On The Pulse.....for women affected by breast cancer

On the pulse

Cancerkin’s news update….

East London outreach project

As some of you may or may not be aware Cancerkin have begun a breast cancer awareness outreach project amongst the communities of East London. The project aims to increase awareness of breast cancer among communities that up to now have had low take up of screening, poor engagement with GPs and thus low survival rates for breast cancer; and to provide Cancerkin’s complementary therapies either in those communities or at Cancerkin’s premises at the RFH (with transport paid for). The project is focused on the London boroughs of Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest, as they have some of the highest mortality rates for breast cancer in London. To date we have successfully completed two collaborative outreach events at the John Scurr Community Centre in Limehouse and The Hub in Canning Town. Next week we will continue our work at the Newnham African Caribbean Resource Centre in Plaistow. The outcomes of the project will initially be focused on levels of engagement with local communities and take up of Cancerkin’s services.

Virgin Money launches charity credit card

Virgin Money has launched a new credit card that will give 1 per cent, with Gift Aid, of the money that customers spend to charity. Each time the Virgin charity credit card is used, Virgin Money will make a ‘cash back' payment of 0.8 per cent of the value of the transaction and this will be given to a charity chosen by the customer.

A Virgin Money spokesman said: "This is an easy and convenient way to support good causes. Cardholders will be able to nominate their chosen charities, which they can change quickly and easily."

If you have a Virgin Money card please think of Cancerkin when spending on your card! This really would make a valuable difference to the work we do!

In the news…

The UK’s cancer survival deficit

Policy Exchange, the centre-right think tank, revealed this week that although the UK spends more than any other European country on cancer research our cancer survival rates fall significantly below the European average. So why is this and what can the UK do to change it? Well, Policy Exchange has attributed such a contradiction to the lack of money the UK invests in treatment services compared to its European counterparts. The government seems to agree. Among other things, their recent Cancer Reform Strategy seeks to increase access to screening, radiotherapy and chemotherapy so that by 2012 the UK matches the standard set by other European countries. Although these targets are indeed improvements to the current system are they enough? Nick James, Professor of clinical oncology at the University of Birmingham and Professor Gordon Rustin, director of medical oncology at Mount Vernon Cancer Centre don’t seem to think so. For them there remains a catalogue of issues still to be addressed. GPs are not as up to speed on detecting symptoms in their earliest stages as they should be and once detected they have little access to diagnostic tests, often resulting in late diagnosis. Increased but still patchy access to drugs and reduced waiting times, does not sing of a wholly functional system for all and then finally there is the traditionally British attitude of not wanting to ‘bother’ the doctor. Read More: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/feb/23/improve-uk-cancer-survival

Gene testing to aid breast cancer

Gene-screening has been used to identify women most likely to benefit from one type of breast cancer chemotherapy. Scientists scanned 829 genes in breast cancer tumour cells and selected six, which if missing or faulty would prevent the chemotherapy agent paclitaxel working properly. Researches believe that by addressing individual’s needs, and recognising that not all sufferers will need one type of drug, the prescription of drugs could potentially become more cost effective and thus available on the NHS. Of the 45,500 women diagnosed with breast cancer each year approximately 15% are on paclitaxel; a percentage of which may not need to be.

Dr Charles Swanton, from the Cancer Research UK charity's London Research Institute, said: ''A great challenge in cancer medicine is determining which patients will benefit from particular cancer drugs and it is hoped that this research is a step towards more rapid developments in this type of personalised medicine.
To read the article in more depth please follow the link: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7337670/Gene-test-aids-breast-cancer-treatment.html

The revival of the Ward Sister

The Primer Minister’s Commission on the Future of Nursing and Midwifery is calling for the revival of the role of the ward sister as the heart of hospital care. The commission is also looking to place more comprehensible procedures and protections around the term ‘nurse’, with only those registered by the Nursing and Midwifery council allowed to use them.
The role of the Ward Sister had previously been a pillar of support to both patients and staff, administering both medical and emotional care. Do you feel that this would have made a difference to your experience in the wards: would you have felt more secure/less isolated etc? If you have any responses you would like to share please email me at l.newton@cancerkin.org.uk

Lauren Newton 5th March 2010
l.newton@cancerkin.org.uk