Displaying publications 61 - 80 of 623 in total

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  1. Al Dubai SA, Ganasegeran K, Alabsi AM, Alshagga MA, Ali RS
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2012;13(1):165-8.
    PMID: 22502661
    OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the level of knowledge of oral cancer and its associated factors among university students in Malaysia.

    METHODS: A cross sectional study was conducted among 200 university students in Malaysia. A self administered questionnaire was used to collect data. It included questions on socio- demographic data, awareness and knowledge of oral cancer.

    RESULTS: Mean age of the respondents was 21.5 ± 2.5 and the age ranged from 18 to 27 years. The majority of the respondents were aware of oral cancer (92.0%) and recognized the followings as signs and symptoms of oral cancer: ulcer and oral bleeding (71.0%), followed by swelling (61.5%). A satisfactory knowledge was observed on the following risk factors; smoking (95.5%), poor oral hygiene (90.5%), family history (90.0%), alcohol (84.5%) and poor fitting dentures (83.0%). However, unsatisfactory knowledge was observed about hot/spicy food (46.5%), obesity (36.0%), old age (31.5%), dietary factor (29.0%) and smokeless tobacco (25.5%). Knowledge of oral cancer was associated significantly with age (p<0.01), year of study (p<0.01) and course of study (p<0.01).

    CONCLUSION: Instead of satisfactory awareness and knowledge of oral cancer and its clinical presentations, inadequate knowledge was observed about its risk factors. There is a need to introduce oral cancer education among university students.
  2. Loh SY, Chew SL
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2011;12(1):199-202.
    PMID: 21517257
    Breast self-examination (BSE) is a self-generated, non-invasive and non-irradiative method of breast cancer detection. This paper documents Malaysian women's awareness and practice of regular BSE as a potent breast cancer detection tool. A pre-test post-test questionnaire survey on women diagnosed with breast cancer (n=66) was conducted. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests were performed to correlate demographic variables, knowledge and regular practice of BSE. Findings showed that 80% of the breast cancer survivors self-detected the breast lumps, despite a high 85% of these women reporting they were never taught about BSE. More than 70% of the women maintained that lack of knowledge/skill on the proper practice of BSE was the key barrier to a more regular BSE practice. After an educational intervention on BSE and breast awareness, we found an increase report from 17% (at pre-test) to 67% (at post-test) of self reported monthly BSE practices. Provision of self-management education incorporating BSE, a readily available cheap method, should be introduced at primary care and breast clinics. This strategy promotes women's self-efficacy which contributes towards cancer control agenda in less resource available countries around Asia Pacific. Longer follow up may be crucial to examine the adherence to positive BSE behaviour.
  3. Yusof A, Chia YC, Hasni YM
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2014;15(19):8095-9.
    PMID: 25338990
    BACKGROUND: Worldwide, over half a million women died of breast cancer in 2011 alone. Mammography screening is associated with a reduction of 20 to 35% in breast cancer mortality. The aim of this study was to determine the awareness and practice of mammography screening and predictors of its uptake in Malaysian women attending a primary care clinic.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out among women aged 40 to 74 years attending a primary care clinic in Selangor, Malaysia. An assisted structured questionnaire included questions on socio-demography, source of information and level of knowledge. An adapted version of the revised Champion Health Belief Model Scale plus other associated factors for mammography screening up-take were also included as part of the questionnaire. Predictors for mammography screening uptake were only determined in those who were aware about mammography screening. Significant predictors were determined by logistic regression.

    RESULTS: 447 women were recruited for this study; 99.1% of them (n: 411) were aware about breast cancer. Only 50.1% (n: 206) had knowledge about mammography screening. Prevalence of clinical breast-examination (CBE) was 23.3% (n: 104) and mammography screening up-take was 13.2% (n: 59). The predictors for the latter were those who have had clinical breast-examination (aOR=17.58, 95%CI: 7.68-39.82) and those aged between 50 to 59 years (aOR=3.94, 95%CI: 1.61-9.66) as well as those aged 60 years and above (aOR=6.91, 95%CI: 2.28-20.94). Good knowledge and positive beliefs about mammography screening were not associated with mammography screening uptake.

    CONCLUSIONS: Half of our Malaysian women were aware about mammography screening. However, the uptake of mammography was low. Previous CBE and older age were significant predictors of mammography screening uptake. Increasing CBE services may increase compliance with guidelines.
  4. Kirubakaran R, Chee Jia T, Mahamad Aris N
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2017 01 01;18(1):115-120.
    PMID: 28240018
    Background: Breast cancer is the commonest cancer among women worldwide. About one in nineteen women in
    Malaysia are at risk, compared to one in eight in Europe and the United States. The objectives of this study were: (1) to
    assess patients’ knowledge on risk factors, symptoms and methods of screening of breast cancer; and (2) to determine
    their perceptions towards the disease treatment outcomes. Methods: A cross-sectional survey using a validated selfadministered
    questionnaire was conducted among 119 consecutive surgical female patients admitted from 1st of
    September to 8th of October 2015 in Hospital Sultan Abdul Halim, Kedah. Data were analyzed using General linear
    regression and Spearman’s correlation with Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 20. Results: Mean (SD)
    age was 40.6 (15.1) years and majority of the patients were Malay (106, 89.1%). Mean scores for general knowledge,
    risk factors and symptoms of breast cancer were 50.2 (24.0%), 43.0 (22.9%) and 64.4 (28.4%) respectively. Mean
    total knowledge score was 52.1(19.7%). 80 (67.2%) and 55 (46.2%) patients were aware of breast self-examination
    and clinical breast examination recommendations, respectively. Generally, patients had positive perceptions towards
    breast cancer treatment outcomes. However, majority (59.7%) considered that it would be a long and painful process.
    Knowledge was significantly better among married women with spouses (p=0.046), those with personal history of
    breast cancer (p=0.022) and with monthly personal income (p=0.001) with the coefficient of determination, R2=0.16.
    Spearman’s correlation test showed a significant positive relationship between monthly personal income and breast
    cancer awareness (r = 0.343, p <0.001). Conclusion: Awareness on breast cancer among our patients was average. Thus,
    there is a need for more awareness programs to educate women about breast cancer and promote its early detection.
  5. Kanaga KC, Nithiya J, Shatirah MF
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2011;12(8):1965-7.
    PMID: 22292634
    Breast cancer is the most frequently occurring cancer in women globally and early detection increases the survival rate of patients. Therefore, this study was done to determine factors which influence the awareness of breast cancer and practice of screening procedures. A cross-sectional study was performed on 125 women aged 19-60 years in urban and rural areas in Malaysia using a validated questionnaire covering knowledge of breast cancer and screening practices. A total of 99.2% respondents knew that breast cancer is the leading cancer with a mean knowledge of 67.3 ± 15.3% for urban and 50.2 ± 14.7% for rural women Mann Whitney U showed rural women had significantly less awareness compared to urban women (p< 0.05). Spearman correlation test showed a significant positive relationship between education and awareness (p< 0.05). Regarding awareness of the screening methods, 92.8%, 50.4% and 47.2% of respondents correctly answered questions on capability of BSE, CBE and mammography, respectively. In conclusion, the study showed awareness of breast cancer and practice of screening procedures increases with higher education and urban living. Therefore, there is an urgent need for an intensive breast cancer awareness campaign and availablity of screening centres prioritized in rural areas.
  6. Khoo CL, Teoh S, Rashid AK, Zakaria UU, Mansor S, Salleh FN, et al.
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2011;12(6):1429-33.
    PMID: 22126476
    INTRODUCTION: As the second most common cancer in women worldwide, cervical cancer causes major health and economic burdens. Recent introduction of HPV immunization program locally has been encouraging but vaccine uptake remains poor. In addition, no study has been conducted to explore the people' s awareness and knowledge on cervical cancer, HPV and its vaccine in a rural setting in Malaysia after the inception of the HPV vaccination program.
    OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to determine the awareness of cervical cancer, HPV vaccination and its affordability among people in a rural area in Malaysia.

    METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 116 participants in a village in Penang. All consenting female villagers aged 13 years and above, and males who were married were interviewed using a questionnaire.
    RESULTS: Most participants (88.8%) had heard of cervical cancer, however only 29.3% and 42.2% of them had heard of HPV and HPV vaccination respectively. Only 5.2% knew the actual market price for the vaccine. They were willing to pay an average of RM 96.7 (USD $27.7) for the full course of vaccination if it is not given to them for free, whereas the market price is RM1200 (USD $342.85).
    CONCLUSION: Awareness among the Malaysian population in a rural setting on HPV and HPV vaccination is low. Educating the public on the infection can help control the illness. Cost of the HPV vaccine is a serious barrier to the success of the vaccination program in Malaysia.
  7. Keng SL, Abdul Wahab SB, Chiu LB, Yusuf A
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2015;16(2):537-40.
    PMID: 25684484
    BACKGROUND: Ovarian cancer is recognized as the fourth leading cancer in Malaysia. However, women do not always seek help in a timely manner and gaps in awareness may influence screening uptake and presentation. The purpose of this study was to determine levels of awareness of ovarian cancer risk factors in female population in Penang, Malaysia.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Penang, Malaysia from January until February 2014. Eighty-seven women were selected by convenient sampling. Awareness of risk factors of ovarian cancer was assessed using a self-administered questionnaire. Data were analyzed using statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) version 20.0 for descriptive statistics and Pearson chi-square test for the association between socio-demographic data and awareness. A p value ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant.

    RESULTS: In all, 74.7% of participants answered correctly for the risk factor of increasing age, although 94.3% were unaware of increased risk of tall women. A majority, 71.3%, had a low level of awareness of ovarian cancer risk factors. There was a significant association between age and knowledge (p=0.047). Additionally, there was a significant association between higher education level and level of awareness of ovarian cancer risk factors (p=0.039).

    CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that awareness of ovarian cancer risk factors among Malaysian women is low. The results show a need for improved public understanding about ovarian cancer risks and provision of important information for health professionals about initiatives needed for future awareness, prevention and screening programs.
  8. Widjaja VN
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2019 07 01;20(7):2045-2050.
    PMID: 31350964 DOI: 10.31557/APJCP.2019.20.7.2045
    Objective: Assess and analyse the awareness, knowledge, and attitudes of university students regarding HPV and
    its vaccine. Methods: A cross-sectional study was designed with questionnaire serving as the research instrument.
    A total of 425 university students were recruited voluntarily. Thirteen assessable questions were analysed to reveal
    the mean total knowledge score of HPV and its vaccine. Both descriptive and statistical approach were employed
    to analyse the research outcomes. Results: Students were moderately aware as 59.8% and 49.6% have heard about
    HPV and its vaccine, respectively. The mean total knowledge score was 5.26 ± 3.10 out of 13 which was found to be
    moderately knowledgeable. Female (N= 235) have a significantly higher mean knowledge score in comparison to male
    (N= 190) at 5.58 ± 2.80 versus 4.87 ± 3.40, respectively (p<0.05), likely due to the disease profiles favouring female.
    As hypothesised, health-related school students (N= 171) outperformed other schools (N= 254) at 7.00 ± 2.95 versus
    4.10 ± 2.62, respectively (p<0.001). In general, the score depends on participant’s gender and educational background
    (χ2= 25.426, p<0.01 and χ2= 105.337, p<0.001, respectively). Despite low vaccination uptakes (28.5%), students accept
    the vaccine following physician’s recommendation and reject due to its cost. A positive attitude was seen as majority
    (88.7%) wished to know more about HPV. Conclusion: Moderation in awareness, knowledge and attitudes reflect the
    lifestyle of an urbanised population where information is accessible. Healthcare professionals, media campaign, and
    educational talk refinement are therefore essential in controlling the disease by spreading awareness.
  9. Loh SY, Chew SL, Lee SY
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2011;12(6):1483-8.
    PMID: 22126486
    BACKGROUND: Many cancer survivors are still not active enough to reap the benefits of physical activity. This study aimed to explore the correlation between perceived barriers and participation in exercise among multi- ethnic Malaysian women with breast cancer.

    METHODS: A cross-sectional study using a pre-post questionnaire and a media-clip as a cancer control strategy was conducted on a random sample of women with breast cancer. The tools were structured questionnaires to collect socio-medical demographic and physical activity data (e.g. barriers, exercise self-efficacy).

    RESULTS: A statistically significant relationship between level of physical activity before and after diagnosis of breast cancer (n=51, χ2=70.14, p<0.01) was found, whereby participants who rated more hours of physical activity before diagnosis were likely to persevere with exercise after diagnosis, r(49)=0.73, p<01. Some 76.5% of women engaged in low level activity and 23.5% of the participants engaged in moderate level of physical activity.

    CONCLUSIONS: Despite the many benefits of physical activity, the majority of survivors in this study were not found to be physically active, and did not even consciously think of exercise participation. Lack of time is the main barrier amongst those survivors who are predominantly 40-50 year old housewives juggling with household chores, childcare and/or job commitments. Public health messages stressing that short bouts of exercise or some exercise are better than no exercise needs to be emphasised consistently.
  10. Loh SY, Lee SY, Quek KF, Murray L
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2012;13(12):6337-42.
    PMID: 23464455
    BACKGROUND: Clinical trials on cancer subjects have one of the highest dropout rates. Barriers to recruitment range from patient-related, through institutional-related to staff-related factors. This paper highlights the low response rate and the recruitment barriers faced in our Qigong exercises trial.

    MATERIALS AND METHOD: The Qigong trial is a three-arm trial with a priori power size of 114 patients for 80% power. The University Malaya Medical Centre database showed a total of 1,933 patients from 2006-2010 and 751 patients met our inclusion criteria. These patients were approached via telephone interview. 131 out of 197 patients attended the trial and the final response rate was 48% (n=95/197).

    RESULTS: Multiple barriers were identified, and were regrouped as patient- related, clinician-related and/or institutional related. A major consistent barrier was logistic difficulty related to transportation and car parking at the Medical Centre. conclusions: All clinical trials must pay considerable attention to the recruitment process and it should even be piloted to identify potential barriers and facilitators to reduce attrition rate in trials.

  11. Akhtari-Zavare M, Juni MH, Said SM, Ismail IZ
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2013;14(1):57-61.
    PMID: 23534796
    BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the most common cancer and the second principal cause of cancer deaths among women worldwide, including Malaysia.

    METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out among 262 female undergraduate students in University Putra Malaysia using a validated questionnaire which was developed for this study.

    RESULTS: The mean age of respondents was 22∓2.3 years. Most of them were single (83.1%), Malay (42.3%) and 20.7% reported having a family history of breast cancer. Eighty-seven (36.7%) claimed they had practiced BSE. Motivation and self-efficacy of the respondents who performed BSE were significantly higher compared with women who did not (p<0.05).There was no association between BSE practice and demographic details (p<0.05). Logistic regression analysis indicated that women who perceived greater motivation (OR=1.089, 95%CI: 1.016-1.168) and had higher confidence of BSE (OR=1.076, 95%CI: 1.028-1.126) were more likely to perform the screening.

    CONCLUSIONS: The findings show that Malaysian young female's perception regarding breast cancer and the practice of BSE is low. Targeted education should be implemented to improve early detection of breast cancer.
  12. Azrif M, Leong YK, Aslan NM, Fong KV, Ismail F
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2012;13(6):2467-71.
    PMID: 22938405
    INTRODUCTION: Although bleomycin/etoposide/cisplatinum (BEP) chemotherapy is established as the standard treatment for germ cell tumours, it requires significant experience in administration and toxicity management to maintain optimal dose intensity. A retrospective review of 30 patients was conducted at UKMMC to study treatment outcomes.

    METHODS AND MATERIALS: Patients with GCTs and treated with at least two cycles of BEP chemotherapy between January 2003 and Oct 2009 were eligible for this study. Patients received 4-6 cycles of bleomycin 30,000IU IV D1, D8 and D15 and either etoposide 100mg/m2 IV D1- D5 and cisplatin 20mg/m2 IV D1- D5 (5 day BEP regimen) or etoposide 165 mg/m2 D1- D3 and cisplatin 50mg/m2 D1-3 (3 day BEP regimen) every three weeks per cycle. All patients received prophylactic granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (GCSF) from days 6 to 10 of each cycle. The overall response rates, 2 year progression-free survival and overall survival of the whole cohort were assessed.

    RESULTS: Thirty patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Non-seminomatous GCTs comprised 93.3% of cases and gonadal and mediastinal primary sites were the most common. Sixty percent were classified as IGCCCG poor risk disease. Median follow-up was 26.6 months. The overall response rate (CR+PR) was 70%. The two year PFS and OS were 70% and 66%. There was a significant difference in terms of the overall response rate (85% vs 40%, p = 0.03) and in PFS (94.7% vs 50%, p = 0.003) between gonadal and extragonadal primary sites.

    CONCLUSION: It is possible to achieve outcomes similar to those in international clinical trials with close monitoring and good supportive care of patients undergoing BEP chemotherapy. There is a strong argument for patients with IGCCCG poor prognosis disease to be treated in specialist tertiary centres to optimize treatment outcomes.

  13. Zain NM, Seriramulu VP, Chelliah KK
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2016;17(7):3229-34.
    PMID: 27509955
    BACKGROUND: Bone mineral density (BMD) is a lifetime marker of estrogen in a woman's body and has been associated with increased breast cancer risk. Nonetheless the actual association is still debatable. Furthermore, estrogen is very crucial in maintaining human bone density and gradually decreases over age. A systematic search was conducted to assess any association of BMD with breast cancer risk factors among premenopausal and postmenopausal women.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: Review identification was performed through databases searching on MEDLINE, CINAHL and SCOPUS and 19 qualified studies were elected. The keywords used were "bone mineral density", "breast cancer", and "breast density".

    RESULTS: A total of 19 articles showed variation with the majority of the studies focused on postmenopausal and a few focused on premenopausal women. Overall there was no concensus on effects.

    CONCLUSIONS: An enormous effort is being undertaken by researchers to prove that BMD might be one of the significant risk factors for breast cancer.
  14. Arafat HM, Omar J, Muhamad R, Al-Astani TAD, Shafii N, Al Laham NA, et al.
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2021 Jul 01;22(7):1987-1995.
    PMID: 34319018 DOI: 10.31557/APJCP.2021.22.7.1987
    OBJECTIVE: Breast cancer (BC) is known as one of the deadliest forms of cancer, and it is increasing globally. Identifying risk factors for BC is a key point in developing preventive strategies to reduce its occurrence. Herein, we aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis focus on the risk factors for BC in Palestine.

    MATERIAL AND METHODS: We performed a systematic search via PubMed, MEDLINE, SCOPUS, Science Direct, Cochrane library, Emerald Insight, and Google scholar for identifying studies published on BC risk factors up to March 2021. Pooled odds ratios (OR) are calculated using fixed and random-effect models. Data were processed using Review Manager 5.4 (RevMan 5.4).

    RESULTS: From a total of 73 articles, seven case-control studies met the criteria for systematic review. Meta-analysis results showed that of the known modifiable risk factors for BC, diabetes mellitus (DM) had the highest odds ratio (OR = 4.97, 95% CI 3.00- 8.25) followed by hypertension (OR = 3.21, 95% CI 1.96-5.23), obesity (BMI >30 Kg/m2) (OR = 2.90, 95% CI 2.00- 4.21), and passive smoking (OR = 1.50, 95% CI 1.12- 2.02). Controversially, breastfeeding (OR = 0.37, 95% CI 0.23- 0.61) was protective factor in BC. Of non-modifiable risk factors for BC has reached menopause had the highest odds ratio (OR = 3.74, 95% CI 2.64- 5.29), followed by family history of BC (OR = 2.63, 95% CI 1.07-6.44) and age (≥ 40 years) (OR = 2.49, 95% CI 1.43-4.34).

    CONCLUSIONS: The most significant predictors of BC in Palestine were DM, hypertension, passive smokers, age (>40), reached menopause, and family history of BC. Almost all these risk factors are consistent with known risk factors for breast cancer in other parts of the world.
    .

  15. Abdullah MM, Mohamed AK, Foo YC, Lee CM, Chua CT, Wu CH, et al.
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2015;16(18):8513-7.
    PMID: 26745110
    BACKGROUND: GLOBOCAN12 recently reported high cancer mortality in Malaysia suggesting its cancer health services are under-performing. Cancer survival is a key index of the overall effectiveness of health services in the management of patients. This report focuses on Subang Jaya Medical Centre (SJMC) care performance as measured by patient survival outcome for up to 5 years.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: All women with breast cancer treated at SJMC between 2008 and 2012 were enrolled for this observational cohort study. Mortality outcome was ascertained through record linkage with national death register, linkage with hospital registration system and finally through direct contact by phone or home visits.

    RESULTS: A total of 675 patients treated between 2008 and 2012 were included in the present survival analysis, 65% with early breast cancer, 20% with locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) and 4% with metastatic breast cancer (MBC). The overall relative survival (RS) at 5 years was 88%. RS for stage I was 100% and for stage II, III and IV disease was 95%, 69% and 36% respectively.

    CONCLUSIONS: SJMC is among the first hospitals in Malaysia to embark on routine measurement of the performance of its cancer care services and its results are comparable to any leading centers in developed countries.

  16. Norlaili AA, Fatihah MA, Daliana NF, Maznah D
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2013;14(12):7161-4.
    PMID: 24460269
    Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women globally. This study was conducted to compare the awareness of breast cancer and the practice of breast self-examination (BSE), clinical breast examination (CBE) and mammography screening among rural females in Pahang and Perak. A cross-sectional study was carried out in five selected rural districts of Pahang and Perak. Two hundred and fifty households were randomly selected and interviewed face to face using a semi-structured questionnaire. The majority of residents from both states were Malay, aged between 50 and 60 years and had a secondary level of education. Malay women aged 40-49 years and women with a higher level of education were significantly more aware of breast cancer (p<0.05). About half of these women practiced BSE (60.7%) and CBE (56.1%), and 7% had underwent mammography screening. The results of this study suggest that women in Pahang and Perak have good awareness of breast cancer and that more than half practice BSE and CBE. The women's level of education appears to contribute to their level of knowledge and health behaviour. However, more effort is needed to encourage all women in rural areas to acquire further knowledge on breast cancer.
  17. Al-Naggar RA, Al-Jashamy K
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2011;12(12):3397-401.
    PMID: 22471487
    BACKGROUND: The media play big roles in the public understanding of many health issues, and the information relayed to the public through the media clearly influences behavior.

    OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to determine whether the content of articles on breast cancer in women published in the Star newspaper in 1997 differed from that of those published in 2007 and also to determine what factors may have caused any differences.

    METHODOLOGY: About 45 articles were identified for the year 1997 and 97 from the year 2007. Copies of the articles were obtained through the Star newspaper library. All the articles were read an initial time. The final sample for analysis consisted of 18 newspaper articles published in 1997 and 79 in 2007. Once data collection sheets were completed for all articles, the data were transferred to two spreadsheets and analyzed manually.

    RESULTS: Living with breast cancer was the main theme of many articles in both years. Family history was emphasized as a risk factor in articles from 2007, while an inappropriate bra, electrical power lines, stress, smoking and alcohol were emphasized in 1997 as risk factors. In general, articles in 2007 focused on overall health practices, especially exercise, while in 1997, mammography was considered as the dominant prevention method.

    CONCLUSION: The content of the articles on breast cancer that were published in the Star newspaper in Malaysia in 1997 totally differed from that of those published in 2007. The differences seem to reflect social, political, and scientific occurrences over the period studied.
  18. Leong BD, Chuah JA, Kumar VM, Yip CH
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2007 Oct-Dec;8(4):525-9.
    PMID: 18260722
    INTRODUCTION: Malaysian women have a 1 in 20 chance of developing breast cancer in their lifetime. Sabah, formerly known as North Borneo, is part of East Malaysia with a population of 3.39 million and more than 30 ethnic groups. We conducted a 2 year prospective epidemiological study to provide unreported data of breast cancer from this part of the world and to recognise which particular group of patients are more likely to present with advanced disease.

    METHODS: All newly diagnosed breast cancers seen at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kota Kinabalu, from January 2005 to December 2006 were included in the study. Patient and tumour characteristics, including age, race, education, socioeconomic background, parity, practice of breast feeding, hormonal medication intake, menopausal status, family history, mode of presentation, histology, grade, stage of disease and hormonal receptors status were collected and analysed.

    RESULTS: A total of 186 patients were seen. The commonest age group was 40 to 49 years old (32.3%). Chinese was the commonest race (30.6%) followed by Kadazan-Dusun (24.2%). The commonest histology was invasive ductal carcinoma (88.4%). Stages at presentation were Stage 0- 4.8%, Stage I- 12.9%, Stage II- 30.1%, Stage III- 36.6% and Stage IV- 15.6%. The estrogen and progesterone receptor status was positive in 59.1% and 54.8% of cases, respectively. 73.7% of Chinese patients presented with early cancer compared to 36.4% of the other races. Patients who presented with advanced disease were also poor, non-educated and from rural areas. 20.4% of patients defaulted treatment; most of them opted for traditional alternatives.

    CONCLUSIONS: Sabahan women with breast cancer present late. Great efforts are needed to improve public awareness of breast cancer, especially among those who have higher risk of presenting with advanced disease.
  19. Taib NA, Yip CH, Ibrahim M, Ng CJ, Farizah H
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2007 Jan-Mar;8(1):141-5.
    PMID: 17477791
    The message that health care providers caring for patients with breast cancer would like to put forth, is that, not only early detection is crucial but early treatment too is important in ensuring survival. This paper examines the pattern of presentation at a single institution over a 10-year period from 1995 to 2005. In Malaysia, education outreach programmes are ongoing, with contributions not only from the public sector, but also private enterprise. Articles on breast cancer in local newspapers and women magazines and television are quite commonplace. However are our women getting the right message? Now is an appropriate time to bring the stakeholders together to formulate a way to reach all women in Malaysia, not excluding the fact that we are from different races, different education levels and backgrounds requiring differing ways of delivering health promotion messages. To answer the question of why women present late, we prospectively studied 25 women who presented with locally advanced disease. A quantitative, quasi-qualitative study was embarked upon, as a prelude to a more detailed study. Reasons for presenting late were recorded. We also looked at the pattern of presentation of breast lumps in women to our breast clinic in UMMC and in the surgical clinic in Hospital Kota Bharu, in the smaller capital of the state of Kelantan, in 2003. There is hope for the future, the government being a socially responsible one is currently making efforts towards mammographic screening in Malaysia. However understanding of the disease, acceptance of medical treatment and providing resources is imperative to ensure that health behaviour exhibited by our women is not self-destructive but self-preserving. Women are an integral part of not only the nation's workforce but the lifeline of the family - hopefully in the next decade we will see great improvement in the survival of Malaysian women with breast cancer.
  20. Subramanian P, Oranye NO, Masri AM, Taib NA, Ahmad N
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2013;14(11):6783-90.
    PMID: 24377606
    BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the commonest type of cancer among women, and in Malaysia 50-60% of the new cases are being detected at late stages. Do age, education level, income, ethnicity, relationship with breast cancer patients and knowledge of breast cancer risk factors influence breast screening practices? This study revealed interesting but significant differences.

    OBJECTIVES: To assess the knowledge of breast cancer risk factors and early detection measures among women in a high risk group.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross sectional survey of one hundred and thirty one women relatives of breast cancer patients was carried out. Participants were selected through purposive sampling, during hospital visits. A self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection.

    RESULTS: The majority of the respondents (71%) had poor knowledge of the risk factors for breast cancer. Income, relationship with a patient and practise of breast cancer screening predicted performance of mammography, R2=0.467, F=12.568, p<0.0001.

    CONCLUSIONS: The finding shows inadequate knowledge of breast cancer risk factors and poor cancer screening practise among women with family history of breast cancer. Poor knowledge and practise of breast screening are likely to lead to late stage presentation of breast cancer disease. Some important predictors of breast cancer screening behaviour among women with positive family history of breast cancer were identified. An understanding of the strengths and significance of the association between these factors and breast screening behaviour is vital for developing more targeted breast health promotion.
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