Document Type

Capstone Experience

Graduation Date

12-2019

Degree Name

Master of Public Health

Department

Epidemiology

First Committee Member

Lorena Baccaglini

Second Committee Member

Cieslak Theodore

Third Committee Member

Lyden Elizabeth

Fourth Committee Member

Krista Brown

Abstract

Background: Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States and remains a major public health problem worldwide. Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is linked to ulcers and most cancers. Although studies have investigated the role of IGF1 in ulcer healing and cancer pathogenesis, the link between ulcer and cancer remains unclear. Hence, we assessed the relationship between ulcers and cancers.

Methods: This study consists of a sample of 180 cancer patients obtain by convenience sampling who were seen at Nebraska Medicine and were enrolled in the integrated cancer repository for cancer research (iCaRe2) database. Demographics and socioeconomic data were described using descriptive statistics and data were analyzed using Linear regression and TTEST.

Results: The result of this study showed no association between ulcer diagnosis and age of cancer diagnosis. Although patients with gastroduodenal ulcer seem to be diagnosed of cancer later compared to non-gastroduodenal patients, this finding was however not significant.

Discussion: Research on the association between ulcers and cancer is scarce. This study is significant in that it will serve as a landmark for future research which may lead to establishing the link between ulcers and cancers and thus, predict or prevent certain cancer types.

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