On the pulse...
Cancerkin's News Update.....
An evening at the theatre approaches...
Cancerkin’s final event to promote Breast Cancer Awareness Month is nearly here – a night at the theatre for a performance of ‘The Last of The Duchess’ starring Sheila Hancock. We are looking forward to seeing our theatre goers down at the Hampstead Theatre on Monday 31st October 2011.
There will be an interval raffle on the evening with fantastic prizes, including a stay in a villa in Portugal, gifts from Floris London, dinner at Bradley’s restaurant and a hair cut at Daniel Adams Hairdressers. Tickets will be on sale throughout the reception at £5 each or 5 for £20, so do come prepared!
New patient support group speaker...
We have a new speaker for our patient support group next week on Tuesday 25th October 2011. Nutritional therapist Marta Vazquez will speak about nutrition, diet and healthy living from 11am to 12pm, followed by a talk from our experienced patients Judy and Janet from 12pm to 1pm. For more information, please contact Una on u.reynolds@cancerkin.org.uk or 0207 830 2323.
Cancerkin & Maggie’s Centre ‘Getting Started with Cancer Treatment’ Workshop
Cancerkin will be hosting cancer support service Maggie’s ‘Getting Started with Cancer Treatment’ workshop on Monday 31st October from 10:30am to 1:30pm. The workshop has been specifically designed by the team at Maggie’s for patients who have been diagnosed with cancer within the last twelve months. It aims to help with a better understanding of treatment, managing side effects and being as healthy in mind and body as possible during and after treatment. The workshop will be led by one of Maggie’s Cancer Support Specialists. Places are limited, so if you would like to attend, please contact Una on 020 7830 2323 or u.reynolds@cancerkin.org.uk.
Lymphoedema clinic new recruit...
Cancerkin would like to introduce a new member of its lymphoedema clinic team, Kathy Ashun. Kathy will be volunteering at the clinic, helping with administration and greeting patients. Do say hello to her if you see her around the centre. Welcome Kathy!
In the News.....
Breast cancer risk over 70…
A third of the 48,000 breast cancer diagnoses made a year in Britain fall within the over 70's age category. Increasing age is the most significant risk factor for developing breast cancer but is often the risk most overlooked by women. A poll by Breast Cancer Campaign has revealed an alarming number of older women are unaware of their risks of developing breast cancer.
The survey revealed that only 1 in 50 women aged over 70 realised they are the age group with the highest risk. Many wrongly thought that women aged 40 to 59 are at greatest risk of developing the disease. It also found that only half of those over 70 were aware that although they do not get routinely invited to an NHS breast screening appointment, they are entitled to request one. According to the poll only 1 in 7 women had attended a screening since turning 71.
Baroness Delyth Morgan, chief executive of Breast Cancer Campaign, stressed that better awareness and education is needed about age as an increasing risk factor and about breast screening programmes. She said: “We read daily about different risk factors for breast cancer including alcohol and weight. While these are important, age is the most significant risk factor of all and yet women, including those most likely to be affected, remain in the dark about this [...] It is absolutely vital that women of this age are better informed about their risk and the steps they can take to ensure their breast health is a priority.”
For more information about NHS breast screening please click here. For more on this story, go to The Telegraph and The Daily Mail.
New test predicts chance of breast cancer return...
A new test has been developed by Breakthrough Breast Cancer scientists that helps identify whether women diagnosed with ER positive breast cancer are at risk of the disease returning. This type of cancer is the most commonly diagnosed form of the disease, accounting for over three quarters (37,000) of all cases a year in the UK.
When a patient is diagnosed with ER positive breast cancer, their tumour is removed through surgery and they are then treated with hormone therapy to kill any remaining cancer cells and to reduce the risk of recurrence. Based on an assessment of the tumour, they may also be given chemotherapy to further reduce the risk. In around 12,000 cases, it is not possible to clearly determine whether a patient should or should not receive chemotherapy. Rather than run the risk of not giving a patient treatment that is actually needed, chemotherapy will be given in this situation.
While effective at preventing a return of the cancer, chemotherapy is known for its unpleasant side effects, including hair loss, lethargy, and risk of infection and blood clots. The newly developed test may be able to save many women who fall into the ‘unclear’ category from undergoing unnecessary and unpleasant chemo, by allowing doctors to make a much more certain decision on the treatment they require. The test measures the levels of key four proteins in ER positive breast cancer (ER, PR, HER2 and Ki67) to determine the risk of recurrence. It uses technology already available in almost all NHS laboratories and should cost a tenth of the only existing alternative, Oncotype DX, which is only available in one US lab and costs £2,500 for private UK patients.
Professor Mitch Dowsett from the Institute for Cancer Research and the Royal Marsden said: “I think it will help about 8,000 women a year make a much more certain decision about their treatment. It will allow us to say about a third of the 12,000 probably do need chemo and about a third probably don't […] It is a major step towards more personalised and targeted treatment of breast cancer, which will mean that women can avoid unnecessary chemotherapy and its toxic side effects."
To read more, click here or here.
Laura Smith 21st October 2011
l.smith@cancerkin.org.uk
Monday 24 October 2011
Friday 21 October 2011
On the pulse - 14th October 2011
On the pulse
Cancerkin's News Update.....
Breast cancer awareness month at Cancerkin...
Cancerkin has been busy helping to promote and celebrate the message of breast awareness this October.
Last Friday, our East London Project Team was at the Bromley-By-Bow Community Centre to hold a breast awareness stall alongside its monthly complementary session for women with breast cancer. They handed out information and answered questions on being breast aware along with free pink iced cupcakes!
On Wednesday, we held our annual breast awareness stall at the Royal Free Hospital where the brand new edition of our ‘Being Breast Aware: a step-by-step guide to breast awareness’ booklet made its debut. The Cancerkin Team handed out the free publication and gave information to members of the public, patients and hospital staff. Alongside this, there were lots of lovely gifts, books and cakes on sale to raise funds for Cancerkin. We raised a record amount of £1376.
Thank you so much to all those who came along to support us and to those who volunteered their time and gave donations for the stall. We would especially like to thank Heidi Cleveley who donated some fantastic gifts, including tea sets, jewellery boxes and natural soaps. Thank you, Heidi!
As always, we so are grateful to those who support Cancerkin through their own fundraising drives and initiatives. If you would like to organise your own event in honour of Cancerkin during October, here are a few ideas: you could hold a cake sale at work; you could have a car boot sale at the weekend; or you could donate the proceeds of your eBay auction to Cancerkin. If you know of a local business or store that might like to hold a collection can or to plan a fundraiser for Cancerkin, then do get in touch. For more information, please contact Laura on l.smith@cancerkin.org.uk or 0207 830 2323.
Patient support group – change to schedule...
There has been a change to the schedule of our upcoming patient support group on Tuesday 25th October 2011. Unfortuantely, the talk due to be given by Dietician Katie Walker is being rescheduled to a later date. The October group will now proceed as follows: there will be general group discussion with tea and biscuits from 11am to 12pm, followed by a talk from our experienced patients Judy and Janet from 12pm to 1pm. For more information, please contact Una on u.reynolds@cancerkin.org.uk or 0207 830 2323.
Creative Writing Workshop in November...
Lily Seibold will be holding another creative writing workshop on Monday 7th November 2011 from 10am to 3pm. The topic of this session is ‘small is beautiful’. Please contact Una on u.reynolds@cancerkin.org.uk or 0207 830 2323 to reserve your place.
In the News.....
Preventative drugs for high risk women...
Recently On the Pulse reported on current research into the use of existing cancer drugs as preventative treatments for those with a high risk of developing breast cancer. In a Cancer Research UK-funded trial into over 6,000 high risk postmenopausal women with a family history of the disease, researchers are working to find out if the drug anastrozole may help to prevent breast cancer. An interesting article on the topic published this week in The Telegraph looks at the history and the relative risks and benefits of the use of ‘chemoprevention’ treatments. The article asks: if those at risk of heart disease are commonly prescribed drugs like statins to lower their risk, is it possible to take the same approach with cancer?
The risk-lowering potential of breast cancer drugs was first noted in the 1990s when researchers found that women receiving tamoxifen to treat tumours in one breast were less likely to develop them in the other. A 1998 American study also found that in women who had never actually had the disease but who had a family history of breast cancer, risk was cut by almost half when they were prescribed tamoxifen. As a result, the drug was approved for use to prevent breast cancer in the US in the same year. Another trial looked at 19,000 postmenopausal women who were prescribed the drug raloxifene and found it halved the incidence of breast cancer. It was subsequently also licensed for breast cancer prevention.
However, despite the promising results, neither drug has been widely used in this capacity, as both carry a small risk of life-threatening blood clots and other serious side-effects. Two other breast cancer drugs, anastrozole and exemestane, have undergone more recent trials and seem to have fewer serious risks. Side effects such as hot flushes still persist and it is thought that they could lead to a weakening of the bones if taken long-term. Belonging to a group of drugs called aromatase inhibitors, they are also only suitable for use in postmenopausal women
Chemoprevention is faced with a number of difficult issues. The possible risks pose a dilemma: do the potential risk-lowering benefits of the drugs outweigh the risk of side effects in healthy women? In theory, the drugs are to be aimed at high risk women, that is, women whose mothers or sisters had breast or ovarian cancer by the age of 50 and for whom the benefits would therefore probably outweigh any potential harm. Another problem with the drugs is their lack of immediate, tangible effects, making acceptance by patients and doctors difficult. While the progress of statins used to prevent heart disease can be monitored by reduced cholesterol levels, there is no such marker for breast cancer prevention, only the potential to lower risk. Another major issue in the UK is the absence of regulatory approval for breast cancer prevention drugs and a lack of financial incentive for drugs companies to apply for expensive new marketing licences from EU or UK regulatory bodies.
To read this interesting article in full and find out more about IBIS-II trial into anastrozole, please click here here.
Laura Smith 14th October 2011
l.smith@cancerkin.org.uk
Cancerkin's News Update.....
Breast cancer awareness month at Cancerkin...
Cancerkin has been busy helping to promote and celebrate the message of breast awareness this October.
Last Friday, our East London Project Team was at the Bromley-By-Bow Community Centre to hold a breast awareness stall alongside its monthly complementary session for women with breast cancer. They handed out information and answered questions on being breast aware along with free pink iced cupcakes!
On Wednesday, we held our annual breast awareness stall at the Royal Free Hospital where the brand new edition of our ‘Being Breast Aware: a step-by-step guide to breast awareness’ booklet made its debut. The Cancerkin Team handed out the free publication and gave information to members of the public, patients and hospital staff. Alongside this, there were lots of lovely gifts, books and cakes on sale to raise funds for Cancerkin. We raised a record amount of £1376.
Thank you so much to all those who came along to support us and to those who volunteered their time and gave donations for the stall. We would especially like to thank Heidi Cleveley who donated some fantastic gifts, including tea sets, jewellery boxes and natural soaps. Thank you, Heidi!
As always, we so are grateful to those who support Cancerkin through their own fundraising drives and initiatives. If you would like to organise your own event in honour of Cancerkin during October, here are a few ideas: you could hold a cake sale at work; you could have a car boot sale at the weekend; or you could donate the proceeds of your eBay auction to Cancerkin. If you know of a local business or store that might like to hold a collection can or to plan a fundraiser for Cancerkin, then do get in touch. For more information, please contact Laura on l.smith@cancerkin.org.uk or 0207 830 2323.
Patient support group – change to schedule...
There has been a change to the schedule of our upcoming patient support group on Tuesday 25th October 2011. Unfortuantely, the talk due to be given by Dietician Katie Walker is being rescheduled to a later date. The October group will now proceed as follows: there will be general group discussion with tea and biscuits from 11am to 12pm, followed by a talk from our experienced patients Judy and Janet from 12pm to 1pm. For more information, please contact Una on u.reynolds@cancerkin.org.uk or 0207 830 2323.
Creative Writing Workshop in November...
Lily Seibold will be holding another creative writing workshop on Monday 7th November 2011 from 10am to 3pm. The topic of this session is ‘small is beautiful’. Please contact Una on u.reynolds@cancerkin.org.uk or 0207 830 2323 to reserve your place.
In the News.....
Preventative drugs for high risk women...
Recently On the Pulse reported on current research into the use of existing cancer drugs as preventative treatments for those with a high risk of developing breast cancer. In a Cancer Research UK-funded trial into over 6,000 high risk postmenopausal women with a family history of the disease, researchers are working to find out if the drug anastrozole may help to prevent breast cancer. An interesting article on the topic published this week in The Telegraph looks at the history and the relative risks and benefits of the use of ‘chemoprevention’ treatments. The article asks: if those at risk of heart disease are commonly prescribed drugs like statins to lower their risk, is it possible to take the same approach with cancer?
The risk-lowering potential of breast cancer drugs was first noted in the 1990s when researchers found that women receiving tamoxifen to treat tumours in one breast were less likely to develop them in the other. A 1998 American study also found that in women who had never actually had the disease but who had a family history of breast cancer, risk was cut by almost half when they were prescribed tamoxifen. As a result, the drug was approved for use to prevent breast cancer in the US in the same year. Another trial looked at 19,000 postmenopausal women who were prescribed the drug raloxifene and found it halved the incidence of breast cancer. It was subsequently also licensed for breast cancer prevention.
However, despite the promising results, neither drug has been widely used in this capacity, as both carry a small risk of life-threatening blood clots and other serious side-effects. Two other breast cancer drugs, anastrozole and exemestane, have undergone more recent trials and seem to have fewer serious risks. Side effects such as hot flushes still persist and it is thought that they could lead to a weakening of the bones if taken long-term. Belonging to a group of drugs called aromatase inhibitors, they are also only suitable for use in postmenopausal women
Chemoprevention is faced with a number of difficult issues. The possible risks pose a dilemma: do the potential risk-lowering benefits of the drugs outweigh the risk of side effects in healthy women? In theory, the drugs are to be aimed at high risk women, that is, women whose mothers or sisters had breast or ovarian cancer by the age of 50 and for whom the benefits would therefore probably outweigh any potential harm. Another problem with the drugs is their lack of immediate, tangible effects, making acceptance by patients and doctors difficult. While the progress of statins used to prevent heart disease can be monitored by reduced cholesterol levels, there is no such marker for breast cancer prevention, only the potential to lower risk. Another major issue in the UK is the absence of regulatory approval for breast cancer prevention drugs and a lack of financial incentive for drugs companies to apply for expensive new marketing licences from EU or UK regulatory bodies.
To read this interesting article in full and find out more about IBIS-II trial into anastrozole, please click here here.
Laura Smith 14th October 2011
l.smith@cancerkin.org.uk
On the pulse - 7th October 2011
On the Pulse
Cancerkin's News Update.....
A trip to Floris...
This week, the Cancerkin Team accompanied the three winners of our Hyde Park Walk top fundraisers competition on a trip to Floris, where they were presented with their prizes. Linda Cohen, Debra Franses Bean and Sue Glasser received gifts from Floris and Pizza Express, and were then shown around the historic premises and invited to tea with Marketing Director Edward Bodenham. We would like to thank Floris and Pizza Express for providing the prizes, and to thank Edward on behalf of our winners and our team for his kind hospitality – a lovely afternoon was had by all!
Breast Cancer Awareness month...
Please come and support our annual breast awareness stand on Wednesday 12th October 2011 from 10am to 4pm, outside the Atrium at the Royal Free Hospital. We will be handing out information on being breast aware and about Cancerkin’s services and there will be lots of books, gifts and cakes for sale.
Volunteers needed...
We are looking for volunteers to help manage the awareness stall and hold collection tins so please do get in touch if you are able to help. You can contact Laura on 0207 830 2323 or email l.smith@cancerkin.org.uk.
October talk…
On Tuesday 25th October at 11am Katie Walker, Clinical Lead Dietician (Nutrition Support) at the Royal Free, will be speaking at our monthly patient support group for those with breast cancer. She will give a talk on healthy eating and take question from the audience on any dietary related queries. If you are interested in attending, please contact Una on u.reynolds@cancerkin.org.uk.
Cancerkin & Maggie’s Centre ‘Getting Started with Cancer Treatment’ Workshop
Cancerkin is very excited to announce a joint venture with cancer support service Maggie’s Centre. Cancerkin will be hosting a ‘Getting Started with Cancer Treatment’ workshop on Monday 31st October from 10:30am to 1:30pm. The workshop has been specifically designed by the team at Maggie’s for patients who have been diagnosed with cancer within the last twelve months. The aim of the workshop is to help with better understanding treatment, managing side effects and being as healthy in mind and body as possible, during and after treatment. The workshop will be led by one of Maggie’s Cancer Support Specialists. Places are limited, so if you would like to attend, please contact Una on 020 7830 2323 or u.reynolds@cancerkin.org.uk.
In the News.....
Beta-blockers and breast cancer....
An increasing amount of research is being done into understanding and finding effective ways to prevent breast cancer spread. Whilst most women will be successfully treated for the initial breast tumour, in around 30 percent of cases, metastasis will then occur when cells leave the original tumour and move around the body.
A recent Cancer Research UK study to investigate whether beta-blockers may be able to prevent breast cancer from spreading and improve survival has shown promising results. Beta-blockers are drugs routinely used to treat high blood pressure and anxiety. Previous research into the drugs and their possible uses in the treatment of breast cancer published last year found that breast cancer patients taking beta-blockers before their operation had a greater likelihood of survival several years after their treatment. The latest research is built on earlier findings of a mechanism in which beta-blockers can potentially stop cells moving and thus cancer from spreading.
Scientists working on the trial are excited about taking this research further to see whether beta-blockers actually do improve survival in a large population of breast cancer patients. Dr Des Powe, Cancer Research UK-funded scientist from Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, said of the study: “This study will be sufficiently large to determine whether we should progress to clinical trials and identify which type of beta-blockers have the strongest effect.” Dr Julie Sharp, senior science information manager at Cancer Research UK, said: “As beta-blockers are already a known drug this could be a very interesting development, which has the potential to save a large number of lives and we hope to have to see study results within the next year.”
To find out more, click here.
The pain of male breast cancer…
On Wednesday this week, BBC4 reported on new research conducted for healthtalkonline.org showing that men with breast cancer suffer avoidable isolation and embarrassment because of the wide-spread belief that only women get the disease.
Leading the research, Professor Kate Hunt of the Medical Research Council’s Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, commented that the ‘pinking’ of breast cancer has become a universal sign of support for breast cancer research in October. However she commented that ‘some blue in those pink bows’ would help to remind everyone that men get breast cancer too.
About 350 men in the UK are diagnosed with breast cancer every year, compared to approximately 48000 women. Men, however, tend to be diagnosed with more advanced breast cancer, at older ages and with lower survival rates. Whilst a man is seven times more likely to develop testicular cancer every year, in comparison to breast cancer, the mortality rate is the same.
BBC4 reported that the symptoms for men are the same as for women – a lump, inverted nipple and sometimes discharge. They also reported that men often suffer from some of the same experiences as women during treatment such as hot flushes, loss of libido and weight gain.
The research is expected to go live on healthtalkonline.org on October 20 and will include interviews with men who have had breast cancer as well as information on the condition.
To find out more, click here.
Laura Smith 7th October 2011
l.smith@cancerkin.org.uk
Cancerkin's News Update.....
A trip to Floris...
This week, the Cancerkin Team accompanied the three winners of our Hyde Park Walk top fundraisers competition on a trip to Floris, where they were presented with their prizes. Linda Cohen, Debra Franses Bean and Sue Glasser received gifts from Floris and Pizza Express, and were then shown around the historic premises and invited to tea with Marketing Director Edward Bodenham. We would like to thank Floris and Pizza Express for providing the prizes, and to thank Edward on behalf of our winners and our team for his kind hospitality – a lovely afternoon was had by all!
Breast Cancer Awareness month...
Please come and support our annual breast awareness stand on Wednesday 12th October 2011 from 10am to 4pm, outside the Atrium at the Royal Free Hospital. We will be handing out information on being breast aware and about Cancerkin’s services and there will be lots of books, gifts and cakes for sale.
Volunteers needed...
We are looking for volunteers to help manage the awareness stall and hold collection tins so please do get in touch if you are able to help. You can contact Laura on 0207 830 2323 or email l.smith@cancerkin.org.uk.
October talk…
On Tuesday 25th October at 11am Katie Walker, Clinical Lead Dietician (Nutrition Support) at the Royal Free, will be speaking at our monthly patient support group for those with breast cancer. She will give a talk on healthy eating and take question from the audience on any dietary related queries. If you are interested in attending, please contact Una on u.reynolds@cancerkin.org.uk.
Cancerkin & Maggie’s Centre ‘Getting Started with Cancer Treatment’ Workshop
Cancerkin is very excited to announce a joint venture with cancer support service Maggie’s Centre. Cancerkin will be hosting a ‘Getting Started with Cancer Treatment’ workshop on Monday 31st October from 10:30am to 1:30pm. The workshop has been specifically designed by the team at Maggie’s for patients who have been diagnosed with cancer within the last twelve months. The aim of the workshop is to help with better understanding treatment, managing side effects and being as healthy in mind and body as possible, during and after treatment. The workshop will be led by one of Maggie’s Cancer Support Specialists. Places are limited, so if you would like to attend, please contact Una on 020 7830 2323 or u.reynolds@cancerkin.org.uk.
In the News.....
Beta-blockers and breast cancer....
An increasing amount of research is being done into understanding and finding effective ways to prevent breast cancer spread. Whilst most women will be successfully treated for the initial breast tumour, in around 30 percent of cases, metastasis will then occur when cells leave the original tumour and move around the body.
A recent Cancer Research UK study to investigate whether beta-blockers may be able to prevent breast cancer from spreading and improve survival has shown promising results. Beta-blockers are drugs routinely used to treat high blood pressure and anxiety. Previous research into the drugs and their possible uses in the treatment of breast cancer published last year found that breast cancer patients taking beta-blockers before their operation had a greater likelihood of survival several years after their treatment. The latest research is built on earlier findings of a mechanism in which beta-blockers can potentially stop cells moving and thus cancer from spreading.
Scientists working on the trial are excited about taking this research further to see whether beta-blockers actually do improve survival in a large population of breast cancer patients. Dr Des Powe, Cancer Research UK-funded scientist from Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, said of the study: “This study will be sufficiently large to determine whether we should progress to clinical trials and identify which type of beta-blockers have the strongest effect.” Dr Julie Sharp, senior science information manager at Cancer Research UK, said: “As beta-blockers are already a known drug this could be a very interesting development, which has the potential to save a large number of lives and we hope to have to see study results within the next year.”
To find out more, click here.
The pain of male breast cancer…
On Wednesday this week, BBC4 reported on new research conducted for healthtalkonline.org showing that men with breast cancer suffer avoidable isolation and embarrassment because of the wide-spread belief that only women get the disease.
Leading the research, Professor Kate Hunt of the Medical Research Council’s Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, commented that the ‘pinking’ of breast cancer has become a universal sign of support for breast cancer research in October. However she commented that ‘some blue in those pink bows’ would help to remind everyone that men get breast cancer too.
About 350 men in the UK are diagnosed with breast cancer every year, compared to approximately 48000 women. Men, however, tend to be diagnosed with more advanced breast cancer, at older ages and with lower survival rates. Whilst a man is seven times more likely to develop testicular cancer every year, in comparison to breast cancer, the mortality rate is the same.
BBC4 reported that the symptoms for men are the same as for women – a lump, inverted nipple and sometimes discharge. They also reported that men often suffer from some of the same experiences as women during treatment such as hot flushes, loss of libido and weight gain.
The research is expected to go live on healthtalkonline.org on October 20 and will include interviews with men who have had breast cancer as well as information on the condition.
To find out more, click here.
Laura Smith 7th October 2011
l.smith@cancerkin.org.uk
Wednesday 5 October 2011
On the pulse
Cancerkin's News Update.....
Being breast aware...
As you will know, Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October is now just around the corner. To mark the occasion, Cancerkin is releasing the latest version of its ‘Being Breast Aware’ leaflet, a free publication that gives guidance on how and why we check our breasts. It will be handed out at our Breast Awareness stall on Wednesday 12th October 2011 outside the Atrium at the Royal Free Hospital. We will also have books, gifts and cakes on offer on the day to raise funds for Cancerkin. The booklet will then be available from our centre from that date on, so please make sure you ask for your free copy!
The latest from East London...
Today, Cancerkin once again visited St Joseph’s Hospice for our monthly complementary therapy session. Our patients took part in dance, art therapy and yoga classes and were able to benefit from individual sessions in reiki, reflexology and massage. The next session will take place on Friday 7th October 2011 at the Bromley-By-Bow Community Centre, and will include a breast awareness stall with information on how to be breast aware. Cupcakes will be provided! To find our more, please contact Asini on a.wijewardane@cancerkin.org.uk or call 0207 830 2323.
Thank you, Karen!
This week we would like to say a big thank you to Karen Bernard for hosting a relaxation workshop at our patient support group on Tuesday. Karen, one of Cancerkin’s massage therapists, also specialises in guided relaxation and led a packed out session with 25 patients at the monthly meeting. Feedback has been extremely positive and we are so grateful to Karen for sharing her time and expertise with us.
In the News.....
New radiotherapy study...
Chemotherapy is usually given after breast cancer surgery, followed by radiotherapy. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment serve to destroy any remaining cancerous cells left in the breast, chest wall and underarm. However, the suitable timing of radiotherapy with chemotherapy has long been debated by cancer experts.
A recent Cancer Research UK study has shown that giving radiotherapy between or during chemotherapy cycles, a process known as synchronous chemoradiation, to women with early breast cancer can significantly reduce the risk of the disease returning. The trial involved 2,296 women who had undergone tumour removal surgery or a mastectomy. Synchronous chemoradiation reduced the risk of cancer returning by 35 percent among women in the early stages of the disease, without worsening the side effects. Researchers found that after eight years of treatment, cancer returned in the breast or chest wall of 41 of the patients who were given the synchronised treatment. Compared with the 63 patients whose cancer returned and who had received the standard sequence of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, the number of recurring breast cancers after synchronous chemoradiation is significantly lower.
It is thought that not only could these findings be important for obtaining the best outcomes in breast cancer treatment, they may also be significant to the improvement of quality of life and length of disruptive treatment for patients. Study leader Dr Indrajit Fernando, Consultant Clinical Oncologist at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, said of the study: "Shortening the overall treatment time may mean that when patients have finished their last chemotherapy course they can return to their normal life without having to then complete their radiotherapy. This may also have economic benefits in terms of when patients can return to work." In response to the trial’s possible implications for patients with a recurrence, Liz Woolf, head of CancerHelp UK, said: “Breast cancer that has come back after treatment is always harder to treat and it’s encouraging to hear that giving radiotherapy and chemotherapy together can reduce the likelihood of this, without worsening the side effects.”
To read more on the topic, please click here.
Possible new treatment option for aggressive breast cancers...
HER2-positive breast cancer is an aggressive form of the disease diagnosed in around 10,000 British women every year, amounting to around 20 percent of all breast cancer cases annually. Early trials into a new drug suggest that it may help to slow the growth of these tumours when teamed with the already widely used drug Herceptin, providing a possible new treatment option for patients. The results are encouraging but scientists have been quick to emphasise that further trials are needed before the drug is considered as a viable treatment.
During the trial, doctors at hospitals across the world, including those in Manchester, Newcastle and Bournemouth in the UK, administered the new therapy to 137 breast cancer patients. The treatment is an injection that combines Heceptin with an antibody drug. Proteins in the drug seek out tumours and toxins are then released only once inside cancer cells, reducing the damage to healthy tissue. Results showed that the treatment seemed to halt the progression of the disease for longer than conventional drugs. On average, patients given the new therapy lived for 14 months without their cancer getting worse, whilst those given normal chemotherapy lived for nine month without any deterioration. The study also founds patients experienced fewer dangerous side-effects than with standard treatments.
A further clinical trial in now being conducted on at least 1,000 women in over 20 countries and results are expected in two years. Nell Barrie of Cancer Research UK said: "This approach combines two effective treatments but until we have results from larger, longer term trials we won't know for sure how beneficial this could be for patients with this particular type of breast cancer." Dr Rachel Greig of the Breakthrough Breast Cancer charity said: "This new drug may keep cancer at bay for longer than standard treatments with fewer side effects which crucially could offer patients a better quality of life. It’s important to emphasise this drug is still in trials and some years away from potentially being made available on the NHS.”
To read more, please click here.
Laura Smith
30th September 2011
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