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

On the pulse

Cancerkin news…
Therapy updates…
With the summer months drawing to a close there are a few notable changes and introductions to our therapy programme:

1. Pilates: Kara Dressel our resident Pilates instructor will her resume classes this week, Thursday 16th September at the usual time of 1.30-2.30pm.
2. Hypnotherapy: The Cancerkin office is now taking bookings for new hypnotherapy sessions starting on Monday 4th October. If you are interested in booking a session or would like more information about hypnotherapy please call the office on 0207 830 2323.
3. Music Therapy: Cancerkin is pleased to announce the trial of this new therapy. Pilot sessions will be run across the following Fridays: 24th September, 1st October, 8thOctober. Again, if you are interested in trying out this creative and fun new therapy sessions please call the Cancerkin Centre to book a slot. These sessions will be run on a one-to-one basis.
4. Yoga: From Friday 17th September, Martin will be away on holiday for three weeks with the class resuming on Friday 8th October.

Breast cancer awareness month…
Our fundraising ideas page can now be found on our website, so if you were thinking about doing something extraordinary for Cancerkin this Breast Cancer Awareness month, be sure to check it out for ideas. With suggestions for work fundraising, school fundraising and even individual initiatives there is something there for everyone. In a week where the Metro published a story rating UK citizens in the Top 10 of charity givers, there is no reason not to get involved! Do something amazing this October – have fun and help hundreds of women in the process!

In the news…
Recreating history…
The campaign “Everyone is Art” is taking a rather creative approach to highlight issues surrounding breast cancer for this years Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October). Asking members of the public to upload their breast cancer stories and pictures - of themselves and their loved ones – artist Samira Harris will use the photos to recreate a giant version of Botticelli’s Renaissance painting, Birth of Venus. 1,096 of the photos submitted will be used in the homage, a figure that replicates the number of women diagnosed with breast cancer in Europe every day.

Launched by Samsung Electronics Group, the campaign is also associated with 17 different European breast cancer charities including the UK based charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer. A spokesperson for Samsung Electronics said: “Samsung is appealing for photos of men and women who have been affected by breast cancer, either directly or through a loved one. We are also looking for photos of the hard-working and inspiring pink ribbon campaigners who take part in marathons or dye their hair pink to promote awareness."

Anyone interested can upload their pictures by visiting the website www.morethantalk.eu/everyoneisart. The deadline for images is 24th September. The finished composition will be revealed on 14th October 2010, Samsung’s European Breast Cancer Awareness Day; at The Royal Exchange in Central London. After this it will be sold, with all profits going towards European breast cancer charities.
For more information click here


Node testing to waiting times for surgery…
A new lymph node testing technique known as OSNA - On-table Sentinel Node Analysis is able to test lymph nodes for cancerous cells on the same day a patient would go in to have their lump removed. Results can come back within the hour and if the nodes have to be removed, it can be done straight away rather than in a later operation, as was the previously the case. The hope is that this new technique will negate the need for a second operation, thus preventing unnecessary stress and strain on the patient whilst also drastically cutting operation waiting times (and thus patient service times) as the node test results are available almost immediately. Currently the high tech procedure is only being used at 5 hospitals across the UK.

To find out more about OSNA please click here

Breast cancer website to predict survival chances…?
Website www.predict.nhs.uk is being launched today to help breast cancer patients predict their chances of survival. Allowing you to enter data such as your age, size and width of tumour, grade of cancer and whether the tumours detection came from screening or home inspection, the website predicts the likelihood of survival for the next 5-10 years, as well as offering suggestions on extra benefits such as other drug treatments. Developed by a team at Cambridge breast unit at Cambridge University Hospital, the website was designed using data on more than 5,600 patients from the Eastern Cancer Registration and Information Centre for East Anglia, including a range of hospitals and trusts. To ensure an accurate range of cancer survival across the UK, this data was then cross-referenced with information from the West Midlands. As the website’s sole premise is to make ‘predictions’ and give ‘advice’, the need for accuracy is paramount and as such it is planned that the website will be continually updated as more and more data becomes available.

Senior Policy officer at Breakthrough Breast Cancer, Meg McArthur encouraged all users of the site to talk through the results with their breast consultant saying although the “website could potentially lead to improved treatment choices and could help the partnership between patients and healthcare professionals, it is important for patients to work with their specialist to choose the right drug treatment following breast cancer surgery”.

To read more about the ‘Predict’ website as well as some other findings about calcium and breast cancer published in the British Journal of Cancer this week please click here.

Lauren Newton 15th September 2010
l.newton@cancerkin.org.uk