Thursday, March 25, 2010
Prostate cancer tests 'not being offered'
Men enquiring about a blood test for prostate cancer detection are being turned away by their GPs, a new study has suggested.
The report, carried out by the Prostate Cancer Charity, found that a fifth of men asking for the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test are being refused.
According to the organisation, more than two-thirds of men over the age of 50 years, who fall into the high-risk group of developing the cancer, are not even aware of the test.
In addition, the report claimed that men from lower-income backgrounds are three times less likely to request the test than those from economically stronger social groups.
Commenting, Dr Jodie Moffat, health information manager at Cancer Research UK, said that the results of the study were "worrying".
"The PSA test can suggest if they have a problem with their prostate gland that needs further investigation," she added.
"It's important that men have access to high-quality information, based on the available evidence about risks and benefits, so that they can make up their own mind about what's best for them."
Advice issued for cervical cancer treatment
GPs have been issued with new advice to help tackle cervical cancer rates in the UK.
The guidance was given in order to speed up the diagnoses of the cancer and improve the management of treatment when dealing with young women with gynaecological symptoms.
While there are 55 new cases of cervical cancer every week in the UK, it is treatable and has fairly high rates of survival.
According to the Cancer Research charity, over 85 per cent of women under 40 beat the illness.
Health minister Ann Keen commented: "The independent (cap up?)Advisory Committee on Cervical Screening told us that screening women under the age of 25 did more harm than good but that more work needs to be done to ensure patients with symptoms are treated correctly."
She added: "That is why this new guidance will support GPs and practice nurses to identify symptoms and refer where necessary to specialist services."
There are nearly 3,000 cases of cervical cancer diagnosed in Britain each year.
Early hair loss 'may reduce cancer risk in men'
Men who lose their hair at an early age may have a reduced risk of cancer, a survey has revealed.
Research from the University of Washington School of Medicine has found that men who begin to lose their hair at 30 are less likely to develop prostate cancer.
Dr Helen Rippon, head of research management at the Prostate Cancer Charity, told the BBC: "Clearly, the age at which a man begins to lose his hair is unfortunately not a risk factor for prostate cancer over which he has any control.
"However, if these results are correct, they could be useful in providing us with a greater understanding of how testosterone behaves in the body and how it can affect different tissues."
According to the study the men were up to 45 per cent less likely to develop the cancer.
It is thought that the findings stem from a link between the chemical which causes balding, dihydrotestosterone, and the amounts of testosterone found in the body.
Study claims 'walnuts reduce cancerous tumours'
A study conducted in the US has revealed that eating walnuts could reduce the effect of prostate cancer.
The research was carried out by the US Department of Agriculture Western Regional Research Centre by looking at a group of mice genetically programmed to develop the cancer.
Led by nutritionist Paul Davis, the study found that tumours did not grow as quickly when walnuts were introduced as part of the mice's diet.
Mr Davis commented: "This study shows that when mice with prostate tumours consume an amount of walnuts that could easily be eaten by a man, tumour growth is controlled.
"This leaves me very hopeful that it could be beneficial in patients."
After 18 weeks the mice which had eaten the walnuts had significantly slower-growing prostate tumours when compared to mice which were fed an equal amount of fat from alternative sources.
The change in diet may have been particularly effective in treating prostate cancer because the disease is particularly sensitive to environmental factors.
Leukaemia
What is chronic leukaemia?Leukaemia literally means ‘many white cells in the blood'. The white cells are part of the body’s immune system, and there are several sub-groups of white cells that have different sorts of roles in recognising and dealing with ‘invaders’ such as bacteria and viruses as well as other types of foreign protein. All of the blood cells originate in the bone marrow and leukaemia (blood cancer) is a disease where the bone marrow produces large numbers of abnormal white cells. This means that the normal marrow is pushed into smaller and smaller areas. This results in fewer normal cells being produced and gives rise to some of the symptoms.There are many types of leukaemia, each of which is classified according to the exact cell type affected by the disease.Chronic leukaemia is a slowly progressive form of leukaemia and tends to involve more mature cell types. It may not need treatment immediately, but if treatment is required it is usually chemotherapy, given in the form of tablets.The cause of leukaemia is not known.What are the symptoms of chronic leukaemia?It is possible to have chronic leukaemia for months or even years without knowing it.The symptoms are varied, but many people notice:
tiredness (due to anaemia)
bruising easily (often without having had any blow or fall)
repeated infections
enlarged lymph glands
weight loss
night sweats
fever.
What is chronic lymphocytic leukaemia?Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) is the commonest type of leukaemia with 3000 to 4000 new cases diagnosed each year in the UK. It is a form of chronic leukaemia characterised by an increased number of lymphocytes, which make up one of the main sub-groups of white cells in the blood. Despite their increased numbers these lymphocytes lack the normal ability of responding to infection by the production of antibodies, so compromising the immune system of the affected person.CLL is rarely found in people under the age of 40 - the peak age is 65. It is twice as common in men than in women. There are no obvious causes known for CLL.What are the symptoms of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia?In addition to the symptoms mentioned above which are common to all forms of leukaemia, specific signs of the disease are:
painless enlargement of the lymph glands especially in the neck, armpits and groin.
lymph glands in deeper parts of the body may need special scans for diagnosis.
sometimes an enlarged spleen (located in the left upper quadrant of the abdomen) may cause discomfort or pain.
How is chronic lymphocytic leukaemia diagnosed?Often the condition is diagnosed by chance when blood tests are being performed for other reasons.Although a blood test may give doctors the diagnosis, a bone marrow test is usually done to confirm the diagnosis. Special tests are performed on these samples to help classify the leukaemia as this will influence the kind of treatment required.Scans and X-rays may also be performed in order to help doctors decide on the best treatment.How is chronic lymphocytic leukaemia treated?Treatment is not always required and the patient may just be followed up as an outpatient on a regular basis, sometimes for many years, with no need for further action. Older people with early stage CLL have a normal life expectancy. Treatment in the form of chemotherapy will be required for those who are unwell or who have many enlarged lymph glands, or who become significantly anaemic.Chemotherapy is usually given in the form of tablets (usually a medicine called chlorambucil (Leukeran)). Other chemotherapy drugs such as fludarabine (Fludara) (may be used in late stage disease. General bone marrow production of blood cells can occur in more advanced CLL (bone marrow failure) in which steroid treatment with prednisolone (eg Deltacortril) usually allows the bone marrow to recover. Milder degrees of bone marrow failure might adequately be controlled by periodic blood transfusion.X-ray treatment (radiotherapy) can be given locally, to swollen lymph nodes, or in small repeated doses to the whole body. Infections are more common in people with CLL and need to be diagnosed early and treated vigorously. Sometimes the spleen, which is also part of the body’s immune system swells up so much in CLL that it gives rise to pain, or it causes a type of anaemia to develop in which the red cells of the blood (oxygen-carrying cells) become fragile, leading to further anaemia. These problems may justify the surgical removal of the spleen.Bone marrow transplantation may be considered for those patients who are less than 45 years of age and who have an aggressive form of the disease.
Cancer and Family Support
The doctor informed Soma about her disease and Soma was visibly not so upset. He also told us to look after her well so that she didn’t become mentally weak. So we took maximum care to help her mentally.
I had a very cordial relation with Soma. Her love for me was always exceptional. All she wanted to know that whether I still loved her. Once she became sanguine about my unconditional love for her, she became more determined to fight against cancer.
But she was silently always watchful about the huge expenses that my family had to bear. But at that time, I failed to notice this.
She had a wonderful relation with her mom in law (MIL). My mother, (her MIL), was just like her own mother. Her relationship with my mother was affable and never riddled with even minor controversies. It wasn’t like a typical daughter in law and MIL relation. Both loved each other.
My mom couldn’t accept the reality that Soma wouldn’t live for a long. My mother visited all the temples and did whatever she could do to cure Soma. She always encouraged Soma.
Looking at Soma’s frail body and her increasing pain, my mom sensed the worst and became sick. My mom never recovered again. She died one day prior to death of Soma. I, somehow, believe that they were inseparable souls.
My other family members were also very much supportive. Everyone was very much fond of Soma. No one ever complained about her sickness.
My other family members were so concerned about her health that they always ensured she receive the best treatment at the best hospital.
Cancer Treatment is really very costly. I didn’t have so much money to support huge hospital bills. One of my uncles paid all the hospital bills gladly and also kept on sending me money to ensure that other post treatment related expenses were never neglected.
We together enjoyed quality time. She liked to see TV programs but I affectionately convinced her to avoid movies because of violence and she agreed. We used to enjoy programs on music. Our lives were tough but we worked hard to make it joyous as much as possible.
She decided to start her own business after the completion of her treatment. She could draw on cloths. Soon her designs became very popular. She was happy as she was earning a good profit from her business.
Overall she apparently had a very good environment. We tried our level best to provide her the best moral support. But that wasn’t sufficient.
Being a common man, I overlooked certain things. A specialist could detect her twisted thoughts.
Even, I think, if I would encourage her to write descriptive articles, it would help a lot to understand the under current flowing down her mind. That mistake proved to be very costly in the long run.
