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Purpose: This study aimed to explore the sexual behaviors and intimate relationships of sexual partners of young patients with cervical cancer. Patients and Methods: This study employed a descriptive phenomenological research design, which falls within the realm of qualitative research methods. Qualitative research typically utilizes interview techniques for gathering participants' experiences, perceptions, and behaviors. This study conduct face-to-face semi-structured interviews with the sexual partners of 15 young cervical cancer patients receiving cancer treatment to collect their experiences and perspectives on intimate relationships and sexual behavior with cervical cancer patients, and use the Colaizzi method for data analysis. Results: Four themes were identified through the interview analysis: (1) reduction or absence of sexual behavior, (2) unpleasant sexual experiences, (3) adjustment of intimate relationships, and (4) lack of sexual health education. Conclusion: The sexual partners of young cervical cancer patients have experienced significant shifts in their perspectives on sexual behavior and intimate relationships. These changes include reduction or absence of sexual behavior, unpleasant sexual experiences, adjustment of intimate relationships, and lack of sexual health education. Hospitals should pay more attention to the sexual behavior and intimate relationships of patients with cervical cancer and their sexual partners, and social support systems and psychological and emotional counselling services should be established for providing relevant knowledge and guidance.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: The molecular mechanisms underlying the development and progression of gastric carcinoma remain poorly understood. The main objective of this study was to investigate the expression level of targeting protein for Xenopus kinesin-like protein 2 (TPX2) and its clinical significance in human gastric carcinoma. METHODS: Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blotting were used to determine the mRNA and protein levels of TPX2 in 20 paired gastric carcinoma tissues and the adjacent normal tissues, and the expression of TPX2 protein in 106 specimens of a gastric carcinoma tissue microarray was determined by immunohistochemistry. The associations of TPX2 expression with the clinicopathological features were analyzed, and the prognosis of gastric carcinoma patients was evaluated. RESULTS: The results showed that the expression of TPX2 mRNA was significantly higher in gastric carcinoma than in the adjacent normal tissues in 20 paired samples. Western blotting analysis revealed that TPX2 protein was differentially increased in 17 of 20 specimens from primary human gastric carcinoma tissues compared with those from adjacent non-tumor tissues. Immunohistochemical staining showed that TPX2 over-expression was significantly associated with advanced age (P = 0.001) and tumor T stage (P = 0.003). In addition, TPX2 was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (OS) in the multivariate analysis [hazard ratio (HR) 0.001; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 2.626-7.198; P = 0.001]. CONCLUSIONS: TPX2 is up-regulated in gastric carcinoma and is associated with old age and tumor T stage. TPX2 may serve as a good prognostic indicator in patients with gastric carcinoma.
