A first-degree family history of gastric cancer is associated with improved survival after curative-intent surgery in patients with stage III or IV gastric cancer.

Objective: This study aimed to describe the health behaviors of cancer survivors in the Republic of Korea and to compare them with the health behaviors of two control groups: (i) individuals with no history of cancer but with other chronic diseases and (ii) individuals with no history of cancer or other chronic diseases. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of 17 311 adults at least 19 years of age who participated in the Fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2007-09). Smoking, alcohol drinking, physical activity and cancer screening behaviors of cancer survivors were assessed and compared with those of the two control groups. x 2 tests and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the likelihood and predictors of health behaviors. Results: The proportion of cancer survivors who were current smokers, heavy drinkers and engaged in physical activity were 9.6, 6.6 and 26.0%, respectively. Cancer screening rates reported among survivors were 44.2, 17.0, 49.8 and 47.7% for stomach, colorectal, breast and cervical cancers, respectively. Cancer survivors showed lower smoking and alcohol drinking rates compared with both control groups after adjusting for sex, age, marital status, education, household income and health insurance. Cancer survivors also showed stomach, breast and cervical cancer screening rates that differed from both control groups. However, in multiple analyses, these differences were not significant. Conclusions: Cancer survivors are more likely to adopt good health behaviors than individuals without a history of cancer. Further study is needed to determine the factors that lead to continued unhealthy behaviors after cancer diagnosis.

Background: Smoking and drinking alcohol are major risk factors for cancer development, and we investigated their effects on gastric cancer prognosis following initial resection.Methods: Data from male patients with stage III-IV gastric adenocarcinoma who underwent surgery between 2001 and 2006 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were followed up until 2011. Kaplan-Meier plots and Cox proportional hazards regressions were applied for survival rates.Results: Among 238 patients, 151 (63.4%) smoked and 146 (61.3%) drank alcohol. Current smokers had an increased risk of cancer recurrence or death from any cause [adjusted HR (aHR), 1.94; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.18-3.21], cancer recurrence (aHR, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.12-3.21), and overall mortality (aHR, 2.14; 95% CI, 1.23-3.73) compared with never-smokers. Patients with a lifetime cigarette smoking of <40 and !40 pack-years had increased cancer recurrence or death from any cause (aHR, 1.72 and 2.43, respectively; 95% CI, 1.03-2.86 and 1.38-4.30, respectively), cancer recurrence (aHR, 1.63 and 2.61, respectively; 95% CI, 0.95-2.79 and 1.43-4.77, respectively), and overall mortality (aHR, 1.92 and 2.75, respectively; 95% CI, 1.09-3.38 and 1.47-5.12, respectively) compared with never-smokers. However, drinking alcohol was not associated with postsurgery survival.Conclusions: Cigarette-smoking history at the time of diagnosis, but not drinking history, is associated with cancer recurrence and poor survival after surgery in male patients with stage III-IV gastric cancer.Impact: These findings encourage physicians to advise patients with gastric cancer to stop smoking to obtain a general health benefit and likely improvement in the gastric cancer course. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 22(10); 1805-12. Ó2013 AACR.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the quality of life among cancer survivors compared with individuals without a history of cancer (noncancer controls) using the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Methods: The study subjects were 783 adult cancer survivors and 36 456 noncancer controls who participated in the third, fourth and fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Demographic factors, health-related behavior, clinical characteristics and healthrelated quality of life were assessed with self-reported questionnaires. The EuroQoL5Dimension was used to evaluate health-related quality of life. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis were used to compare health-related quality of life between cancer survivors and noncancer controls. Results: About 67% were women and the mean age of the cancer survivors was 60.9 + 12.4 years. About 52% of survivors were diagnosed with cancer between 45 and 64 years, and more than half of cancer survivors were diagnosed 5 years or less before the interview. The pain/discomfort dimension was the highest reported problem: 43.6% for cancer survivors. The proportion of any reported problem was significantly higher among cancer survivors compared with noncancer controls in terms of mobility (adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 1.56, 95% confidence interval, 1.24 -1.97), usual activities (aOR, 1.45, 95% confidence interval, 1.11 -1.89), pain/ discomfort (aOR, 1.26, 95% confidence interval, 1.04 -1.52) and anxiety/depression (aOR, 1.61, 95% confidence interval, 1.29 -2.01). Conclusions: Cancer survivors had a significantly lower quality of life compared with noncancer controls. The pain/discomfort dimension was the highest reported problem in cancer survivors.

positivity,andpatientswhodevelopothercancertypesshouldbeincluded in the multivariate Cox analysis to further strengthen the MSI hypothesis, provide additional information on the treatment option, and clarify the distinct biologic features of adenocarcinoma of the stomach in patients with a family history of gastric cancer.

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BackgroundRecent studies have shown that inadequate vitamin D levels are associated with a poor cancer prognosis, but data regarding actual vitamin D levels in cancer survivors are limited. This study investigated the vitamin D levels and prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among Korean cancer survivors compared with non-cancer controls, and identified the factors associated with vitamin D deficiency.MethodsUsing the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES), 915 cancer survivors and 29,694 controls without a history of cancer were selected. Serum 25(OH)D levels were measured; vitamin D deficiency was defined as 25(OH)D levels less than 20 ng/mL. Chi-square tests and multiple logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and associated factors.ResultsVitamin D deficiency was observed in 62.7% of cancer survivors and 67.1% of controls. Among cancer survivors, vitamin D deficiency was most prevalent among 19–44 year olds (76.2%) and among managers, professionals, and related workers (79.3%). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that younger cancer survivors and those who work indoors were predisposed to vitamin D deficiency.ConclusionVitamin D deficiency was prevalent among both cancer survivors and controls in Korea. The regular evaluation and management of vitamin D levels is needed for both bone health and general health in cancer survivors.

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