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

On the pulse

Cancerkin News…
Internship programme…
Nearly one year ago, Cancerkin launched its first internship programme, taking on 3 young interns to help around the office and launch some new initiatives. Now Asini, Habeeb and Lauren are well and truly settled in, we are doing it again! During September and October we are looking to recruit 4 more interns into the roles of: East London Project Intern, Events and Fundraising Intern, Research Intern and Administrator/Office Manager Intern. The roles have been advertised on university websites and with the Government Graduate Talent Pool. If you know of anyone who would be interested in any of these roles, or would like more information please email l.newton@cancerkin.org. A job description of each of the roles can be found by navigating to the ‘jobs with us’ section which is located in ‘about us’ in the menu on the left hand side.

In The News….
Breast cancer rates in the UK are falling…
This week has seen many articles reporting on the positives of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment in the UK. Firstly there was the news that breast cancer rates have fallen faster in the UK, since the 1980s, than in any other major European county. Following this a group of researchers have challenged claims that survival rates in the UK are worse than anywhere else in Western Europe. Studying mortality rates in 30 different countries, the researchers have said that the UK’s apparently poor survival rates are misleading because of the way cancer patients are registered, whereas population-based mortality rates are more reliable.

Anna Gavin, a public health consultant for the National Cancer Intelligence Network and one of the report's authors, said: "Despite the fact that the number of cases are going up, and the population is getting older, deaths have still fallen”. In the report, published online at the British Medical Journal, Gavin accounts the fall in death rates to the large investment in the way breast cancer services have been organised, alongside improved awareness and screening and better treatments.

Professors Beral and Peto from Oxford University agreed with the studying telling the British Medical Journal that “death rates are a better guide to how the UK is doing because incomplete data makes survival rates seem significantly worse than they really are…In contrast with death registration, cancer registration is not statutory in the UK and is known to be somewhat incomplete,"

To read the full report, including more detailed stats of Britain and Europe’s breast cancer treatment please click here.


Western lifestyle takes a bashing….
Scientists from the World Cancer Research Fund announced this week that the Western lifestyle plays a large role in the rise of breast cancer among British women. Theories on why certain women get breast cancer have been well debated throughout history, excessive eating and drinking, smoking, the pill and a lack of exercise have all been attributed to the rise in breast cancer diagnosis. With so many do’s and don’ts it can be hard to know what to look out for. The Daily Mail, in co-ordination with Dr Moffat, a health information manager with Cancer Research UK published an article this week that assesses the significance of each known risk factor. The lengthy article addresses each ‘theory’ with an ‘expert advice’ and aims to divide the myths and superstitions around breast cancer from the facts and figures. The relation between house cleaning products, HRT, anti-perspirants, underwired bras, (to name a few), and breast cancer are all discussed.

To take a look at the results and swat up on the real risks of breast cancer click here.

Sisterly love…
This mornings (Friday) Metro ran a tender story about 54-year-old twin sisters Judith Brownhill and Heather Mole who were have both been diagnosed with breast cancer. Unfortunately, this is where the similarities end as whilst Judith has been given the all clear, Heather is terminally ill. Speaking with bravery and heart, Heather said this of hearing the news that her sister was going to survive, ‘It was wonderful news when she told me she was going to be okay..It’s strange, but it felt like a relief as much as anything, as I knew she would be there for my son when I’m gone’. This is the second diagnosis for Judith and Heather, who both overcame cancer earlier in life.

Their story was on page 33 of the Metro Friday 13th August.


Lauren Newton 13th August 2010
l.newton@cancerkin.org.uk