Guest Post - Elizabeth Bailey

Another blog post by one of my wonderful fellow ambassadors, and a real inspiration of mine, for you to enjoy today. Elizabeth is a wonderful lady, full of passion, intelligence and a real zest for life. I am honoured that she has allowed me to share some of her thoughts with you.

Elizabeth Bailey is Cancer Research UK’s Campaigns Ambassador for Luton South and on the Committee of CR UK Luton Relay for Life. Following a brush with breast cancer, she recently gave up a twenty-year Civil Service career and now combines being a postgraduate student with working in her local Public Health Team, and being a mum to two young daughters.  Elizabeth writes on cancer, and being a volunteer:

Over the past week, a family friend has been faced with the possibility that the breast cancer, for which she was successfully treated thirteen years ago, had returned, this time in her bones – secondaries, for which we know there is no cure.

The news stopped me in my tracks. Over time, I had come to the conclusion that the cancer for which I myself was treated three years ago was one of the best things that ever happened to me.  I’ll explain further why thought this, but for now, I’m having to consider that the life enhancing things which have come my way since then may have done so at some considerable cost – and only time will tell.

Early in 2010, I found myself sitting in a rain-drenched hospital car park howling with animal rage because I thought I would not see my little daughters grow up. But chemo, much surgery and radiotherapy have since been and gone.  It is now 2013, and the cancer, fingers crossed, is also gone.  But not the rage.  Cancer, in all its unpleasant incarnations, is now my chosen enemy. 

Everyone should have an enemy, don’t they say – it gives you purpose and direction, something to fight against. It did me. I now devote a good third of my time to helping dismantle this enemy, picking it apart bit by bit, with money, science, politics and the best efforts I can make to weaken it. I hope that even if it is still strong enough to take my friends, or even me, it will be a shadow by the time my daughters have to think about it. It’s in my sightline, and I’m proud to be called obsessive. One of my fellow CRUK Ambassadors, Jan Sheward, once vividly described to me her feeling of controlled rage about cancer.  Right on. I’m cool, calm, and armed with lots of facts and figures. Whoever wants to take me on, good luck.

Don’t misunderstand me - I respect my enemy, and it has given me things.  A whole host of new friends, for one.  Some really exciting, career-enhancing volunteering opportunities for another.  The courage to make a major change. Oh, and something to study for my PhD.  I really can’t complain about all of that. 

But there won’t be any gratitude. On Tuesday last week I went to the House of Commons with my fellow Ambassador Gower Tan, telling Peers and MPs why they should be playing their part in the further crowding-out of tobacco products by supporting an amendment to the Children and Families Bill.  This would enforce standardised cigarette packaging in shops where children are able to see those products. Yes, that’s right. Let’s not mess about here, the moral argument is won.  Peer-reviewed evidence proves that pack marketing attracts children. So we need to stop a toxic, addictive product, and the number one preventable cause of cancer, being dressed up in a completely misleading way. The game is over.  It’s now about taking timely action to save real people’s lives, and I will be making this very clear indeed.

We will win on this point.  It is not matter of if, but of when.  Funnily enough, until recently I used to rail against people describing cancer treatment as a ‘battle’, a ‘fight’ or a ‘war’. I had sad images of my old Dad, too weak to fight. But guess what - I’m getting over myself. If it helps some people to think like that, so be it.  Besides which, I think you can see I’m a bit of a street fighter myself - and I am not putting my coat back on just yet, not until I’m finished.

A Timeline of How Your Body Repairs Itself When You Quit Smoking

So I’ve done a few blog posts about smoking in the past and I have always tried to let you know of the facts whilst not making anyone feel like they have to quit. I know many people who are currently in the process of trying to quit smoking and wean their body off cigarettes. I have found a very interesting timeline which describes how your body begins to repair itself once you've stopped smoking and I thought it would be a good idea to highlight these milestones to encourage anyone going through the process to keep going! You can do it!

You can read my smoking related factsheet here: http://pennysophia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/lifestyle-choices-smoking.html

Timeline:

20 Minutes After Your Last Cigarette – the temperate of your hands and feet has returned to normal and so has your blood pressure and your pulse rate.

8 Hours After Your Last Cigarette – The nicotine levels in your bloodstream has reduced by 93.25% which is just 6.25% of your normal daily level at the peak of smoking.

12 Hours After Your Last Cigarette – Your carbon monoxide levels have dropped to normal whilst your blood oxygen levels have increased to normal.

24 Hours After Your Last Cigarette – Your anxiety level will have peaked in its intensity, making you crave a cigarette – this will return to a normal level within two weeks.

48 Hours After Your Last Cigarette – Your nerve endings which have been damaged by smoking will be starting to regrow. Your sense of smell and taste will begin to return to a normal level. Your anger and irritability levels will have peaked, making you very agitated.

72 Hours After Your Last Cigarette – You will be entirely 100% nicotine free!!!! On top of that you will have passed over 90% of all the chemicals nicotine breaks down into (nicotine metabolites) via your urine. Breathing is becoming easier for you and your lungs are being to increase in function. Your lung bronchial tubes which lead to your alveoli (air sacs) are beginning to relax as your body recovers. On the downside, your chemical withdrawal symptoms have peaked in their intensity and you will feel restless amongst other things.

5 to 8 Days After Your Last Cigarette – You will encounter an average of three cue induced craving episodes per day at this time. These shouldn't last longer then a few minutes.

10 Days After Your Last Cigarette – You will encounter less then two cue induced craving episodes lasting no longer then three minutes.

10 Days to Two Weeks After Your Last Cigarette – You should be at the point where your addiction isn’t controlling you anymore. The blood circulation in your teeth and gums will become similar to that of a non smoker.

2 to 4 Weeks After Your Last Cigarette – You should no longer be feeling any anger, anxiety, impatience, insomnia, depression, restlessness or finding it difficult to concentrate due to your withdrawal from cigarettes. If you do then you should make an appointment to have these symptoms assessed by a doctor.

2 Weeks to 3 Months After Your Last Cigarette – Your risk of a heart attack is starting to drop and your lung function is beginning to improve.

3 Weeks to 3 Months After Your Last Cigarette – Your circulation should be improving significantly. Walking will become easier. If you had a chronic cough as a smoker then it should be almost all gone (see a doctor if it hasn’t by this point).

8 Weeks After Your Last Cigarette – Your Insulin resistance will have normalised and you may have gained a little weight (the average weight gain at this point is 2.7kg).

1 to 9 Months After Your Last Cigarette – Cilia will have regrown in your lungs which means your lungs should have an increased ability to handle mucus, keep themselves clean and reduce infections. Your body’s overall energy level will have increased. Any shortness of breath, fatigue and sinus congestion related to smoking will have decreased significantly.

1 Year After Your Last Cigarette – Your heightened risk of coronary heart disease, heart attacks and stokes will have decreased to less then half of what it was when you smoked.

5 Years After Your Last Cigarette – Your risk of a subarachnoid hemorrhage has declined to 59% of what it was when you smoked. Female ex smokers will now find their risk of developing diabetes has decreased to that of a non smoker.

5 to 15 Years After Your Last Cigarette – Your risk of having a stroke has decreased to that of a non smoker.

10 Years After Your Last Cigarette – Your risk of developing lung cancer has decreased to 30-50% of a smoker. Risk of dying from lung cancer has decreased by about half. Your risk of developing cancer of the mouth, pancreas, throat and oesophagus has declined significantly. Risk of developing diabetes has decreased to a similar level for a non smoker for both male and female former smokers.

13 Years After Your Last Cigarette – The risk of losing teeth related to your smoking will have declined to the same level as someone who has never smoked.

15 Years After Your Last Cigarette – Your risk of developing coronary heart disease is now the same as a person who have never smoked as is your risk of developing cancer of the pancreas.

20 Years After Your Last Cigarette – The risk of a female former smoker dying from a smoking related illness will have reduced to the same level as someone who has never smoked.

So those are the facts. The whole “damage is done so I may as well continue” thing is a myth. Your body can recover and repair the damage smoking has created. I’m not claiming you won’t get ill but you will give yourself a chance to repair the damage and potentially avoid major illnesses. Your hair, skin, nails, teeth etc…. will all improve. Your ability to exercise will improve. Your overall health and wellbeing will improve.

If you are attempting to quit smoking or have managed to do so then I salute you. I would highly recommend keeping an eye on how much money you are saving by not smoking as that is also a great incentive to keep going when the craving are driving you crazy. Let me know how you get on and I wish you luck!

xxx

The Amazing Cancer Research UK

I think the world knows of my great passion for Cancer Research UK by now. I am immensely proud to be part of such an incredible charity. I have learnt so much about the charity since becoming involved and I thought I should share this knowledge with you. You never know, it may ignite a passion within you too!

The History:

The Cancer Research Fund was set up on July 4^th 1902 by a concerned group of doctors and surgeons eager to do something to help ease the suffering caused by cancer. At the time there were no independent UK institutions dedicated to researching the causes and treatment of cancer and the fund became the first UK specialist cancer research charity. It was soon renamed the Imperial Cancer Research Fund (ICRF).

The first labs were set up in Victoria and in five years they gained four research scientists, six volunteers’ scientific workers and fourteen lab technicians. The ICRF continued to grow and moved to several premises over the years. The ICRF funded research into cancer all across the UK and were working hard to understand the “nuts and bolts” of cancer.

During the 1920’s, a group of medical professionals and scientists decided to focus more on the clinical research side of things and they formed a new charity which was named the British Empire Cancer Campaign but was later renamed the Cancer Research Campaign. In 2002, the CRC and then ICRF merged to form Cancer Research UK.

Cancer Research UK now has five institutes across the UK: London, Cambridge, Oxford, Manchester and Glasgow. They also fund a massive range of cancer research projects in many different labs, universities and hospitals across the UK. They are currently developing some “Centres of Excellence” in many major UK cities.

Who, What and Why:

Cancer Research UK is the world’s leading charity specifically dedicated to beating cancer by researching it. Their main aim is to make sure more people are able to survive cancer. They support the work of over four thousand researchers throughout the UK and cutting edge discoveries are made every day.

Cancer Research UK also run high profile campaigns to help make the general public more aware of their health and to help educate people and help them understand cancer. This helps make sure people know how to reduce their risk of developing cancer. Cancer Research UK also lobby’s government to make sure cancer stays at the top of the political agenda (this is where I come in!!)

In May 2007, Cancer Research UK set themselves ten goals for the next decade:

*People will know how to reduce their risk of cancer

*The number of smokers will fall dramatically

*People under seventy five will be less likely to get cancer

*Cancer will be diagnosed earlier

*We will understand how cancer starts and develops

*There will be better treatments with fewer side effects

*More people will survive cancer

*We will especially tackle cancer in low income communities

*People with cancer will get the information they need

*We will continue to fight cancer beyond 2020

Progress:

Cancer Research UK and their supporters have already started to ensure that cancer is prevented, diagnosed and treated a lot better then it was years ago. Survival rates have doubled in the past four decades and several tens of thousands of possible cancer cases have been prevented.

Cancer ResearchUK played a vital role in the development of tamoxifen which is used to save the lives of thousands of breast cancer patients, temozolomide which is used worldwide to treat brain tumour patients and carboplatin which is one of the most successful cancer drugs ever created.

Myself and my fellow ambassadors have also played a role in helping CRUK dramatically increase the number of lives saved by radiotherapy and we have also played key roles in the huge progress we are making to prevent people from smoking and developing lung cancer which is estimated to prevent FORTY THOUSAND deaths by 2018.

Cancer Research UK has also made huge progress against skin cancer by getting the government to make the use of sunbeds illegal for fewer than eighteens whilst creating screening programmes for breast, bowel and cervical cancer. All of this helps to save THOUSANDS of lives every year in the UK.

This is crazy when you consider Cancer Research UK receives NO government funding. All of this is done with the help of the millions of supporters across the UK. That pound you put in a collection box, that £5 you sponsor someone for Race for Life, that badge you purchase….it all goes to ensuring lives are saved across the UK.

Cancer Research UK is an amazing charity. The people that work there are some of the nicest people I have ever met. The scientists, the staff, the campaigners, the volunteers and everyone else involved with the charity do incredible things. I am very lucky to be allowed to do such brilliant things with such inspirational people. It is a very special feeling to know you are part of something that will change people’s lives. Some of my proudest moments have arisen because of the charity and some of the best people in my life have been introduced to me through the charity. 

If you would like to find out more about Cancer Research UK or to find out how you can support the charity, please visit www.cancerresearchuk.org

Together, we will beat cancer

xxx

Cancer Research UK - Annual Review

The Cancer Research UK Annual Review is now available to view. Please do have a read - our ambassador work features quite heavily! You will be able to see why I am so passionate about working alongside this amazing charity and why I am so proud to be part of a team that does such wonderful things in the fight against cancer. Together, we will beat cancer.


http://aboutus.cancerresearchuk.org/what-we-do/our-annual-publications-and-strategy/annual-review/

Cancer Types - Kidney

Happy Friday one and all! How fast is time flying at the moment! I can’t believe we’re in the middle of June! Life is very busy at the moment but this blog is my pride and joy so I’m doing my best to update it and I’m constantly planning new posts! I will attending a lobby of Westminster for the Plain Packaging campaign on June 27^th so please make sure you’ve signed the petition on the side of the page to show your support for the campaign! Thank you!

Today I’m going to write about a cancer type that I didn’t know much about previously. The kidneys are a hugely important part of the human body so I thought it was about time I found out a little about what happens if cancer strikes in this area. Hopefully you’ll find it interesting!

The Kidneys:

The kidneys are two fist sized, bean shaped organs which make up part of the urinary system. They are found near the middle of the back with one kidney on each side of the spine. They filter blood by collecting waste product and unneeded water as the blood passes through them. This is then turned into urine. This process takes place in tiny tubes known as nephrons and there are about a million of them in every kidney. Both kidneys have a tube known as the ureter attached and they drain the urine into the bladder. Another tube called the urethra then carries the urine from the bladder out of your body.

Kidneys also produce three important hormones. These are:

* Erythropoietin (EPO) tells the bone marrow to make red blood cells

* Renin regulates your blood pressure

* Calcitriol helps your intestine absorb calcium

Causes and Risks:

Kidney cancer is rarely diagnosed in people under the age of fifty. However it is now the eighth most common male cancer and the ninth most common female cancer in the UK. It affects a lot more men then women. Something’s can increase your risk of developing cancer of the kidney:

* Smoking – A smoker has DOUBLE the risk of a non smoker

* Gene Faults – Some people have an inherited gene which means they will have a tendency to develop kidney cancer. Having a relative with kidney cancer also increases your risk

* Obesity is another risk factor

* Hepatitis C and having a kidney disease requiring treatment using dialysis are also risk factors

* Previous treatment for cancers of the testicles or cervix can also increase your risk

* Heavy use of pain killers and drugs such as aspirin, paracetamol and ibuprofen can also increase your risk.

Symptoms:

There are not always obvious symptoms for the early stages of kidney cancer. At the moment an increasing amount of kidney cancer cases are being found during an MRI scan being performed for other reasons. However as the cancer beings to grow, symptoms become apparent:

Blood in the urine is the most common symptom. Sometimes the blood isn’t visible to the naked eye but is picked up in a urine test. Don’t panic as blood in the urine doesn’t automatically mean cancer BUT it is hugely important to visit your doctor ASAP should you experience it.

A lump or swelling in the kidney area is also a symptom. Other symptoms include loss of appetite, fatigue, weight loss, a constant pain in your side and a high temperature with very heavy sweating.

Please remember that these symptoms can be caused by lots of different things so don’t panic and think you have cancer. Just make an appointment with your GP and get yourself checked out.

Treatment:

As with most cancers; treatment will depend on your stage and grading. Your specialist will discuss it with you. Surgery, radiotherapy, radio wave treatment and cryotherapy are all options for patients with cancer of the kidney.

For more information on kidney cancer please visit www.cancerresearchuk.org

I hope you find these cancer type blog posts informative. I learn lots by researching them and I hope I’m passing that information onto you clearly. I think it’s worth learning as much as we can about cancer as it can is easier to treat the earlier it is diagnosed. Education is key when it comes to helping people survive cancer or just avoid it in the first place if they can!

Have a good weekend everyone J

xxx

Cancer and Fertility

So as I have previously mentioned: I work in a very busy fertility clinic in Harley Street. I've learnt lots about fertility and I get very excited when our patients come back with positive pregnancy tests. I love meeting the babies we help create and seeing how happy our patients are when their dreams come true.

I have decided to combine my day job with my voluntary work and do a post about cancer and fertility. It's a huge subject but it doesn't get much attention. More and more people are surviving cancer and I think it's awful that a lot of them will lose their fertility and not know about it. I'm working a a few projects to help cancer patients with their fertility and will let you know more as soon as my plans come to fruition! The NHS is not always able to freeze eggs or sperm; there is certain criteria patients have to meet but private clinics will allow you to freeze and preserve your eggs/sperm until you are ready to use them.

It is hugely important for you to discuss your risk of infertility before embarking on your treatment. If you have a partner then it is important for them to be part of the discussion. It is important for you both to have all the information so you can work out your options together.

It is very important to note that although your periods may stop; it still may be possible for you to get pregnant during your cancer treatment. It is vital that you use reliable contraception when having sex whilst having treatment.  Cancer treatments can be harmful to foetuses and to the expectant mum so it is hugely important to avoid pregnancy whilst suffering from cancer.

·         Some cancer drugs cause infertility meaning you can’t have children naturally.

·         Whether your infertility is permanent or just temporary would depend on a number of factors: The type of chemo drugs you are using, your age, your cancer type

·         Many people do go on to have healthy children even after undergoing cancer treatment.

·         Cancer treatments can stop your ovaries working. This could be a temporary and only apply whilst you are undergoing chemo but for higher doses of chemo the effects will usually be permanent.

Temporary Infertility

If your infertility is a temporary side effect of your cancer treatment then your periods will become irregular or stop completely during your treatment. They will gradually go back to normal once you have finished your treatment. This can take about six months to a year.

Early Menopause/Permanent Infertility

If your fertility is a permanent result of your cancer battle then you may have an early menopause. Your periods will become irregular and then stop completely. You may also experience hot flushes, dry skin, loss of energy and sex drive, mood swings and vaginal dryness although your doctor may prescribe you HRT to reduce these symptoms. This will be given to you after your chemotherapy treatment although unfortunately it will not enable your body to start producing eggs again and cannot prevent your infertility.

Preserving your Fertility

It is more complicated for women to preserve their fertility then it is for men but it is possible and there are several options for you to consider including freezing embryos, eggs or ovarian tissue.

This will have to be done before you start your treatment and will involve you having to have some eggs collected. This process takes several weeks and it is important to get it done as soon as you possibly can so you can begin treatment for your cancer and have the best chance of fighting it.

Collecting your Eggs

Stage 1: One the first day of your period you will be given an injection to temoraily give your specialist control of your egg production

Stage 2: Your ovaries are stimulated with hormone injections to produce extra eggs

Stage 3: The eggs are collected with a needle which is inserted through your vagina (you can be sedated for this)

Embryo Freezing

If you have a partner and you are both happy to have embryos created then your egg will need to be injected with your partner’s sperm. For this to happen your partner will need to produce a semen sample. It is also possible for you to use a donor sperm sample if you are currently single or in a same sex relationship. The sperm and egg are put together in a petri dish to allow fertilisation. It is also possible for mature eggs to be stripped and directly injected with the sperm to promote fertilisation. This is known as ICSI. The embryos are then prepared for flash freezing by being dehydrated and undergoing anti freeze treatment. They are them vitrified by rapidly being frozen in liquid nitrogen

Egg Freezing

If you are currently single then egg freezing is also an option for you. Your eggs will be vitrified which will hopefully give them a higher chance of survival. The eggs are collected and are then dehydrated and treated with anti freeze to prepare them for flash freezing. They are then rapidly frozen in liquid nitrogen. They can then be thawed with a much reduced chance of having crystals form which will hopefully prevent damage to the chromosomes

Sperm Freezing

Sperm can be frozen with relative ease. It can be frozen for more than forty years and still normally be thawed successfully. Before undergoing sperm freezing you will have to undergo a few tests to make sure you are clear of any infectious diseases such as Hepatitus B and C or HIV. You will also need to give written and signed consent for your sperm to be stored. You will provide a fresh sperm sample which will be frozen and stored in a tank of liquid nitrogen. You will have to wait a miminum of six months before being able to thaw your sperm sample for use in fertility treatments.

Getting Pregnant After Cancer Treatment

It is recommended that women wait at least two years after cancer treatments have finished before becoming pregnant. This is because if your cancer is going to reoccur then it is most likely to happen within the first 2 years after your original diagnosis.  

Once those 2 years are up, and you are ready to start a family, you can look into various fertility treats such as IVF or IUI for you or your partner to become pregnant using your frozen samples. 

For more information about fertility treatments please contact www.londonwomensclinic.com or www.londonspermbank.com

For more information on how your cancer treatment will affect your fertility please visit www.cancerresearchuk.org or ask your specialist.
  

The George Pantziarka TP53 Trust – An Information Leaflet

As you will all know by now; my cousin Georgie died of cancer aged seventeen. He had cancer three times during his life and after his third diagnosis; tests showed he had Li Fraumeni Syndrome. Not enough is known about this condition and my uncle has worked hard to set up The George Pantziarka TP53 Trust to help educate people on the condition and to provide support to other sufferers.

My uncle has created a leaflet briefly explaining what TP53 and Li Fraumeni Syndrome are as well as how people are affected by the condition. It’s not a full, detailed medical paper; instead it is supposed to be used as a quick introduction to the condition. It covers all the core points people need to know but it light on details.

This leaflet is aimed at people who should and need to know about LFS but for some reason they have little or no knowledge on the condition, i.e. GP’s, social workers, health visitors, nurses and other non-specialist medical staff. It can also be shown to school teachers.

Please follow the link and take a look at the leaflet. Let us know what you think about it and if you know anyone that should take a look at it, please send them the link! This time next week will be my birthday, which also means it will be the first anniversary of Georgie’s death and it’s about time people started to learn more about the condition that led to his death. This leaflet is only the start, we will be working hard to bring LFS and other TP53 condition to the forefront of people’s minds to educate them and save some lives. For Georgie.

http://www.tp53.co.uk/index.php/lfs-leaflet

xxx