Trends in breast cancer screening rates among Korean women: results from the Korean National Cancer Screening Survey, 2005-2020.

OBJECTIVES: Since 2002, the Korean government has provided breast cancer screening as part of the National Cancer Screening Program. This study reported trends in the screening rate among Korean women from 2005 to 2020, including organized and opportunistic screening for breast cancer. METHODS: Data from the Korean National Cancer Screening Survey, an annual cross-sectional nationwide survey, were collected using a structured questionnaire between 2005 and 2020. The study population included 23,702 women aged 40-74 years with no history of cancer. We estimated the screening rate based on the current recommendation of biennial mammographic screening for breast cancer. In addition, a joinpoint trend analysis was performed for breast cancer screening rates among various subgroups. RESULTS: In 2020, the breast cancer screening rate was 63.5%, reflecting an annual increase of 7.72% (95% confidence interval 5.53 to 9.95) between 2005 and 2012, followed by non-significant trends thereafter. In particular, a significant decrease in the breast cancer screening rate was observed in the subgroups aged 50-59 years old, with 12-15 years of education, and living in rural areas. CONCLUSIONS: Although there has been substantial improvement in breast cancer screening rates in Korean women, the trend has flattened in recent years. Therefore, continual efforts are required to identify subgroups with unmet needs and solve barriers to the uptake of breast cancer screening.

Non-cancer health risks in firefighters: a systematic review.

osFirefighters are occupationally exposed to hazardous factors that may increase their risk of disease. However, non-cancer disease risk in firefighters has not been systematically examined. This systematic review aimed to identify non-cancer disease risk in firefighters and determine whether the risk differs according to job characteristics. We searched the Cochrane Library, Embase, PubMed, and KoreaMed databases using relevant keywords from their inception to April 30, 2021. The Risk of Bias Assessment Tool for Non-randomized Studies version 2.0 was used to assess the quality of evidence. Due to study heterogeneity, a narrative synthesis was presented. The systematic literature search yielded 2,491 studies, of which 66 met the selection and quality criteria. We confirmed that the healthy worker effect is strong in firefighters as compared to the general population. We also identified a significant increase in the incidence of lumbar disc herniation, lower back pain, angina pectoris, acute myocardial infarction, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in firefighters compared to other occupational groups. Contradictory results for the risk of PTSD and anxiety disorders related to rank were reported. Sufficient evidence for increased risk of lumbar disc herniation, lower back pain, angina pectoris, acute myocardial infarction, and PTSD was available. The risk of non-cancer diseases varied depending on job type, years of service, and rank. However, caution should be exercised when interpreting the results because the classification criteria for firefighters' jobs and ranks differ by country.

Trends of Colorectal Cancer Screening Rates in Korea: Korean National Cancer Screening Survey 2005-2020.

Background/Aims: Screening for colorectal cancer (CRC) is important in reducing the morbidity and mortality of CRC. Thus, this study aimed to describe the trends of CRC screening in both organized and opportunistic settings in Korea from 2005 to 2020 according to sociodemographic characteristics. Methods: This study analyzed the data of adults aged 50 to 74 years from the Korean National Cancer Screening Survey. Trends for CRC screening rates (fecal immunochemical test [FIT] within the last year, double-contrast barium enema within the last 5 years, or colonoscopy within the last 10 years for 2005-2018 and FIT within the last year or colonoscopy within the last 10 years for 2019-2020) were analyzed using Joinpoint regression. The trends were also analyzed according to sociodemographic characteristics, including age, sex, monthly household income, education level, and residential area. Results: A total of 29,040 participants were included in the analysis. The CRC screening rate significantly increased from 25.0% to 60.1%, with an annual percent change (APC) of 9.2% between 2005 and 2014, followed by a nonsignificant increase to 64.4% between 2014 and 2020 (APC,1.7%). When the participants were stratified according to sociodemographic factors, the participants with higher household income and education levels generally had higher screening rates. Conclusions: There has been substantial improvement in CRC screening rates in the general Korean population. However, it is necessary to determine why the screening rate has stabilized since 2014 and identify barriers that cause disparities in CRC screening rates among populations with lower socioeconomic status.

Trends in cervical cancer screening rates among Korean women: results of the Korean National Cancer Screening Survey, 2005-2020.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to analyze the trends in cervical cancer screening rates, including organized and opportunistic cancer screening rates, with the Papanicolaou test among Korean women. METHODS: Data were collected from a nationwide, cross-sectional, Korean National Cancer Screening Survey. To evaluate the cervical cancer screening rates, we used the screening approach of "cervical cancer screening rate with recommendation," defined as the proportion of women who underwent the Papanicolaou test during the previous 2 years according to the Protocol of National Cancer Screening Program for Cervical Cancer in Korea. The joinpoint regression analysis, which describes the annual percent change (APC), was performed to detect significant changes in cervical cancer screening rates in women aged 30-74 years during 2005-2020. RESULTS: The cervical cancer screening rate was 56.0% in 2020. From 2005 to 2013, there was a rising trend in cervical cancer screening rates (APC=2.70%, 95% confidence interval [CI]:1.05 to 4.38), followed by a falling trend (APC=-2.67%, 95% CI:-4.3 to -1.01). The falling trend was significantly associated with age (≥40 years), education level (below the 15th grade), household income (below the middle-income level), and residence (all residential areas). CONCLUSION: The recent falling trend was more common in women with a low socioeconomic status, which suggests that there is a socioeconomic gap in cervical cancer screening. Moreover, young women in their thirties had a low screening rate. Therefore, an active participation strategy for women vulnerable to cervical cancer is required.

Understanding of Cervical Screening Adoption among Female University Students Based on the Precaution Adoption Process Model and Health-Belief Model.

This study aimed to identify the decisional stages for cervical screening and corresponding cognitive factors in female university students. A cross-sectional study was conducted among Korean female university students aged 20-29 years through an online survey. The main outcome was the decisional stage of cervical screening adoption using the precaution adoption process model. The stages were classified into pre-adoption (the unawareness, unengaged, and undecided stages), adoption (the decided to act and acting stages), and refusal (the decided not to act stage). The cognitive factors in each stage were analyzed using the key concepts of the health-belief model. Cervical screening was defined as a clinical Papanicolaou (Pap) smear performed by a physician in a clinic. The final analysis included 1024 students. Approximately 89.0%, 1.0%, and 10.2% were classified as the pre-adoption, refusal, and adoption stages, respectively. Compared to the pre-adoption stage group, the adoption stage group was more likely to be older and have higher self-efficacy and knowledge. Most participants belonged to the pre-adoption stage-those unaware of cervical screening. Furthermore, most had a low level of knowledge and perception of cervical cancer and its screening. Therefore, our study highlighted the need for education to increase awareness and knowledge of cervical screening in this population.

Barriers and strategies for cervical cancer screening: What do female university students know and want?

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to identify the distinct barriers and knowledge level of cervical cancer screening among female university students and establish intervention strategies to overcome these barriers. METHODS: This study used a mixed-methods design with 26 female university students aged 20-29 years. We first conducted a quantitative online survey for the same study participants, divided them into three groups, and conducted focus group interviews (FGIs). Group A: participants who had sexual experience and had undergone cervical cancer screening; Group B: participants who had sexual experience and had not undergone cervical cancer screening; Group C: participants who did not have sexual experience and had not undergone cervical cancer screening. RESULTS: The participants' ages were 21.92 ± 1.26 years. The knowledge levels for cervical cancer and screening were low to moderate. The four main themes that emerged as barriers to cervical cancer screening through the FGIs were: 1) socio-cultural barrier: conservative social perception of unmarried women's sexual life, 2) knowledge barrier: lack of knowledge and information, 3) psychological barrier: discomfort, and 4) practical barrier: time-consuming. The three themes identified for strategies were: 1) socio-cultural intervention: changing social perceptions and ensuring confidentiality, 2) educational intervention: improvement of knowledge and accessibility, and 3) alternative screening intervention: comfortable screening methods. CONCLUSIONS: While university students' sexual experience rapidly increased, the socio-cultural perceptions of sexual health remained closed, and they had a reasonably low level of knowledge about cervical cancer screening. Therefore, various strategies sensitive to female university students' culture should be implemented to increase the knowledge level, and social efforts should be made to change the socio-cultural perception of unmarried young women's sexual health.

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More than 4 million women undergo breast cancer (BC) screening with mammography each year in Korea. Digital mammography (DM) was introduced in 2000, and it has been reported to have a higher diagnostic accuracy than screen-film mammography (SFM) or computed radiography (CR) in women with dense breasts. According to a study using data from the National Cancer Screening Program for BC, the diagnostic accuracy of DM was higher than those of SFM and CR, regardless of age, breast density, and screening round. Currently, despite high supply rate among OECD countries, the distribution of DM equipment is approximately 35% in Korea. For quick replacement with DM, it will be necessary to improve its fee for the National Health Insurance and support an educational program for radiologists. In addition, efforts should be made to increase the accessibility of DM.

Effect of Digital Mammography for Breast Cancer Screening: A Comparative Study of More than 8 Million Korean Women.

Background Full-field digital mammography (FFDM) has been accepted as a superior modality for breast cancer screening compared with conventional screen-film mammography (SFM), especially in women younger than 50 years or with dense breasts. Purpose To evaluate the accuracy of FFDM for breast cancer screening. Materials and Methods Data from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2013 in the database from a nationwide breast cancer screening program linked with the national cancer registry were retrospectively analyzed. The study included Korean women aged 40-79 years who had undergone screening mammography with SFM, computed radiography (CR), or FFDM. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and absolute and relative differences among these modalities were calculated, followed by pairwise comparison tests with multiple testing corrections. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUCs) were also estimated and compared by using the DeLong method with Bonferroni correction. Results Among the 8 482 803 women included (mean age, 55 years ± 10), 34.4% (2 920 279 of 8 482 803), 51.7% (4 385 807 of 8 482 803), and 13.9% (1 176 717 of 8 482 803) underwent SFM, CR, and FFDM, respectively. The sensitivity and PPV were higher for FFDM than for SFM (adjusted odds ratio, 1.77 [95% confidence interval {CI}: 1.62, 1.95] for sensitivity and 1.36 [95% CI: 1.29, 1.43] for PPV) and CR (adjusted odds ratio, 1.70 [95% CI: 1.56, 1.85] for sensitivity and 1.26 [95% CI: 1.20, 1.32] for PPV), whereas specificity was lower with FFDM. The overall AUC for FFDM was 0.80 (95% CI: 0.80, 0.81), which was higher than that for SFM (0.75 [95% CI: 0.75, 0.76]) and CR (0.76 [95% CI: 0.75, 0.76]). P < .05 was found for differences in sensitivity, PPV, and AUC among modalities overall and in most of the subgroups of age, breast density, and screening round. Conclusion Full-field digital mammography allows better discrimination or prediction of breast cancer in the general female population than screen-film mammography or computed radiography, regardless of age, breast density, or screening round. © RSNA, 2019 Online supplemental material is available for this article.

Comparison of Digital and Screen-Film Mammography for Breast-Cancer Screening: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PURPOSE: Digital mammography (DM) has replaced screen-film mammography (SFM). However, findings of comparisons between the performance indicators of DM and SFM for breast-cancer screening have been inconsistent. Moreover, the summarized results from studies comparing the performance of screening mammography according to device type vary over time. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the performance of DM and SFM using recently published data. METHODS: The MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were searched for paired studies, cohorts, and randomized controlled trials published through 2018 that compared the performance of DM and SFM. All studies comparing the diagnostic accuracy of DM and SFM in asymptomatic, average-risk women aged 40 years and older were included. Two reviewers independently assessed the study quality and extracted the data. RESULTS: Thirteen studies were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity (DM, 0.76 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 0.70-0.81]; SFM, 0.76 [95% CI, 0.70-0.81]), specificity (DM, 0.96 [95% CI, 0.94-0.97]; SFM, 0.97 [95% CI, 0.94-0.98]), and area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (DM, 0.94 [95% CI, 0.92-0.96]; SFM, 0.92 [95% CI, 0.89-0.94]) were similar for both DM and SFM. The pooled screening performance indicators reinforced superior accuracy of full-field DM, which is a more advanced type of mammography, than SFM. The advantage of DM appeared greater among women aged 50 years or older. There was high heterogeneity among studies in the pooled sensitivity, specificity, and overall diagnostic accuracy estimates. Stratifying by study design (prospective or retrospective) and removing studies with a 2-year or greater follow-up period resulted in homogeneous overall diagnostic accuracy estimates. CONCLUSION: The breast-cancer screening performance of DM is similar to that of SFM. The diagnostic performance of DM depends on the study design, and, in terms of performance, full-field DM is superior to SFM, unlike computed radiography systems.