On the pulse - for people affected by breast cancer

In the news…

Social Factors affect access to cancer services

It was reported last week that patients from more deprived areas were still more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage in their disease, thus affecting their chances of survival. Researchers from University College, London examined figures for the three most common cancers - breast, colorectal and lung, over a 6 year period. The figures showed that 564,821 people over the age of 50 were admitted to an NHS hospital with a cancer diagnosis. The study showed that patients in more deprived areas were more likely to be admitted as emergencies and less likely to have received the recommended procedures as were older people and women. Sarah Woolnough, head of policy at Cancer Research UK, said :
"We know that in this country, cancer is often diagnosed late when it is at an advanced stage, and this is a particular problem among deprived groups. This can have a knock-on effect on the type of treatment that can be given and, ultimately, on cancer survival.
"The updated Cancer Plan - the Cancer Reform Strategy - recognises these problems and is strongly prioritising early diagnosis and action to reduce inequalities in cancer treatment. But this is a critical issue and one that we believe must remain a priority for the future."
Read more at Cancer Research and BBC News

Screening errors

A report on the BBC online refers to a US study to cut the number of mistakes made by medical staff looking for breast and cervical cancers. The study found that the amount of time the observers spent looking for something depended on how often if appeared.
"If you don't find it often, you often don't find it," said lead author, Jeremy Wolfe of Harvard Medical School. The authors recommend doing a booster exercise before they start work to help them visualise what they are looking for and so be more likely to see it when it is there. In another article related to this topic, the Times reports on a computerised technique for breast cancer screening. Professor Sir Michael Brady, who has spent 20 years developing mammography software said:
“Mammograms are notoriously difficult to interpret, even experienced radiologists evaluate scans differently, so automating the system would make the process much more reliable.” It is thought that up to 20% of cancer cases are missed and 80% of those recalled for a biopsy are healthy. In one study, two radiographers were asked to examine identical images and reported back with different findings. Sir Michael argues that the new software, called Volpara, would dramatically reduce discrepancies. Read more in The Times

Would you lie about having cancer?

Many papers have been reporting this week on the story concerning Mo Mowlam, who was revealed to have concealed the severity of her cancer to her then boss, Tony Blair. There have been several articles asking if it is ever right to keep this a secret or indeed to tell a lie about it, perhaps to secure or save a job. Read more here:
Daily Telegraph
Daily Mail

‘Beer can fight breast cancer’

On a lighter and more alcoholic note, it was reported in the Daily Mail that researchers at a German Cancer Researh Centre have discovered that beer contains a molecule called xanthohumol, which blocks the excessive action of oestrogen, which can in turn cause some forms of breast cancer.

Facebook bra colour craze

On a lighter and more fun note – there are reports of what is thought to be a breast cancer awareness drive, where users are referring to the colour of the bra they are wearing to update their Facebook status. Most popular colours are black, white and beige, but there are a few more interesting ones from female and (and some) male users of the social networking site! Read more here Daily Telegraph

Nicky Waldman (n.waldman@cancerkin.org.uk) 20th January 2010