Cancer Research UK - Local Statistics

Happy Friday! A very quick post today!

The wonderful people at Cancer Research UK have created a way for you to find out the cancer statistics in your local area. It is a fantastic resource and I hope you find it useful and interesting!

http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-info/cancerstats/local-cancer-statistics/

Cancer Treatment: Complementary and Alternative Therapies

 Good Afternoon and happy Monday one and all.

I recently did a blog post about the cancer cure conspiracy and how natural treatments are not standalone cancer cures. However, some therapies appear to aid cancer treatment and cancer sufferers so I have done some research and will focus on this in today’s post.

The confusing thing is people tend to treat “complimentary therapies” and “alternative therapies” as if one and the same. This is slightly misleading so I have decided to explain them both individually.

Complementary therapies are used ALONGSIDE conventional treatment to help you cope with the side effects or to ease them if possible. They are not cures and should not be used instead of conventional treatment such as chemotherapy.

Alternative therapies are usually used INSTEAD of conventional treatment options. Conventional treatments will have been tested and proven to work before being given the go ahead to be widely used. Most alternative therapies have not been through the same purpose and have not been scientifically proven to work. Some have harmful side effects and most will not cure you.

You must always seek medical advice before using any form of alternative or complementary therapy. You must also discuss your cancer and treatment with the therapist in charge or the complementary or alternative therapy.

Complementary Therapies:

Complimentary therapies are supposed to be used alongside conventional cancer treatments to help the sufferer deal with the side effects of the treatment. They can also improve quality of life and ease the symptoms.

Complementary therapies should not be used instead of conventional treatment and a good complimentary therapist should always make that clear and encourage you to see advice from your doctor and medical team beforehand.

Complimentary therapies include:

*Aromatherapy

*Acupuncture

*Herbal Medicine

*Massage Therapy

*Yoga

Many health professionals know that these therapies can help cancer sufferers and are in support of them being used alongside conventional treatment. However, some are reluctant to encourage their patients to use them and this is because many have not yet been scientifically proven. Research is being carried out to see how they work and these studies will help the medical world to fully understand the best ways to use complementary therapies.

Alternative Therapies

Alternative therapies are used instead of conventional treatment. This could be for a number of reasons such as the patient not wanting to have conventional treatment or a patient not having success with conventional treatment and wishing to try another way.

It is a alarming to note how many people claim alternative therapies have cured cancer  or can cure cancer. A trustworthy therapist would never encourage someone to seek alternative therapy in place of conventional treatment and it is actually quite dangerous for people to claim conventional treatments are harmful and alternatives are safer and more reliable. So far there is no medical or scientific evidence to support this claim and some alternative therapies are actually very harmful and very expensive. Some may even stop conventional treatment being effective in fighting cancer. People are very clever and are able to make these treatments seem like miracles which attract people with no hope. This is false advertisement and incredibly misleading. Please always seek medical advice if you are thinking of going down this road.

Using Complementary Therapies:

Around a third of UK cancer patients use some kind of complimentary therapy. There is no evidence that they cure the cancer or prevent it from occurring in the first place but many are drawn to seek complementary therapies to help them deal with the side effects and symptoms of their cancer. Some help you reduce stress and can encourage relaxation and some are able to calm you and relieve anxiety. They can also help you feel more in control of your illness. Some will reduce the amount of pain you are in. ALWAYS seek medical advice and do your research before using any complimentary therapy. Be open with your therapies about your cancer type, your treatment and your life as these will all factor into your complimentary therapy.

I hope this post has made you more informed of the kind of therapies available, I will focus on some individually. Please do take my advice and seek medical assistance before embarking on any kind of complementary therapy and DEFINITELY seek advice from your medical team before considering any alternative therapies. I know sometimes it can seem like there is a miracle and some people are very persuasive, but it is always better to trust your doctor.

xxx

Curing Cancer - The Progress Being Made

Happy Friday one and all!

My most recent blog post was very blunt and negative so I have decided to follow it up with a nice positive post focusing on the incredible progress being made in the fight against cancer. I have been very impressed to research some of the incredible things Cancer Research have achieved and I am going to share some of them today. I hate it when people say no progress is being made, cancer is a horrific enemy and it will take slow and steady steps forward to beat it – we make those steps every day through the incredible work being done by CRUK and all the other charities out there. Believe me, I know it’s hard to remain positive but we are getting there slowly.

I am going to split this into individual cancer types and I hope this post fills you with some sort of hope knowing that progress is being made.

Lung Cancer:

Thirty thousand people die from lung cancer every year in the UK. Eighty percent of this deaths are related to smoking. As regular readers of this blog will know, myself and my amazing fellow Cancer Campaigns Ambassadors work with CRUK to help lower this horrific number. CRUK has made huge huge progress with this and I’m very proud to be a part of it. The scary fact is half of all long term smokers die a premature death due to their nicotine addiction. Smokers lose around ten years of their life on average.

CRUK works very hard to educate people on the dangers of smoking with medical advice and by influcing public policy. They have funded treatment which has been used to shape the NHS Stop Smoking Service. They are also avid supporters of National Non Smoking Day.

CRUK (and us Ambassadors) use their research to campaign and try to influence government policy:

*During the 1990’s CRUK funded research to support a ban on cigarette advertising.

*They were instrumental in seeing the smoking ban across the UK during 2006-2007, something that been predicted to save around forty thousand deaths per year in the UK. Research also suggests childhood asthma rates have fallen since the introduction of the smoking ban.

*”Out of sight out of mind” was my first campaign with CRUK. This played a major role in the removal of cigarette displays in larger retailers as well as cigarette vending machines.

*Our current campaign is “The Answer is Plain” which is aimed at preventing as many children and young people as possible from starting smoking in the first place. Research suggests plain packs will help protect the younger and future generations from the dangers of tobacco.

CRUK and their tenacious and passionate campaigning and research has helped reduce smoking rates by about twenty five percent during the past decade and this prevents thousands of cases of lung cancer every year.

Smoking is a huge cause of lung cancer but it isn’t the only one. CRUK also funds research into the presence of radioactive gas in the home, which could increase cases of lung cancer. They have also funded research in asbestos and this research is helping health and saftely officials save future lives.

As well as research into preventing cancer, CRUK has also provided research into treating lung cancer. They were involved in the development and testing of an array of drugs including Cisplatin and Etopside, both of which are commonly used to treat cancer of the lungs. They also developed a form of radiotherapy known as CHART4 which is used for lung cancer.

Breast Cancer:

Thousands and thousands of people in the UK now survive breast cancer thanks to huge advances in diagnosing, treating and preventing this form of cancer. Eighty percent of woman now survive the disease whereas only fifty percent would survive in the 1970’s.

CRUK researchers have been instrumental in discovering faulty genes that can lead to a heightened risk of developing breast cancer, including the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes.

In 2012 it was discovered that breast cancer can be split into ten subtypes. This was a huge step forward and is allowing scientists to understand the disease more and work out how best to diagnose and treat breast cancer sufferers in the future.

CRUK has provided research into lifestyle factors that can increase a persons risk of breast cancer. This research allows the charity to empower people with the knowledge of how to look after their bodies and try and lower their risk of developing the disease. HRT, obesity and  alcohol consumption have all been found to increase the risk of breast cancer, whilst exercise has been proven to lower the risk.

CRUK’s research also contributed to the development of the UK’s national breast screening programme and they continue to research ways to improve the programme. This screening saves lives.

 

Lifesaving drugs have also been research and developed as a result of CRUK research. Trials into Tamoxifen was funded by CRUK.

Cervical Cancer:

Research into cervical cancer has led to thousands of women surviving the diease. Two thirds of women diagnosed will survive now whereas less then half of those diagnosed in the 1970’s survived longer then ten years after diagnosis.

CRUK funded research into the causes of cervical cancer. They have discovered that smoking, taking the contraceptive pill, having a high number of sexual partners and having sex at a young age can all increase your risk. They also investigated the links between HPV and cervical cancer and found it to be the primary cause of cervical cancer across the world.

Smear tests have led to cervical cancer rates plummeting in the UK over the past two decades. These tests allow doctors to prevent cervical cancer and treat any abnormal cells promptly. CRUK research was responsible for the earliest studied into smears and this laid the foundations for the current screening programme. Research has shown that this programme is highly effective and prevents THOUSANDS of cancer cases every year.

HPV testing is due to be introduced to the UK one day soon as CRUK trials have been successful. This will improve the screening programme and save even more lives.

Childhood Cancer:

Only a quarter of childhood cancer sufferers would survive in the 1960’s. Three quarters of childhood cancer sufferers survive now.

CRUK were involved in a ten year study which has dramatically improved neuroblastoma survival rates by two thirds.

Almost every child diagnosed with retinoblastoma now survives the disease thanks to CRUK research amongst other things.

CRUK have been instrumental in researching genes which can cause childhood cancer including the genes involved in Wilms tumours.

They discovered that woman frequently given x-rays whilst pregnant are more likely to have children who develop lymphoma or leukaemia and this led to x-rays being limited during pregnancy.

This is just come of the incredible progress being made. I don’t want to make this post too long and bombard you with too much information in one go so I will continue in another post on Monday!

All your generous donations and all the time dedicated to cancer charities does help save lives. The research being carried out is very real and it is developing new ways to diagnose, treat and prevent cancer. Cancer will be a thing of the past one day and that day will arrive if we continue to support these incredible charities and the hugely vital work they carry out every day.

Please read this post and realise that although it doesn’t look like much is being done on the outside and people are still dying of cancer, progress is being made.

This post is dedicated to my cousin Georgie, my godfather/uncle Sotiris, my auntie Eleni, my godmother/auntie Gina and my paternal grandparents Alexandra and Peter. Research wasn’t able to save them but I know the work I help do in their memory is making them proud wherever they are now. It is also dedicated to the people I love, I work with CRUK because I am determined to never lose another loved one to this horrific disease.

xxx

The Cancer Cure Conspiracy Theory

As a former politics student, I learnt the art of debating. My politics class was quite small and we had a great time learning together. Our debates were a great show and I really wish we had recorded them.

As a former politics student I am not afraid of having opinions and voicing them. I do try to make sure I am educated on a subject before debating them and I do try to keep an open mind and listen to others opinions.

However, there is one subject that REALLY bugs me and I feel I should address it in this post today. I find it hugely irritating when people post their conspiracy theories regarding “natural” cancer treatments on the CRUK Facebook page. I was appalled to see a post about a brave young girl beating cancer turned into a “bash CRUK post”. I am aware that miracles happen. Sometimes a person with a very bleak diagnosis will miraculously recover. Maybe natural remedies do help beat cancer. But I do not like this constant bashing of people who do not use natural remedies to treat cancer. I do not like these people stating their opinions as facts. I do not like people trying to claim a cure for cancer is being hidden by governments to keep people sick and spending money. It’s hugely disrespectful to the millions of cancer sufferers AND the thousands of people dedicated to curing cancer.

Please note this blog is my opinion only and I do not wish to offend anyone with what I state. I am not regarding my opinion as fact and I do welcome any proof that I am in fact wrong.

THERE WILL NOT BE A SINGLE CURE FOR CANCER.

Cancer is an umbrella term. It is not one disease. There are more then TWO HUNDRED cancer types. All types are different and one single cure will not be possible.

My Uncle Pan, a respected academic and someone who lost a wife and son to cancer, has written a blog post about this subject. He is much more articulate then me and he is also much more educated on the subject so I urge you to read his post and see what you think.

http://www.anticancer.org.uk/2011/06/miracle-cures.html

Without sounding blunt, there is no such thing as a miracle cure. Anyone who claims to be able to cure cancer with a product is not being entirely honest. Yes that product may have potential benefits but until it has been research, trialled and tested vigorously, it will not be a cure.

I’m not knocking homeopathic treatment and I agree that it can compliment, and even lessen the side effects of, conventional treatment. But I would NEVER allow a loved one to not have conventional treatment and just try these untested treatments instead. My uncle scoured the whole planet looking for a treatment that could cure Georgie. The sad truth is that treatment did not exist. We tried lots of things and every angle was considered but the truth is there is no cure for cancer at the moment.

I volunteer my time for Cancer Research UK because I believe in them. I have been to the labs and witnessed the research first hand. They are doing an incredible job of providing research into cancer. Lots of charities are. There are some incredible scientists out there, dedicating their lives to finding ways of beating cancer. I do believe cures are on the horizon but I believe there will be many many different types, not one cure for everything. I also don’t believe Cancer Research UK are out to make money and deprive people of proper treatments. CRUK is not government funded. I am proud to call several employees my friends and I can guarantee you that everyone who works there is passionate about the people they help. They all want to see the end of cancer.

I actually think these people claiming to cure cancer naturally are slightly dangerous and I would urge anyone to seriously consider medical advice and common sense when being told about these treatments. Yes chemotherapy is horrid. Yes surgery is painful. But these are tried and tested treatments with years and years of experience and proven results. They don’t work for everyone but they have saved MILLIONS of lives.

I would like to say that I wish everyone well with their battles with cancer. If someone genuinely believes they were cured naturally then fair play to them and I hope they are right. But I do not think it is right to dress these treatments up as miracles and possibly cloud the judgement of a desperate cancer patient looking for something that will cure them. Medicine has made huge advances over time and more and more people are surviving cancer all the time. We are on the right track and it will be slow progress but we will get there one day!

There is no treatment being hidden from us. There is no miracle cure out there. There will be cures one day but we need to keep up the research, keep up the awareness and remain steadfast in our determination to see the day when cancer is a disease of the past.

xxx

Plain Packaging News

Morning all!!!

Tomorrow will see Australia become the first country in the world to introduce plain packaging of cigarettes.

Here are some of the latest news about this:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/9713249/Australias-new-plain-packaging-makes-cigarettes-taste-worse.html

http://www.smh.com.au/national/plain-packs-put-off-smokers-20121129-2aitp.html

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/plain-packaging-leaves-bad-taste-in-smokers-mouths/story-e6frg6n6-1226527002998

As most will know, we Cancer Campaigns Ambassadors have been working very hard alongside Cancer Research UK all year to try and persuade the government to introduce plain packaging in the UK.

The campaign is aimed at young people and trying to discourage them from taking up smoking in the first place. IT IS NOT AIMED AT PEOPLE WHO ALREADY SMOKE.

Please look out for plain packaging news over the next few days and it will be really interesting to see how it pans out in Austalia whilst we wait for the government's decision.

Just a few facts about plain packaging for anyone that everyone should know:

Thousands of people every year are diagnosed with cancer because they have a smoking habit. Years of research has proven very clear links between cancer and smoking. One in every four cancer deaths in the UK is directly caused by smoking. a fifth of all cancer cases in the UK are also directly caused by smoking. Cancer Research research shows that smoking is the most important PREVENTABLE cause of cancer in the world.

More then four in five cases of Lung Cancer are caused by smoking. Lung Cancer has one of the lowest survival rates. it is the most common cause of cancer in the UK. Most of these cases are preventable if you give up smoking and allow your lungs to recover.

As well as Lung Cancer, smoking also increases your risk of over a dozen other cancers:
* Mouth
* Larynx (Voicebox)
* Pharynx (Upper Throat)
* Nose and Sinuses
* Oesophagus (Food Pipe)
* Liver
* Pancreas
* Stomach
* Kidney
* Bladder
* Cervix
* Bowel
* One type of Ovarian
* Some types of Leukaemia

* There is also evidence to suggest smoking can increase the risk of you developing Breast Cancer

There are at least 80 cancer causing substances in tobacco smoke. As you inhale the smoke these chemicals are released into your lungs and spread about your body. According to scientists; these chemicals can actually damage your DNA and mutate important genes, making your cells grow and multiply until they are out of control.

I  would like to make a very important point: I, and everyone else at CRUK, fight for EVERYONE suffering from cancer and EVERYONE who will suffer from cancer at some point in the future. No one deserves cancer; it is a horrific disease that changes the lives of sufferers and their loved ones. It is cruel and aggressive. It doesn't discriminate. This campaign is not aimed at making smokers feel like pariahs. It is not aimed at taking away your rights as a smoker. It is not aimed at making smokers lives more difficult. It’s not aimed at making smokers feel embarrassed, ashamed, guilty or pressurised to quit. This campaign is aimed at children and trying to get them to not take up smoking in the first place.

Cancer Research UK receives no government funding but has become the world’s leading charity dedicated to fighting cancer and saving lives through research. The charity is committed to reducing the harm caused by tobacco and has played a significant role in securing a ban on tobacco advertising, creating smoke free workplaces, removing cigarette vending machines and most recently changing the laws surrounding tobacco displays in retailers. We are now working hard to secure plain packaging and if the campaign is successful then the UK will become the first nation in Europe to introduce plain packaging.

Research has shown that eight out of ten smokers have started smoking by the age of nineteen. Most of these smokers will develop an addiction that will stay with them long into adulthood. Half of these long term smokers will die of a smoking related illness such as cancer. That is a huge amount of people suffering from an illness that could be prevented by not smoking in the first place.

The campaigns team at CRUK have been very thorough in their research and have providing their ambassadors with all the information needed. I have a list of arguments and rebuttals against plain packaging and I will write them here for you all to see:

“Plain Packaging will make packs easier to forge and will increase smuggling”

Tobacco products are already really easy to forge so covert markings are used to detect smuggled packs. These markings will remain on the plain packs.

“Plain Packaging will affect local shops”

Plain packaging is aimed at stopping young people from starting smoking so sales will decline slowly over time giving shops a chance to adjust. Plain packets will not have any detrimental effect on shopkeepers’ ability to find the requested pack’ peer-reviewed research has suggested that plain packs will actually speed up that process

“Cigarette prices will fall”

If there is any reduction in the price of cigarettes then taxes on cigarettes can be raised to compensate

“We can’t afford to lose tax from smokers”

Taxing of cigarettes contributes £10 billion to the treasury every year. HOWEVER the cost of smoking has been estimated to be £13.74 billion meaning the strain of smoking related illnesses cost more than the tax is brings in.

No figure can be put on the cost of human suffering caused by cancer

“Plain packaging is illegal as it infringes on trade mark rights”

Nobody is taking trademarks away by including plain packaging. International treaties have opt outs where public health in concerned so this is not an illegal move at all.

The important thing to remember about this campaign is that a lot of the campaigning has been done by volunteers like me. We are members of the public who genuinely believe in the work of Cancer Research UK. We are people who do this work in our spare time for no financial gains whatsoever. You have to really believe in something to be willing to dedicate hours and hours of your spare time to a cause, especially when you have a busy career, a family to take care of and an everyday life to lead. That dedication is a powerful tool. It means the work we do is genuinely done because we believe in what we are doing. We are people who have been affected by cancer and want to help prevent our experiences happening to others.

The other thing to remember is that the tobacco companies have spent a hell of a lot of money on opposing this campaign. Why would they do that if they were not worried that plain packaging would be a threat to their profits? Two million pounds was spent by JTI alone. Tobacco companies are not allowed to advertise their products anymore. Gone are the days where a Benson and Hedges advert would loom down on you from one of those massive billboards whilst you’re stuck in traffic. They have to rely on other means of enticing smokers. Packets are one of them. Cigarette packets have become increasingly glitzy in the past few years. Our campaign “Out of Sight, Out of Mind” has also proven tricky for tobacco companies because now cigarettes are hidden away in larger retailers.

Smoking is a lifestyle choice. One that I try to understand and respect. If you know of the dangers and choose to carry on smoking then that is entirely your prerogative and I wish you well. I sincerely hope you are in the very small minority that’s doe not get ill. But the fact remains that smoking is a dangerous habit and children should be encouraged to not take up smoking at all in the first place. The tobacco industry refers to children and young people as “pre smokers”, a fact I find rather disgusting. Most smokers I know would hate for their children to smoke.

If you believe plain packaging won’t put young people off smoking then think of your time at school. Imagine your mum put an ASDA own brand can of cola into your lunchbox instead of a Coca-Cola can, would you not have been slightly embarrassed by it? It’s the same logic with cigarettes – some are cooler then others. We all know how much image means when you are young. Smoking a certain brand of cigarettes will mean something. Taking the branding away will take that image away. No one will look cooler then anyone else if everyone has the same packet.

A comment I hear frequently is “if you’re doing this to tobacco, why not to alcohol?”. I have my own opinion on this. Certain types of Alcohol, in moderation, can have some health benefits whereas there are NO benefits to smoking. Absolutely none. It makes your hair, skin and clothes smell. It ages your skin. It discolours your teeth and nails. It damages your insides. It rots your teeth. It leads to a whole host of life threatening illnesses. Not to mention the damage it will do to your bank account.

I hope this blog post has provided you with all the information you need about plain packaging and why so many people are for such a historic move. Obviously, I understand that not everyone feels the same about the campaign but I hope this blog post explains my feelings on the subject.

Good luck to Australia, I sincerely hope to read that introducing the plain packs does have an impact on the amount of young people taking up smoking. I have one preteen sister, two teenage sisters and one teenage brother as well as a preteen sister in law. I actively try to discourage them from smoking by educating them on the subject and setting an example for them. I do practice what I preach after all!!

For more information about plain packaging please do contact Cancer Research UK www.cancerresearchuk.org

xxx

Childhood Cancer - My Projects

Having seen gene mutations rip both my maternal and paternal families, I can safely say I wholeheartedly support any research into them. Having watched someone I love soooo much succumb to childhood cancer, I can also wholeheartedly say I support any research into that as well.

My lovely fellow campaigns ambassador Mary Regan has a CRUK my projects page supporting the fabulous Professor Rahman and her research into childhood cancer. 

Professor Rahman is incredible. She is researching childhood cancer, and trying to find out why so many children receive devstatesing cancer diagnosis.

Please support Professor Rahman through Mary's MyProjects page and hopefully help us get one step closer to eradicating childhood cancer once and for all.

Thank you :)

http://myprojects.cancerresearchuk.org/fundraise/fundraising-pages/support-the-research-of-Professor-Rahman

xxx