Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, 2009. / Title from screen (viewed on February 2, 2010). School of Nursing, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). Advisor(s): Janet L. Welch, Juanita F. Keck, Janet S. Fulton, Barbara Manz Friesth. Includes vitae. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 150-164).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 148-167). Also available in electronic version. Access restricted to campus users.

Thesis (M.A.)--York University, 2007. Graduate Programme in Kinesiology and Health Sciences. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 63-89). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:MR38773

Thesis (M.S.)--Marshall University, 2003. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains vi, 74 p. including illustrations. Includes bibliographical references (p. 71-74).

Thesis (M.P.H.)--University of Queensland. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M. Med. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 83-101).

Thesis (M.A.)--West Virginia University, 2003. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains v, 66 p. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 45-55).

a b s t r a c t Purpose of the research: The purpose of the study was to explore what women living in Ga-Rankuwa in Tshwane, South Africa know and understand about cancer as well as their health seeking behaviour should they suspect that they might have cancer. Methods and Sample: An exploratory, contextual, quantitative door-to-door survey was conducted. The sampling method was convenient (n ¼ 565). Data were gathered by means of self-reports using structured interviews. Key Results: The study provided evidence that, despite all the interventions to teach the community about cancer, women had a low level of knowledge and understanding of cancer. Cancer was seen as something that primarily happens to the breast. There was no link between the perception of cancer and the seriousness of the warning signs. It is doubtful if the woman, except for the possibility of a lump in the breast, would recognize any sign of cancer and consider it to be serious. Women still needed to ask permission to seek health-care and in some instances, the health care provider was chosen for them. Not all women were prepared to spend money of their own health and some would even feel guilty should they do so. Conclusions: Women’s knowledge and understanding of cancer and health seeking behaviour related to cancer do not facilitate early detecting and therefore the possibility to be cured. The fundamental strategy of primary and secondary prevention of cancer, teaching the community, remains a challenge for both nursing practice and nursing research.

Anti-inflammatory specific cytokines and chemokines are elevated in many advanced tumors and correlate with poor prognosis. However, the differential expression of anti-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in prostate cancer is not known. We investigated the hypotheses that androgen unresponsive DU145 and PC3 prostate cancer cells and androgen responsive LNCaP prostate cancer cells, differentially expressed selected anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines and that, dendritic cells pulsed with prostate tumor antigens will induce mainly pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in T cells using mouse models. Our results indicated that anti-inflammatory specific cytokines IL-1 0, IL-4, and anti-inflammatory specific chemokine CCL- 17 (TARC) and cognate receptor CCR4 are expressed in prostate cancer cell lines. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) revealed an almost five-fold increase in chemokine CCL17 and its cognate receptor CCR4 mRNA in androgen unresponsive DU145 and PC3 prostate cancer cell lines compared to androgen responsive prostate tumor LNCaP. Protein analysis indicated significantly increased secretion of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL- 10 by DU145 and PC3 compared to LNCaP. Furthermore, pro-inflammatory cytokine IFN-y and pro-inflammatory chemokine IP- 10 secretion were significantly less in these prostate cancer cells, when compared to immortalized normal prostate epithelial cells. Our in- vivo analysis revealed that T cells were activated by pulsed dendritic cells shown in the increase mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokine IFN-y and pro-inflammatory chemokine IP- 10, and cognate receptor CXCR3. However, a predominant pro-inflammatory response was not observed as anti-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines were also seen. The production of anti-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines suggests a possible mechanism for prostate cancer to evade host immune responses by negatively modulating immune responses that are necessary for destroying cancers cells.. Cytokine and chemokine profiles could be used as potential prognostic markers for disease progression. Additionally, an effacious vaccine will depend on its ability to inhibit the recruitment of known distinct functional anti-inflammatory effector molecules, implicated in prostate cancer progression.

published_or_final_version / Medicine / Master / Doctor of Medicine