Abstract TP178: The Decline of the Age-Adjusted Mortality Rate of Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in Shimane Prefecture, Japan

Object: This study aimed to assess the relationships between trend of mortality rate from subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and blood pressure and smoking prevalence among about 700,000 residents of Shimane prefecture, Japan. Methods: A retrospective review was performed to identify the age-adjusted mortality rate from SAH calculated using the standard population of Japan in 2010 and changes in population of Shimane prefecture used the date based on government statistics during 1999 through 2017. Blood pressure dates were extracted from Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare during 2008 through 2015, and smoking prevalence from Cancer Registry and Statistics. Cancer Information Service, National Cancer Center, Japan every 3 years since 2001. Result: Age-adjusted mortality rate from SAH in Shimane prefecture tended to decline by 3.6% between 1999 through 2017 regardless of gender, as 14.86 (95%CI:14.65-15.07) per 100,000 person-year in 1999 to 7.96 (95%CI:7.81-8.11) in 2017. The Population of Shimane prefecture, where one of the most aging region in Japan, was decreased by 10.4% since 764,291 in 1999 to 684,668 in 2017. Blood pressure was invariable during 2008 through 2015, while smoking prevalence decreased since 2001 to 2016, as 25.0% to 18.0%. Conclusion: Age-adjusted mortality rate from SAH in Shimane prefecture have declined since 1999 to 2017, regardless of decrease of population and advancement of aging region. The factor of decline might be not only development of treatment and management, but decrease of incidence of SAH in Japan accompanied by improvement of smoking prevalence or lifestyle habitation.

Users of the Telephone Cancer Information Service Becomes Better at Coping With Their Situation

Background: More than 37,000 Danes were diagnosed with cancer last year and approximately 285,000 Danes are cancer survivors. The Danish Cancer Society offers professional information and counseling free of charge to all people affected by cancer. Last year, the telephone cancer information service Kræftlinjen received more than 14,000 inquiries, the majority from patients, relatives and bereaved. User surveys are usually conducted immediately after the users' contact with the cancer information service, and thus, only capture the users' experiences with and short-term effects of the contact. To investigate the long-term effects, a follow-up survey was recently conducted as a supplement to the latest user survey of the cancer information service. Aim: The follow-up survey aims to investigate the long-term effects of using the cancer information service focusing on the users' perception of their situation after the contact including their perceived changes in behavior and their ability to communicate with others about the disease. Methods: In March-April 2017, users of the cancer information service were encouraged to answer a questionnaire about their experiences with this service. The questionnaire was sent by either mail or e-mail. In total, 461 users participated in this survey. Two hundred and twenty six users (49%) agreed to receive a short follow-up questionnaire three months after their initial contact with the telephone cancer information service. One hundred and thirty six users (60%) participated in this follow-up survey. Results: The majority of the respondents reported that their conversation with the telephone cancer information service led to changes in their perception of their situation (77%) and made them better at coping with their situation (79%). As an example, some participants described that the conversation made them more calm and able to accept their situation, which again led them to feel less stressed and anxious. In addition, many users stated that they had become more able to communicate with others about their disease (66%) and that the contact had let to changes in their behavior (63%). Some participants described to have contacted the hospital or their doctor after their contact with the cancer information service and some described that they had become better at asking health personnel questions about the disease. Others had become more aware of their rights and of looking out for themselves or others. Most participants (77%) stated that they had not felt a need to contact the cancer information service again. Conclusion: The majority of the participants experienced that the cancer information service had made them better capable of coping with their situation.

Establishing Cancer Information Service in Ghana

Background: African Cancer Organization (ACO) seeks to establish a Cancer Information Service (CIS) Centre in Accra, Ghana to offer information about cancer prevention to the general public and businesses. The whole idea is to promote awareness of cancer and early detection through culturally sensitive and linguistically appropriate cancer information and education programs. The project will navigate people to appropriate facilities for screening, further diagnosis, management and support. This we believe will help prevent people from getting exposed to avoidable cancer risk factors and also help downstage cancers by early-detecting the disease at stages where cure is often possible, which will ultimately help avert the currently prevailing high incidence of cancers in Ghana. Aim: The goal of the project is to ensure that everyone living in Ghana who is eligible has access easy to free cancer information service. The project will establish the needed infrastructure and also build capacity of personnel required to provide cancer information service to the general public and businesses. Methodology: Trained cancer information specialists will provide a one-on-one interaction by telephone, e-mail, instant messaging, social media, in-person visit or on-site business visit. The service will be free and confidential. The project involves setting up an office, distribution of information, education and communication (IEC) materials to educate businesses and the general public about cancer, its prevention, risk factors associated with the disease, sign and symptoms of cancer, cancer diagnosis, treated, management and support systems available. ACO CIS, tailored to the socioeconomic and cultural context, is to ensure that cancer information is available to everyone who is eligible. Conclusion: There is solid evidence that making cancer information available and diagnosing it at an early stage will reduce deaths from cancer, and the success of interventions intended to detect cancer at an early stage greatly depends on cancer education and awareness and sensitivity to the needs, beliefs and unique circumstance of the target population. Although much remains to be learned about cancer, enough is now known about the causes of cancer and means of control for suitable intervention to have a significant impact. Most Africans cannot currently access curative therapies, state-of-the-art surgery or expensive cancer drugs that are the mainstay of cancer care in developed nations. At the same time between 30% and 50% of cancers are preventable, and a third of all cancers could be cured if detected early. Therefore, scaling up prevention and early diagnosis will be the most cost-effective ways of dealing with cancer. ACO is by this looking for partners with similar mandate to collaborate to establish and sustain the CIS.