(Rev Med Chile 2015; 143: 930-937)

This study provides evidence concerning the reliability of the XI-Sp, showing that it may be a useful tool for Spanish-speaking xerostomia patients for both clinical and epidemiologic research.

(Rev Med Chile 2013; 141: 787-792).

(Rev Med Chile 2011; 139: 1428-1434.

Relationship between self-directed learning with learning styles and strategies in medical students (Rev Med Chile 2014; 142: 1422-1430

Gastric cancer (GC) is a public health issue with high incidence and mortality in Colombia due to tardy diagnosis and barriers to access to curative treatment; this leaves palliative care (PC) as the only option. Our aim is to describe the access barriers to PC perceived by adults with GC, caregivers and physician in Santander, Colombia. A qualitative study was carried out with the analysis of the grounded theory (Strauss and Corbin), through semi-structured interviews, after sampling for convenience we found that the access barriers were: administrative, economic, cultural, knowledge, communication, institutional and geographical; strategies to overcome barriers: screening programs, governmental surveillance, and investment in health. In conclusion, access to PC requires remove barriers to timely and integral access and strengthen health and education policies to facilitate procedures and services that ensure the attention required by the adult with GC.

Introduction: Cancer is a burden in the world, especially for the least developed countries. The Population Registries of Cancer are fundamental in order to know the territorial profiles of cancer, and to evaluate the impact of their control programs.Objective: To estimate the incidence and mortality from cancer in the Metropolitan Area of ​​Bucaramanga in the period 2008-2012.Methods: A descriptive population study of cancer incidence and mortality in the Metropolitan Area of ​​Bucaramanga was conducted. Primary invasive cancer cases from the 2008-2012 period was obtained from the RPC-AMB base. Population and death data were provided by the National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE, for its initials in Spanish). Crude rates of global and specific incidence and mortality were estimated by sex, and standardized incidence and mortality rates. Results: During the five-year period, 8,775 incidents of cancer were recorded (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer). The global standardized incidence rates per 100,000 person-years were 151.7 in men and 157.2 in women. The main locations were prostate, stomach and colorectal, in men; breast, thyroid and colorectal in women. The standardized mortality rate per 100,000 person-years was 94.8 in men and 78.0 in women.Conclusion: The incidence and mortality rates in most locations are lower than the national ones and those in the previous quinquennium in the Metropolitan Area of ​​Bucaramanga. Thyroid cancer, colorectal cancer, and leukemia show a tendency to increase, which demands further investigation.

Factors associated with self-directed learning among medical students (Rev Med Chile 2015; 143: 374-382)