Social Perceptions of Breast Cancer by Women Still Undergoing or Having Completed Therapy: a Qualitative Study

Mermer, Gulengul,Nazli, Aylin,Ceber, Esin Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2016 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.17 No.2

Background: Diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer is a crisis situation which effects women's lives physically, socially and spiritually. Investigating women's perceptions of this disease is crucially important for treatment decisions. We therefore determined social perceptions and interpretations of women diagnosed with breast cancer during therapy and in the post-treatment period. Materials and Methods: In the study, focus group and in-depth interviews were made with women still undergoing or having completed breast cancer treatment. Some 25 women were included in the research. Content analysis was used in the analysis of the qualitative data obtained after the focus group and in-depth interviews. Results: Some of the women demonstrated positive perceptions towards accepting the disease, whereas others had emotions such as rebellion and anger. The loss of a breast is important with different interpretations. Conclusions: Women's acceptance or rebellion against the disease varies within their social interpretations after the treatment, as at the stage of diagnosis/treatment. All stages of breast cancer negatively affect the social life of the affected individual as much as her body. Nurses assume crucial roles in coping with these negative effects. Thus, it is necessary to know, and sociologically interpret, what is indicated by the information on what the negative effects concerning the disease are and how they are interpreted.

Assessment of the Effects of Breast Cancer Training on Women Between the Ages of 50 and 70 in Kemalpasa, Turkey

Mermer, Gulengul,Turk, Meral Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.24

Background: In both developed and developing countries; breast cancer is the major cancer observed in women. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of nursing and mammographic intervention on women with breast cancer between the ages of 50 and 70. Materials and Methods: A training program, which was quasi-experimental and had a pretest-protest design, was applied in Kemalpaaa district of Izmir, between October 2008 and August 2010. The target population was women between the ages of 50 and 70, who were registered in the list of 3rd Family Medicine Unit in Izmir's Kemalpasa metropolis. A total of 106 women who were in conformity with the study criteria participated in the study. Research data were collected through home visits that included face-to-face interviews; Ministry of Health education material and video films were modified and used for the training. Data analysis was performed through 82 women who were paired at the first and the second phase. Results: It was observed that although the rate of breast self examination significantly increased after the training (p=0.022), the rate of clinical breast examination (p=0.122) and mammographic screening (p=0.523) did not. Differences in the stages of change after training were found to be statistically significant (p<0.001) and the group showed a progression in the stages of change in general (46.3%). In women mean scores of breast cancer awareness (p<0.000), severity (p<0.000), health motivation (p<0.000) and perception of the benefits of mammography (p<0.000) increased significantly and mean score of perception of mammography barriers decreased significantly (p<0.000) after the training. Conclusions: After the training on breast cancer and mammography it was determined that nursing interventions provided positive progression of stages of change of women, affected health beliefs positively and significantly increased BSE incidences. However, it did not have a significant effect on CBE and mammographic screening.

Thrombopoietin: a novel candidate tumor marker for the diagnosis of ovarian cancer

Timucin Mermer,Mustafa Cosan Terek,Burak Zeybek,Ahmet Mete Ergenoglu,Ahmet Ozgur Yeniel,Aydın Ozsaran,Osman Zekioglu 대한부인종양학회 2012 Journal of Gynecologic Oncology Vol.23 No.2

Objective: To investigate the decisive role of preoperative serum thrombopoietin levels in the discrimination of benign and malignant ovarian pathologies and its value in the evaluation of treatment response. Methods: Fifty patients with diagnoses of adnexal masses (25 benign, 25 malignant) were included in the study. Blood samples were collected from all cases preoperatively. Age, menopausal status, adnexal mass size, preoperative CA-125 level, platelet count, the stage of the disease (FIGO stage), tumor grade, histologic subgroup, the residual tumor mass, ascites cytology,surgical procedures, and postoperative treatments were recorded for the malignant group. Response to treatment was evaluated based on the revised RECIST guideline. Results: The preoperative serum thrombopoietin levels of the malignant cases (median, 98; range, 7 to 768) were significantly higher when compared with those of benign cases (median, 27; range, 13 to 131; p=0.004). The positive predictive value of CA-125 was found to be 79%, when it was used as a single marker; however it had risen to 85% when both CA-125 and thrombopoietin levels were used. There was no significant relationship between preoperative serum thrombopoietin levels and tumor grade, ascites cytology, presence of residual mass, and response to treatment. The preoperative serum thrombopoietin levels were significantly higher in stage III-IV cases and cases with serous histology. The post-treatment serum thrombopoietin levels in the malignant group were significantly lower as compared with the preoperative thrombopoietin levels. Conclusion: Thrombopoietin can play an additive role for prediction of ovarian cancer.

Breast Cancer Risk and Early Diagnosis Applications in Turkish Women Aged 50 and Over

Ceber, Esin,Mermer, Gulengul,Okcin, Figen,Sari, Dilek,Demireloz, Mahide,Eksioglu, Aysun,Ogce, Filiz,Cakır, Dilek,Ozenturk, Gulsun Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.10

Background: The aim of the study was to determine breast cancer risk and early diagnosis applications in women aged ${\geq}50$. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional, descriptive field study focused on a population of 4,815 in Mansuro$\breve{g}$lu with a 55.1% participation rate in screening. In the study, body mass index (BMI) was also evaluated in the calculation of breast cancer risk by the Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool (BCRA) (also called the "Gail Risk Assessment Tool"). The interviewers had a three-hour training provided by the researchers, during which interactive training methods were used and applications were supported with role-plays. Results: The mean age of the women participating in the study was $60.1{\pm}8.80$. Of these women, 57.3% were in the 50-59 age group, 71.7% were married, 57.3% were primary school graduates and 61.7% were housewives. Breast-cancer development rate was 7.4% in the women participating in the study. When they were evaluated according to their relationship with those with breast cancer, it was determined that 73.0% of them had firstdegree relatives with breast cancer. According to the assessment based on the Gail method, the women's breast cancer development risk within the next 5 years was 17.6%, whereas their calculated lifetime risk was found to be as low as 0.2%. Statistically significant differences (P=0.000) were determined between performing BSE-CBE and socio-demographic factors. Conclusions: It was determined that 17.6% of the participants had breast cancer risk. There was no statistically significant difference between the women with and without breast cancer risk in terms of early diagnosis practices, which can be regarded as a remarkable finding. It was planned to provide training about the early diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer for people with high-risk scores, and to conduct population-based breast cancer screening programs.