The Coverage of Cervical Cancer Screening in Khon Kaen,Northeast

Cervical cancer is a common cancer in Thai women and one of the only cancers that can be readily cured if early ‍detection is successful. The Pap smear is an accepted as an appropriate means for cervical cancer screening at ‍present. However, there are still some management problems with early detection programmes. Since data showing ‍how many women have been screened by Pap smear are limited in Thailand, the present study was conducted with ‍the aim of determining coverage in a defined population in the sample area, Thakaserm sub- district in Nampong ‍district, Khon Kaen province, Thailand. The investigation was carried out during June-August 2000 to collect ‍information on history of screening for cervical cancer using questionnaires. All women aged 20 and above were ‍asked to answer the set of questionnaires a total of 1,199 women responded. There were 66.9% that reported having ‍received a Pap smear test for screening for cervical cancer at least once. However, there were 33.1 % that had never ‍undergone a Pap smear in their life. It is important to find a strategy to increase the coverage of cervical cancer ‍screening programme for this population. ‍     

Trends in Incidence of Childhood Leukemia,Khon Kaen,Thailand, 1985-2002

Background: The Khon Kaen Cancer Registry (KKCR), providing both hospital and population-based ‍registration, was established in 1984 in the Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University. Leukemia is the most ‍common cancer among Thai children in Thailand, including both curable and preventable types, but no assessment ‍of trends has hitherto been performed. Objective: To perform a statistical assessment of the incidence trend of ‍childhood leukemia in Khon Kaen, Thailand, between 1985 and 2002. Methods: Population-based cases of childhood ‍leukemia registered between 1985 and 2002 were retrieved from the KKCR and cases with an ICD-O diagnosis ‍(coding C42) in children under 15 were selected. Incidence trends were calculated using the Generalized Linear ‍Model method (GLM), which generates incidence-rate-based logarithms. Results: Of the 277 cases of leukemia, ‍boys were affected two times more frequently than girls and half of the cases were 0-4 years of age. Most diagnoses ‍were histologically- or cytologically-proven and the most common type (affecting two-thirds, 65.7%) was acute ‍lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The overall, age-standardized rate (ASR) for leukemia was 31.9 per million (95%CI: ‍28.1 to 35.7); 40.3 per million (95%CI: 34.2 to 46.4) in boys and 27.0 (95%CI: 21.8 to 32.2) in girls. Incidence has ‍been increasing by 2.4% per year in boys (95% CI: -0.5 to 5.3) and 4.1% per year in girls (95% CI: 1.1 to 7.2). ‍Conclusions: This incidence-rate-based logarithm indicates that childhood leukemia has been increasing, suggesting ‍further epidemiological research on causes and possible prevention is needed.     

A Comparison of Cytology with Pap Smears Taken by a Gynecologist and with a Self-sampling Device

Cervical cancer is the most common cancer in Thai women and as yet screening programmes are minimally ‍effective. The Pap smear is the test accepted to be most appropriate for cervical cancer screening so far. One of the ‍main reasons why women do not come to have Pap smear done is “shyness”, which weakens compliance with ‍recommendations to undergo Pap smear with pelvic examination. The self-administered device by the Kato method ‍was established to overcome this problem and the present study was carried out to confirm the adequacy of the ‍specimens obtained with this technique in comparison with specimens collected by gynecologists. Two hundred ‍women were invited to participate in the study voluntarily. Each was allocated to have a Pap smear conducted by a ‍gynecologist and then instructed to produce a self-obtained smear using Kato’s device. The cytology results of Pap ‍smears from both methods were compared to test for agreement using Kappa statistics. ‍There was agreement between the adequacy of smears collected by gynecologists and those self-sampled with the ‍percentage agreement of 96.5% and a Kappa score of 0.43 (95% CI 0.33-0.54, P<0.001). There were 8 cases detected ‍as epithelial cell abnormalities from the cervical cells collected by gynecologists and also with the self-administered ‍technique. Good agreement for detection of cellular changes was found with a percentage of 78.0% and the Kappa’s ‍score was 0.61 (95% CI 0.46-0.76, P<0.001). The results from this study provide convincing evidence that the selfadministered ‍device can be an alternative choice for women who are too shy to undergo pelvic examination or even ‍for those who have limited time to visit health care centers or doctors to have a Pap smear test.     

Cancer Incidence in Thailand, 1995-1997

There are five population-based cancer registries in Thailand in different regions of the country. Four of them ‍(Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen, Bangkok, and Songkhla) have been operating since 1988 and the other (Lampang) since ‍the early 1990’s. These registries have published regular 3-year cancer incidence reports since the first in 1993 for ‍the period 1989-1991. The objective of this article is to summarize the figures of cancer incidence in Thailand during ‍1995-1997. The population of Thailand in 1996, at the middle of the period, was 27 million males and 27.5 million ‍females. Information of cancer cases residing in the five provinces was collected and abstracted from different ‍sources. Age-standardized incidence rate (ASR) of cancer in males and females was calculated for each registry and ‍that for the whole country was estimated using the five registries as representatives for the four geographical regions ‍of Thailand. The estimated number of new cancer cases in 1996 for the whole country was 35,539 men and 38,476 ‍women and the ASRs were 149.2 and 125.0 per 105 population in men and women respectively. Cancer incidences ‍greatly differed from region to region. Lung cancer was the commonest in Chiang Mai and Lampang in the Northern ‍region in both sexes. The incidence of liver cancer in Khon Kaen in the Northeastern region outnumbered all the ‍others in both sexes; cholangiocarcinoma was the major type of liver cancer. In Bangkok, lung cancer was the most ‍important cancer in males and breast cancer was in females. Though it was lung and cervix uteri cancer that ranked ‍the first in men and women in Songkhla, the rate of oral and pharyngeal cancer was exceptionally higher than in ‍other registries. The geographical variability in cancer patterns in Thailand reflects exposure of the population to ‍different risk factors unique to the different regions. In the study as a whole, there are some methodological weak ‍points in estimating the ASRs and number of cancer cases for the whole country, but the results are the most reliable ‍cancer statistics from Thailand at the moment. In conclusion, both a country-wide and region-specific cancer control ‍programmes are needed for Thailand. The national one would be for the cancers common to all regions, and the ‍provincial-level emphasis should be on cancers which are the major problems in the area.     

Gastric Cancer: the Roles of Diet,Alcohol Drinking,Smoking and Helicobacter pylori in Northeastern Thailand

The incidence of gastric cancer in the countries of South East Asia is variable, ranging from age-standardized ‍rates of 20.9/105 (men) and 10.4/105 (women) in Hanoi, Vietnam to 4.1/105 (men) and 2.1/105 (women) in Khon Kaen, ‍Thailand. The reasons for these differences are unknown. Possible explanations are differences in dietary habits, ‍alcohol drinking, smoking and/or the prevalence of infection with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). A case-control ‍study was conducted in Khon Kaen, Thailand, to study the role of these factors in gastric cancer carcinogenesis. 131 ‍gastric cancer cases and 262 matched controls were recruited for the study. Information on dietary habits, alcohol ‍drinking and smoking were collected by a structured questionnaire. Blood samples were available from 111 cases ‍and 232 controls for H. pylori assay. Using an unconditional logistic regression model controlling for age and sex, we ‍assessed the effects of dietary habits, alcohol drinking, smoking and H. pylori infection on the risk of gastric cancer. ‍A high intake of salt (OR=1.8; 95%CI 1.1-3.0) and fermented foods (OR=1.9; 95%CI 1.1-3.3) was found to be ‍associated with an increased risk. Preference for spicy food was not associated with gastric cancer risk in this ‍population. Although there were negative associations between gastric cancer and vegetable and fruit intake, they ‍were rather weak (OR 0.8 for both) and non significant. There were also weak (non-significant) associations with ‍smoking and alcohol consumption, and no association with H. pylori infection (OR=0.6; 95%CI 0.4-1.0). Infection of ‍H. pylori was associated with various indicators of crowding. ‍     

Cervix Cancer in Khon Kaen,Northeast Thailand, 1985-1999

The incidence of cancer of the cervix uteri in Khon Kaen Province is moderately high (age-standardised rate 16.8 ‍per 100 000 person-years), with about a two-fold variation in incidence between different districts. Stage at presentation ‍is considerably more advanced than in the United States and Europe, and there has been little change in incidence ‍over the last 15 years. Currently, control of cervix cancer is through early detection and treatment. Screening ‍programmes have, to date, been opportunistic, but a new national plan anticipates that all women will be screened ‍six times during their lifetime. The results from Khon Kaen provide a benchmark against which the success of this ‍policy can be evaluated.     

A Prospective Study of Diet,Lifestyle, and Genetic Factors and the Risk of Cancer in Khon Kaen Province,Northeast Thailand: Description of the Cohort

Cohort studies are the preferred design in observational epidemiology, but few involving the general population ‍have been performed in Asia, and most concern affluent urban populations.The Khon Kaen study has recruited ‍about 25,000 subjects, aged mainly 35-64, from villages in the relatively underdeveloped north-east of Thailand. All ‍subjects underwent simple physical examination, completed an interviewer-administered questionnaire (including ‍sections on lifestyle, habits, and diet) and donated specimens of blood, which were processed and stored in a biological ‍bank at -20oC. Female subjects (about 16,500) were offered screening by Pap smear, and specimens of cells from the ‍cervix were stored at -20oC. This paper describes the methodology of the study, and the characteristics of the ‍participants. Almost all subjects are peasant farmers, with low annual income and body mass, although 14.6% of ‍women had a BMI in the obese range (>30 kg/m2). Smoking was common among men (78% regular smokers, most ‍of whom used home-produced cigarettes), but rare among women. Fertility levels were relatively high, with a more ‍than half the women having four or more live births. 23.4% of subjects were infected with the liver fluke Opisthorchis ‍viverrini, known to be highly endemic in this region. Follow-up of the cohort is by record-linkage to the provincial ‍cancer registry. By 2003, 762 cancer cases had occurred, the most common being cancers of the liver (363 cases) and ‍cervix uteri (44 cases). The antecedents of these cancers are being investigated using a nested case-control approach. ‍The cohort will yield increasing numbers of cancers for study in the next decade, giving important information on ‍the relative importance of dietary and lifestyle factors in a rural population, undergoing gradual transition to a ‍more westernised lifestyle.     

Early Experience of Sexual Intercourse - A Risk Factor for Cervical Cancer Requiring Specific Intervention for Teenagers

There is consensus that the main risk factor for cervical cancer development is persistent infection with high-risk ‍group human papilloma viruses (HPVs), together with smoking, and reproductive history. Since sexual behaviour ‍determines exposure to HPVs and the adolescent period may be particularly important in this regard it is of interest ‍to consider behavioural determinants of teenagers. In one survey conducted in Khon Kaen, Thailand, some 62% ‍percent of male and 19.3 % of female respondents aged 13-15 years reported having experienced sexual desire, and ‍19.1% of male and 4.7 % of female respondents admitted to sexual intercourse. The possibility that this might ‍impact on HPV infection rates, with added risk due to the physical trauma associated with pregancy and illegal ‍abortions, indicates that more attention needs to education of early teens, not only for avoidance of HIV and AIDS, ‍but also for prevention of cervical cancer.     

Cervical Cancer in Khon Kaen,Thailand: Analysis of 1990-2014 Incidence Data and Prediction of Future Trends

Background: Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer of women in Thailand. There have been no reportsof incidence and future in Khon Kaen, a province in northeastern Thailand, where the relatively high prevalence givesevaluation of cervical cancer screening a high priority. Objectives: To determine cervical cancer incidence rates inKhon Kaen for 1990–2014 and predict future trends until 2029. Methods: Cancer incidence data from the Khon Kaenpopulation-based cancer registry were analyzed and age-standardized incidence rates (ASR) were estimated. Joinpointanalysis and age-period-cohort modeling were applied for data from 1990 to 2014 and the Nordpred package wasemployed to project trends from 2015 to 2029. Results: Between 1990 and 2014, a total of 3,258 cases were diagnosedwith ICD-O code C53 (invasive cervical cancer). Before 2005, an annual percentage change (APC) varied widely, withoutliers in 1993 and 1999. The APC computed with the Joinpoint software decreased at -2.8% (95% CI;-4.5 to -1.1)per year on average. After 2005, a rise was noted until 2008, after which a drop became apparent with an APC of-8.0% (95% CI; -14.5 to -1.1) per year on average. Both period and cohort effects played a role in shaping the decreasein incidence. The three projection method suggested that incidence rates would continue to decrease in the future.Conclusions: A decreasing trend in incidence of cervical cancer in Khon Kaen was noted from 1990 to 2014 with aprediction of continuous decrease until 2029. Maintenance and improvement of the screening program is advised.     

Lack of Significant Effects of Chlamydia trachomatis Infection on Cervical Cancer Risk in a Nested Case-Control Study in North-East Thailand

Cervical cancer continues to be an important public health problem in Thailand. While the high risk humanpapillomavirus (HPV) types have been established as the principle causative agent of both malignancies andthe precursor lesions, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), other factors may also be involved like othersexually transmitted diseases, as well as smoking. Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular Gramnegativebacterium which has a tendency to cause chronic infection featuring inflammation and therefore mightbe expected to increase the risk of cervical cancer. In the present nested case-control study, 61 cases of cervicalcancer and 288 matched controls with original serum samples were identified from the Khon Kaen Cohort,established in the North-East of Thailand, by linkage to the Khon Kaen population based cancer registry. C.trachomatis specific IgG antibodies at recruitment were measured by microimmunofluorescence and assessed forassociation with cervical cancer using STATA release10. No significant link was noted either with all cancers orafter removal of adenocarcinomas. The results suggest no association between Chlamydia infection and cervicalcancer development in North-East Thailand, but possible influencing factors must be considered in any futureresearch on this topic.     

Consistency of Cytology Diagnosis for Cervical Cancer between Two Laboratories

The principal approach to the prevention of cancer of the cervix uteri has been through screening programmes,using the cervical smear (Pap test) to detect precursor lesions. The sensitivity and specificity of Pap smears dependon the skill of the observer in recognizing and classifying a variety of cellular abnormalities. We have studied thereproducibility of cytological diagnosis, according the Bethesada classification, made by cytologists in Khon Kaen,north-east Thailand, and in Helsinki, Finland, on smears taken from rural women undergoing screening during1994-2001. A total of 313 slides were reviewed. The prevalence of abnormalities was relatively high, since the seriesincluded smears judged abnormal in Khon Kaen or from women who developed cancer during follow-up, as well asa group whose smears were negative.In general, the reviewing cytologist in Finland evaluated more slides as abnormal than in the initial report. Thelevel of agreement between the two observers was evaluated by calculating the coefficient of concordance (Kappa).The kappa score depended upon the degree of detail in the diagnosis; it was 0.43 for the presence or not of anepithelial abnormality (the General Categorization of the Bethesda system), and rather higher (0.5) for separatinglow grade from high grade (HSIL or worse) abnormalities or glandular lesions. Agreement was only fair (0.37) whenthe more detailed Bethesda categories (seven) were used.The reproducibility of cervical cytology evaluations is critical to the success of screening programmes, and in thisprogramme in a moderate-high risk population of women in rural Thailand, we found that agreement betweenskilled observers, at the level of tests requiring diagnostic follow-up or not, was only moderate. The women in thisstudy are being traced to evaluate the true sensitivity of screening in terms of the lesions found on histology, duringa prolonged follow up of 4 or more years.     

Factors Associated with Decisions to Attend Cervical Cancer Screening among Women Aged 30-60 Years in Chatapadung Contracting Medical Unit,Thailand

Background: This study aimed to identify factors associated with women’s decisions to attend cervical cancer screening and to explore those linked with intention to attend in the coming year and to continue regular screening. Materials and Methods: A community based case-control study was conducted among woman 30-60 years of age in catchment area of Chatapadung Contracting Medical Unit (CCMU), networking of Khon Kaen Center Hospital, Thailand. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data, and in-depth interviews were then performed to explore in greater detail. Results: There were 195 participants. Only one third (32.3 %) had been screened for cervical cancer within the past 5 years. Some 67.7% reported that they had not been screened becausethey had no abnormal symptoms, single marital status, and no children. Only 10.6% of those never had screening intent to be screened within the next 12 months. High family income (adjusted OR=2.16, 95%CI=1.13-4.14), good attitude towards a Pap test (OR=1.87, 95%CI=1.09-4.23), and having received a  recommendation from health care providers were important factors associated with decisions to attend cervical cancer screening (OR=1.73, 95%CI=1.01-4.63). From in-depth interviews, there were five reasons of their decisions to attend cervical cancer screening including yearly check-up, postpartum check-up, having abnormal symptom, encouragement by health care providers, and request from workplace. Conclusions: High family income, good attitude towards a Paptest, and receiving proper recommendation by health care providers, were important factors associated with decision to have cervical cancer screening among women 30-60 years old. Trying to enhance these factors and reduce barriers regarding screening, may increase the coverage rate for cervical cancer screening in Thailand.     

Cancer survival in Khon Kaen province,Thailand

Thailand is one of the few developing countries for which population-based cancer survival data are available. Using clinical follow-up information and reply-paid postal enquiries, 10,333 residents of Khon Kaen province registered with cancer in the period 1985–1992 were followed-up to the end of 1993. The sites of the most common cancers in the province were liver (5-year relative survival rate 9.2%), cervix (60.1%), lung (15.4%), breast (48.1%) and large bowel (41.9%). Results for Khon Kaen were compared with age-standardized survival data for the US and Scotland. Survival was consistently higher for US whites compared to Khon Kaen residents for those cancers whose prognosis is associated with early diagnosis (breast, cervix and large bowel) or the availability of intensive therapy (leukaemia and lymphoma). The main implication of these results for cancer control in Thailand is that the interventions of greatest potential benefit are those designed to promote early detection. More than one-third of all cancers in Thailand are liver tumours: primary prevention through control of hepatitis-B infection and liver fluke infestation is the only effective strategy for their control. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Data Quality of Childhood Cancer in Khon Kaen,Thailand, 1990-2007

Introduction: Khon Kaen Cancer Registry (KKCR) was established in 1984. KKCR aims to collect allcancer cases in Khon Kaen Province. The poorly qualified data may lead to distort the cancer burden andmisinterpretation of policy maker. Objective: To assess data quality in childhood cancer between 1990 and 2007in Khon Kaen Province, Thailand. Materials and Methods: Data of childhood cancer cases aged less than 20 yearsdiagnosed during 1990-2007 were retrieved from the population-based data set of KKCR. All childhood cancerdata were verified before data entry. Internal consistency, percentage of morphological verification (MV%) andcancer cased of the basis of diagnosis by death certificate only (DCO%) were evaluated. The age-adjusted rate(ASR) was calculated by standard method. Results: The data of childhood cancer from KKCR is acceptablyqualified which reflects the quality of the whole registration.     

Incidences,Trends and Long Term Outcomes of Retinoblastoma in Three Cancer Registries,Thailand

Background: Retinoblastoma (RB) is rare, albeit the most common primary intraocular malignancy amongchildren. To elucidate the true incidence, trend and survival, we studied incidences and trends of retinoblastomain a large population with long-term follow-up using data from 3 population-based cancer registries. Objective:To describe the incidence, trends and survival of RB between 1990 and 2009 in Khon Kaen, Songkhla and ChiangMai, Thailand. Materials and Methods: We sourced the data from the cancer registries in Khon Kaen, Songkhlaand Chiang Mai on children with retinoblastoma, diagnosed between 1990 and 2009. Retinoblastoma was definedas per the International Classification of Disease for Oncology version 3 using the code 9510/3. Incidence wasanalyzed using the standard method with the criteria of the International Association of Cancer Registries. TheKaplan-Meier method was applied to calculate cumulative survival. Trends were calculated using the log ranktest. Results: We identified 75 cases of children between 0 and 15 years of age diagnosed with RB (Khon Kaen31, Chiang Mai 20, Songkhla 24). Males and females were equally affected. The most common age group was0-4 years. The morphological verification of the disease was 90.7%. The respective ASR in Khon Kaen, ChiangMai and Songkhla was 4.4, 4.0 and 4.6 per million; for which the overall ASR for all 3 areas was 4.3 per million.The respective trend in incidence was 4, 2.8, 5.8 and 5.4 during 1990-4, 1995-9, 2000-4 and 2005-9. Overall,incidence trended gradually upward by 2% annually. The respective survival rate in Khon Kaen, Chiang Maiand Songkhla was 50, 40 and 75% (differences not significantly different at p=0.14) and the overall survival forall centers was 60%. Conclusions: Over the last two decades, the incidence and overall survival of retinoblastomahas increased. The ASRs and survival in Thailand were less than those in resource-rich countries.     

Survival of Stomach Cancer Cases in Khon Kaen,Thailand 2000-2012

Background: Stomach cancer is an aggressive malignancy that is difficult to detect at an early stage and therefore is characterized by poor survival rates. Over the last two decades, there has been no report of gastric cancer survival in Khon Kaen province, Thailand. The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to provide up-to-date information about the survival of gastric cancer patients in this province. Materials and Methods: Data from Khon Kaen population-based cancer registry, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University were newly obtained on 650 patients who were diagnosed with stomach cancer during the period 1 January, 2000 to 31 December, 2012. These were then followed up until death or the end of the study (31 December 2014). We calculated the observed survival with the actuarial life table method, and relative survival, defined as the ratio of observed survival in the group of the stomach cancer patients to the expected survival in the entire Thai population from the estimated generation life tables for Thailand of five-year birth cohorts from 1900 - 2000. Results: The 5 year observed and 5 year relative survival rates were 17.2 % (95% CI: 13.54-21.14) and 18.2 % (95% CI: 14.3-22.4), respectively. The highest 5 year relative survival rates were demonstrated among patients aged 45-65, with stage I or II lesions, with adenocarcinomas, with a body of stomach location, well differentiated and receiving surgery and/or chemotherapy. Conclusions: The observed and relative survival rates were close to each other. Our findings provide basic information beneficial to development of an effective treatment system and appropriately improved population-based cancer registration.     

Joinpoint Analysis Trends in the Incidence of Colorectal Cancer in Khon Kaen,Thailand (1989 – 2012)

Objective: This study focused on recent changes in the incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) in Khon Kaen, Thailand. Methods: Data for CRC over the period 1989 to 2012 from the population-based cancer registry of Khon Kaen province were employed. Age-standardized incidence rates (ASR) were calculated and classified into 4 age-groups for comparison. Joinpoint regression analysis was used to detect changes in trends among each line segment and an overall line was generated, whether increasing or decreasing, with annual percent change (APC) and average annual percent change (AAPC). Results: There were 3,364 CRC cases included in the analysis, 72.2% histological confirmed and 53.5% in men. Trends of ASRs generally demonstrated gradual increase over the period 1989 to 2012. For those aged under 45 or 50 years there was slight overall increase, with a somewhat zigzag pattern. From joinpoint analysis, the trends of all aged groups were found to be increasing among both men and women: aged 45 years and older group AAPC=3.40, 2.30 and 3.90, respectively); aged 50 years and older group AAPC=2.90, 2.20 and 3.40; aged under 45 years AAPC=6.30, 6.00 and 6.90; and aged under 50 years (AAPC=5.70, 3.20 and 5.70. Conclusions: ASRs for CRC have been gradually increasing in the northeast region of Thailand. Future studies should consider the subsite distribution.     

High-grade Cervical Histopathology in Women with Atypical Glandular Cell Cytology

This study was undertaken to evaluate the prevalence of underlying significant lesions among women referred for colposcopy after atypical glandular cell (AGC) smears and the associated risks. The present study reviewed data from women with AGC smears undergoing colposcopy at the Colposcopy Clinic, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Thailand between January 2001 to December 2014. Significant lesions included cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2-3, adenocarcinoma in situ, endometrial hyperplasia, and cancer. During the study period, 170 women with AGC cytology were reviewed. The mean age was 45.7 years. Thirty-eight women (22.4%) were postmenopausal. Eighteen smears (10.6%) were further subclassified as AGC-favor neoplasia (AGC-FN). In total, significant lesions were noted in 27 women (15.9%; 95%CI, 7.8%-18.3%). Thirteen women (7.6%, 95%CI, 4.1%-12.7%) were found to have cervical cancer or endometrial cancer. Two variables were independently associated with an increased risk of significant histopathology results: level of educational attainment (secondary level or lower versus bachelor degree or higher) and types of AGC (AGC versus AGCFN). Women who had low level of education and those with AGC-FN were at the higher risk of significant lesions (OR, 3.16; 95%CI 1.10-9.11 and OR, 4.62; 95%CI, 1.54-13.85, respectively). In conclusion, the rate of significant lesions among women referred for colposcopy after AGC smears is considerably high. Low education and smear subtypes appear independently associated with a higher risk of significant lesions.     

Lifestyle-related risk factors for stomach cancer in northeast Thailand.

Background: Stomach cancer is not common in Thailand but the life styles of the Thai population are changingto become more Western so that information for planning control programme of stomach cancer is necessary.The highest incidence rates of this neoplasm are found in Eastern Asia, ranging from age-standardized rates of95.5/105 (men) and 40.1/105 (women) in Yamagata, Japan to 4.1/105 (men) and 2.1/105 (women) in Khon Kaen,Northeast of Thailand. In Thailand, the estimated age-standardized incidence rates in 1993, 1996 were 4.9/105,4.1/105 in men and 3.0/105 , 2.6/105 in women. Risk factors for stomach cancer in Thai population are unclear,but possibly include low intake of vegetables and fruits, alcohol drinking, tobacco smoking and high intake ofsalt. Objective: To investigate various aspects of dietary factors, smoking, and alcohol drinking in determiningrisk of stomach cancer in Thai population. Methods: A case-control study was conducted in Khon Kaen, Thailandduring 2002-2006, to study the role of these factors in stomach cancer. 101 stomach cancer cases and 202 matchedcontrols (case : control = 1:2) by sex, age (± 3 years) and region were recruited from Srinagarind Hospital andKhon Kaen Regional Hospital, in Khon Kaen Province. All of cases were histologically confirmed. Controls hada variety of diseases, the main ones being disease of the eye. Information on dietary habits, alcohol drinking andsmoking were collected by a structured questionnaire, blood samples were collected for further study. Results:The distribution of the general characteristics by case-control status, the distribution of age and sex were similarin cases and controls. In the final analysis, the factors that found to be higher risk but not statistically significantwere long-term filter cigarette smoking (OR=1.9, 95%CI: 0.85-4.50), long-term alcohol consumption (OR=1.2,95%CI: 0.51-2.60) and low intake of vegetables and fruits (OR=1.2, 95%CI: 0.74-1.96). A high intake of vegetableoil (OR=4.5, 95%CI: 1.00.-20.17) was found to be associated with increased risk, and similar tendencies werenoted for pork oil (OR=1.4, 95%CI: 0.63-3.01) and jeaw prik (mainly chilly with plara broth) (OR=1.2, 95%CI:0 .76- 2.01). Conclusion: Our study confirmed protective effects of a high intake of fruits and vegetables againststomach cancer development and showed a high intake of sauces to increase risk of stomach cancer as in othercountries in Asia.