uptake. This study was carried out to find feasible economic strategies to improve the CRC screening compliance in Korea. METHODS: The natural history of a simulated cohort of 50-year-old Korean in the general population was modeled with CRC screening until the age of 80 years. Cases of positive results were worked up with colonoscopy. After polypectomy, colonoscopy was repeated every 3 years. Baseline screening compliance without insurance coverage by the national health insurance (NHI) was assumed to be 30%. If NHI covered the CRC screening or the reimbursement of screening to physicians increased, the compliance was assumed to increase. We evaluated 16 different CRC screening strategies based on Markov model. RESULTS: When the NHI did not cover the screening and compliance was 30%, non-dominated strategies were colonoscopy every 5 years (COL5) and colonoscopy every 3 years (COL3). In all scenarios of various compliance rates with raised coverage of the NHI and increased reimbursement of colonoscopy, COL10, COL5 and COL3 were non-dominated strategies, and COL10 had lower or minimal incremental medical cost and financial burden on the NHI than the strategy of no screening. These results were stable with sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSION: Economic strategies for promoting screening compliance can be accompanied by expanding insurance coverage by the NHI and by increasing reimbursement for CRC screening to providers. COL10 was a cost-effective and cost saving screening strategy for CRC in Korea.

9598 Background: Smoking is the major cause of lung cancer and the duration rather than the amount of smoking has much greater impact on lung cancer risk. Thus, exposure to household smoking in chi...