Depression, Anxiety and Sexual Satisfaction in Breast Cancer Patients and their Partners-Izmir Oncology Group Study

Alacacioglu, Ahmet,Ulger, Eda,Varol, Umut,Yildiz, Ibrahim,Salman, Tarik,Bayoglu, Vedat,Dirican, Ahmet,Demir, Lutfiye,Akyol, Murat,Yildiz, Yasar,Kucukzeybek, Yuksel,Ataman, Gorkem,Can, Huseyin,Alacacio Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.24

Background: We aimed to investigate anxiety, depression and sexual satisfaction levels and the effects of depression and anxiety upon the sexual satisfaction of Turkish breast cancer patients and their partners. Materials and Methods: Data were collected from one hundred breast cancer patients and their partners, using three forms: one covering information about socio-demographic characteristics of the patients, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADs) and the Golombok-Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction (GRISS). Results: The frequencies, avoidance and touch subscores were statistically significantly high in the patients. Among those with high anxiety scores, the frequency, communication, satisfaction, touch, and anorgasmic subscale scores of GRISS were found to be significantly high. Among the partners whose anxiety scores were high, only the premature ejaculation subscale was statistically significant. It was determined that for partners with higher depression scores, the communication, satisfaction, avoidance, premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction subscores of GRISS were statistically higher compared to partners with lower depression scores. Conclusions: Patients' quality of life may be increased by taking precautions to reduce their and their partners' psychosocial and psychosexual concerns.

Prognostic and Predictive Value of Hematologic Parameters in Patients with Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma: Second Line Sunitinib Treatment Following IFN-alpha

Dirican, Ahmet,Kucukzeybek, Yuksel,Erten, Cigdem,Somali, Isil,Demir, Lutfiye,Can, Alper,Payzin, Kadriye Bahriye,Bayoglu, Ibrahim Vedat,Akyol, Murat,Yildiz, Yasar,Koseoglu, Mehmet,Alacacioglu, Ahmet,Ta Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.3

Background: Long-term survival is a problem with locally advanced and metastatic renal cell carcinomas. Sunitinib malate is an oral multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor, but data on sunitinib use as a second line treatment in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) are limited. Prognostic and predictive value of peripheral blood markers has been shown for many cancers. Materials and Methods: Efficacy and safety profiles of sunitinib after interferon alpha (IFN-${\alpha}$) were evaluated based on retrospective data for 23 patients with mRCC. Hematological parameters (neutrophils, lymphocytes, platelets, mean platelet volume, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, platelet/lymphocyte ratio) were recorded at the time of metastasis. It was evaluated whether hematological parameters were prognostic and predictive factors. Results: Median progression-free survival (PFS) time was 16.5 months (95%CI: 0-34.5). Median overall survival (OS) time was 25.7 months (95%CI: 10.8-40.0). Most common side effects were neutropenia (52.2%), stomatitis (26.1%) and hand-food syndrome (26.1%). PFS was found 3.13 vs 17.1 months in patients with neutrophil / lymphocyte ratio (NLR)>3 vs $NLR{\leq}3$ (p:0.012). Median OS was 6.96 vs 27.1 months in patients with NLR>3 vs $NLR{\leq}3$ (p:0.001).While 75% of patients who responded to sunitinib had $NLR{\leq}3$, in 72% of patients with no response to sunitinib NLR>3 was detected (p:0.036). The association between the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) criteria and NLR was statistically significant (p:0.022). Conclusions: Data on second line sunitinib treatment following cytokine in mRCC are limited. In our study, we observed second line sunitinib treatment following IFN-${\alpha}$ to be effective and tolerable. NLRappeared to have prognostic and predictive value.

Treatment of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer With or Without Bevacizumab: Can the Neutrophil/Lymphocyte Ratio Predict the Efficiency of Bevacizumab?

Dirican, Ahmet,Varol, Umut,Kucukzeybek, Yuksel,Alacacioglu, Ahmet,Erten, Cigdem,Somali, Isil,Can, Alper,Demir, Lutfiye,Bayoglu, Ibrahim Vedat,Akyol, Murat,Yildiz, Yasar,Koyuncu, Betul,Coban, Eyup,Tarh Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.12

Background: The purpose of this study was to analyze the predictive value of neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) to better clarify which patient groups will benefit the most from particular treatments like bevacizumab. Materials and Methods: A total of 245 treatment-naive metastatic colorectal cancern (mCRC) patients were retrospectively enrolled and divided into 2 groups: 145 group A patients were treated with chemotherapy in combination with bevacizumab, and 100 group B patients were treated as above without bevacizumab. Results: Group A patients had better median overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) (24.0 and 9.0 months) than group B patients (20 and 6.0 months) (p=0.033; p=0.015). In patients with low NLR, OS and PFS were significantly longer in group A patients (27 vs 18 months, p=0.001; 11 vs 7 months, p=0.017). Conclusions: We conclude that NLR, a basal cancer related inflammation marker, is associated with the resistance to bevacizumab-based treatments in mCRC patients.

Bibliometric and Altmetric Analyses of Publication Activity in the Field of Behcet's Disease in 2010–2019

Kocyigit Burhan Fatih,Akyol Ahmet 대한의학회 2021 Journal of Korean medical science Vol.36 No.32

Background: Behcet's disease (BD) is a systemic vasculitis accompanied by oral-genital ulcers, ocular, cerebral, and gastrointestinal disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluate BD articles published between 2010–2019 bibliometrically and to provide up-to-date data. A secondary aim was to present a different perspective using altmetric assessments. Methods: This bibliometric and altmetric research was performed with data obtained from the Web of Science database. The key terms “Behcet's disease,” “Behcet's syndrome,” and “Behcet” were used for listing the articles. The number of articles, citation data, and active countries were determined. Trend and correlation analyses were performed. Altmetric attention scores (AASs) and Mendeley readers count (MRC) of the articles were acquired for the altmetric evaluations. Results: A total of 5,201 articles were listed. After the exclusion criteria, a total of 2,163 articles were obtained for further analysis. A significant and increasing trend was detected in the number of articles from 2010 to 2019 (P < 0.001). Turkey (28.24%), China (9.57%), South Korea (9.20%), Japan (6.38%), and Italy (5.64%) were the five most productive countries. France, the United States and, the United Kingdom were the top three countries in respect of the average number of citations per article. A weak significant correlation was detected between the number of citations and AAS (P < 0.001). The number of citations was significantly and strongly correlated with the MRC (P < 0.001). Conclusion: An increasing trend was found in BD research productivity. Although the Silk Road countries were prominent in the number of articles, a similar ranking was not valid for the average number of citations per article.

Analysis of Retracted Publications in Medical Literature Due to Ethical Violations

Kocyigit Burhan Fatih,Akyol Ahmet,Zhaksylyk Alikhan,Seiil Birzhan,Yessirkepov Marlen 대한의학회 2023 Journal of Korean medical science Vol.38 No.40

Background: Retraction is an essential procedure for correcting scientific literature and informing readers about articles containing significant errors or omissions. Ethical violations are one of the significant triggers of the retraction process. The objective of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of retracted articles in the medical literature due to ethical violations. Methods: The Retraction Watch Database was utilized for this descriptive study. The ‘ethical violations’ and ‘medicine’ options were chosen. The date range was 2010 to 2023. The collected data included the number of authors, the date of publication and retraction, the journal of publication, the indexing status of the journal, the country of the corresponding author, the subject area of the article, and the particular retraction reasons. Results: A total of 177 articles were analyzed. The most retractions were detected in 2019 (n = 29) and 2012 (n = 28). The median time period between the articles’ first publication date and the date of retraction was 647 (0–4,295) days. The leading countries were China (n = 47), USA (n = 25), South Korea (n = 23), Iran (n = 14), and India (n = 12). The main causes of retraction were ethical approval issues (n = 65), data-related concerns (n = 51), informed consent issues (n = 45), and fake-biased peer review (n = 30). Conclusion: Unethical behavior is one of the most significant obstacles to scientific advancement. Obtaining appropriate ethics committee approvals and informed consent forms is crucial in ensuring the ethical conduct of medical research. It is the responsibility of journal editors to ensure that raw data is controlled and peer review processes are conducted effectively. It is essential to educate young researchers on unethical practices and the negative outcomes that may result from them.

Adjuvant Chemotherapy and Prognostic Factors in Stage II Colon Cancer - Izmir Oncology Group Study

Kucukzeybek, Yuksel,Dirican, Ahmet,Demir, Lutfiye,Yildirim, Serkan,Akyol, Murat,Yildiz, Yasar,Bayoglu, Ibrahim Vedat,Alacacioglu, Ahmet,Varol, Umut,Salman, Tarik,Yildiz, Ibrahim,Can, Huseyin,Tarhan, M Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.6

Background: Although adjuvant chemotherapy is a standard treatment in stage III colon cancer, its benefit is not as clear for stage II patients. In this retrospective analysis, we aimed to evaluate the survival of patients with low-risk stage II colon cancer, the efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy in high-risk stage II colon cancer patients, and prognostic factors in stage II disease. Materials and Methods: One hundred and seventeen patients who were diagnosed with stage II colon cancer between January 2006 and December 2011 were included in the study. Patients were stratified into two groups as being low-risk and high-risk according to risk factors for stage II disease. Adjuvant 5-fluorouracil-based chemotherapy were administered to the patients with risk factors. Results: Ninety-four patients were treated with adjuvant chemotherapy due to high risk factors and 23 were monitored without treatment. Median follow-up time was 43 months. In terms of disease free survival and overall survival, adjuvant chemotherapy did not provide a statistically significant difference. Univariate analysis demonstrated that bowel obstruction was the major risk factor for shortened disease-free survival, while bowel perforation and perineural invasion were both negative prognostic factors for overall survival. Conclusions: The recommendation of adjuvant chemotherapy for stage II colon cancer is not clear. In our study, it was found that adjuvant chemotherapy did not contribute to survival in high-risk stage II patients. Due to the fact that prognosis of stage II patients is good, many more patients will be needed for statistically significant differences in survival. Adjuvant chemotherapy containing 5 fluorouracil is being used to high-risk stage II patients although it is not a standard treatment approach.

Analysis of Retracted Publications in The Biomedical Literature from Turkey

Burhan Fatih Kocyigit,Ahmet Akyol 대한의학회 2022 Journal of Korean medical science Vol.37 No.18

Background: Retraction is a process for correcting the literature and provides a barrier to the dissemination of publications that include major faults or false-misleading data. The aim of this study was to examine the characteristics of retracted articles in the biomedical field sourced from Turkey. Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, all retracted publications from Turkey on PubMed were listed without date restriction. Data covering the article title, authors, publication date, retraction date, time between publication and retraction dates (in months), journal, article type, country of the corresponding author, peer review timeline (in days), reason for retraction, and subject area of the retracted item were recorded. Citation data were obtained using the Scopus database. The altmetric attention scores of the articles were recorded. Results: A total of 102 articles were listed and after the implementation of exclusion criteria, 86 articles were included for analysis. The first retracted article was published in 2000 (n = 1), while the most retracted articles were published in 2020 (n = 11). The median time lag between publication and retraction was 10.33 (0.73–144.06) months. The main factors causing retraction were plagiarism (n = 23), duplication (n = 22) and error (n = 17). The total number of citations was 695. A total of 224 citations were in the pre-retraction period and 471 citations were in the post-retraction period. Conclusion: The retracted article counts showed a rising trend over the years. The leading causes of retraction for articles from Turkey were plagiarism, duplication, and error. It was found that the articles continued to be cited after the retraction. Researchers in Turkey should be educated on retraction, particularly plagiarism and duplication. Strategies should be developed to prevent articles from being cited after retraction.

YouTube as a Source of Information on Public Health Ethics

Zhaksylyk Alikhan,Yessirkepov Marlen,Akyol Ahmet,Kocyigit Burhan Fatih 대한의학회 2024 Journal of Korean medical science Vol.39 No.7

Background: Public health ethics (PHE) is a dynamic area within bioethics that addresses the complex moral implications of public health measures in the face of growing health threats. YouTube is a powerful and widely used platform for disseminating health-related information. The primary objective of this study is to assess videos related to PHE on YouTube. The aim is to gauge the extent of misinformation in collecting PHE videos on the platform. Methods: On October 25, 2023, a thorough investigation on YouTube was undertaken, employing pre-determined search phrases involving ‘public health,’ ‘healthcare,’ ‘health services administration,’ and ‘health policy and ethics.’ The research encompassed a total of 137 videos that were selected according to strict inclusion and exclusion criteria. The videos were evaluated using the Global Quality Scale to measure quality and the modified DISCERN tool to evaluate reliability. The researchers identified video sources and compared several video attributes across different quality groups. Results: A total of 137 videos were analyzed, and 65 (47.45%) were classified as high quality, 52 (37.23%) as moderate quality, and 21 (15.32%) as low quality. In high-quality videos, academic, government, physician, and university-hospital sources predominated, whereas Internet users and news sources were connected with low-quality videos. Significant differences in DISCERN score, per day views, likes, and comments were seen across the quality groups (P = 0.001 for views per day and P = 0.001 for other characteristics). According to the findings, low-quality videos had higher median values for daily views, likes, and comments. Conclusion: Although nearly half of the videos were high-quality, low-quality videos attracted greater attention. Critical contributors to high-quality videos included academic, government, physician, and university-hospital sources. The findings highlight the importance of quality control methods on social media platforms and strategies to direct users to trustworthy health information. Authors should prioritize appropriate citations and evaluate YouTube and other comparable platforms for potential promotional low-quality information.

Second-Line Irinotecan after Cisplatin, Fluoropyrimidin and Docetaxel for Chemotherapy of Metastatic Gastric Cancer

Kucukzeybek, Yuksel,Dirican, Ahmet,Erten, Cigdem,Somali, Isil,Can, Alper,Demir, Lutfiye,Bayoglu, Ibrahim Vedat,Akyol, Murat,Medeni, Murat,Tarhan, Mustafa Oktay Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.6

Aim: Tumors of upper gastrointestinal tract are among the cancers that have a quite lethal course. Cytotoxic chemotherapy is the most efficient therapeutic modality for metastatic gastric cancer. In patients who do not respond to first-line treatment, the response rate to second-line therapies is generally low and the toxicity rates high. This study concerned the efficacy and the side effect profile of second-line therapy with irinotecan in the patients who were being followed-up with the diagnosis of metastatic gastric cancer in $\dot{I}$zmir, Turkey. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the efficacy and toxicity in 31 patients with metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma who presented to the polyclinic of Medical Oncology of Izmir Ataturk Education and Research Hospital between May 2008 and July 2011. All received chemotherapy regimens containing cisplatin, fluoropyrimidine (5-FU) and docetaxel as the first-line therapy for late stage disease. Irinotecan as a single agent was given at a dose of 210 mg/$m^2$ on each 21 days. Irinotecan (180 mg/$m^2$ on day 1), 5-FU (500 mg/$m^2$ on days 1-2) and leucovorin (LV; 60 mg/$m^2$ on days 1-2) as a combined regimen were given over a 14 day period. Results: Median age was 54 (range, 31-70). Irinotecan was given as a combined regimen for median 6 cycles (range, 3-12) and as a single agent for median 3 cycles (range, 1-10). Metastases were detected in one site in six patients (19%), in two different sites in 17 patients (55%) and in three or more sites in eight patients (26%). Four patients (12.9%) showed partial response and six patients (19.3%) showed stable disease. Progression-free survival (PFS) was found to be 3.26 months (95% CI, 2.3-4.2). Median overall survival (OS) was found to be 8.76 months (95% CI, 4.5-12.9). The most commonly seen grade 3/4 side effect was neutropenia but the the therapy was generally well-tolerated. Conclusions: In this study, it was demonstrated that second-line therapy with irinotecan given following the first-line therapy with cisplatin, fluoropyrimidine (5-FU) and docetaxel was efficient and safe. Further studies are needed for confirmation.

Comparative Analysis of Central Asian Publication Activity Using SCImago Journal & Country Rank Data in 1996–2021

Kocyigit Burhan Fatih,Akyol Ahmet,Gulov Makhmadshokh K.,Yessirkepov Marlen 대한의학회 2023 Journal of Korean medical science Vol.38 No.14

Background: Central Asian countries (CACs) are less visible in the global scientific environment, despite their solid scientific nature. The current article aimed to assess the publication productivity of CACs since 1996 using SCImago Journal & Country Rank (SJR). Methods: This is a descriptive study. The SJR portal was used to retrieve the data. The Country Rankings section was viewed, and the Asiatic Region option was chosen. The most active countries and CACs’ number of documents, number of citable documents, citations, self-citations, citations per document, and H index data were obtained. The number of documents from CACs was recorded annually to determine the ten-year trend (2012 to 2021). Scientific categories in which CACs were prolific were defined. Results: Between 1996 and 2021, 18,336,647 documents with Asian region origins were produced. The most active countries in the Asiatic Region were China (1st), Japan (2nd), India (3rd), South Korea (4th), and Taiwan (5th). According to the number of documents, Kazakhstan ranked 15th, Uzbekistan 19th, Kyrgyzstan 24th, Tajikistan 27th, and Turkmenistan 31st among the Asiatic Region countries. The total number of documents originating from CACS, which was 1,616 in 2012, increased to 9,780 in 2021 with an upward trend (6.05 fold increase). Conclusion: Despite a rising number of articles, CACs are not at the forefront of scientific productivity in the Asiatic Region. Kazakhstan is the leading country in scientific productivity among CACs. Nonetheless, the increasing quantity of articles from CACs over the last ten years suggests that these countries have the infrastructure and human resources to enhance scientific research and production.