Cancer Victims Research Articles

SELECTED VARIABLES RELATED TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN CANCER

The aim of this article is to present cancer as a serious, life-threatening chronic disease that strongly impacts all aspects of a patient’s quality of life, including the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual ones. This theoretical article describes selected variables related to the quality of life of a cancer victim during the processes of diagnosis and treatment. These variables include stress and coping with the specific stress of having cancer, appraisal of the disease, acceptance of illness, and social support. Also discussed is the role of the variables listed above in quality of life in cancer and current research on these connections. Implications of the presented theory and research indicate that cancer affects quality of life in all areas and that the process of adaptation to the disease is facilitated by adopting adaptive coping strategies, appraising the disease as a challenge rather than as a threat or loss, accepting the inevitable limitations to everyday life, and seeking and using various sources of social support.

Bone marrow stromal cell therapy improves survival after radiation injury but does not restore endogenous hematopoiesis

The only available option to treat radiation-induced hematopoietic syndrome is allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation, a therapy unavailable to many patients undergoing treatment for malignancy, which would also be infeasible in a radiological disaster. Stromal cells serve as critical components of the hematopoietic stem cell niche and are thought to protect hematopoietic cells under stress. Prior studies that have transplanted mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) without co-administration of a hematopoietic graft have shown underwhelming rescue of endogenous hematopoiesis and have delivered the cells within 24 h of radiation exposure. Herein, we examine the efficacy of a human bone marrow-derived MSC therapy delivered at 3 h or 30 h in ameliorating radiation-induced hematopoietic syndrome and show that pancytopenia persists despite MSC therapy. Animals exposed to radiation had poorer survival and experienced loss of leukocytes, platelets, and red blood cells. Importantly, mice that received a therapeutic dose of MSCs were significantly less likely to die but experienced equivalent collapse of the hematopoietic system. The cause of the improved survival was unclear, as complete blood counts, splenic and marrow cellularity, numbers and function of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, and frequency of niche cells were not significantly improved by MSC therapy. Moreover, human MSCs were not detected in the bone marrow. MSC therapy reduced crypt dropout in the small intestine and promoted elevated expression of growth factors with established roles in gut development and regeneration, including PDGF-A, IGFBP-3, IGFBP-2, and IGF-1. We conclude that MSC therapy improves survival not through overt hematopoietic rescue but by positive impact on other radiosensitive tissues, such as the intestinal mucosa. Collectively, these data reveal that MSCs could be an effective countermeasure in cancer patients and victims of nuclear accidents but that MSCs alone do not significantly accelerate or contribute to recovery of the blood system.

Breast Cancer Disease and Arsenic: “Geological Behavior (GBR) as Key “

Geology may appear remote from human health. However, rocks are the fundamental building blocks of the Earth’s surface, full of important minerals and chemical elements. Rock weathering and alteration products not only form our soils to support our crops but provide essential elements to build biology. Some heavy metals are carcinogenic, and some only affect the body’s ability to produce red and white cells. In fact, any heavy metal affects any part of the body due to our geological behavior (GBR). For example, a heavy metal may not cause any side effects by contact with the skin, even when swallowed, and may not cause serious harm, but inhaling the vapor of that heavy, toxic metal can cause severe damage to the lungs. Some heavy and quasi metals are more toxic, and some forms of heavy metal compounds are even more dangerous than other forms. Toxic and hazardous heavy metals like arsenic, lead, mercury, zinc, chromium and iron are found in a variety of personal care products, e.g., lipstick, whitening toothpaste, eyeliner and nail color. We use the Anodic Stripping voltammetry (ASV) method for arsenic detection, utilizing the PDV6000 + analyzer (Manufactured B3 Electronics, Perth Australia) configured with a solid gold electrode for total as analyses. Sample Preparation: Spot urine samples were collected from most of the participants from 1 January 2018 to 30 March 2020 after face to face interviews. Women with missing information on adjustment variable(s) were included in the analysis in a separate category for adjustment. Results: Our studies were focus in describing the mean Urinary Arsenic levels (u As) residents of in the central zones of Shiraz, Fasa, Abadeh, Jahrom and Marvdasht to compare the effect of diet such as consuming canned or frozen foods, Consume rice daily, smoking habits and lifestyle on the incidence of Breast. Conclusion: Cancer with arsenic compounds has been reported in many parts of the world. The disease affects all organs of the body, and every year many victims of cancer suffer from severe symptoms and even death. Arsenic compounds are present in the human body and environment in an inorganic and organic form. Inorganic arsenic includes arsenite and arsenic, can also be presented in the environment in the form of methyl (monthly arsenic acid and dimethyl arsenic acid). Arsenic, especially inorganic arsenic, is well absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract rivers (80% -90%) and will be scattered throughout the body. It is often metabolized by methylation and excreted mainly in the urine. Methylation of inorganic arsenic compounds is said to undergo a detoxification process.

Early Exposure of Lung Cancer by Combining ANN and SVM Algorithms

Lung cancer is a lethal type of cancers as its rate of spreading is very high compared to the other cancers. Patient who have been affected from Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) has fast outspread rate. Even at initial stage, around 67-75% of cancer victims with SCLC will have fast outspreads and serious damages to the nearby physical parts. Moreover, World Health Organization (WHO) has predicted the count of lung cancer deaths will reach 9.6 million in 2020. Identifying such a lethal type of cancer early can be lifesaving one. Because, cancer cells in lungs are capable of traveling to other body parts even before the doctor detects them in lungs. In this research work, we have designed a combined approach to prognosticate lung cancer and its type using Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) and Support Vector Machine (SVM). To train both the ML algorithm, an open access patient health dataset published by cancer imaging archives is used. The dataset has the information like pretreatment CT scans, 3D image details of tumor and clinical outcomes. The results produced by ANN and SVM algorithm are compared to predict the type of the lung cancer accurately. The result holds good for a real time implementation.

Analyzing Behavior of Cancer Patients using Machine Learning Techniques

The online discussion forums and blogs are very vibrant platforms for cancer patients to express their views in the form of stories. These stories sometimes become a source of inspiration for some patients who are anxious in searching the similar cases. This paper proposes a method using natural language processing and machine learning to analyze unstructured texts accumulated from patient’s reviews and stories. The proposed methodology aims to identify behavior, emotions, side-effects, decisions and demographics associated with the cancer victims. The pre-processing phase of our work involves extraction of web text followed by text-cleaning where some special characters and symbols are omitted, and finally tagging the texts using NLTK’s (Natural Language Toolkit) POS (Parts of Speech) Tagger. The post-processing phase performs training of seven machine learning classifiers (refer Table 6). The Decision Tree classifier shows the higher precision (0.83) among the other classifiers while, the Area under the operating Characteristics (AUC) for Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier is highest (0.98).

Strategies Adopted by Families to Overcome Financial Burden of Childhood Cancer

Introduction: Childhood cancer imposes considerable financial burden for the family which ultimately leads to serious economic consequences for the family. Families have to cope up these costs by adopting various strategies.
 Objective: To determine the strategies to mitigate financial burden of childhood cancer.
 Materials and Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted among 220 childhood cancer patients at selected specialized hospitals of Bangladesh. Face-to-face interview of the parents or guardian with semi-structured questionnaire following systematic random sampling technique data were collected.
 Results: Mean age of the children was 7.30±4.203 years and majority (66.4%) was male. Most of them (78.6%) were from rural and average monthly family income was BDT 11634.09±8740.630. Among all the children majority (39.1%) had leukaemia followed by blastoma (28.2%), sarcoma (15.9%), lymphoma (10.0%) and adenocarcinoma (6.8%). Average treatment cost was BDT 45593.59±12187.637. Sources of fund for treatment included were from family savings (35.9%), loan (70.5%), receiving donation (56.8%), support from relatives (75.0%) and property selling (59.5%). Strategies adopted by parents to overcome the situation all (100%) of them accepted as reality and started various religious activities it also included changing life style (94.5%), taking social support (54.1%) and minimizing family investment (22.3%).
 Conclusion: Childhood cancer is a growing public health problem in Bangladesh, so different cost effective measures like subsidized or free of cost treatment should be adopted to reduce the financial burden of the families of the victims of childhood cancer.
 Journal of Armed Forces Medical College Bangladesh Vol.13(2) 2017: 25-28

Fuzzy Logic Approach for The Simultaneous Analysis of trends in oral Cancer Victims

The purpose of this research is to determine the influences of any two factors that contribute to oral cancer simultaneously. This research is all the more relevant in the Indian context since oral cancer is the 2ND most abundant form of cancer in India. Conventionally several activities or factors are associated with the disease,even though the amount of scientific or mathematical evidence might not be enough. This paper, along with comparing and analysing the contribution of factors also introduces a particular use of a mathematical method to effectively draw conclusions, which might clear out certain misconceptions regarding the causes of the deadly disease. This form of research can be extended to cover factors or causes that were previously not considered without the need of extensive field work. Since the causes and effects do not relate to each other in definitive terms, the need to accommodateuncertainty arises, and to satisfy this need, fuzzy logic is utilized.

Cancer Treatment Facilities: Using Design Thinking to Examine Anxiety and the Patient Experience

Worldwide, 14 million people were diagnosed with cancer, and 8.8 million victims of cancer died in 2015 (Cancer, 2017). There is no doubt that cancer is a traumatic experience. Using design–thinking strategies, the purpose of this qualitative study was to examine if the built environment in cancer care facilities influences anxiety in patients and to generate patient–driven solutions to reduce stress. Due to its human–centered and codesign emphasis, design thinking is uniquely qualified to explore cancer treatment facility design. Yet, little research using a design–thinking approach examines how the built environment influences stress among patients in an oncology unit. Eight stakeholders ( n = 8), including cancer survivors, patients, caregivers, and staff, participated in three design–thinking workshops generating ideas for oncology units. In Workshop One, participants identified issues that caused anxiety through journaling and experience diagramming, including amount of travel within the facility, small uncomfortable waiting rooms, smells, and institutional spaces. Using prioritizing strategies, participants concluded with, “How can we optimize patients’ time and movement within a facility?” This question informed subsequent workshops where participants brainstormed and prototyped ideas. The final solution addressed patient time and movement through the creation of individualized Patient Treatment Pods (PTP) that provided control, privacy, comfort, and minimal travel within oncology units. Participants clustered the PTPs around a restroom, patient lounge, nurse's station, and nutrition. Utilizing participants’ personal experiences along with design thinking led to a prototype that creates a cancer treatment facility that may better suit patient needs while potentially reducing anxiety.

Patient, cured, victim or survivor of urological cancer? A qualitative study.

ABSTRACTPurpose:to describe the meanings that patients attribute to the term cancer survivor and to analyze the identities assumed by them according to their experience with the disease. Methods:qualitative study with a narrative method, theoretical framework of the medical anthropology and identity concept. The study included 14 participants, men and women, diagnosed with urologic cancer. The semi-structured interviews were performed at the individual’s home, after confirming participation. Results:eight participants assumed to be survivors, but five also assumed at least one other identity, in addition to cancer survivor. In contrast, among the six who defined themselves as cured, only one indicated another identity. Four considered themselves as victims and only two as cancer patients. However, the latter - cancer patient and victim - assumed at least one other associated identity. Conclusions:allowing patients to reflect on themselves and their experience with the disease, as well as attributing themselves a new identity, will be directly related to the wellbeing and momentum the survivor is going through. Therefore, it can direct care in the cancer survivorship phase according to each survivor’s individual context.

Spectromectric Analysis of Lymphocyte Cell for the Premature Detection of Leukemia by Surface Plasmonic Technique in Nanoplatform

Detection of cancer at early stages has become a top priority in the field of medical science. The existing detection methods require lot of routine tests to confirm that the sample is positive with cancer as there are chances of test results being pseudo- positive. This early stage detection of cancer will proved to be a godsend for those who are the victims of monstrous disease cancer. In this paper, we put forward a new approach for the detection of cancer at early stages by designing a 2-dimensional SPR based sensor for detailed spectral analysis of “Leukaemia” without using any biomarkers. As dielectric properties for cancer cells deviate from the normal cell, they can be identified and detected by implementing photonic approach. In the present work, design & simulations are done using FDTD. The shifts in the output waveforms and wavelengths have been recorded for a normal blood cell and cancerous cell respectively. It is observed from simulation that even for minute change in the RI of the bio analyte of interest and from which it is observed that there is a remarkable shift in the resonant wavelengths thus witnessing the ultra sensitivity of the design. Simulations are done using R-Soft CAD tool. The peak values and wavelength shift differences for normal cells and forleukaemia, the different cell components lymphocyte , nucleus, cytoplasm and the intensity shifts are recorded in order to find the relative sensitivity of the device. The design variation were made by varying sensing layer thickness and extinction coefficient Finally comparison was made between that of normal and abnormal cells to show the wavelength shift differences so that the signature graphs for each cell were obtained in order to determine the intensity of the disease and it depends on the shift in the wavelength. The wavelength shift of early stage leukaemia for cytoplasm, nucleus and lymphocyte are ranging from 2000-250nm. Sensitivity and the quality factor of the sensor have been calculated for the proposed design, the sensitivity achieved is 343nm/RIU and the quality factor is 1800.

How Spanish speakers use metaphor to describe their experiences with cancer

Our study seeks a better understanding of how Spanish-speaking cancer patients communicate about their personal experiences with cancer. We examine the use of metaphor in narratives contributed to an online forum for Spanish speakers afflicted with various types of cancer. Specifically, we identify, quantify and discuss three categories of metaphors: violence, journey and other. Our study expands prior work on cancer communication by examining a language other than English, by focusing on how cancer victims communicate among themselves, and by examining how cancer narratives discuss concerns about personal experiences with this disease. Research thus far has focused on English. The work also expands on what is known about how people use the metaphor ‘in the wild’.

Child cancers: managing the complications of childhood chemotherapy in the adult dentition

Abstract: Young children who are unfortunate enough to suffer from a malignant disease are often treated with chemotherapy. This selectively toxic treatment keeps them alive but, in many cases, the effects on the developing dental structures can be very serious. Robust evidence is limited on how to manage the dental issues of the surviving patients later on in their lives. This article demonstrates some interesting malformations of teeth produced by the malignant disease or by the chemotherapy early in life. It offers some pragmatic ideas on solving some of these dental problems without destroying the already much reduced tooth tissue. CPD/Clinical Relevance: This article enables clinicians to appreciate the long-term effects of chemotherapy on the dental development of young cancer victims and outlines subsequent management using minimally destructive, pragmatic, bonded composite restorations.

Review: Cracking Cancer

Cracking Cancer (DVD; 2017; 44 minutes; Bullfrog Films; http://www.bullfrogfilms.com/catalog/crac.html) Practical applications of genomics can be seen in Bullfrog Films' recent release, Cracking Cancer . The riveting stories of cancer victims—some who survive, some who do not—grip viewers as they learn about the science behind some of the latest cancer-fighting techniques. In particular, viewers learn about a British cancer agency called Personalized OncoGenomics. The scientists working there carry out clinical trials on cancer patients in ways unique to each individual by sequencing …

Social Media in the Exam Room: Stories of Human Papillomavirus Disease and Prevention

Social Media in the Exam Room: Stories of Human Papillomavirus Disease and Prevention

Age at death from a radiation-induced cancer based on the Marshall model for mortality period

Abstract Results presented elsewhere in this issue of Process Safety and Environmental Protection point to the radiation-induced loss of life expectancy following severe nuclear accidents being lower than generally feared. But this leaves open the question of the loss of life expectancy amongst radiation cancer victims, even if fortunately there are likely to be few of them. Addressing this question, the research presented here finds that the average radiation cancer victim will live into his or her 60s or 70s, depending on how long the radiation exposure lasts, based on data from the UK life tables. Between 8 and 22 years of life expectancy will be lost, well below the 42 years taken away on average by an immediately fatal accident, such as a car crash or rail crash. Not only are the results useful in their own right, but they inevitably call into question once again the concept of the Value of a Prevented Fatality still used for cost-benefit analyses in the UK on a “one size fits all” basis, which disregards the amount of life expectancy lost. This problem with applying the VPF in the context of radiological protection is additional to the gross flaws previously uncovered in the value assigned to the VPF in the UK. It is clear that the VPF should not be used as a criterion for cost-benefit analysis in radiological protection. An important feature of the results presented is that they apply to any exposure to radiation between a point dose and a constant annual dose that does not cause radiation sickness. The figures presented, for both point and constant annual exposures, are equally valid whether the dose is a few mSv or a few hundred mSv. Nor is the outcome affected by the magnitude of the coefficient used to convert radiation dose into risk.

Cancer and depression: A comparison of cancer victims with the general population, findings from the European Social Survey 2014.

Aims: An increasing number of people in Europe are living with cancer, either as an active disease or as a past experience. Depressive symptoms may impair quality of life in cancer patients and may constitute increased risks for disability, as well as being a risk factor for increased mortality. Our study compared self-reported symptoms of depression in people who currently or previously have experienced cancer with self-reported symptoms of depression in the general population. Methods: Our study was based on data from the European Social Survey 2014, with representative samples from 19 countries. Depression was measured by an eight-item CES-D Scale, with a cut-point of a mean score of 2 to indicate depression. Multilevel modelling was used to examine the relationship between cancer status and depression. Results: Respondents who at the time of the interview reported to have cancer were more likely to report symptoms above the cut-point on the depression scale than people who never had experienced cancer (unadjusted odds ratio (ORunadjusted)=2.59; 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.20-3.06; and ORadjusted=2.00; 95% CI 1.70-2.36). The difference was smaller comparing people who previously had experienced cancer to people who never had experienced cancer (ORunadjusted=1.46; 95% CI 1.19-1.79; and ORadjusted=1.28; 95% CI 1.05-1.55). The differences in depression by cancer status did not vary among the welfare state regimes. Conclusions: Respondents with a cancer disease showed a substantial elevated risk of depression after adjusting for a range of potential confounders. Respondents who had recovered also showed significantly higher adjusted risk of depression than respondents who had never experienced cancer.

Cancer Victim Identity for Individuals with Histories of Cancer and Childhood Sexual Abuse.

Identifying as a 'cancer victim' has been linked to adverse psychosocial sequelae in individuals who have been diagnosed with cancer. Being a childhood sexual abuse (CSA) survivor may predispose individuals towards a "victim" identity in general. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of identifying as a 'cancer victim' among CSA survivors who were diagnosed with cancer as adults, and to explore psychological factors associated with identification as a cancer victim. 105 adults reporting both a history of CSA and of having been diagnosed with cancer as an adult were recruited through Amazon Mechanical Turk. Variables assessed included CSA severity, abuse-related powerlessness, general mastery, and cancer victim identity. Fifty-one percent of the sample endorsed a cancer victim identity. Path analysis revealed that abuse-related powerlessness was related to decreased feelings of general mastery, which was in turn associated with cancer victim identification (x2 = .12, DF = 1, p < .73; RMSEA = .00; SRMR = .01: Bentler CFI = 1.0). From a clinical perspective, the results suggest that increasing general mastery in CSA survivors in the cancer setting may be an important mechanism for attenuating the risk for developing a cancer victim identity and, presumably, for downstream adverse psychosocial sequelae.

Quality of life and living with cancer: findings from the European social survey (2014) special module on the social determinants of health.

This study is a comparison of quality of life (QOL) of current and previous cancer victims with people who never had experienced cancer in samples from the general population from the 19 countries in the European Social Survey (ESS) 2014. The study was based on the ESS 2014 with representative samples from 19 countries. QOL was measured by combining two questions on happiness and life satisfaction into a QOL scale. Multilevel modelling was used to examine whether the relationship between cancer status and QOL varies between countries in general and by welfare state regimes in particular. People with cancer at the time of the interview, showed lower general QOL than both people who previously have had cancer and people who never have experienced cancer. The unadjusted and the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for poor QOL were respectively, OR = 2.38, (2.07, 2.74) and OR = 1.98, (1.71, 2.30). The difference between the ‘Never’ and the ‘Previously’ groups was minor but statistical significant. The welfare state classification was a strong predictor of country differences in QOL, but there was no significant statistical interaction effect between cancer status and the welfare state classification. The study also replicated well-documented findings on differences in QOL by education and social support. The QOL of people with a cancer disease is significantly impaired. People who previously have had cancer, scored only slightly lower on the QOL scale than people who never had experienced cancer. We found evidence indicating that these differences may vary between the countries, but this variation cannot be explained by the welfare state classification.

Knowledge, Attitudes and Perceptions of Prostate Cancer among Male Staff of the University of Nigeria

Prostate cancer is the number one cancer in males in Africa, both in terms of incidence and mortality, accounting for 40,000 (13%) male cancers and 28,000 (11.3%) male cancer-associated deaths. In the developed world, the probability of being diagnosed with cancer is more than twice as high as in developing countries. In developing countries, most cancer victims are diagnosed at late stage, with incurable tumors, pointing to the need for education schemes and better detection programs. This study assessed knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of prostate cancer among male staff of the University of Nigeria. This cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out with 655 male staff who agreed to participate and were recruited on giving oral consent. A self-administered questionnaire, written in English was used. The mean percentage knowledge score was 71.2%. Some 57.8% of respondents had a high knowledge level of prostate cancer. The mean percentage attitude score was 69.9%. More than half (60.8%, n = 397) of respondents had a positive attitude towards prostate cancer screening and treatment. The mean percentage perception score was 60.0%. More than half (53.9%, n = 351) of respondents had a negative perception of prostate cancer screening and treatments. The staff of the University of Nigeria have appreciable knowledge and a positive attitude with regard to prostate cancer. A significant proportion of staff however, exhibited poor knowledge and negative attitudes and perceptions of prostate cancer screening and treatment.

Combining Radiation Epidemiology With Molecular Biology-Changing From Health Risk Estimates to Therapeutic Intervention.

The authors herein summarize six presentations dedicated to the key session "molecular radiation epidemiology" of the ConRad meeting 2015. These presentations were chosen in order to highlight the promise when combining conventional radiation epidemiology with molecular biology. Conventional radiation epidemiology uses dose estimates for risk predictions on health. However, combined with molecular biology, dose-dependent bioindicators of effect hold the promise to improve clinical diagnostics and to provide target molecules for potential therapeutic intervention. One out of the six presentations exemplified the use of radiation-induced molecular changes as biomarkers of exposure by measuring stabile chromosomal translocations. The remaining five presentations focused on molecular changes used as bioindicators of the effect. These bioindicators of the effect could be used for diagnostic purposes on colon cancers (genomic instability), thyroid cancer (CLIP2), or head and neck squamous cell cancers. Therapeutic implications of gene expression changes were examined in Chernobyl thyroid cancer victims and Mayak workers.