On the pulse...for women affected by breast cancer

On the pulse

Cancerkin’s news update….

Hyde Park Walk
The time of year is upon us again where preparation begins for our annual Cancerkin Hyde Park walk. This year the event will be held on Sunday 13th June, and our fingers are crossed for the same glorious weather we had last year! The Cancerkin team have been sending out all your invites, so please keep an eye out for a Cancerkin envelope in your post during this next week. All you need to do is fill in the entry form enclosed and send it back to us ASAP. We require one entry form per person, so if your household needs more than that please visit the events section on our website where you will find a downloadable version or ring the Cancerkin Centre to receive extras by post. Once you have registered, you can begin your sponsorship campaign. We would love to see of many of our Cancerkin supporters there as possible with their friends, families, dogs and grandchildren! If you think your child or grandchild’s class or school might be interested in getting involved please call or email me at l.newton@cancerkin.org.uk and I will send them some information!

If you already know you can not attend but would like to show your support, donations can be sent to the Cancerkin Centre marked for the attention of Lauren Newton. Please clearly state that your generous contribution is for the Hyde Park Walk event.

I look forward to seeing you all in June.

In the news…

Radiotherapy during cancer operations could spare weeks of X-rays
Research recorded by the University College London estimates that a pioneering new cancer treatment could cut waiting lists for radiotherapy and costs for the NHS at a staggering £15million pounds each year. The Intrabeam, a portable X-ray machine, targets radiotherapy at the very site of the tumour, during a breast operation, rather than after.

Of the 45,000 women per year diagnosed with breast cancer, two-thirds require radiotherapy after an operation- to kill any cells that may have been missed. More testing is needed, but Prof Michael Baum, professor emeritus of surgery at UCL, is positive stating: “if it works out, many women will be spared six weeks of treatment going back and forth to the radiotherapy centre.”
Furthermore the mobility that the machine allows means that treatment for very sick patients can be completely revolutionised. The European Breast Cancer Conference, held in Barcelona revealed that so far of the 77 patients who have been treated with the Intrabeam over the past seven years, just two have had their cancer return.

Last year Cancerkin bought and donated an Intrabeam machine for use at the Royal Free Hospital. We are very pleased to be a part of such revolutionary treatment and continue to follow its progress with interest.

To read the whole article please click here

Breast cancer screening IS useful…
The accuracy and efficiency of Breast Cancer screening has come under attack in recent months, with many suggesting it does little in the way of actively saving lives. However, new research reveals that for every case of over diagnosis, two lives are saved as a result.

A research group from Denmark found that among 80,000 women from the age of 50 across Sweden and England, 5.7 deaths from breast cancer were prevented for every 1,000 women screened over 20 years in England. The number of estimated cases of over diagnosis was 2.3 per 1,000 women over the same period. Such over diagnosis is attributed to the difficulty in distinguishing between aggressive and less harmful types of cancer, instead routinely treating all.

The authors, said: "The benefit of mammographic screening in terms of lives saved is greater in absolute terms than the harm in terms of over diagnosis. Between 2 and 2.5 lives are saved for every over diagnosed case."The full article can be found here

Walnuts revealed as superfood for fighting breast cancer
Researches from Marshall University School of Medicine have revealed that a diet rich in walnuts can significantly reduce the risk of breast cancer. A study was carried out on mice that were given the cancer virus. Some mice were then fed a walnut rich diet while others were not. The mice that included walnuts in their diet had less breast cancers and indeed in the few that did appear it did not develop until later in life and the tumours were much smaller.

The findings have been attributed to the omega 3 content, phytosterol and mono-unsaturated fats present in walnuts. To read the full article, pick up the new spring issue of Icon magazine when next at the Cancerkin centre. The magazine is full of interesting articles revolving around beating cancer.

LaurenNewton 31st March 2010
l.newton@cancerkin.org.uk