In the news…
Link between poverty and breast cancer gene damage
The British Journal of Cancer reports that women from poorer backgrounds may have a worse prognosis when it comes to surviving breast cancer. This is because their lifestyle, affected by factors such as a less healthy diet can cause the p53 gene to mutate. In healthier people, this gene, which suppresses cancer, is continually produced and degraded in cells, but researchers at the University of Dundee have discovered that if this gene becomes damaged or mutates, people are less able to suppress the growth of tumours. The research was based on a survey of 246 women treated for breast cancer and tested for the p53 mutation.
Dr Lee Baker, who led the study, said: "This research makes a strong link between p53 and deprivation, and then between p53 mutation and recurrence and death. As a social issue, it shows that if we lift people up the deprivation scale they will be less likely to have problems with their p53 gene, and go on to develop breast cancer. Deprivation alone doesn't cause breast cancer, but can affect prognosis when p53 is damaged as a result of lifestyle choices commonly associated with deprivation."
Read more about this story: BBC News, Guardian and British Journal of Cancer
Rhubarb
Reports that rhubarb crumble could be the new “cancer-busting superfood” are wide of the mark, according to Cancer Research UK.
A study by Sheffield Hallam University showed that British garden rhubarb, like many red vegetables, contains a chemical called polyphenol, which can kill or prevent the growth of cancer cells and so can be used to develop new treatments for the disease. Baking rhubarb for 20 minutes, as one might do in a crumble, increases the chemicals concentration. Dr Nikki Jordan-Mahy, one of the researchers on the study, said:“Our research has shown that British rhubarb is a potential source of chemicals that may be used to develop new anti-cancerous drugs….Current treatments are not effective in all cancers and resistance is a common problem as is toxicity.” Read more here: Telegraph and Food Chemistry
However, Ed Yong, head of health information at Cancer Research UK said: “Certain methods of cooking rhubarb may increase levels of polyphenols in lab tests, but it’s a big leap to say that this will have a noticeable impact on the risk of cancer in real people. We'll need more studies to see if the chemicals in rhubarb have anti-cancer properties that could ultimately be harnessed to develop drugs. Several successful cancer treatments have been derived from plants, but a great deal of work is needed to turn a naturally occurring chemical into an effective and potent drug." Read more here: Cancer Research UK
For those of you who like rhubarb, which is in season right now, here are a few recipes: Freeform rhubarb tart and Perfect poached rhubarb
Menopause
An article in The Guardian this week looks at one woman’s guide to coping with the menopause. For many women who have had breast cancer, HRT is not an option, but the writer of the article looks at a variety of remedies. It is important that you consult your doctor before taking any new drugs or treatments.
Nicky Waldman (n.waldman@cancerkin.org.uk) 17th February 2010
Wednesday 24 February 2010
Monday 15 February 2010
On the pulse...for people affected by breast cancer
In the news…
Use of antidepressant interferes with cancer drug
Researchers in Canada have suggested that a popular antidepressant may be interfering with the effects of a cancer drug with potentially fatal consequences for some women. Paroxetine, (brand name Seroxat) (commonly prescribed for depression and also to help with the hot flushes that many women suffer as a side effect of tamoxifen) may be cancelling out the effects of tamoxifen (a drug for patients with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer). This is not to say that paroxetine itself causes or influences breast cancer, rather that it can neutralise the effects of tamoxifen. The report was published in the British Medical Journal and the editorial warned that these two drugs should not be prescribed together. One of the authors, Dr David Juurlink said: “These results highlight a drug interaction that is extremely common, widely under-appreciated and potentially life-threatening, yet uniformly avoidable. He added: "When co-prescription of tamoxifen with an antidepressant is necessary, preference should be given to antidepressants that exhibit little or no impact on tamoxifen's metabolism." The researchers did say that women should not stop taking tamoxifen and cautioned against stopping paroxetine; rather women should talk to their doctors about the best course of action. Read more in: Daily Telegraph and the Mail Online
Gordon Brown pledges one to one care for cancer patients
In an interview with the Observer, the Prime Minister pledged that if Labour wins the next general election, cancer patients will be offered free one to one home care by specialist nurses. This was reiterated on Monday in a speech to the King’s Fund think tank. In the speech, he also highlighted the need to focus “far more on prevention and early intervention” and restated that Labour would extend the Cancer Guarantee - which gives everyone with suspected cancer the right to see a specialist within 2 weeks of diagnosis - to ensure that all cancer tests are completed and results given within just 1 week. This was much reported in the media and the story can be read in the following places, among others: BBC News, Cancer Research UK and The Observer
Shortage of Medicines
Serious shortages are being reported around the country of about 40 well known drugs used to treat a range of conditions including cancer. The health minister, Mike O’Brien, said that speculators were putting patients’ lives at risk by selling drugs abroad that were intended for the UK market. He said: "I have made it very clear that it is a very few unscrupulous people that are putting profits before patients. Rather than selling drugs to NHS patients as they should, they are selling them abroad for greater profit."He added: "There are people who are sending out shopping lists of medicines to pharmacists, with the difference in price between us and Europe," said a spokesman for the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry. "They are skimming off medicines meant for UK patients." Two breast cancer patients reported difficulties accessing supplies of Arimidex and Femara in a story in the Mail Online. Read more about this story generally in The Guardian
Fewer larger doses of radiotherapy may be better
A study published in the Lancet Oncology surveyed over 4000 women and concluded that fewer, larger doses of radiotherapy, with a lower overall dose, may be preferable to the international standard treatment. This is on the basis that the former is just as effective but produces fewer side effects. Radiotherapy is often used after a tumour has been removed by surgery, to kill off any remaining cancerous cells. Women on the new regime reported fewer skin changes and of course, there were fewer treatment visits required. The standard treatment is given daily and is usually over a 4-6 week period. A spokeswoman for Breakthrough Breast Cancer said: "Radiotherapy is important in reducing the chance of cancer coming back but women have told Breakthrough that attending many sessions can be both physically and emotionally draining. Anything that has the potential to deliver radiotherapy treatment in a way that could benefit a patient’s quality of life is to be welcomed.” Read more here: Cancer Research UK and Telegraph
World Cancer Day…
…on 4th February, focussed on prevention this year, citing a few simple changes to our lifestyles as helping to reduce the risk of getting cancer. All the usual culprits were noted – smoking, alcohol, weight, inactivity and diet. It was stressed that these factors alone will not determine whether a person gets cancer, but can help to reduce the risk. Worldwide cancers account for 1/8th of all deaths, which is more than malaria, AIDS and TB combined.
“Fighting” Cancer
I reported last week on various articles in the press focussing on what was referred to as the ‘tyranny of positive thinking’ when it comes to dealing with a cancer diagnosis. Looking at this issue in a slightly different way – do people with cancer have to ‘fight it’; does mental attitude make a difference to recovery?
What is your experience of this? Does this sort of language help you or does it annoy you? Did you endure your cancer or did you fight it? If the latter, what did you do? Did you tire of people telling you to have a fighting spirit or did it help?
I would be most interested to hear your views on this topic. You can either email me or reply direct on the website, where this news digest can also be found.
Nicky Waldman (n.waldman@cancerkin.org.uk) 10th February 2010
Use of antidepressant interferes with cancer drug
Researchers in Canada have suggested that a popular antidepressant may be interfering with the effects of a cancer drug with potentially fatal consequences for some women. Paroxetine, (brand name Seroxat) (commonly prescribed for depression and also to help with the hot flushes that many women suffer as a side effect of tamoxifen) may be cancelling out the effects of tamoxifen (a drug for patients with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer). This is not to say that paroxetine itself causes or influences breast cancer, rather that it can neutralise the effects of tamoxifen. The report was published in the British Medical Journal and the editorial warned that these two drugs should not be prescribed together. One of the authors, Dr David Juurlink said: “These results highlight a drug interaction that is extremely common, widely under-appreciated and potentially life-threatening, yet uniformly avoidable. He added: "When co-prescription of tamoxifen with an antidepressant is necessary, preference should be given to antidepressants that exhibit little or no impact on tamoxifen's metabolism." The researchers did say that women should not stop taking tamoxifen and cautioned against stopping paroxetine; rather women should talk to their doctors about the best course of action. Read more in: Daily Telegraph and the Mail Online
Gordon Brown pledges one to one care for cancer patients
In an interview with the Observer, the Prime Minister pledged that if Labour wins the next general election, cancer patients will be offered free one to one home care by specialist nurses. This was reiterated on Monday in a speech to the King’s Fund think tank. In the speech, he also highlighted the need to focus “far more on prevention and early intervention” and restated that Labour would extend the Cancer Guarantee - which gives everyone with suspected cancer the right to see a specialist within 2 weeks of diagnosis - to ensure that all cancer tests are completed and results given within just 1 week. This was much reported in the media and the story can be read in the following places, among others: BBC News, Cancer Research UK and The Observer
Shortage of Medicines
Serious shortages are being reported around the country of about 40 well known drugs used to treat a range of conditions including cancer. The health minister, Mike O’Brien, said that speculators were putting patients’ lives at risk by selling drugs abroad that were intended for the UK market. He said: "I have made it very clear that it is a very few unscrupulous people that are putting profits before patients. Rather than selling drugs to NHS patients as they should, they are selling them abroad for greater profit."He added: "There are people who are sending out shopping lists of medicines to pharmacists, with the difference in price between us and Europe," said a spokesman for the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry. "They are skimming off medicines meant for UK patients." Two breast cancer patients reported difficulties accessing supplies of Arimidex and Femara in a story in the Mail Online. Read more about this story generally in The Guardian
Fewer larger doses of radiotherapy may be better
A study published in the Lancet Oncology surveyed over 4000 women and concluded that fewer, larger doses of radiotherapy, with a lower overall dose, may be preferable to the international standard treatment. This is on the basis that the former is just as effective but produces fewer side effects. Radiotherapy is often used after a tumour has been removed by surgery, to kill off any remaining cancerous cells. Women on the new regime reported fewer skin changes and of course, there were fewer treatment visits required. The standard treatment is given daily and is usually over a 4-6 week period. A spokeswoman for Breakthrough Breast Cancer said: "Radiotherapy is important in reducing the chance of cancer coming back but women have told Breakthrough that attending many sessions can be both physically and emotionally draining. Anything that has the potential to deliver radiotherapy treatment in a way that could benefit a patient’s quality of life is to be welcomed.” Read more here: Cancer Research UK and Telegraph
World Cancer Day…
…on 4th February, focussed on prevention this year, citing a few simple changes to our lifestyles as helping to reduce the risk of getting cancer. All the usual culprits were noted – smoking, alcohol, weight, inactivity and diet. It was stressed that these factors alone will not determine whether a person gets cancer, but can help to reduce the risk. Worldwide cancers account for 1/8th of all deaths, which is more than malaria, AIDS and TB combined.
“Fighting” Cancer
I reported last week on various articles in the press focussing on what was referred to as the ‘tyranny of positive thinking’ when it comes to dealing with a cancer diagnosis. Looking at this issue in a slightly different way – do people with cancer have to ‘fight it’; does mental attitude make a difference to recovery?
What is your experience of this? Does this sort of language help you or does it annoy you? Did you endure your cancer or did you fight it? If the latter, what did you do? Did you tire of people telling you to have a fighting spirit or did it help?
I would be most interested to hear your views on this topic. You can either email me or reply direct on the website, where this news digest can also be found.
Nicky Waldman (n.waldman@cancerkin.org.uk) 10th February 2010
Monday 8 February 2010
On the pulse...for people affected by breast cancer
Cancerkin’s news update….
New Staff
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Asini Wijewardane as Project Manager on our East London project and Habeeb Ahmed as Office Manager and Researcher. Asini joined us as an intern in September 2009 and she was offered (and accepted) this permanent role at the start of January. Habeeb also joined as an intern and subsequently applied for the above advertised position. He was successful in the interview process and was offered the post, which he accepted and started this week. Congratulations and welcome to both!
New Intern
We are also delighted to welcome Laura Newton who joined us this week, initially on a three month programme, to work on Events Planning. She will be concentrating initially on the Hyde Park Walk, taking place this year on Sunday 13th June.
In the news…
Unseen damage of alcohol abuse
Research published to coincide with a new TV campaign on the unseen dangers of alcohol abuse reveal that many people do not fully understand the long term damage they may be doing to their bodies by drinking more than the recommended amount. 86% of people surveyed were aware of the link with liver disease, but only 7% were aware of the strong links with breast cancer. Alcohol is converted into a toxic chemical in the body which damages DNA and stops cells repairing the damage, which can cause cancer. Sara Hiom of Cancer Research UK said: “Alcohol can …increase levels of oestrogen and unusually high levels of oestrogen can increase the risk of breast cancer”. Read more here: Cancer Research UK
Herceptin
A study reported in The Lancet (Feb 2010) by Dr Luca Gianni and others of the National Cancer Institute in Milan confirmed previous findings that the use of Herceptin alongside chemotherapy for patients with HER2 positive locally advanced or inflammatory breast cancer improves long term survival. In the study, her team compared one year’s treatment with Herceptin in 117 women, compared with one year’s treatment without the drug in 118 women. After 3 years, there was no recurrence of breast cancer in 71% of the women treated with Herceptin as against 56% of the women who did not receive it. Herceptin has been available on the NHS since 2006, following a high profile campaign.
Tamoxifen
The Daily Mail reported that scientists at Queens University, Belfast have identified a gene which predicts how women will respond to tamoxifen, a drug regularly used to treat women with hormone sensitive breast cancer. However, it is estimated that only around two-thirds of women put on the drug will benefit from it, so with further research, these scientists have said that this “…should allow us to identify which patients are unlikely to respond to or eventually relapse on tamoxifen therapy, which means they could be treated more aggressively with chemotherapy. In the next three years we should have a clearer indication of whether our research can benefit the patient.” Read more there: Breast cancer gene
The Tyranny of Positive Thinking
The Mail reports that when a (now ex) friend of Jenni Murray, journalist and presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, told her that pessimistic thinking had probably caused her breast cancer and that she must be positive and heal herself, she was absolutely furious. She said: “To be told that feeling miserable about a health problem…will make the condition worse seems nothing short of cruel”
There have been other reports in the press recently on a similar theme:
Two US university psychology professors argued that while a positive patient is more likely to attend appointments and look after themselves physically, it is very stressful to have to pretend to be upbeat all the time.
An American cancer nurse, Cynthia Ruttenberg referred to an “additional burden to an already devastated patient” when they have to live up to what has been called “the tyranny of positive thinking”.
Barbara Ehrenriech’s book “Smile or Die – How Positive Thinking Fooled America and the World”, talks more broadly about this issue and how it can negatively impact on not only our health, but also the workplace and the economy. When the author, who only started looking at this whole issue after a diagnosis of breast cancer herself, started investigating the experience of other sufferers, she discovered that the principal view was that only with a positive attitude will your immune system be able to beat the cancer. As she points out, that is just not true.
Jenni Murray concludes her own article by saying that while she has “no qualms about thinking positively…[but] to follow a philosophy that tries to persuade you that the way you think is what can make you better is a cheat and a lie.”
Read more on these stories here: Jenni Murray and Barbara Ehrenreich
Dogs and the power of smell
Dogs have been trained to sniff out people trapped in avalanches, illegal drugs and counterfeit or stolen money, so why not cancer? Dogs have an incredibly powerful sense of smell, many million times more sensitive than us. They can not only recognise a smell, but also its change over a period of time. An article in the Times reports that researchers have started training dogs to recognise the chemical smells produced by cancer tissues. In their first trial, dogs could detect which patients had cancer using breath and urine samples. Dog owners have reported anecdotally for many years now of their pet dogs detecting unknown cancers.
Read more here: The humble dog: man's best-equipped friend - Times Online
Nicky Waldman (n.waldman@cancerkin.org.uk) 3rd February 2010
New Staff
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Asini Wijewardane as Project Manager on our East London project and Habeeb Ahmed as Office Manager and Researcher. Asini joined us as an intern in September 2009 and she was offered (and accepted) this permanent role at the start of January. Habeeb also joined as an intern and subsequently applied for the above advertised position. He was successful in the interview process and was offered the post, which he accepted and started this week. Congratulations and welcome to both!
New Intern
We are also delighted to welcome Laura Newton who joined us this week, initially on a three month programme, to work on Events Planning. She will be concentrating initially on the Hyde Park Walk, taking place this year on Sunday 13th June.
In the news…
Unseen damage of alcohol abuse
Research published to coincide with a new TV campaign on the unseen dangers of alcohol abuse reveal that many people do not fully understand the long term damage they may be doing to their bodies by drinking more than the recommended amount. 86% of people surveyed were aware of the link with liver disease, but only 7% were aware of the strong links with breast cancer. Alcohol is converted into a toxic chemical in the body which damages DNA and stops cells repairing the damage, which can cause cancer. Sara Hiom of Cancer Research UK said: “Alcohol can …increase levels of oestrogen and unusually high levels of oestrogen can increase the risk of breast cancer”. Read more here: Cancer Research UK
Herceptin
A study reported in The Lancet (Feb 2010) by Dr Luca Gianni and others of the National Cancer Institute in Milan confirmed previous findings that the use of Herceptin alongside chemotherapy for patients with HER2 positive locally advanced or inflammatory breast cancer improves long term survival. In the study, her team compared one year’s treatment with Herceptin in 117 women, compared with one year’s treatment without the drug in 118 women. After 3 years, there was no recurrence of breast cancer in 71% of the women treated with Herceptin as against 56% of the women who did not receive it. Herceptin has been available on the NHS since 2006, following a high profile campaign.
Tamoxifen
The Daily Mail reported that scientists at Queens University, Belfast have identified a gene which predicts how women will respond to tamoxifen, a drug regularly used to treat women with hormone sensitive breast cancer. However, it is estimated that only around two-thirds of women put on the drug will benefit from it, so with further research, these scientists have said that this “…should allow us to identify which patients are unlikely to respond to or eventually relapse on tamoxifen therapy, which means they could be treated more aggressively with chemotherapy. In the next three years we should have a clearer indication of whether our research can benefit the patient.” Read more there: Breast cancer gene
The Tyranny of Positive Thinking
The Mail reports that when a (now ex) friend of Jenni Murray, journalist and presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, told her that pessimistic thinking had probably caused her breast cancer and that she must be positive and heal herself, she was absolutely furious. She said: “To be told that feeling miserable about a health problem…will make the condition worse seems nothing short of cruel”
There have been other reports in the press recently on a similar theme:
Two US university psychology professors argued that while a positive patient is more likely to attend appointments and look after themselves physically, it is very stressful to have to pretend to be upbeat all the time.
An American cancer nurse, Cynthia Ruttenberg referred to an “additional burden to an already devastated patient” when they have to live up to what has been called “the tyranny of positive thinking”.
Barbara Ehrenriech’s book “Smile or Die – How Positive Thinking Fooled America and the World”, talks more broadly about this issue and how it can negatively impact on not only our health, but also the workplace and the economy. When the author, who only started looking at this whole issue after a diagnosis of breast cancer herself, started investigating the experience of other sufferers, she discovered that the principal view was that only with a positive attitude will your immune system be able to beat the cancer. As she points out, that is just not true.
Jenni Murray concludes her own article by saying that while she has “no qualms about thinking positively…[but] to follow a philosophy that tries to persuade you that the way you think is what can make you better is a cheat and a lie.”
Read more on these stories here: Jenni Murray and Barbara Ehrenreich
Dogs and the power of smell
Dogs have been trained to sniff out people trapped in avalanches, illegal drugs and counterfeit or stolen money, so why not cancer? Dogs have an incredibly powerful sense of smell, many million times more sensitive than us. They can not only recognise a smell, but also its change over a period of time. An article in the Times reports that researchers have started training dogs to recognise the chemical smells produced by cancer tissues. In their first trial, dogs could detect which patients had cancer using breath and urine samples. Dog owners have reported anecdotally for many years now of their pet dogs detecting unknown cancers.
Read more here: The humble dog: man's best-equipped friend - Times Online
Nicky Waldman (n.waldman@cancerkin.org.uk) 3rd February 2010
Monday 1 February 2010
On the pulse...for people affected by breast cancer
In the news…
Breastlight
The Daily Telegraph reported on this hand held ‘torch’ (on sale at Boots) which shines a light through breast tissue and can light up tumours as small as 7mm, which would not be detected by a physical examination. Trials of the Breastlight in Ghana reported a very high success rate of 96%. There, the Breastlight was used as part of their screening process of women in rural areas. In this country, it is unlikely to be used in hospitals in place of mammograms, but rather by women at home, who find it difficult to do checks on themselves and perhaps more particularly by women under 50, who do not qualify for the national screening programme. Trials of the Breastlight at Sunderland City Hospital picked up 67% of a malignant tumours (mammography typically picks up 60 – 85%) and reported high satisfaction among women using the Breastlight. However critics are concerned that use of this ‘torch’ may result in needless anxiety. Dr Lesley Walker of Cancer Research UK said: "There is no clear evidence to show this sort of home-testing kit could reliably detect breast cancer. There's a danger that use of the device could leave some women with increased levels of anxiety and others with false reassurance." Read more: Daily Telegraph
Personalised breast cancer care
While many patients respond well to adjuvant chemotherapy, up to 20% do not. Scientists based at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute identified two genes that, when abnormally active, enabled cancer cells to resist anthracyclines.[1] It is hoped that this may be a step towards developing a genetic test of breast cancers to help doctors choose the best chemotherapy treatment for each patient. In so doing, they would be able to avoid using more or less the same treatments for all, and a patient suffering the side effects of a drug that was most unlikely to be effective anyway. Meg McArthur, from Breakthrough Breast Cancer, said: “This research is a step towards discovering why some patients benefit more than others from a common form of chemotherapy. Research like this is important for identifying the appropriate treatment for individual patients.” Oliver Childs, from Cancer Research UK, said: "It is too early to say whether this research will lead to a predictive test, but work like this inches us a little closer towards an age of personalised cancer treatment."
Read more here: Daily Telegraph Mail Online and for any medics among you at Nature Journal
Breast Screening – pros and cons
The Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine published an opinion piece this month levelling various criticisms at the NHS Breast Cancer Screening Review 2008. One of the main issues in a screening programme is balancing the benefits and harms of the procedure. The benefits include identifying and treating cancers at the earliest possible stage, thereby giving patients the best possible chance of long term survival. The harms include over-diagnosis, over-treatment and false positives[2]. The opinion piece says that undue emphasis has been placed on the benefits, but many believe that the complexity of the evidence makes this issue difficult to judge.
Read more about this at NHS Choices and also a comment piece in The Guardian: click here Guardian comment
Red lentil Soup
You may be wondering what this has to do with breast cancer, but as I like to introduce a lighter hearted note where I can, this is a recipe from the Daily Mail for the cooks among you, using lentils and celery – both of which are claimed to contain compounds that can fight cancer. Click, cook and enjoy…Soup
Nicky Waldman (n.waldman@cancerkin.org.uk) 27th January 2010
[1] Class of drugs commonly used in chemotherapy for breast cancer.
[2] A result that is wrongly positive when a situation is normal.
Breastlight
The Daily Telegraph reported on this hand held ‘torch’ (on sale at Boots) which shines a light through breast tissue and can light up tumours as small as 7mm, which would not be detected by a physical examination. Trials of the Breastlight in Ghana reported a very high success rate of 96%. There, the Breastlight was used as part of their screening process of women in rural areas. In this country, it is unlikely to be used in hospitals in place of mammograms, but rather by women at home, who find it difficult to do checks on themselves and perhaps more particularly by women under 50, who do not qualify for the national screening programme. Trials of the Breastlight at Sunderland City Hospital picked up 67% of a malignant tumours (mammography typically picks up 60 – 85%) and reported high satisfaction among women using the Breastlight. However critics are concerned that use of this ‘torch’ may result in needless anxiety. Dr Lesley Walker of Cancer Research UK said: "There is no clear evidence to show this sort of home-testing kit could reliably detect breast cancer. There's a danger that use of the device could leave some women with increased levels of anxiety and others with false reassurance." Read more: Daily Telegraph
Personalised breast cancer care
While many patients respond well to adjuvant chemotherapy, up to 20% do not. Scientists based at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute identified two genes that, when abnormally active, enabled cancer cells to resist anthracyclines.[1] It is hoped that this may be a step towards developing a genetic test of breast cancers to help doctors choose the best chemotherapy treatment for each patient. In so doing, they would be able to avoid using more or less the same treatments for all, and a patient suffering the side effects of a drug that was most unlikely to be effective anyway. Meg McArthur, from Breakthrough Breast Cancer, said: “This research is a step towards discovering why some patients benefit more than others from a common form of chemotherapy. Research like this is important for identifying the appropriate treatment for individual patients.” Oliver Childs, from Cancer Research UK, said: "It is too early to say whether this research will lead to a predictive test, but work like this inches us a little closer towards an age of personalised cancer treatment."
Read more here: Daily Telegraph Mail Online and for any medics among you at Nature Journal
Breast Screening – pros and cons
The Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine published an opinion piece this month levelling various criticisms at the NHS Breast Cancer Screening Review 2008. One of the main issues in a screening programme is balancing the benefits and harms of the procedure. The benefits include identifying and treating cancers at the earliest possible stage, thereby giving patients the best possible chance of long term survival. The harms include over-diagnosis, over-treatment and false positives[2]. The opinion piece says that undue emphasis has been placed on the benefits, but many believe that the complexity of the evidence makes this issue difficult to judge.
Read more about this at NHS Choices and also a comment piece in The Guardian: click here Guardian comment
Red lentil Soup
You may be wondering what this has to do with breast cancer, but as I like to introduce a lighter hearted note where I can, this is a recipe from the Daily Mail for the cooks among you, using lentils and celery – both of which are claimed to contain compounds that can fight cancer. Click, cook and enjoy…Soup
Nicky Waldman (n.waldman@cancerkin.org.uk) 27th January 2010
[1] Class of drugs commonly used in chemotherapy for breast cancer.
[2] A result that is wrongly positive when a situation is normal.
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